PKG00256638-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Bureau of Health Workforce Division of Nursing and Public Health

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-20-004

Funding Opportunity Type(s): Continuation, New

Assistance Listings (CFDA) Number: 93.264

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Fiscal Year 2020

Application Due Date: February 3, 2020

Ensure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and passwords are current immediately!

HRSA will not approve deadline extensions for lack of registration.

Registration in all systems, including SAM.gov and Grants.gov, may take up to 1 month to complete.

Issuance Date: November 14, 2019

Adanna Agbo Nurse Consultant, Division of Nursing and Public Health Telephone: (301) 443-2605 Fax: (301) 443-0791 Email: aagbo@hrsa.gov

Authority: Public Health Service Act Section 846A (42 U.S.C. § 297n-1).

mailto:aagbo@hrsa.gov

HRSA-20-004 i

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2020 Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP). The purpose of this program is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty by supporting schools of nursing to establish and operate a student loan fund in accordance with the terms outlined in the authorizing statute. Recipient institutions shall make loans to individuals consistent with that purpose, and an amount up to 85 percent of any such loan (plus interest thereon) shall be canceled by the school, according to the schedule prescribed in statute, upon completion of up to four years of full-time employment as a nurse faculty member in an accredited school of nursing.

The FY 2020 President’s Budget does not request funding for this program. This notice is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds in a timely manner. You should note that this program may be cancelled prior to award.

Funding Opportunity Title: Nurse Faculty Loan Program Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-20-004 Due Date for Applications: February 3, 2020

Anticipated Total Annual Available FY 2020 Funding:

$28.5 million

Estimated Number and Type of Award(s): 90 awards

Estimated Award Amount: Formula-based Cost Sharing/Match Required: Yes Period of Performance: July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021

(1 year) Eligible Applicants: Accredited schools of nursing.

See Section III.1 of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for complete eligibility information.

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Application Guide

You (the applicant organization/agency) are responsible for reading and complying with the instructions included in HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide, available online at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf, except where instructed in this NOFO to do otherwise.

Technical Assistance

HRSA will hold a pre-application technical assistance (TA) webinar(s) for applicants seeking funding through this opportunity. The webinar(s) will provide an overview of pertinent information in the NOFO and an opportunity for applicants to ask questions.

Visit the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce’s open opportunities website at https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/default.aspx to learn more about the resources available for this funding opportunity.

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/default.aspx

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Table of Contents

I. PROGRAM FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1. PURPOSE

2. BACKGROUND

II. AWARD INFORMATION

1. TYPE OF APPLICATION AND AWARD

2. SUMMARY OF FUNDING

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

2. COST SHARING/MATCHING

3. OTHER ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

2. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

i. Project Abstract

ii. Project Narrative

iii. Budget

iv. Budget Justification Narrative

3. DUN AND BRADSTREET DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER AND

SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

4. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

5. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

6. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. REVIEW CRITERIA

2. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

3. ASSESSMENT OF RISK

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. AWARD NOTICES

2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

3. REPORTING

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

HRSA-20-004 1

I. Program Funding Opportunity Description

1. Purpose

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP).

Program Purpose

The purpose of this one-year funding opportunity is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. This NOFO seeks to accomplish this by providing funding to accredited schools of nursing to offer loans to students enrolled in advanced education nursing degree programs who are committed to become nurse faculty. In exchange for full-time post-graduation employment as nurse faculty, the program authorizes cancelation of up to 85 percent of any such loan (plus interest thereon).

Program Goals The goals of this program are to:

• Support training of advanced education nursing students who will serve as nurse faculty upon graduation, with a focus on doctorate preparation

• Decrease the financial barrier of serving as nurse faculty through loan cancelation

• Increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide

Program Objectives

• Graduate advanced nurse educators who will serve as nurse faculty

• Provide up to 85 percent loan cancellation through 4-years of service

• Establish and maintain the NFLP account and provide fiscal oversight according to NFLP guidelines

• Operate an active loan fund and loan cancellation program, with documented data to show successful programmatic implementation

HHS and HRSA Priorities You are encouraged to select and address one of the clinical priorities below which include HHS’s and HRSA’s priorities.

• Combatting the opioid crisis/Improving Mental Health

• Value-based care delivery and quality improvement initiatives

• Transforming the workforce – targeting the need

• Expanding telehealth services

• Maternal Mortality

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2. Background

This program is authorized by Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, § 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1).

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported that 75,029 qualified applicants were not offered admission to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2018, due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints.1 AACN found that out of the total number of qualified applicants, 10,788 and 2,909 were turned away from master’s and doctoral programs respectively. Most nursing schools cited faculty shortages as the top reason for not accepting all qualified applicants into baccalaureate and graduate programs.2 In AACN’s Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2018-2019, responding schools of nursing identified a total of 1,715 faculty vacancies, a vacancy rate of 7.9 percent, with a cited need to create an additional 138 faculty positions to accommodate student demand. The data showed that most of the vacancies (90.7 percent) were faculty positions requiring or preferring a doctoral degree. Respondents to the survey also reported that the most critical challenges related to faculty recruitment included limited pool of doctorally-prepared faculty, lack of faculty with the right specialty mix, noncompetitive salaries, difficulty finding faculty for schools in rural areas, etc.1 In order to encourage students to become nurse faculty, evidence has shown the following to be effective: student support and mentorship; adequate nurse educator preparation; and monetary support to pursue education, including fellowships and loan forgiveness.

The demand for primary care services has increased largely due to both a growing and an aging population. The Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) projects that the demand for primary care physicians will increase by 28,700 to 241,200 full time employees by the year 2020.3 Addressing the gap in primary care providers, especially for rural and underserved populations, is important for the health of the nation. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can help to address this gap, and are often the primary care providers at the forefront of providing preventive care services to the public; they treat and diagnose illnesses, advise the public on health issues, and manage chronic diseases.4 The issue is that nationwide, APRN education programs are experiencing a number of challenges, including increased demand for APRN education, the national faculty shortage, and a shortage of APRN preceptors. Over 60 percent of schools with Nurse Practitioner (NP) programs expressed concern over the limited number of clinical sites, 1 American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2018-2019. Washington, DC. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Surveys-Data/Vacancy18.pdf 2 American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). Fact Sheet: Nursing Faculty Shortage. Washington, DC.

https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Factsheets/Faculty-Shortage-Factsheet.pdf 3 Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (2013). Projecting the Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners Through 2020.

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/projectingprimarycare.pdf 4 American Nurses Association. What is Nursing?: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Retrieved from 1/15/2019 from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/aprn/ https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Surveys-Data/Vacancy18.pdf https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Factsheets/Faculty-Shortage-Factsheet.pdf https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/projectingprimarycare.pdf

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and about 59 percent reported having an inadequate supply of qualified primary care preceptors.5 Academic partnerships with preceptors provide needed access to preceptors and clinical training opportunities for APRN students/graduates, foster clinical innovation, promote continuing education, and enhance partnerships in the community. Collaboration between academic and preceptor practice partners leverages resources to, maximize student learning, ensure safety of care delivery, and optimize patient outcomes. Establishment of formal joint faculty appointments for preceptors within an academic-practice collaborative framework serves to clarify responsibilities to students, enhances the preceptor’s investment in student learning and provides mutual academic and practice benefits such as access to library and other resources, ongoing education opportunities, improved evidence-based practice instruction, expanded faculty capacity, and establishment of linkages and shared expertise.6

The NFLP supports institutions committed to preparing advanced degree nursing students to serve as nurse faculty, especially those with a focus on doctoral preparation, thereby addressing the national nursing faculty shortage. Additionally, NFLP addresses the nationwide primary care provider shortage by encouraging APRNs to serve as preceptors within an academic-practice partnership framework. These partnerships will be formed by an NFLP graduate who serves as a full time clinical preceptor, in exchange for loan cancelation, and the school in need of a preceptor for their APRN students.

Program Definitions

A glossary containing general definitions for terms used throughout the Bureau of Health Workforce NOFOs can be located at the Health Workforce Glossary. In addition, the following definitions apply to the Nurse Faculty Loan Program for Fiscal Year 2020:

Advanced Education Nursing Program – Refers to advanced education nursing degree programs (including individuals in combined Registered Nurse (RN)/graduate degree programs and post-nursing Master’s certificate programs) that train individuals to serve as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse educators, nurse administrators, and public health nurses.

Full-Time Employment – Refers to the status of a student borrower who has graduated and is employed and serving in a nurse faculty capacity that qualifies for loan cancelation. For the purpose of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, the institution which provided NFLP support to a borrower makes the determination about meeting the full-time employment criteria based on the following, which may include (1) employment as a full-time faculty member at an accredited school of nursing; (2) employment as a part-time faculty member at an accredited school of nursing in combination with another part-time faculty position or part-time clinical preceptor/educator position affiliated with

5 Jones, K., Petri, L. & Statler, M. (2013). Recruiting and Maintaining U.S. Clinical Training Sites: Joint Report of the 2013 Multi-Discipline Clerkship/Clinical Training Site Survey.

6 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2015). White Paper: Re-envisioning the Clinical Education of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/resourcecenter/glossary

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an accredited school of nursing that together equates to full-time employment; or 3) employment as designated joint-appointment faculty serving as full time advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) preceptor within an academic-practice partnership framework affiliated with an accredited school of nursing.

II. Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

Type(s) of applications sought: Continuation, and New

HRSA will provide funding in the form of a formula award. The amount of funding awarded to each recipient will be determined according to a formula described in Section V.1.

2. Summary of Funding

HRSA expects approximately $28.5 million to be available annually to fund approximately 90 recipients. The FY 2020 President’s Budget does not request funding for this program. The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the final FY 2020 federal appropriation. This program notice is subject to the appropriation of funds, and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds in a timely manner. The period of performance is July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 (one year). Funding continuation is subject to the availability of appropriated funds for NFLP in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory recipient performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

All HRSA awards are subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 45 CFR part 75.

This program does not allow any indirect costs.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4d52364ec83fab994c665943dadf9cf7&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt45.1.75

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III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are accredited schools of nursing, including advanced education nursing programs.

Any school(s) of nursing affiliated with this application must be accredited at the time of application – and for the duration of the award – by a recognized body or bodies, or a State agency, approved by the Secretary of Education for nurse education accreditation. Applicants must submit official documentation of accreditation in Attachment 1 for all affiliated nursing programs.

Eligible applicants must be located in the United States, Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. Tribes and Tribal organizations may apply for these funds, if otherwise eligible.

Foreign entities are not eligible for this HRSA award.

Individuals are not eligible to apply.

For continuation (renewal) applicants, your institution’s default rate status will be considered in determining future NFLP award decisions. Continuation applicants that are above the default rate threshold (greater than five (5) percent) will be deemed ineligible for future funding or be subject to additional penalties, up to and including, award termination. Continuation (renewal) applicants must draw down and loan previously awarded funds, and may be deemed ineligible for future funding for failure to draw down funds and make loans to students.

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

Cost sharing/matching is required for this program. Recipient institutions are required to deposit an institutional capital contribution (ICC) that is equal to not less than one-ninth of the FY 2020 Federal award amount, hereafter referred to as the Federal Capital Contribution (FCC).

3. Other Eligibility Information

Deadline HRSA will consider any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.4 non-responsive and will not consider it for funding under this notice.

HRSA-20-004 6

Maintenance of Effort The recipient must agree to maintain non-federal funding for award activities at a level that is not less than expenditures for such activities during the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the entity receives the award, as required by 803(b) of the Public Health Service Act. Complete the Maintenance of Effort information and submit as Attachment 3.

Multiple Applications Multiple applications from an institution are allowable; however, applicants can submit only one application per campus. A campus is defined as a division of a university that has its own grounds, buildings (e.g., school of nursing) and faculty.

If for any reason (including submitting to the wrong funding opportunity number or making corrections/updates) an application is submitted more than once prior to the application due date, HRSA will only accept your last validated electronic submission, under the correct funding opportunity number, prior to the Grants.gov application due date as the final and only acceptable application.

Failure to include all required documents as part of the application may result in an application being considered incomplete or non-responsive. Applications received without the appropriate tables will be deemed non-responsive to the NOFO and will not be considered for funding under this notice.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

HRSA requires you to apply electronically. HRSA encourages you to apply through Grants.gov using the SF-424 Research and Related (R&R) workspace application package associated with this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) following the directions provided at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

The NOFO is also known as “Instructions” on Grants.gov. You must provide your email address when reviewing or preparing the workspace application package in order to receive notifications including modifications and/or republications of the NOFO on Grants.gov before its closing date. Responding to an earlier version of a modified notice may result in a less competitive or ineligible application. Please note you are ultimately responsible for reviewing the For Applicants page for all information relevant to desired opportunities.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Section 4 of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide provides instructions for the budget, budget justification, staffing plan and personnel requirements, assurances, certifications, and abstract. You must submit the information outlined in the SF-424 https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html

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R&R Application Guide in addition to the program-specific information below. You are responsible for reading and complying with the instructions included in HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide except where instructed in the NOFO to do otherwise. You must submit the application in the English language and in the terms of U.S. dollars (45 CFR § 75.111(a)).

See Section 8.5 of the SF-424 R&R Application Guide for the Application Completeness Checklist.

Application Page Limit The total size of all uploaded files may not exceed the equivalent of 35 pages when printed by HRSA. The page limit includes the abstract, project and budget narratives, attachments including biographical sketches (biosketches), and letters of commitment and support required in HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide and this NOFO.

Standard OMB-approved forms that are included in the workspace application package do not count in the page limit. Biographical sketches do count in the page limitation.

We strongly urge you to take appropriate measures to ensure your application does not exceed the specified page limit.

Applications must be complete, within the specified page limit, and validated by Grants.gov under the correct funding opportunity number prior to the deadline to be considered under this notice.

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion Certification

1) You, on behalf of the applicant organization certify, by submission of your proposal, that neither you nor your principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency.

2) Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 45 CFR § 75.371, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2 CFR parts 180 and 376, and 31 U.S.C. 3321).

3) Where you are unable to attest to the statements in this certification, an explanation shall be included in Attachment 7: Other Relevant Documents.

See Section 4.1 viii of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide for additional information on all certifications.

Program-Specific Instructions

Program Requirements Eligible applicants are required to:

1. Establish and maintain a student loan fund;

2. Contribute an amount equal to not less than one-ninth of the FCC;

3. Draw down and provide loans from the fund only to students pursuing a course of study in an advanced education nursing degree program that prepares the individual to become nurse faculty;

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf

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4. Provide cancelation of up to 85 percent of any such loan (plus interest thereon) according to the schedule outlined in the Notice of Award (See sample NFLP terms Appendix A of this funding opportunity); and

5. Collect on principal and interest on all loans made from the above NFLP student loan fund (and any other earnings of the fund) for deposit in the fund.

In addition to application requirements and instructions in Section 4 of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide (including the budget, budget justification, staffing plan and personnel requirements, assurances, certifications, and abstract), include the following:

i. Project Abstract

See Section 4.1.ix of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide.

The Abstract must include:

1. A brief overview of the project as a whole;

2. Specific, measurable objectives that the project will accomplish;

3. Which of the clinical priorities will be addressed by the project, if applicable;

and

4. How the proposed project for which funding is requested will be accomplished, i.e., the "who, what, when, where, why and how" of a project.

ii. Project Narrative

This section provides a comprehensive framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It should be succinct, self-explanatory, consistent with forms and attachments, and well organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

Successful applications will contain the information below. Please use the following section headers for the narrative:

PURPOSE AND NEED

This section will help reviewers understand the institution that would receive funding for training, as well as the needs of the communities that recipients would ultimately serve.

1. First, briefly describe the purpose of the proposed project.

2. Demonstrate the alignment of the project and institution with the NFLP purpose; including an alignment of the project with HRSA’s mission to improve the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to communities in need.

3. Describe the need for more qualified nurse faculty within your geographical area.

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/applicationguide/sf424rrguidev2.pdf

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4. Discuss how your students will benefit from this program and how your graduates impact the nurse faculty health workforce locally and nationally, including benefit to rural or underserved populations, as applicable.

RESPONSE TO PROGRAM PURPOSE -- This section includes three sub-sections

— (a) Methodology/Approach; (b) Work Plan; and (c) Resolution of Challenges

(a) METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

In this section, you must describe your objectives and proposed activities, and provide evidence for how they link to the project purpose and stated needs.

Propose methods that you will use to address the stated needs and meet each of the previously described program requirements and expectations in this NOFO.

1. Establish and maintain a student loan fund;

2. Contribute an amount equal to not less than one-ninth the FCC;

3. Draw down and provide loans from the fund only to students pursuing a course of study in an advanced education nursing degree program that prepares them to become qualified nurse faculty;

4. Provide cancelation of up to 85 percent of any such loan (plus interest thereon);

and

5. Collect principal and interest on all loans made from the above NFLP student loan fund (and any other earnings of the fund) for deposit in the fund.

NOTE: More information about the administration of these requirements is available at:

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/buckets/NFLP-admin-guidelines-

2017.pdf

(b) WORK PLAN

You must provide a detailed work plan that demonstrates your plan to implement a project of the proposed scope. Your work plan outlines the contents of your institution’s NFLP Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). A sample work plan can be found here:

http://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/technicalassistance/workplantemplate.docx.).

You must:

• Describe the activities or steps you will use to achieve each of the objectives proposed during the entire period of performance identified in the Methodology section.

• Describe the timeframes, deliverables, and key partners required during the period of performance to address each of the needs described in the Purpose and Need section.

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/buckets/NFLP-admin-guidelines-2017.pdf https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/buckets/NFLP-admin-guidelines-2017.pdf http://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/technicalassistance/workplantemplate.docx

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• Explain how the work plan is appropriate for the project design and how the targets fit into the overall timeline of implementation.

• Identify meaningful support and collaboration with key stakeholders in planning, designing and implementing all activities.

• The work plan must include:

o Goals of the project (including objectives and sub-objectives);

o Responsible entity/entities (i.e., key staff and partners);

o Activities;

o Timeline;

o Deliverables and/or products; and o Proposed outcomes.

(c) RESOLUTION OF CHALLENGES

Discuss challenges that you are likely to encounter in implementing the activities described in the work plan, and approaches that you will use to resolve such challenges, including:

1. Identifying and recruiting students who plan to become nurse faculty;

2. Establishing confirmation of students’ understanding of the commitment involved in receiving the loan and the service obligation;

3. The management of institution’s loan account (including cancelations and collections) and borrower records; and

4. Tracking and assisting NFLP-supported graduates with obtaining employment and meeting their service obligation as full-time nursing faculty.

IMPACT -- This section includes two sub-sections— (a) Evaluation and Technical Support Capacity; and (b) Project Sustainability

(a) EVALUATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT CAPACITY

You must describe the plan for program performance evaluation that will contribute to continuous quality improvement. The program performance evaluation must monitor progress toward meeting goals and objectives of the project and program outcomes. Describe your institution’s ability to monitor and track NFLP-supported students’ and graduates’ progression from matriculation, graduation, through loan cancellation and collection over the entire loan life cycle, including plans for maintaining contact with students after graduation.

You must also describe the systems and processes that will support your organization's collection of HRSA’s performance measurement requirements for this program. At the following link, you will find the required data forms for this program: http://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/reporting/index.html. Describe the data collection strategy to accurately collect, manage, analyze, store, and track/report data (e.g., assigned skilled staff, data management software) to measure process and impact/outcomes, and explain how the data will be used to inform program http://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/reporting/index.html

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development and service delivery in a way that allows for accurate and timely reporting of performance outcomes.

You must describe any potential obstacles for implementing the program performance evaluation and meeting HRSA’s performance measurement requirements and your plan to address those obstacles. The evaluation and reporting plan also should indicate the feasibility and effectiveness of plans for dissemination of project results, the extent to which project results may be national in scope, and the degree to which the project activities are replicable.

(b) PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY You must provide a clear plan for project sustainability after the period of federal funding ends, including a description of specific actions you will take to (a) highlight key elements of your projects, e.g., training methods or strategies, which have been effective in improving practices; (b) obtain future sources of potential funding; as well as (c) provide a timetable for becoming self-sufficient. Recipients are expected to sustain key elements of their projects, e.g., strategies or services and interventions, which have been effective in improving practices and those that have led to improved outcomes for the target population. You must discuss challenges that are likely to be encountered in sustaining the program and approaches that will be used to resolve such challenges.

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES

Succinctly describe your capacity to effectively manage the programmatic, fiscal, and administrative aspects of the proposed project. Provide information on your institution’s current mission and structure, and describe the institution’s ability to conduct the program requirements and meet program expectations. Discuss how the institution will follow the approved plan, as outlined in the application, properly account for the federal funds, and document all costs so as to avoid audit findings.

iii. Budget

NFLP is a formula-based program that does not require submission of a budget.

iv. Budget Justification Narrative

NFLP is a formula-based program that does not require submission of a budget justification narrative.

Program-Specific Forms

As part of the application submitted through Grants.gov, you must also complete and electronically submit the NFLP Program Specific Data Forms (NFLP Tables) by the established and published application due date. A reference copy of the program specific form is provided under Appendix C of this guidance. The NFLP Tables are essential in determining the award calculation.

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Therefore, incomplete or missing data may result in HRSA deeming the application non-responsive to the funding opportunity and the application might not be considered for funding.

See Section 4.1.iv of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide. Please note: the directions offered in the SF-424 R&R Application Guide may differ from those offered by Grants.gov. Please follow the instructions included in the Application Guide.

Following the Application Guide will ensure that, if the application is selected for funding, you will have a well-organized plan and by carefully following the approved plan, you can avoid audit issues during the implementation phase.

Reminder: The Total Project or Program Costs are the total allowable costs incurred by the recipient to carry out a HRSA-supported project or activity. Total project or program costs include costs charged to the award and costs borne by the recipient to satisfy a matching or cost-sharing requirement, as applicable.

Attachments Provide the following items in the order specified below to complete the content of the application. Unless otherwise noted, attachments count toward the application page limit. You must clearly label each attachment.

Attachment 1: Accreditation Documentation – Required Schools of nursing affiliated with the proposed project that provide formal degree programs must be accredited by a recognized body or bodies or State agency approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education for the purposes of nursing education. All nursing programs that are associated with the project must be accredited for the purpose of nursing education. Applicants must submit an official letter of accreditation as proof of accreditation from the accrediting agency specifically stating that accreditation has been granted and the period of time covered by the accreditation. Applicants must also submit an official letter of approval for all doctoral programs included in the project.

If unable to include an official accreditation letter, the applicant organization must provide: 1) a statement that they hold continuing accreditation from the relevant accrediting body and are not on probation, 2) the name of the accrediting body, 3) the date of the initial accreditation, 4) the date of the next accrediting body review (or expiration date of current accreditation), and 5) a web link to the accreditation document on the accrediting body website (if available).

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Attachment 2: Biographical Sketch of Project Director- Required Upload a biographical sketch for the Project Director, not to exceed two pages in length. In the event that a biographical sketch is included for an identified individual who is not yet hired, please include a letter of commitment from that person along with the biographical sketch.

Biographical sketches, not exceeding two pages per person, should include the following information:

• Senior/key personnel name

• Position Title

• Education/Training - beginning with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, including postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable:

o Institution and location o Degree (if applicable) o Date of degree (MM/YY) o Field of study

• Section A (required) Personal Statement. Briefly describe why the individual’s experience and qualifications make him/her particularly well-suited for his/her role (e.g., PD/PI) in the project that is the subject of the award.

• Section B (required) Positions and Honors. List in chronological order previous positions, concluding with the present position. List any honors. Include present membership on any Federal Government public advisory committee.

• Section C (optional) Peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press (in chronological order). You are encouraged to limit the list of selected peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press to no more than 15. Do not include manuscripts submitted or in preparation. The individual may choose to include selected publications based on date, importance to the field, and/or relevance to the proposed research. Citations that are publicly available in a free, online format may include URLs along with the full reference (note that copies of publicly available publications are not acceptable as appendix material).

• Section D (optional) Other Support. List both selected ongoing and completed (during the last 3 years) projects (federal or non-federal support). Begin with any projects relevant to the project proposed in this application. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and responsibilities of the Senior/Key Person identified on the Biographical Sketch.

Attachment 3: Maintenance of Effort Documentation - Required Upload a baseline aggregate expenditure for the prior fiscal year and an estimate for the next fiscal year using a chart similar to the one below. HRSA will enforce statutory MOE requirements through all available mechanisms.

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NON-FEDERAL EXPENDITURES

FY 2019 (Actual)

Actual FY 2019 non-federal funds, including in-kind, expended for activities proposed in this application.

Amount: $_____________

FY 2020 of Application (Estimated)

Estimated FY 2020 non-federal funds, including in-kind, designated for activities proposed in this application.

Amount: $______________

Attachment 4: Loan Disbursement Plan - Required Upload a disbursement plan for the new NFLP funds being requested in this application. Institutions must include a schedule of the disbursements planned for students who will receive loan support during the funded period of performance.

Funds are intended for disbursement and must not remain unused in the revolving loan account for more than 18 months. Accounts with unused funds may be required to return funds to HRSA or close out the loan fund account.

The detailed schedule must document the following in Section A:

• Number of students you plan to support, listed by full-time or part-time status;

• The date of the disbursements for the full academic year period (e.g., fall/spring/summer); and

• The estimated loan amount for each student (eligible costs and fees include the cost of tuition, fees, books, lab expenses, and other reasonable education expenses).

For continuation (renewal) applicants with unused past NFLP funds: The applicant must provide as Section B a supplementary disbursement plan for those unused NFLP funds to include the following:

• Number of students you project to support using the unused NFLP funds, listed by full-time or part-time status;

• The date of the disbursements for the full academic year period (e.g., fall/spring/summer); and

• The estimated loan amount for each student (eligible costs and fees include the cost of tuition, fees, books, lab expenses, and other reasonable education expenses).

Attachment 5: Default Rate Corrective Action Plan (For competing continuation applicants, if applicable; not counted in page limit) – Required (as applicable) Institutions applying as competing continuations with NFLP loan default rates greater than 5 percent must submit a corrective action plan to reduce the default rate to: (a)

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less than or equal to 5 percent; or (b) one-half the default rate reported for the previous reporting period, whichever is greater. The applicant must implement the corrective action plan during the budget year, with the understanding that failure to do so may result in becoming ineligible for future funding or becoming subject to additional penalties, up to and including, award termination. The default rate corrective action plan must be signed by the Project Director, the Authorizing Official, or both, and must include:

• A description of the factors that have contributed to the default rate exceeding the 5 percent threshold; and

• A work plan with specific activities and associated timelines to reduce the default rate to either (1) under 5 percent or (2) half the current default rate (whichever is greater) during the period of performance.

Attachment 6: Sample Statement of Collaborative Academic-Practice (Employment) Partnership - Required Provide a sample statement of a collaborative academic-practice employment partnership to be provided to graduates who intend to take advantage of the Expanded Employment opportunity to fulfil their service obligation. For the purpose of the NFLP, the academic-practice employment partnership designates the NFLP graduate as nurse faculty (joint nurse faculty appointment) for serving as full-time preceptor for APRN students for an accredited nursing program.

Applicant organizations participating in the collaborative academic-practice employment partnership for NFLP graduates, must also provide a brief description of their academic-practice partnership framework/plan to support loan cancellation and service obligation.

Attachment 7: Other relevant documentation (e.g., Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary Exclusion Certification).

Include here any other document that is relevant to the application.

3. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and

System for Award Management

You must obtain a valid DUNS number, also known as the Unique Entity Identifier, for your organization/agency and provide that number in the application. You must also register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and continue to maintain active SAM registration with current information at all times during which you have an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by an agency (unless the applicant is an individual or federal agency that is exempted from those requirements under 2 CFR § 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)).

HRSA may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time HRSA is ready to make an award, HRSA may determine

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that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as the basis for making an award to another applicant.

If you have already completed Grants.gov registration for HRSA or another federal agency, confirm that it is still active and that the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) has been approved.

The Grants.gov registration process requires information in three separate systems:

• Dun and Bradstreet https://www.dnb.com/duns-number.html

• System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/)

• Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/)

For further details, see Section 3.1 of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide.

UPDATED SAM.GOV ALERT: For your SAM.gov registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. The review process changed for the Federal Assistance community on June 11, 2018. Read the https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf to learn more about this and the current login process for SAM.gov.

In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non- Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide. Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within the SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

If you fail to allow ample time to complete registration with SAM or Grants.gov, you will not be eligible for a deadline extension or waiver of the electronic submission requirement.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Application Due Date The due date for applications under this NOFO is February 3, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

HRSA suggests submitting applications to Grants.gov at least 3 calendar days before the deadline to allow for any unforeseen circumstances. See Section 8.2.5 – Summary of emails from Grants.gov of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide for additional information.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b&sysparm_search=kb0013183

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5. Intergovernmental Review

NFLP is not a program subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, as implemented by 45 CFR part 100.

See Section 4.1 ii of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide for additional information.

6. Funding Restrictions

You may request funding for a period of performance of up to 1 year.

The FY 2020 President’s Budget does not request funding for this program. This program notice is subject to the appropriation of funds, and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds in a timely manner. Funding continuation (renewal) for current award recipients is also subject to the availability of appropriated funds for NFLP in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory recipient performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

This program does not allow award funds to be used for indirect costs. Awardees may use a reasonable amount of funds toward loan collection costs for outstanding NFLP loans.

The institution must ensure that:

• NFLP loan support is only made to eligible students to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, lab expenses, and other reasonable education expenses;

• NFLP loan support does not exceed $35,500 per student for any academic period; and

• NFLP funds may only be used for loan support with the exception of covering the costs of collection of loaned principal and interest.

NFLP Participants To receive a loan from the NFLP student loan fund, the student borrower must be:

• Enrolled in a course of study in an advanced education nursing degree program;

• Maintain an acceptable level of academic standing; and

• Eligible to work in the United States. A student/trainee receiving support from grant funds must be a citizen of the United States or a foreign national having in his/her possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States.

NFLP schools are permitted to retain unused NFLP loan funds in the revolving institutional NFLP fund account without fiscal year restriction. However, unused NFLP funds must be drawn down and disbursed within 18 calendar months from the end of the NFLP designated budget year period. Institutions failing to do so will be considered non-compliant with NFLP requirements, and failure to comply may result in

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administrative actions up to and including withholding further Federal awards for the project, as well as the suspension and/or termination of the NFLP award. To ensure compliance, HRSA program staff will review complete applications for unused loan balance as part of the funding determination.

The General Provisions in Division B of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, (P.L. 115-245) apply to this program. Please see Section 4.1 of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide for additional information. Note that these or other restrictions will apply in the following FY, as required by law.

You are required to have the necessary policies, procedures, and financial controls in place to ensure that your organization complies with all legal requirements and restrictions applicable to the receipt of federal funding including statutory restrictions on use of funds for lobbying, executive salaries, gun control, abortion, etc. Like those for all other applicable grants requirements, the effectiveness of these policies, procedures, and controls is subject to audit.

All program income generated as a result of awarded funds must be used for approved project-related activities. The program income alternative applied to the award(s) under the program will be the addition/additive alternative. You can find post-award requirements for program income at 45 CFR § 75.307.

V. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria

The Nurse Faculty Loan Program is a formula-based program.

HRSA has procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications and to assist you in understanding the standards against which your application will be reviewed. HRSA will review each application for completeness and eligibility, all required documents, and compliance with the requirements outlined in this NOFO. The Nurse Faculty Loan Program funds are distributed among eligible entities as formula-payment based awards according to data supplied in your application. HRSA implements the doctoral funding priority required by section 847(f) of the PHS Act within the NFLP formula, by allocating a larger portion of the funds to support doctoral students. The NFLP formula funding factors include:

• Number of Terms/Quarters

• Tuition/Fees/Expenses Amount Per Term/Quarter

• Total Number of Doctoral and Master’s Students Requested for Support

• Total Number of Continuing and New Students Requested for Support

• Loan Fund Disbursed and Loan Fund Unused

• Amount of Federal Funds Requested https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=4d52364ec83fab994c665943dadf9cf7&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=pt45.1.75

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HRSA will calculate FY 2020 award amounts based on the following: compliance with the NOFO requirements, compliance with program requirements, program performance, available funding, unused loan fund balance, and applicant need.