NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
AUTHORIZATION:
Public
Health Service Act, Part 68, Section 487A, Public Law 100-607, as
amended; Public Law 103-43, 42 U.S.C. 288-l, 102 Stat. 3148, as
amended, Public Law 105-392.
To
help assure an adequate supply of trained researchers (physicians,
registered nurses and scientists) with respect to acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by providing
for the repayment of educational loans for participants who agree,
by written contract, to primarily engage in AIDS research as employees
of the NIH.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
This program will provide
partial repayment of educational loans incurred by physicians, registered
nurses and scientists engaged, as employees of the NIH, in AIDS
research. Recipients must agree by written contract to engage in
such research, initially, for a minimum of 2 years; individuals
who have conflicting service obligations may not participate in
this program until those obligations are satisfied or have been
deferred during the period of program service. Continuation contracts
are available, dependent upon the level of debt and continued involvement
in AIDS research, and are issued for one-year periods. Maximum program
benefit is $35,000 per year in loan repayments and $13,650 per year
in Federal tax reimbursements. Recipients must have qualified educational
debt in excess of 20 percent of their annual NIH salary, which is
referred to as their "debt threshold." An amount equal to half of
this "debt threshold" will not be repaid by NIH and must be paid
by the Program participants.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility:
Eligible applicants must: (1) Be a citizen, national, or permanent
resident of the United States; (2) possess a M.D., Ph.D., D.O.,
D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.P.M., A.D.N., B.S.N., or equivalent degree;
3) have educational debt, which results from governmental or commercial
loans obtained to support their undergraduate and/or graduate education
in excess of 20 percent of their annual NIH salary (exclusive of
special allowances of any kind) on the program eligibility date;
4) be appointed under any temporary or permanent employment mechanism,
so long as their employment has the potential to last a minimum
of 2 years; 5) not have an existing service obligation to Federal,
State, or other entities, unless deferred during period of program
service; 6) submit an application to participate in the Loan Repayment
Program; and 7) submit to the Secretary for Health and Human Services,
at the time of application, a signed contract agreeing to engage
in AIDS research at the NIH for a minimum of 2 years.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
AIDS researchers who have unpaid educational loans will benefit
from this program.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicants must submit documentation of the following, as appropriate:
1) Copies of loan applications and agreements from governmental
or commercial educational loans that are being considered for
repayment; 2) copies of the standard student budget from schools
attended during period when debt was incurred; and 3) other documentation
as required by law.
Pre-application
Coordination: None. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
Applicants must access and submit the Loan Repayment Program application
electronically via the website www.lrp.nih.gov; seek qualified
employment with a sponsoring Institute or Center (IC) of the NIH.
Once an application has been submitted, the Loan Repayment Committee
reviews it at a regularly scheduled review meeting and a determination
of loan repayment recipients is made.
Award Procedure:
The NIH Loan Repayment Committee (LRC) will review, rank, and
approve or disapprove applications recommended for program participation
by each IC. Applications approved for program participation by
the LRC will be notified by the Program Director. The Secretary,
or her/his designee, will sign the service contract of program
participants, provide a copy to the participant, and notice of
the amount of approved loan repayment.
Deadlines:
Review the Loan Repayment Program website www.lrp.nih.gov, or
contact the Headquarters Office listed below for the application
deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval
Time: The approximate time for approval/disapproval
is three months.
Appeals:
Employees of the NIH who are not approved as a result of this
process may ask for reconsideration through the standard appeal
procedures available to NIH employees.
Renewals:
At the conclusion of the initial two-year contract, participants
may apply and be recommended for subsequent one-year continuation
contracts under the application and approval procedures specified
above.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching
Requirements: This program has no statutory
formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing
of Assistance: Assistance is available for
a minimum 2-year period. One-year, continuation contracts are
available for individuals whose educational debt exceeds that
maximum repayable amount for 2-years. Payments are made directly
to lenders, following each quarter of the participant's satisfactory
service, unless otherwise agreed upon by the participant and Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Program participants must be certified quarterly as to having satisfactorily
performed their research assignments.
Audits:
None.
Records:
The NIH will maintain applicant records for 3 years after rejection
and participant records for 6 years after completion of final
service obligation.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
75-0846-0-1-552.
Obligations:
(Loan Repayments) FY 01 $717,547; FY 02 est $1,125,000; and FY
03 est $1,125,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
Dollar assistance range is estimated to be $11,192 in loan repayments
and $4,365 in tax reimbursements to a maximum of $70,000 and $27,300
in loan repayments and tax reimbursements, respectively. Average
dollar assistance per contract is estimated to be $42,228
in loan repayments and $16,469 in tax reimbursements.
In fiscal year 2001, 15
awards were made. In fiscal years 2002 and 2003, 20 awards are anticipated
to be made.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND
LITERATURE:
Pertinent information
is contained in Public Law 100-607, Public Law 103-43, Public Law
105-392; Federal Register, Volume 54, No. 215, November 8, 1989;
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, No. 24, June 24,
1994; Federal Register, Volume 56, No. 150, August 5, 1991; Section
487A of Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 288-l). Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking is pending.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local
Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office:
Program and Business Contact: Marc S. Horowitz, J.D., Office of
Loan Repayment and Scholarship, National Institutes of Health,
2 Center Drive, Room 2E24, Bethesda, MD 20892-0230. LRP Helpline:
866-849-4047. Facsimile: 866-849-4046.
Web Site Address: www.lrp.nih.gov
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Studies on the effects
of gp120, TAT, and TNF-alpha on cell activation and gene expression
in human endothelial cells in primary culture. Identification and
characterization of cellular subtypes that comprise the immune system
both in healthy human subjects and in subjects with diseases such
as HIV infection. Development of murine models related to T-cell
regeneration; and treatment of HIV patients infected with multi-drug
resistant TB.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Applicants are approved
for participation in the NIH Loan Repayment Program for AIDS Research
after the LRC determines that the applicant will conduct qualified
AIDS research. LRC approval, in part, is based upon the appropriateness
of the research assignment to qualified AIDS research, the scientific
merit of the research, and the credentials of the applicant as they
relate to performing qualified AIDS research.
