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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

93.157:  Centers of Excellence

Popular Name:  Centers of Excellence

Objectives:  The goal of this program is to assist eligible schools in supporting programs of excellence in health professions education for under-represented minority individuals. The grantee is required to use the funds awarded: (1) To develop a large competitive applicant pool through linkages with institutions of higher education, local school districts, and other community-based entities and establish an education pipeline for health professions careers; (2) to establish, strengthen, or expand programs to enhance the academic performance of under-represented minority students attending the school; (3) to improve the capacity of such school to train, recruit, and retain under-represented minority faculty including the payment of stipends and fellowships; (4) to carry out activities to improve the information resources, clinical education, curricula and cultural competence of the graduates of the schools as it relates to minority health issues; (5) to facilitate faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting under-represented minority groups, including research on issues relating to the delivery of health care; (6) to carry out a program to train students of the school in providing health services to a significant number of under-represented minority individuals through training provided to such students at community-based health facilities that provide such health services and are located at a site remote from the main site of the teaching facilities of the school; and (7) to provide stipends as appropriate.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

93.157 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Eligible applicants are: accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, graduate programs in behavioral or mental health, or other public and nonprofit health or educational entities. Historically Black Colleges and Universities as described in Section 736(c)(2)(A) of the Public Service Act and which received a contract under Section 788B of the Public Health Service Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for fiscal year 1987 may apply for Centers of Excellence (COE) grants under Section 736 of the Public Health Service Act.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Certain HBCUs and eligible health professions schools must train a significant number of underrepresented minority students in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy; faculty recruitment, training and retention; and faculty and student research activities.

Credentials/Documentation:  The basis for determining the allowance and allocability of costs charged to Public Health Service (PHS) grants is set forth in 45 CFR 74, Subpart Q.

93.157 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  This program is excluded from courage 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.html. The BHPr uses Adobe Acrobat to publish grant documents on the Web page. In order to download, view and print these grants documents, you 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." Applicants are encouraged to obtain application materials from the World Wide Web via the Internet.

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

Deadlines:  Application deadlines are available on the World Wide Web at address: www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants/html.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  From 4 to 7 months after receipt of applications.

Appeals:  Appeals are available only to grantees.

Renewals:  At the end of the initial project period, competing continuation applications may be submitted for up to three 3 years.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Project proposals are evaluated on the basis of: (1) The degree to which the applicant arrange to continue the proposed project beyond the federally-funded project period; (2) the degree to which the proposed project meets all purposes stated in the legislative authorization; (3) the relationships of the objectives of the proposed project and the goals that are developed; (4) the administrative and managerial ability of the applicant to carry out the project in a cost-effective manner; (5) the adequacy of the staff and faculty to carry out the program; (6) the soundness of the budget for assuring effective utilization of grant funds and the proportion of total program funds which come from nonfederal sources and the degree to which they are projected to increase over the grant period; (7) the number of individuals who can be expected to benefit from the project; (8) the technical merit of the project; and (9) the overall impact the project will have on strengthening the schools' capacity to train the targeted minority health professionals and increase the supply of minority health professionals available to serve minority populations in underserved areas.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Projects funded proposed a range of activities for underrepresented targeted minority individuals, including high school students; undergraduate college preprofessional (medicine, dentistry and pharmacy) students; enrolled professional students and faculty. COEs support structured and unstructured summer and academic year activities to address the five legislative purposes. Activities include summer academic enrichment programs for undergraduate college students; professional school admissions process preparation sessions (MCAT/DAT review, etc.); retention services for enrolled professional students (i.e., summer prematriculation programs, tutorials, personal and career counseling; clinical educational experiences; recruitment/retention of basic science and clinical faculty; student/faculty research experiences; medical school curriculum development; increased library holdings relative to minority health issues; and purchase of computer and other equipment (to retain faculty and improve professional student performance, etc.).

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  From $212,149 to $790,748; $96,249.

93.157 RELATED PROGRAMS:

93.157 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

93.157 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  FY 99 $23,099,950; FY 00 est $24,871,770; and FY 01 est $29,721,770.

Budget Account Number:  75-0350-0-1-550.

Authorization:  Public Health Service Act, Title VII, Section 736, 42 U.S.C. 293, as amended, Health Professions Education Partnership Act of 1998, Public Law 105-392.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Pertinent information may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Health Professions Grants Office, Grants Management Branch, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD20857. Phone number (301) 443-6880.

93.157 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:  Program Contact: Capt. Richard Vause, Jr., PA-C, Chief, Program Coordination Branch, Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 8A-09, Parklawn Bldg., 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Program information and assistance may be obtained by calling (301) 443-2100. Grants Management Contact: Ms. Wilma Johnson, Grants Management Officer, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 8C-26, Parklawn Bldg., 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Phone: (301) 443-6880.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

93.157 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Not applicable.

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

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Grant funds may be used by health professions schools to: (1) Establish, strengthen, or expand programs to enhance the academic performance of minority students attending the school; (2) establish, strengthen or expand programs to increase the number and quality of minority applicants to the school; (3) improve the capacity of the school to train, recruit, and retain minority faculty; (4) with respect to minority health issues, to carry out activities to improve the information resources and curricula of the school and clinical education at the school; and (5) facilitate faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting minority groups.

93.157 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  A progress report must be submitted for the second or subsequent budget period within the approved project period. Financial Status Reports are required within 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 of the project period.

Audits:  In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive 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 available for 3 years after the submission of expenditure report, and 3 years after the final disposition of non-expendable property. If questions remain, such as those raised as a result of an audit, records must be retained until the problem is resolved.