FEDERAL AGENCY:

HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, Title VIII, Section 821, 42 U.S.C. 296m, as amended; Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, Public Law 105-392.

OBJECTIVES:

To increase nursing education opportunities for individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities under-represented among registered nurses) by providing student stipends, pre-entry preparation and retention activities.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Funds may be used for salaries of personnel specifically employed for the project; consultant fees; supplies and equipment necessary to conduct the project; essential travel expenses and student stipends; and other expenses related to the project. Restricted Uses: Indirect costs are allowed for administrative costs incurred as a result of the project, limited to 8 percent of direct costs exclusive of equipment and tuition and fees. Stipends may only be paid during full-time academic periods of study and is $250 per month to eligible full-time project students. Funds may not be used for dependents allowance and/or tuition and fees.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Eligible applicants include schools of nursing, nursing centers, academic health centers, State and local governments and other public or private nonprofit entities including faith based organizations. Grantees that report rates of annual admission, retention, and graduate rates of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethic and racial minorities below the average of the two previous years must provide a plan for immediately improving such rates. If the plan of the grantee fails to improve the rates within the 1-year beginning on the date of such plan, the grantee shall be ineligible for continued funding.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Public and nonprofit private schools of nursing and other public or nonprofit private entities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds including racial and ethnic minorities under-represented among registered nurses.

Credentials/Documentation:   Applicant/grantee must provide data on annual admission, retention, and graduation rates for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic and racial minorities in the schools involved in the project. Program must be accredited by a recognized body or bodies, or by a State agency approved for such purposes by the Secretary of Education. Program participants must be U.S. Citizen's, non-citizen national, or foreign national who possess a visa permitting permanent residence in the U.S. Participants must be educationally or economically disadvantaged and express an interest in pursing a professional nursing career.

Pre-application Coordination:   Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   The new URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) Grants Page is www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants. This year BHPr has decided to use Adobe Acrobat and Word to publish its grant documents on the Web page. In order to download, view and print Adobe Acrobat documents, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This can be obtained without charge from the Internet by going to the Adobe Web page www.adobe.com and downloading the version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is appropriate for your operating system, i.e., Windows, Unix, Macintosh, etc. A set of more detailed instructions on how to download and use the Adobe Acrobat Reader can be found on the BHPr Grants Web page under "Notes on this WWW Page."

Award Procedure:   Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Grant Award issued from the Headquarters Office.

Deadlines:   Application deadlines can be obtained via the Internet at: http://www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Final decisions are made within 4 to 6 months after receipt of applications.

Appeals:   None.

Renewals:   Grantees may submit a competing continuation application during the final budget period of the approved project period.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Project periods are for 3 years.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   A Uniform Summary Progress Report must be submitted for the second or subsequent budget period within an approved project period. Annual Financial status reports are required 90 days after the end of each budget period. A final progress report and final financial status report must be submitted within 90 days after the end to the project period.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit 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.

Records:   Financial records must be kept for 3 years after submission of an expenditure report, and 3 years after final disposition of non-expendable property. If questions remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, records must be retained until the matter is resolved.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations:   FY 01 $4,673,000; FY 02 est $6,173,000; and FY 03 est $6,172,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
FY 15 Range $180,128- $353,248; Average award: $282,256.

FY 16 Range: $293,217-$350,000; Average award: EST $342,061.

(Formally Nursing Education Opportunities for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds) Projects have assisted nursing schools to meet the costs of recruitment and retention of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and facilitated their completion of nursing education programs. In fiscal year 2001, 39 continuations and 20 new awards were issued. It is estimated that 13 noncompeting continuations and 14 new awards will be issued in fiscal year 2002; and 23 noncompeting continuations and 7 new awards will be issued in fiscal year 2003.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

HRSA Preview Fact Sheet for Grants for Nursing Workforce Diversity Programs; PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000, Rev. April 1, 1994.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   None.

Headquarters Office:  
Dr. Jose Santiago-Velez and Tara D. Spencer, Project Officers, Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm. 11N94B, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Email: jsantaiago-velez@hrsa.gov Phone: (301) 443-5688

Web Site Address:  
http://www.hrsa.gov

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

None.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

The purpose of the project must be consistent with and promote the activities identified in the law. Need must be documented, and the capability achieving project goals must be described. In making awards of grants under this section, preference will be given to any qualified applicant with a project that will substantially benefit rural or underserved populations, or help meet public health nursing needs in State in local health departments. This preference will only be applied to applications that rank above the 20th percentile of applications recommended for approval.