To
provide predoctoral and postdoctoral training opportunities in health
services research. Individual fellowships will be awarded directly
to applicants for postdoctoral research training and to under represented
minorities for predoctoral training. Domestic institutions will
also be awarded grants to enhance predoctoral and post doctoral
training programs and provide support to trainees selected by them.
The purpose of these awards is to provide fellows and trainees with
both academic training and actual experience in the application
of research methods to the systematic analysis and evaluation of
the organization, financing, utilization, and delivery of health
care services.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Individual fellowships
are awarded both to applicants seeking postdoctoral support and
to under represented minority applicants seeking predoctoral support
for full-time health services research training. An institutional
allowance is provided, upon request, to the sponsoring institution
for each fellow. Also, research training grants are awarded to institutions
to provide support to trainees selected by the training program
director at the grantee institution. This support is available for
predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Tuition and fees are allowable
for trainees, and an amount for institutional expenses will be provided.
Facilities and administrative costs may be requested at 8 percent
of allowable direct costs, or the negotiated facilities and administrative
cost rate, whichever is less. Postdoctoral fellows and trainees
in the first 12 months of postdoctoral NRSA support incur one month
of payback obligation for each month of support. The thirteenth
and subsequent months of postdoctoral NRSA support are considered
payback service for prior postdoctoral support. Predoctoral fellows
and trainees do not incur a service payback obligation. Discretionary
funds are available.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility:
Domestic public or private nonprofit organizations or institutions
may apply for training grants. The applicant institutions must have
or expand training programs designed to develop competent investigators
in the methods and techniques of conducting health services research.
State or local governments and U.S. Territories are eligible. Profit-making
organizations are not eligible. Individual applicants for postdoctoral
fellowships must have received a doctoral degree. Individual applicants
for predoctoral fellowships must be from ethnic/racial groups that
have been determined to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral
research. All persons supported as fellows or trainees must be citizens
or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully
admitted for permanent residence.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
Individuals and public or private nonprofit organizations or institutions,
including State or local governments and U.S. Territories, are
the beneficiaries of this program.
Credentials/Documentation:
An individual applicant for a postdoctoral fellowship must document
receipt of a doctoral degree and acceptance by an appropriate
institutional sponsor. An individual applicant for a predoctoral
fellowship must have completed their bachelor's degree and document
their acceptance in a research doctoral degree granting program
by an appropriate institutional sponsor. Institutional applicants
for training grants must document their research and training
experiences, staff, curriculum, facilities, and other resources
available. Costs will be determined in accordance with HHS Regulations
45 CFR, Part 74.
Pre-application
Coordination: While there is no program requirement
for preapplication, informal preapplication consultation to prospective
applicants is available upon request to the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) and is recommended. This program is
excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
Application forms and information about health services research
areas being supported are available from AHRQ. Individual fellowship
applicants should submit Form PHS 416-1, (Rev. August 1995). Institutions
should submit Form PHS 398 (Rev. 4/98). For State agencies, no
State Plan is required. For State and local governments, the standard
forms, as furnished by PHS and required by 45 CFR, Part 92, may
be used. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR,
Part 92 for State and local governments and OMB Circular No. A-110
for nonprofit organizations.
Award Procedure:
Applications are reviewed for scientific merit by a committee
including nonfederal consultants who are selected from appropriate
scientific fields. All institutional training grant applications
may be reviewed by the National Advisory Council for Healthcare
Research and Quality. AHRQ considers the recommendations of the
review committee, the Council, program interest, and the availability
of funds in the final selection of grantees. When such decisions
are made, applicants are notified and a Notice of Grant Award
is issued. Before receiving support, all individual fellows and
institutional postdoctoral trainees must submit required forms,
including a payback agreement.
Deadlines:
Contact Headquarters Office for deadline dates for Institutional
Training Grants. Individual applications for postdoctoral Fellowships
are due: April 5, August 5, and December 5. Individual applications
for predoctoral fellowships to underrepresented minority students
are due: May 1 and November 15.
Range of Approval/Disapproval
Time: From 5 to 6 months from receipt of application.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
If additional support is desired to continue a grant beyond the
approved project period, an application for competing continuation
must be submitted for review in the same manner as a new application.
No individual may receive more than 3 years of aggregate National
Research Service Award support at the postdoctoral level, or 5
years at the predoctoral level, including any combination of support
from institutional and individual awards.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching
Requirements: This program has no statutory
formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing
of Assistance: Individual fellowship support
at the postdoctoral level is limited to 3 years and at the predoctoral
level to 5 years. Institutional training grants may be awarded
for project periods up to 5 years. Awards are made on an annual
basis and it is expected that obligations will be made within
the budget period awarded. After awards are issued, funds are
released in accordance with the payment procedure established
by the grantee with DHHS, which may be an Electronic Transfer
System or a Monthly Cash Request system.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Annual and final progress reports are required. For Institutional
Training Grants, a final progress report is due at the close of
the project period. Annual Financial Status Reports are also required
for Institutional National Research Service Awards. These Financial
Status Reports must be submitted within 90 days after the close
of each budget period. Annual reports of activities for tracking
payback provisions are required of all fellows and trainees upon
termination of support.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants records are subject
to audit and inspection by Federal auditors.
Records:
Records must be retained for at least three years; records shall
be retained beyond the three year period if audit findings have
not been resolved. Records relating to individual payback obligations
are retained for one year after the individual has fulfilled or
has been excused from fulfilling the payback obligation.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
75-1700-0-1-552.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $6,530,269; FY 02 est $6,500,000; and FY 03 est
$6,900,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
(Individuals) $32,000 to $60,000; Average: $40,000. (Institutions)
$120,000 to $500,000; Average: $250,000. These figures
are total costs (stipends plus associated costs).
In fiscal year 2001, 5
new and 4 continuing individual fellowships were funded and 24 continuing
institutional training grants were funded. It is estimated that
10 individual fellowships and 24 institutional training grants will
be awarded in fiscal year 2002. In fiscal year 2003, it is estimated
that the same number of fellowships and training grants will be
awarded in fiscal year 2003.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND
LITERATURE:
Title 42 CFR Part 66;
PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000,
(Rev.) April 1, 1994.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local
Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Department
of Health and Human Services, Suite 601, Executive Office Center,
2101 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD 20852. Program Contact:
Karen Rudzinski, Director, Division of Research Education. Telephone:
(301) 594-1449 Grants Management Contact: Al Deal, Grants Management
Specialist. Telephone: (301) 594-1843 or Michelle Burr, Grants
Management Specialist. (301) 594-1840. Use the same number for
FTS.
Web Site Address: http//www.ahrq.gov
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Support is provided for
training in the following areas: health services research, research
methods (including qualitative research), epidemiology, biostatistics,
geriatrics, health administration and public health, medical information
sciences, health policy and management, organizational behavior,
clinical outcomes and effectiveness, primary care, health care quality,
health economics and financing, child health, and vulnerable populations.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
For Individual fellowship
applications, the following review criteria will be used: (1) The
applicant's past academic and research accomplishments; (2) research
goals; (3) research training proposed; (4) qualifications of the
sponsor; (5) appropriateness of training environment; and (6) reference
reports. For Institutional training grant applications, the following
review criteria will be used: (1) goals of the proposed training
and probability of achievement; (2) substantive content, including
courses offered; (3) qualifications and responsibilities of program
director and faculty; (4) ability to recruit trainees; (5) extent
of institutional participation through provision of necessary space,
curriculum time, financial support, and appropriate facilities;
(6) documented cooperation of related agencies in providing research
experience; (7) proposed number of students; (8) methods for monitoring
and evaluating trainees; and (9) reasonableness of budget. In all
cases, AHRQ will consider the recommendations of the review committee,
the Council program interests, and availability of funds in making
the final selection of grantees.
