HRSA-26-066 FINAL.pdf

Bureau of Health Workforce

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due 07/08/2026

Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) Opportunity number: HRSA-26-066

Contents Before you begin 3

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 10

Award information 13

Get registered 17

Find the application package 17

Application writing help 18

Application checklist 20

Application contents and format 22

Application review 36

Selection process 42

Award notices 47

Application submission and deadlines 49

Other submissions 49

Post-award requirements and administration 51

Reporting 55

Appendices 59

Endnotes 61

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registrations are active and up-to-date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by the application due date Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 07/08/2026.

All activities proposed in your application and budget narrative must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings. Accordingly, discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate; racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a selection criterion for employment or program participation; denial by the recipient of the sex binary in humans, or the belief that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic; illegal immigration; or any other initiatives that compromise public safety. If an application does not align, the application will not receive funding to the extent permitted by law and applicable court orders.

https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

1. Review 2. Get Ready 3. Build 4. Understand 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 10

Award information 13

Basic information Health Resources and Services Administration

Bureau of Health Workforce

Increasing the dental faculty workforce through loan repayment.

Summary The purpose of the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program is to increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce. The program helps attract and retain full-time faculty through awards to entities to plan, develop and operate a loan repayment program.

This program has three objectives:

• To reduce educational debt for dentists and dental hygienists in exchange for full-time employment as faculty.

• To encourage long-term employment as dental and dental hygiene faculty.

• To promote faculty development and advancement through mentoring and other institution-supported activities.

Funding details Application Types: Competing continuation, new

Expected total available funding in FY26: $800,000

Expected number and type of awards: 8 grants

Funding range per award: Up to $100,000

We plan to fund awards in five budget periods for a period of performance from 09/01/2026 to 08/31/2031.

The program and awards depend on the appropriation of funds and are subject to change based on the availability and amount of appropriations.

Have questions?

Go to Contacts and Support.

Key facts Opportunity name:

Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program

(DFLRP)

number:

version:

Initial

93.059

Key dates

06/05/2026 webinar:

deadline:

07/08/2026

08/01/2026

09/01/2026

See other submissions for other time frames that may apply to this NOFO.

Eligibility You can apply if you are a:

• Program of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry in a dental or dental hygiene school.

• Residency or advanced education program in the practice of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.

You must submit accreditation documentation in Attachment 1.

Types of eligible organizations These types of domestic organizations may apply if they otherwise meet the eligibility criteria.

“Domestic” means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized).

• Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

• Private institutions of higher education.

• Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification).

Additional information on eligibility You can apply if you are: A Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited program of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry in a public or private, nonprofit dental or dental hygiene school; or a CODA accredited residency or advanced education program in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.

Individuals are not eligible applicants under this NOFO.

Other eligibility criteria If you received an award under either of these previous program announcements, you are not eligible to apply because you are still within your project period:

• 2022 Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (HRSA-22-046)

• 2023 Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (HRSA-23-091)

Trainee eligibility Participants must also meet all of these requirements:

• Participants must be either a general dentist, dental hygienist, or specialist in pediatric dentistry or dental public health.

• Participants must agree to work full-time as faculty members in general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, dental public health, or dental hygiene.

• Participants must be employed in a domestic organization.

• Participants cannot receive financial support from another federal program with a service commitment that would overlap with this program’s commitment.

◦ This includes scholarship and loan repayment programs through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Indian Health Service, HRSA’s Faculty Loan Repayment Program, and Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Programs.

◦ The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is not considered a service obligation.

• The grant project director (PD) and members of the selection committee are not eligible to participate.

• Faculty who previously participated in BHW’s Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program may still participate but cannot:

◦ Exceed five total years of participation in loan repayments.

◦ Deviate from the statutorily prescribed repayment percentages.

◦ Receive more than a total of 100% repayment.

Qualifying and non-qualifying loans A participant will receive loan repayment funds to apply toward the principal and interest of eligible outstanding student loans. Eligible loans include government (federal, state, or local) and commercial (private) loans obtained for undergraduate or graduate education to cover tuition, reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses. For purposes of this NOFO, a residency loan is defined as a loan incurred for primary care dentistry training (general, pediatric, or public health dentistry). All qualifying educational loans must have been obtained prior to the date the participant signs the loan repayment service contract.

1. Consolidated/refinanced loans may be considered for repayment in the following circumstances:

a. A consolidated/refinanced loan must be from a government (federal, state, or local) or commercial lender and must include only qualifying educational loans of the applicant.

b. If an otherwise eligible educational loan is consolidated/refinanced with ineligible (non-qualifying) debt of the applicant, no portion of the consolidated/refinanced loan will be eligible for loan repayment.

c. For loans to remain eligible, applicants/participants must keep their eligible educational loans apart from all other debts.

d. Eligible educational loans consolidated with loans owed by any other person, such as a spouse or child, are ineligible for repayment.

2. Non-qualifying educational loans

a. Loans for which the associated documentation does not identify the loan was solely applicable to the undergraduate or graduate education of the applicants.

b. Loans not obtained from a government entity or private commercial student lending institution. Most loans made by private foundations to individuals are not eligible for repayment.

c. Loans that have been repaid in full.

d. Primary Care Loans.

e. Parent PLUS Loans (made to parents).

f. Personal lines of credit.

g. Loans subject to cancellation.

h. Credit card debt.

Completeness and responsive criteria We will review your application to make sure it meets these basic requirements to move forward in the competition.

We will not consider an application that:

• Is from an organization that does not meet all eligibility criteria.

• Requests funding above the award ceiling shown in the funding range.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

• Is not complete.

Application limits You may not submit more than one application. If you submit more than one application, we will only accept the last on-time submission.

Cost sharing This program has no cost-sharing requirement. If you choose to share in the costs of the project, we will not consider it during merit review. Recipients agree that once committed, cost sharing amounts are enforceable and subject to reporting and auditing requirements under 2 CFR 200.

Maintenance of effort Federal funds must supplement, not replace, existing non-federal funds supporting the proposed activities. If awarded, you must maintain a level of non-federal expenditures that is at least equal to the amount spent in the fiscal year prior to receiving the award, in accordance with section 797(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 295n-2(b)).

We will enforce these statutory maintenance-of-effort requirements through all available means. You are required to submit documentation demonstrating compliance in Attachment 5.

Post-award requirements Before you apply, make sure you understand the requirements that come with an award.

See Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award for information on regulations that apply, reporting, and more.

Program description Purpose The purpose of this program is to increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce by assisting training programs to attract and retain full-time faculty through loan repayment.

Background According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dentists is projected to grow by five percent from 2023 to 2033, driven by increased demand for dental services.[1] The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) projects that shortages of dentists and dental hygienists will persist through 2037, with estimated shortages of 8,100 full-time equivalent (FTE) dentists and 29,740 FTE dental hygienists by 2037.[2]

There is also a need for dental faculty at the institution level; however, dental schools continue to face challenges recruiting and retaining faculty to teach these needed dental professionals. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) reports an increase of total open faculty positions from 383 in Academic Year (AY) 2018-19 to 645 vacancies in AY 2022-23.

Average educational debt at the completion of dental school has also continued to increase from around $273,000 in 2019 to $298,000 in 2024. This debt prevents many new clinicians from pursuing academic teaching. In fact, the percentage of graduates intending to enter teaching decreased to 0.3% in AY 2023-24.[3]

The Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program helps to directly address these shortages.

• It increases the number of full-time faculty recruited and retained at awarded dental schools, dental hygiene schools, and dental residency programs.

• It provides significant and much-needed student loan relief over a five-year period. This allows clinicians to enter academics earlier in their careers and thus train higher numbers of students and residents.

From AYs 2016 through 2022, a total of 148 Dental Faculty Loan Repayment participants provided a combined 424 years of service as full-time dental faculty. During that same six-year time frame, the program provided over $12 million in loan repayment. This relieved an average of 43% of student loan debt for its participants and helped address a key barrier to dental faculty careers. According to NCHWA, without the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program, dental faculty vacancies could have grown by 113% during

AY 2016-2021. Instead, they only grew by 78%. The program’s faculty reduced national dental faculty vacancy rates from 6.3% to 5.2% in AY 2018-2019.[4]

Program goal and objectives The goal of this program is to increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce by assisting training programs to attract and retain full-time faculty through loan repayment.

This program has three objectives:

• To reduce educational debt for dentists and dental hygienists in exchange for full-time employment as faculty.

• To encourage long-term employment as dental and dental hygiene faculty.

• To promote faculty development and advancement through mentoring and other institution-supported activities.

Program requirements and expectations Award recipients are required to participate in federally designed evaluations to assess program effectiveness and efficiency upon request.

If you receive an award, you must:

• Develop a new or maintain an existing loan repayment program for faculty employed by the grant recipient institution.

• Promote faculty development and advancement through mentoring and other institution-supported activities.

Loan repayment program requirements

• You must create a selection committee to select participants for the loan repayment program. The committee should prioritize the selection of participants who are engaged in:

◦ Faculty development activities that indicate long-term interest in education careers. These activities include mentoring, publishing, and training in clinical skills and leadership development.

◦ Interprofessional teaching, such as case-based courses across health professions disciplines.

◦ Community-based teaching, such as supervising students and residents in rotations to community-based organizations.

◦ Activities that provide care to and meet the oral health needs of rural and medically vulnerable populations.

• The committee must select participants before the end of the first budget period of the award, August 31, 2027. If you fail to select participants in the first year, we may take administrative action, up to and including termination of the grant.

• The loan repayment program must pay an amount equal to the following percentages of each participant’s student loan balance. The balance includes the principal and interest owed at the start of the loan repayment service contract:

◦ 10% after year one of service.

◦ 15% after year two.

◦ 20% after year three.

◦ 25% after year four.

◦ 30% after year five.

For example, if a participant signed their service contract on October 1, 2026, they would be eligible to receive a payment equal to 10% of their total qualifying loan balance at the time of signing on October 1, 2027, after one full year of teaching.

• You may obligate loan repayments at the start of a participant’s year of service, but you must only pay participants upon completion of each year of service. You cannot prorate loan repayments if a participant leaves or reduces to part-time teaching.

• If you pay a participant directly, you must verify that the participant applies the loan repayments to their qualifying educational loan and continuously monitor their loan balance after each annual payment is made.

• You must develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide your program administration.

• Loan repayments are taxable income. You must report them to the Internal Revenue Service. Participants are responsible for paying the federal, state, and local tax liabilities associated with these loan repayments.

◦ To help participants, you may withhold applicable taxes using your existing payroll or payment systems. However, you cannot consider these loan repayments as additional salary to calculate faculty fringe benefits.

• You must track participants after program completion for up to one year.

• Consider use of methods such as Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC) e-Care Plan, artificial intelligence and assistive technology, and mobile health technologies to provide telehealth and in-person care delivery.

Statutory authority 42 U.S.C. § 293k-2 (Section 748 of the Public Health Service Act)

Award information Funding policies and limitations Changes in HHS regulations As of October 1, 2025, HHS has adopted 2 CFR Part 200, with some modifications included in 2 CFR Part 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR Part 75.

Policies

• To make an award, funding must be available and allocated for this program and purpose, at which point we will move forward with the review and award process.

• Have clear policies and good financial practices to avoid spending HRSA funds on unallowable activities. Like other award rules, we may audit your policies, procedures, and controls.

• Support beyond the first budget year will depend on:

◦ Appropriation of funds.

◦ Your satisfactory progress in meeting the project’s objectives.

◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we may:

◦ Fund more applicants from the rank order list.

◦ Extend the period of performance.

◦ Award supplemental funding.

General limitations

• For guidance on some types of costs we do not allow or restrict, see

◦ Project Budget Information in Section 3.1.4 of the R&R Application Guide [PDF]. You can also see 2 CFRPart 200 Subpart E - General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

◦ Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, in the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

• All costs must be reasonable, necessary, allocable to the award, and adequately documented (2 CFR 200.403).

• You cannot earn profit from the federal award. See 2 CFR 200.400(g).

• Current appropriations law includes a salary limit of $228,000 as of January 2026 that applies to this program. You may pay salaries at a rate higher than the Executive Level II if the amount beyond the HHS SRL is paid with non-HHS funds.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D16 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D16 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72 https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-grants-policy-statement-april-2025-archived.pdf#page%3D81 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.404 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.405 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.400(g)

For help calculating salaries under this limit, read more at “salary rate limitation” in the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Program-specific statutory or regulatory limitations HRSA estimates a minimum of approximately $800,000 to be available to fund eight grant recipients. You may apply for a ceiling amount (including both direct and indirect) up to the following amounts in each budget year:

• Year 1: $100,000

• Year 2: $150,000

• Year 3: $200,000

• Year 4: $250,000

• Year 5: $300,000

Staffing, administrative, and other basic operating costs (such as personnel costs and supplies) paid with grant funds are limited to $10,000 for year 1 and $5,000 per year for years 2 through 5. Examples of operating costs include:

• Activities associated with the creation of the selection committee.

• Faculty application development.

• Development of the loan repayment contract.

• Final processing of selected faculty into the program.

You must pay for any faculty contracts that offer loan repayment in excess of the HRSA annual budget using your own in-kind funds.

You must pay costs associated with creating and managing the loan repayment program out of these capped amounts or cover them with your own funds. This is separate from indirect costs capped at 8% of modified total direct costs allowable for training awards, per 2 CFR 300.414.

HRSA may reduce funding or take other enforcement actions beyond the first year if you cannot achieve the project goals, including recruiting faculty into the program.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D16

You cannot use grant funds:

• To buy real property, or for construction.

• To pay for equipment costs.

• For foreign travel or training.

• For faculty development activities, including any proposed in the application.

You must have policies, procedures, and financial controls in place. You must comply with legal requirements and restrictions, including those that limit specific uses of funding.

See Manage Your Grant for other information on costs and financial management.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are costs you charge across more than one project that cannot be easily separated by project. For example, this could include utilities for a building that supports multiple projects.

As of October 1, 2025, 2 CFR 300.414 indirect costs for training awards cannot exceed 8% of modified total direct costs. To calculate the (MTDC), we exclude from the direct cost base:

• Direct cost amounts for equipment, tuition, fees, and participant support costs

• Subawards and subcontracts exceeding $50,000.

For modified total direct costs, we use the definition at 2 CFR 200.1.

Consider your indirect costs when developing your budget.

Program income Program income is money earned as a result of your award-supported project activities. You must use any program income you generate from awarded funds for approved project-related activities. Find more about program income at 2 CFR 200.307.

https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/manage-your-grant https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.307

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

Get registered 17

Find the application package 17

Application writing help 18

Get registered SAM.gov You must have an active account with SAM.gov to apply. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register:

• Go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

• You must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations specifically. Those for contracts are different.

When you register, you will also receive your required Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Once you register:

• You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

• If your organization has multiple UEIs, use the one associated with your physical location.

If you need additional information about user roles in SAM.gov, see “Get registered:

SAM.gov user roles” in the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants and How to Apply for Grants.

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Grants Search at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HRSA-26-066.

After you select the opportunity, we recommend that you click the Subscribe button to get updates.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D4 https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://www.grants.gov/search-grants

Application writing help Visit HHS Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals.

Visit HRSA’s How to Prepare Your Application page for more guidance.

See Apply for a Grant for other help and resources.

Join the webinar For more information about this opportunity, visit the Bureau of Health Workforce’s open opportunities website. The webinar will be recorded.

FAQs will be posted on TA webpage after the webinar.

https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/get-ready-for-grants-management/tips-for-preparing-grant-proposals/index.html https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant/prepare-your-application https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant https://bhw.hrsa.gov/programs https://bhw.hrsa.gov/programs

Step 3:

Build Your Application

Application checklist 20

Application contents and format 22

Application checklist There are two types of forms in Grants.gov:

• Some forms allow you to upload components of your application to the form.

These include components like your project narrative, budget and budget narrative, and attachments, as applicable.

• Other forms are more typical, fill-in-the-blank forms.

Make sure that you have everything you need to apply.

Narratives See the instructions for the project narrative and the budget and budget narrative.

Form

Research & Related Other Project Information

Research & Related Budget

Attachments See instructions for attachments.

1. Accreditation documentation

2. Project organizational chart

3. Agreements with other entities (if applicable)

4. Staffing plan and job description

5. Maintenance of effort documentation

6. Funding preference or priority documentation (if applicable)

7. Tables and charts

8. Letters of support (if applicable)

9. –15. Other relevant documents

Included in page limit*?

Yes*

Yes*

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Other required forms See form instructions.

SF-424 (R&R)

Project Abstract Summary form

R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s)

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile form

Project/Performance Site Location(s)

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Standardized Work Plan (SWP) form

Yes*

No

No

No

No

* Unless otherwise indicated, only what you attach to a form counts toward the page limit. The form itself does not count.

Application contents and format This section includes guidance on each component found in the application checklist.

Application page limit: 60

Submit your information in English and express whole number budget figures using U.S. dollars.

Required format Required format for project summary, project narrative, budget narrative, and attachments.

Font: A readable font like Arial, Courier, CG Times, or Times New Roman.

File format: We only accept the following document formats:

• .PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

• .DOC/.DOCX - Microsoft Word

• .RTF - Rich Text Format

• .TXT - Text

• .WPD - Word Perfect Document

• .XLS/.XLSX - Microsoft Excel

• .VSD - Microsoft Visio

Size: 12-point font Footnotes, charts, graphics, and budget tables may be 10-point or higher.

Ink color: Black

Spacing: Single-spaced, including all text and tables.

Alignment: Left

Headings: Bold all headings and align left.

Size: 8.5 x 11 (Make sure the print area is set and allows printing to 8.5 x 11.)

Margins: 1-inch on all sides.

Footer: On each page as the footer, include your organization’s name and page numbers. If a competing continuation or competing supplement, also include your 10-digit award number.

Page numbering:

• Do not number the standard OMB-approved forms.

• Number each attachment page sequentially (that is, 1, 2, 3).

• Reset the numbering for each attachment.

• Treat each attachment as a separate section.

File names: You can find guidance for naming our files in the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Project narrative Use the Research & Related Other Project Information form to attach the project narrative. In the project narrative, you will describe all aspects of your project.

Use the section headers and the order as listed.

Introduction See merit review criterion 1: Need

• Briefly describe the purpose of your project.

Need See merit review criterion 1: Need

• Identify gaps in the current oral health workforce and explain how the proposed project will address those gaps. Specifically, describe the following:

◦ The sites in which the full-time dental faculty participants will teach and provide oral health care.

◦ The training that happens in these sites, including disciplines, levels of trainees, and descriptions of training rotations.

◦ The interprofessional, integrated oral health, and primary care health care delivery models implemented in these sites.

◦ The communities that are served by these sites.

• Describe your organization’s current need for dental faculty and any challenges your organization has faced in recruiting, retaining and developing dental faculty.

Use and cite demographic data whenever possible.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D36 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D36

Approach See merit review criterion 2: Response Tell us:

• How you will address your stated needs and meet all program requirements and expectations described in this NOFO, including:

◦ Your proposed plan to create or maintain a dental faculty loan repayment program. Include written rules that govern your program, or state who will develop your program rules.

▪ Your recruitment plan for hiring new or retaining employed dental faculty in your institution.

▪ How you will establish and implement a selection committee to select participants. Include how you will select participants that are engaged in faculty development activities that indicate long-term interest in education careers. Include likely committee members and a description of the review and scoring process.

• How you will determine and document:

◦ Participant eligibility.

◦ Student loan balance at the start of the service contract.

◦ Completion of each year of full-time faculty service.

◦ Payments.

• How you will develop a contract that includes full-time service requirements and annual payments.

◦ Indicate how the program will calculate and pay the required amount upon completion of each year of service, based on each participant’s student loan balance at the start of the service contract.

◦ Specify the logistics you will use to make the loan repayments while staying within your annual budget. For example, you may pay participants directly or pay the participants’ educational loan lenders.

• How you will support faculty engaged in interprofessional teaching, such as case-based courses across health professions disciplines.

• How you will support community-based teaching, such as supervising students and residents in rotations to community-based organizations.

• How you will promote faculty development and advancement through mentoring and other institution-supported activities.

• How you will prepare participants to teach oral health professionals how to care for the oral health needs of rural and medically vulnerable populations.

• The obstacles and challenges you may face during project design and implementation.

• Strategies for ongoing staff training, teamwork, and information sharing.

High-level work plan See merit review criteria 2: Response and 4: Impact

• Describe how you will achieve each of the objectives during the period of performance.

• Provide a timeline that includes each activity and identifies who is responsible for each.

• As needed, identify how key stakeholders will help plan, design, and carry out all activities.

• Include the extent to which these stakeholders address the needs of the populations and communities served.

• Describe your plans to recruit and retain participants throughout the project. Be sure to include any faculty development activities currently planned or that you will start during the project.

• You will also include a more detailed work plan in your Standardized Work Plan (SWP). See other required forms.

Resolving challenges See merit review criterion 2: Response

• Discuss challenges that you are likely to encounter in designing and carrying out the activities in the work plan. Explain approaches that you’ll use to resolve them.

• Be sure to address any anticipated challenges in the fiscal administration of a loan repayment program at your institution. Include steps you can take to resolve these challenges. Examples of challenges include:

◦ Incorrect payment amounts.

◦ Earlier payments due to improper tracking of anniversary service date.

• Discuss the steps you will take if a participant must leave the program before completing a full year of service.

Performance management See merit review criteria 3: Performance management and 5: Resources and capabilities

• Outcomes. Describe the expected outcomes (desired results) of the funded activities.

• Performance Measurement and Reporting. See the Performance Measures Handbook for performance measure requirements and examples of reporting forms.

◦ Describe how you will collect and report required performance data accurately and on time.

◦ Describe how you will manage and securely store data.

▪ Include how you will report and collect National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers for participants. Participants must apply for and report an NPI.

• Describe your process to track participants after program completion for up to one year.

• Describe how you will monitor and analyze performance data to support continuous quality improvement.

• Program Evaluation. Describe your plans to evaluate the project. The evaluation should examine processes and progress towards goals, program objectives, and expected outcomes. Evaluations must follow the HHS Evaluation Policy, as well as the standards and best practices described in OMB Memorandum M-20-12.

Include:

◦ The evaluation questions, methods, data to be collected, and timeline for implementation. The evaluation plan must include an assessment of the impact of participants on the patient services and training provided.

◦ The evaluation barriers and your plan to address them.

◦ The evaluation capacity of your organization and staff. Include experience, skills, and knowledge.

◦ How you will disseminate results, how you will assess whether your dissemination plan is effective, whether the results are national in scope, and the extent of potential replication.

See the reporting section for more information.

https://grants4.hrsa.gov/WebBPMHExternal/Interface/ProgramManualhtmL.aspx?FormCode=1&IsPM=True&EHBActivityCode=D87 https://grants4.hrsa.gov/WebBPMHExternal/Interface/ProgramManualhtmL.aspx?FormCode=1&IsPM=True&EHBActivityCode=D87 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf

Sustainability See merit review criterion 4: Impact

We expect you to sustain key project elements that improve practices and outcomes for the faculty participating in your program. Propose a plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends.

• Describe the actions you will take to ensure the retention of participants at your institution, including:

◦ Any existing retention efforts and resources at your institution.

◦ Key elements of your retention plan, such as dedicated full-time equivalent (FTE) slots or faculty development activities. Include training methods or strategies that have been effective in improving practices.

◦ Efforts to obtain future sources of funding for retention activities.

• Discuss challenges that you will likely encounter in sustaining the program.

Include how you will resolve these challenges.

Organizational information See merit review criterion 5: Resources and capabilities

• Briefly describe your mission, structure, and the scope of your current activities.

Explain how they support your ability to carry out the program requirements.

Include a project organizational chart in Attachment 2.

• Discuss how you will follow the approved plan, account for federal funds, and record all costs to avoid audit findings.

• Describe how you will assess the unique needs of the faculty you support. Faculty development activities are not funded through this loan repayment program.

However, you should include a description of additional faculty development or other enhancement activities supported by outside sources.

• Describe the organizations you will partner with to fulfill the program goals and meet the training objectives. Include key agreements in Attachment 3 and letters of support in Attachment 8.

• Include a staffing plan and job descriptions for key faculty and staff in Attachment 4.

• You will also include biographical sketches for key staff using the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile form. See other required forms.

Budget and budget narrative See merit review criterion 6: Support requested

Your budget should follow the instructions in budget narrative: detailed instructions section of the R&R Application Guide [PDF] and any specific instructions listed in this section.

HHS now uses the definitions for equipment and supply in 2 CFR 200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.

The total project or program costs are all allowable (direct and indirect) costs used for the HRSA activity or project. This includes costs charged to the award and nonfederal funds used to satisfy any matching or cost sharing requirement (which may include maintenance of effort, if applicable).

Reminder: Indirect costs for training awards cannot exceed 8% of modified total direct costs.

The budget narrative supports the information you provide in the Research and Related Budget Form. The merit review committee reviews both. Your budget should show a well-organized plan.

The budget narrative includes an itemized breakdown and a clear justification of the requested costs. As you develop your budget, consider:

• If the costs are reasonable, allowable and allocable, and consistent with your project’s purpose and activities.

• Restrictions on spending funds. See Funding policies and limitations.

To create your budget justification narrative, see budget narrative instructions in the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Participant and trainee support costs The Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program requires the following:

• Faculty Loan Repayment (Other) line item: Only list total estimated faculty loan repayment costs under this budget line item.

◦ Ensure your application specifies proposed individual faculty loan repayment costs annually in a loan repayment chart as Attachment 7.

• See the Attachments section and Appendix A for additional instructions on how to complete the loan repayment chart.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D15 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supply) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supply) https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D18

Attachments See section 3.2 of the HRSA R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Place your PDF attachments in order in the Attachments form. See application checklist to determine if they count toward the page limit.

Unless the instructions below require it, do not submit organizational brochures or other promotional materials (for example, slides, films, clips).

Attachment 1: Accreditation documentation Required.

You must provide documentation of your Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accreditation, or provisional accreditation. The documentation should:

• Include the dates of the initial accreditation.

• Indicate if the accreditation is provisional.

• Include the date of the next expected CODA accreditation review.

Please do not provide only the web link to the accreditation body’s website. HRSA will not open any links included in the application.

Attachment 2: Project organizational chart

Provide a one-page diagram that shows the full project’s organizational structure.

Include all aspects, not just the applicant organization.

Attachment 3: Agreements with other entities If applicable.

Submit documentation that describes the working relationships between your organization and any partners referenced in the proposal. Documents confirming current or pending contracts or agreements must clearly outline the roles of subrecipients and contractors, as well as their expected deliverables.

You do not need to provide full copies of lengthy agreements, provided that the excerpts included adequately describe the working relationship between your organization and the partner. Ensure that all letters of agreement are signed and dated.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D25

Attachment 4: Staffing plan and job descriptions

See Section 3.1.7 of the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Include a staffing plan that identifies the positions supporting the project and provides key details for each role. Justify your staffing approach by describing the required education, experience, qualifications, as well as the rationale for the level of effort requested for each position. In addition, describe your organization’s timekeeping system and how it ensures compliance with federal requirements for documenting personnel costs.

For all key personnel, attach a one-page job description outlining the position’s role, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Attachment 5: Maintenance of effort documentation Required.

You will include non-federal funds that support proposed activities. These include cash, in-kind, and other contributions. Do not include any federal funds. See Maintenance of Effort requirement.

Use the sample format below to provide the Maintenance of Effort documentation.

FY before application:

Actual nonfederal expenditures

First FY of award:

Estimated nonfederal expenditures

Attachment 6: Funding priority documentation

Provide documents that prove you qualify for funding preference and/or your chosen funding priorities. Include the address of your facility and utilize the Health Workforce Shortage Areas website to determine if your facility is located within a dental HPSA or MUA/P.

See Selection process for information about how these apply.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D1 https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas/ https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas/

Attachment 7: Tables and charts

Provide a chart that describes the breakdown by budget year of your planned faculty loan repayments as described in the Budget and budget narrative section.

The chart should account for the faculty’s estimated debt upon entry into the program and show the required increases in annual loan repayment amounts, as outlined in the Program requirements. You must ensure estimated faculty loan repayment costs do not exceed the total budget available in each year of the project. See sample chart in Appendix A.

Attachment 8: Letters of support

You may provide letters of support from other organizations or departments involved in the proposed project.

Letters of support can also be from individuals within your institution who hold the authority to speak for the organization or department, such as a CEO or chair.

Recommenders should indicate an understanding of and commitment to the project, and what their contribution to the project will be. You should reference letters of support in the applicable section of the project narrative.

Recommenders must sign and date their letter of support for the document to be considered.

Attachment 9–15: Other relevant documents You may use attachments 9 through 15 to add other relevant documents.

Other required forms You will need to complete some other forms. Upload the following forms at Grants.gov.

You can find them in the NOFO application package or review them and any available instructions at Grants.gov Forms.

Forms Submission Requirement

SF-424 R&R (Application for Federal Assistance) form With application.

Project Abstract Summary form With application.

Research & Related Other Project Information With application.

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) With application.

R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) form With application.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) With application.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) If applicable, with the application or before award.

Standardizes Work Plan (SWP) form With application.

Form instructions In addition to the requirements for the budget narrative, project narrative, and attachments, following are instructions for each of the other forms required by this NOFO. See the application checklist for a full list of all application requirements.

SF-424 (R&R) application for federal assistance This is your application for federal assistance. Follow the instructions in section 3.1.1 of the R&R Application Guide [PDF]. This is the application for Federal Assistance.

Important: public information

When filling out your SF-424 form, pay attention to Box 15: Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project.

We share what you put there with USAspending. This is where the public goes to learn how the federal government spends their money.

Instead of just a title, insert a short description of your project and what it will do.

See instructions and examples.

https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D8 https://www.usaspending.gov/ https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-writing-award-descriptions.pdf

Project abstract summary form Complete the information in the Project Abstract Summary form. Include a short description of your proposed project. Include the needs you plan to address, the proposed activities, and the specific, measurable objectives that the project will accomplish. When applicable, identify if you are requesting a funding preference and/ or funding priority. For more information, see section 3.1.2 of the R&R Application Guide [PDF].

Research & related other project information In addition to the requirements in the project narrative section, you will provide some additional information in this form.

• Complete sections 1 through 6.

• Upload a blank document in item 7: Project Summary/Abstract to avoid a cross-form error with your Project Abstract Summary Form.

• Upload your project narrative in item 8.

• Leave items 9, 10, and 11 blank.

Research & related senior/key person profile (expanded) Include biographical sketches for people who will hold the key positions.

• Try to use no more than two pages per person.

• Do not include non-public personally identifiable information.

• If you include someone you have not hired yet, include a letter of commitment from that person with their biographical sketch.

• Upload sketches in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile form.

• Include:

◦ Name and title

◦ Education and training – for each entry include Institution and location, degree and date earned, if any, and field of study.

◦ Section A, Personal Statement. Briefly describe why the individual’s experience and qualifications make them well-suited for their role.

◦ Section B, Positions and Honors. List in chronological order previous and current positions. List any honors. Include present membership on any federal government public advisory committee.

◦ Section C, Other Support. This section is optional. List selected ongoing and completed projects during the last three years. Begin with any projects relevant to the proposed project. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and responsibilities of the person.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D14 https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/research-related-application-guide.pdf#page%3D14 https://grants.gov/learn-grants/grant-terminology#p

R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) form You will also complete the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment form for each subaward you propose. These include subcontracts. You will do this using the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) form.

Use the following instructions:

• Once you open this form, you can select “Click here to extract the R&R Subaward Budget Attachment”.

• Save the file and then open it to complete it.

• Once you save the file you can upload it within the form.

• Repeat the steps for each subaward.

If you have more than 10 subawards, you may upload the extra budget forms in the Research and Related Other Project Information form in Block 12 “Other Attachments”.

Project/performance site location(s) Follow the form instructions in Grants.gov Forms. Use the “Next Site” option rather than “Additional Location(s)” to add more than one project/performance site location.

Disclosure of lobbying activities (SF-LLL) form Follow the form instructions in Grants.gov Forms.

Standardized work plan form Does not count toward the page limit

In addition to the requirements in project narrative, high-level work plan, follow these instructions:

• Submit your workplan through the SWP Form.