PKG00257442-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Bureau of Health Workforce Division of Health Careers and Financial Support

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students:

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-20-006

Funding Opportunity Type: New and Competing Continuation

Assistance Listings (CFDA) Number 93.925

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Fiscal Year 2020

Application Due Date: March 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: January 3, 2020

Denise Sorrell Senior Public Health Analyst Division of Health Careers and Financial Support Bureau of Health Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15N-78 Telephone: (301) 443-2909 Email: SDSProgram@hrsa.gov

Authority: Section 737 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 293a)

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program, hereinafter referred to as the SDS Program.” The SDS Program increases diversity in the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, chiropractic, allied health, graduate programs in behavioral and mental health practice, and physician assistant programs, to provide eligible health profession schools for scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have financial need, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

The SDS Program aims to enroll and retain full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

The program also exposes students to primary care and placements in Medically Underserved Communities, (MUCs).

Funding Opportunity Title: Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

(SDS) Program Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-20-006 Due Date for Applications: March 3, 2020

Anticipated Total Annual Available FY2020 Funding:

$48,200,000

Estimated Number and Type of Award(s): Approximately 79 grants Maximum Award Amount: Up to $650,000 per year subject to the availability of appropriated funds

Cost Sharing/Match Required: No Period of Performance: July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025

(5 years)

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Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are accredited programs or schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, nursing (as defined in section 801 of the PHS Act), pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, chiropractic, allied health, a school offering a graduate program in behavioral and mental health practice, or an entity providing programs for the training of physician assistants.

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

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 two 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/ 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/

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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

2. COST SHARING/MATCHING

3. OTHER

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

v. Program-Specific Forms (Required)

vi. Attachments

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

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

IX. TIPS FOR WRITING A STRONG APPLICATION

X. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS PROGRAM SPECIFIC DATA

FORM

HRSA-20-006 1

I. Program Funding Opportunity Description

1. Purpose

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Program.

Program Purpose

This program promotes diversity among the health professions by providing awards to eligible health professions and nursing schools, for schools to provide scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have a demonstrated financial need and are enrolled full-time in a health profession program or nursing program.

Participating schools are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, making reasonable determinations of need, and providing scholarships that do not exceed the allowable costs (i.e., tuition, reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses with a cap for the total scholarship award of $ 40,000).

Program Goals

The SDS Program aims to increase the: 1) number of graduates practicing in primary care, 2) retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and 3) number of graduates working in MUCs.

Program Objectives

The SDS Program objectives are to: 1) improve distribution, diversity, and supply of primary care providers, 2) improve and strengthen the health profession and nursing workforce by facilitating the entry of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds into those professions, and 3) improve quality and access to healthcare to individuals in MUCs.

You are encouraged to select and address one of HHS’s and HRSA’s clinical priorities below:

• Combatting the opioid crisis* / Improving Mental Health

• Value-based care delivery and quality improvement initiatives

• Transforming the workforce – targeting the need

• Telehealth

• Childhood Obesity

• Maternal Mortality

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2. Background

This program is authorized by the Public Health Service (PHS) Act § 737 (42 U.S.C.

§ 293a). The SDS Program was established by the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-527). The program provides awards to eligible entities for use in awarding scholarships to full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those accepted for full-time enrollment including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

As the U.S. population continues to grow and change, the need for a health workforce that represents the U.S. population becomes increasingly important.

Health workforce needs are also influenced by an aging population, increased health care spending, and a transforming health care delivery system. Improving access to innovative, patient-centered care is a critical pathway to reducing health disparities.

Greater diversity among health professionals is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better patient-clinician communication1. In addition, evidence suggests that minority health professionals are more likely to serve in areas with a high proportion of uninsured and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups2.

Despite strong evidence supporting the value of having a diverse health care workforce representative of the communities it serves, many groups continue to be underrepresented across the health professions. For example, for the primary care discipline of dentistry, only nine (9) percent of 182,000 dentists currently practicing in the United States are African American, Hispanic or American Indian. Also, only 10 percent of 316,000 pharmacists currently practicing in the United States are African American, Hispanic or American Indian. This issue is also highlighted in the health workforce career pathways. Of the 2017-2018 Medical School graduates, the distribution was as follows: Asian 20.97 percent; African American/Black 5.72 percent;

Hispanic 5.42 percent; American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.11 percent; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 0.05 percent3. Graduates receiving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree as a first professional degree in 2018 were comprised of: African American/Black 8.28 percent; Hispanic 5.44 percent; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 0.22 percent; American Indian/Alaskan Native 0.24 percent4. Since evidence supports the value of having a diverse health care workforce, a lack of diversity is in turn considered detrimental.

Factors that negatively influence college enrollment and graduation of disadvantaged students have been well documented in the research literature. These determinants include lower socio-economic status; inadequate academic preparation in high school; breaks in college attendance or enrollment; lower parental educational

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006; In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Professions 2 Health Resources and Services Administration, 2017. Sex, Race, and Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Health Occupations (2011-2015) https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/diversityushealthoccupations.pdf 3 https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/enrollmentgraduate/ 4 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 2018, Number of Doctor of Pharmacy Degrees Conferred as First Professional Degrees (Pharm.D.1) 1985–2018 by Gender and Race/Ethnicity. The remaining race/ethnicity data from this source are as follows: White 50.63%; Asian 25.80%; Two or more races 2.41%; Unknown 4.23%; International/Foreign 2.66%; Unknown/Other Gender 0.13% https://www.aacp.org/research/institutional-research/student-applications-enrollments-and-degrees-conferred

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attainment; poor parental involvement in the college preparation process; attending underperforming schools; and high risk behavior, such as having children at an early age or substance abuse5. The SDS Program works to identify and assist individuals who are more likely to experience one or more of the above negatively influence college enrollment and graduation.

Due to the increased demand for qualified health care professionals, advanced education and training beyond high school is imperative. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the health care industry is projected to increase 19 percent through 2024, compared to an average of 6.5 percent for all other industries6.

Specifically, health care practitioners and technical occupations are expected to increase by 16.4 percent and health care support occupations by 23.0 percent7. With respect to educational attainment, 35.0 percent of the job openings in health care will require at least a bachelor’s degree and an additional 30.0 percent will require some college or an associate degree8.

In order to ensure that limited federal funds are used to the greatest advantage, the SDS Program will direct funds to health care disciplines that are projected to experience shortages of health professionals in the near future. HRSA’s National Center for Workforce Analysis (NCHWA), which provides HRSA with national health workforce projections, projects both a shortage and surplus in the registered nurse (RN) workforce in 2030 across the United States depending on geographic location, shortage in graduate mental and behavioral health professionals9, as well as a shortage in allied health professionals10. The SDS Program supports national efforts to diversify the health care workforce by funding health professions and nursing programs that demonstrate a commitment to educating students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, and connecting them with opportunities to serve in primary care professions and in medically underserved areas and populations.

In FY 2016, the last competitive cycle, the SDS Program made 79 awards, and $42.6 million was distributed to programs to provide students with scholarships, with approximately 2,811 students receiving funds from the SDS Program.

To address HRSA’s emphasis on innovation, collaboration, impact and effectiveness, the SDS Program has been updated to reflect these agency priorities. Updates

5 Cabrera, A.F., Burkum, K.R., & La Nasa, S.M. (2003). Pathways to a Four-Year Degree: Determinants of Degree Completion among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students. Paper presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Portland, OR.

6 Data are from the Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/overview-of-projections-to-2024-1.htm 7 Data are from the Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/overview-of-projections-to-2024-1.htm 8 Data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.

9 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. 2017. National and Regional Supply and Demand Projections of the Workforce: 2016-2030. Rockville, Maryland. Available at:

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/health-workforce-analysis/research/projections/behavioral-health-workforce-projections.

10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. 2017. National and Regional Supply and Demand Projections of the Allied Workforce: 2016-2030. Rockville, Maryland. Available at:

https://bhw.hrsa.gov/health-workforce-analysis/research/projections/allied-health-workforce-projections.

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include: 1) strategically targeting certain health professions to address identified need and to support the broad range of health professions included in section 73711; 2) using 3 years of data instead of one so that HRSA has a more comprehensive overview of student enrollment and graduation levels; 3) changing the project period to 5 years to improve program outcomes; and 4) increasing the maximum per academic year scholarship awards to assist scholarship recipients. The proposed changes were announced in Federal Register Notice (Volume 84, Number 99, pp. 23571–23572); the final changes were announced in Federal Register Notice (Volume 84, Number 109,

pp. 53740–53742).

Specifically, beyond the statutory requirement of allocating 16 percent of funds to nursing schools, HRSA will distribute SDS program funding to award recipients in a manner consistent with the promotion of career entry into the health professions projected to experience the most severe national and subnational workforce shortages, as determined by NCHWA. Distributions for each funding cycle will be announced in the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Program Definitions

A glossary containing general definitions for terms used throughout the Bureau of Health Workforce Notice of funding Opportunity (NOFOs) can be located at the Health Workforce Glossary. In addition, the following definitions apply to the SDS Program for Fiscal Year 2020:

Allied Health Professional – The term allied health professional for this NOFO means a health professional (other than a registered nurse or physician assistant) who –

A. has received a certificate, an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, or post-baccalaureate training, in a science relating to health care;

B. shares in the responsibility for the delivery of health care services or related services, including services related to the identification, evaluation and prevention of disease and disorders; dietary and nutritional services; health promotion services; rehabilitation services; or health systems management services;

C. has not received a degree of doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of dentistry, doctor of veterinary medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of podiatric medicine, doctor of pharmacy, or doctor of chiropractic; a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy; a graduate degree in public health, health administration, social work, or counseling; or a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Disadvantaged background means an individual comes from an educationally/ environmentally or economically disadvantaged background.

Economically disadvantaged means an individual comes from a family with an annual income below the low-income thresholds, according to family size established

11 Chapman, S., & Chan, K. (2015). Behavioral Health Workforce: Summary of Literature and Data on Supply, Demand, and Need for Behavioral Health Services From UCSF Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care Research Report https://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/resourcecenter/glossary https://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/resourcecenter/glossary

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by the U.S. Census Bureau. The low-income thresholds are adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary updates these income levels in the Federal Register annually. Since Department of Education changes were made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to begin using prior-prior year data, please use the HRSA Poverty Guideline table for one (1) year preceding the data submitted on the FAFSA. For example, since this year’s FAFSA 2019-2020 is using prior-prior year data which is from 2017-2018, use the 2018 HRSA Poverty Guideline table. (See page 7)

Educationally/Environmentally disadvantaged means an individual comes from an environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school, or from a program providing education or training in an allied health profession.

The following are provided as examples of an educationally/environmentally disadvantaged background. These examples are for guidance only and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Each academic institution defines the below mentioned “low” rates based on its own enrollment populations. It is the responsibility of each applicant to clearly delineate the criteria used to classify student participants as coming from a disadvantaged background. The most recent annual data available for the following four examples below can be found on your state’s Department of Education website under the high school’s report card.

• The individual graduated from (or last attended) a high school that has a low overall student average SAT score, based on most recent annual data available.

• The individual graduated from (or last attended) a high school that—based on the most recent annual data available— had either a:

- Low percentage of seniors receiving a high school diploma; or

- Low percentage of graduates who go to college during the first year after graduation.

• The individual graduated from (or last attended) a high school with low per capita funding.

• The individual graduated from (or last attended) a high school where— based on the most recent annual data available— many of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

Other examples of an educationally/environmentally disadvantaged background include:

• The individual is the first generation in his or her family to attend college.

Federal Pipeline Programs:

Federal pipeline programs are designed to enhance educational opportunities and increase the number of students who progress from elementary through post-undergraduate levels. These programs offer an array of academic enrichment activities and services to better prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds to successfully graduate from a health professions school.

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a. U.S. Department of Education (ED)

i. Federal TRIO Programs

ii. Promising Neighborhoods Program

iii. Student Support Services

iv. Educational Opportunity Centers

v. Talent Search

vi. Upward Bound

vii. Upward Bound Math-Science

viii. Veterans Upward Bound

ix. Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

(GEAR UP)

b. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

i. Health Careers Opportunity Program (The National HCOP Academies)

ii. Centers of Excellence (COE) Program

iii. Area Health Education Centers Program (AHEC)

iv. Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG)

v. National Workforce Diversity Pipeline Program (NWDP)

vi. Community Health Worker Health Disparities Initiative

c. National Science Foundation

i. Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)

ii. Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)

iii. Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program

(HBCU-UP)

Graduate Program in Behavioral and Mental Health – A graduate program in clinical psychology, clinical social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, gerontological counseling, mental health counseling, or rehabilitation counseling.

Low income family/household is defined by the Secretary for various health professions programs included in Titles III, VII and VIII of the PHS Act, as having an annual income that does not exceed 200 percent of the Department’s poverty guidelines. A family is a group of two or more individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together. A household may be only one person.

Parental income will be used to determine a student’s eligibility as economically disadvantaged in all cases except those where the student is considered independent by being at least 24 years old and has not been listed as a dependent on his or her parents’ income tax for 3 or more years. In those cases, the student’s family income will be used instead of parental family income (please see the poverty guideline below for parental and student’s family income).

Documentation must be provided to the school for age and independent status. The school will be responsible for gathering and obtaining accurate information to determine the student’s independent status. Schools may use whichever documentation they choose, such as the student’s last three (3) years income taxes https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioeoc/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triomathsci/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triovub/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html https://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/default.aspx?id=9b288889-b486-4e9d-a02a-2dd9d80a9ccc https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/?id=fabd901d-f6b1-45eb-913b-d491c1e6a747 https://bhw.hrsa.gov/fundingopportunities/?id=ccc4f09b-e51e-4541-988b-ddc2c7593760 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/hpog https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&amp%3Blvlid=65 https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/healthdisp/chw-health-disparities-initiative.htm https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5483 https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5474 https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5481 https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5481

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or the parents' last three (3) years income taxes or other sources of proof of independence. For proof of age, some examples are a driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport. Schools must maintain this documentation for their own records. (Refer to Beneficiary Eligibility section for additional information)

2018 Low Income Levels (200 percent of HHS Poverty Guidelines)

Income Level ** Size of parents’ family*

48 Contiguous States and D.C.

Alaska Hawaii

1 $24,280 $30,360 $27,920 2 32,920 41,160 37,860 3 41,560 51,960 47,800 4 50,200 62,760 57,740 5 58,840 73,560 67,680 6 67,480 84,360 77,620 7 76,120 95,160 87,560 8 84,760 105,960 97,500 For each additional person, add

$8,640 $10,800 $9,940

*Includes only dependents listed on federal income tax forms. Some programs will use the student’s family rather than his or her parents’ family.

**Adjusted gross income for calendar year 2017.

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 83, No.29, February 12, 2018, pp. 6039-6040 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02707.pdf

Medically Underserved Community (MUC) – a geographic location or population of individuals eligible for designation by the federal government as a Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area, Medically Underserved Population, or Governor’s Certified Shortage Area for Rural Health Clinic purposes. As an umbrella term, MUC also includes populations such as homeless individuals, migrant or seasonal workers, and residents of public housing.

Non-profit – refers to the status of an entity owned and operated by one or more corporations or associations no part of the net earnings of which insures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

Primary Care – The SDS Program will use the definition of primary care provided by the Institute of Medicine: the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (IOM. 1996. Primary care: America's health in a https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02707.pdf

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new era. Washington, DC: National Academy Press). Primary care excludes internships or residency training. The focus of primary care should be reflected in the delivery of community-based and outpatient health care services. As it relates to allopathic, osteopathic, dentistry, dental hygiene, graduate nursing, physician assistant and behavioral and mental health primary care disciplines.

Program for the Training of Physician Assistants – An educational program in a public or private institution in a state that- (A) has as its objective the education of individuals who, upon completion of their studies in the program, will be qualified to provide primary care medical services with the supervision of a physician; and (B) is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

School of Allied Health – a public or nonprofit private college, junior college, or university or hospital-based educational entity that-

A. provides, or can provide, programs of education to enable individuals to become allied health professionals or to provide additional training for allied health professionals;

B. provides training for not less than a total of 20 persons in the allied health curricula (except that this subparagraph shall not apply to any hospital-based educational entity);

C. includes or is affiliated with a teaching hospital; and D. is accredited by a recognized body or bodies approved for such purposes by the Secretary of Education, or which provides to the Secretary satisfactory assurance by such accrediting body or bodies that reasonable progress is being made toward accreditation.

School of Chiropractic Medicine – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of chiropractic or an equivalent degree.

School of Dentistry – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of dentistry or an equivalent degree.

School of Medicine – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of medicine.

School of Optometry – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of optometry or an equivalent degree.

School of Osteopathic Medicine – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of osteopathy.

School of Pharmacy – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy or an equivalent degree, or a degree of doctor of pharmacy or an equivalent degree.

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School of Podiatric Medicine – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of podiatric medicine or an equivalent degree.

School of Public Health – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a graduate degree in public health or an equivalent degree.

School of Veterinary Medicine – An accredited public or nonprofit private school in a state that provides training leading to a degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree.

Underrepresented minorities means, with respect to a health profession, racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the health profession relative to the number of individuals who are members of the population involved. Asian individuals shall be considered by the various subpopulations of such individuals.

II. Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

Type of applications sought: New and Competing Continuation

HRSA will provide funding in the form of a grant.

2. Summary of Funding

HRSA estimates approximately $48,200,000 to be available annually to fund approximately 79 recipients. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $650,000 per year.

The period of performance is July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025 (5 years). Funding beyond the first year is subject to the availability of appropriated funds for the SDS Program in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory recipient performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

In an effort to combat health workforce shortages, HRSA will distribute SDS program funding to award recipients in a manner consistent with the promotion of career entry into the health professions projected to experience the most severe national and subnational workforce shortages, as determined by NCHWA. HRSA announces the distribution for each funding cycle in the applicable NOFO. Section 740(a) of the PHS Act requires HRSA to distribute at least 16 percent of the SDS program funding to nursing schools. Additionally, for this NOFO up to 25 percent of funds will be designated for graduate programs in behavioral and mental health, up to 25 percent will be designated for programs in Allied Health. In addition to these allocations no less than $2,500,000 of the funding will be awarded for the purpose of educating both nursing and non nursing midwives to address the national shortage of maternity care providers, and

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specifically to address the lack of diversity in the maternity care workforce, as reflected in House Report No. 116-62 (2020). BHW is including funding percentages for these disciplines to more closely align with the health professional shortage needs across the country and to provide support across the broad range of health professions included in Section 737. Please note that while multiple applications from an institution are allowable, a maximum of three per institution may be funded.

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

Limitations on indirect cost rates

This program does not allow any indirect costs.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are as listed below. For-profit nursing and physician assistant schools are eligible to apply under the SDS Program. All other applicants must be public or non-profit private schools. Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply if all other eligibility requirements are met. A listing of the eligible program disciplines for which individual separate applications are required are as follows:

Medicine

• doctor of allopathic medicine

• doctor of osteopathic medicine

Dentistry

• doctor of dentistry

Other Health Disciplines

• doctor of veterinary medicine

• doctor of optometry

• doctor of podiatry medicine

• doctor of pharmacy

• doctor of physical therapy

• doctor of chiropractic medicine

Behavioral and Mental Health

• graduate degree in clinical psychology

• graduate degree in clinical social work

• graduate degree in gerontological counseling

• graduate degree in marriage and family therapy

• graduate degree in mental health counseling

• graduate degree in rehabilitation counseling 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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Public Health

• graduate degree in health administration

• graduate degree in public health

Allied Health

• baccalaureate and graduate degrees in dietetics

• graduate degree in audiology

• graduate degree in occupational therapy

• graduate degree in speech pathology

• baccalaureate and graduate degree in dental hygiene

• baccalaureate and graduate degrees in medical laboratory technology

• baccalaureate degree in radiologic technology

Nursing

• associate, diploma, baccalaureate and graduate (including doctoral and Certified Nurse-Midwife) degrees in nursing (pre-nursing is not eligible).

o ALL Non-nursing accredited midwifery programs please select the nursing DIPLOMA option on the program specific form from the discipline dropdown box. Non nursing midwifery funding will not affect the nursing funding allocation.

Physician Assistant

• graduate degree in physician assistant studies

Applicants must be carrying out a program to recruit and retain students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. Applicants must demonstrate that the program has achieved success based on the percentage of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are enrolled full-time and have graduated from the school. For the most recent 3-year period, at least twenty percent of the school’s full-time enrolled students and graduates must be from a disadvantaged background.

• At least 20 percent of the total enrollment (full-time enrolled) of the degree program during Academic Years (AY) 2016-2019 (7/1/16-6/30/19) must be students from disadvantaged backgrounds;

And

• At least 20 percent of the total graduates (who were full-time students) of the degree program during Academic Years 2016-2019 must have been from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Please note that institutions who do not qualify for the newly established school exception as described below and fail to meet an average of 20 percent disadvantaged enrollment and 20 percent disadvantaged graduates for the most recent 3-year period are ineligible, and will not be considered for funding under

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this notice. Newly established schools are not subject to the three (3) years of data requirement.

Additionally, newly established schools (that is, schools that have not been in existence long enough to have three years of enrollment and graduation data), may apply for the SDS Program as long as the school had students enrolled for the academic years covering the period of 9/1/17 - 6/30/19. Since newly established schools do not have three years of data for program enrollment and graduates, such schools shall provide at least two (2) years of student enrollment and at least one (1) year of graduation data that demonstrates at least 20 percent of the total enrollment and graduates are from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Each institution’s program that is applying for SDS Program (e.g., pharmacy, baccalaureate nursing, dentistry, etc.) must be accredited by the recognized, major accrediting body for each specific health discipline. If not, the institution must be accredited by the relevant accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, prior to submission of the SDS Program application. You must provide proof of accreditation as an attachment to the application. Acceptable forms of proof can be certificates or letters with dates that are in effect prior to the start of the budget/project period during which support will be received.

Applicants must provide proof of accreditation by a recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education as Attachment 8 to the application.

Please refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s accreditation database.

(https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home).

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

Cost Sharing/Matching is not required for this program.

3. Other

Ceiling Amount HRSA will consider any application that exceeds the ceiling amount of $650,000 non-responsive and will not consider it for funding under this notice.

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.

Use of Funds Funds are to be used for scholarships only. Indirect costs are not allowable.

Administrative costs are not allowed. HRSA will consider any application that includes direct or indirect costs for items other than scholarships non-responsive and will not consider it for funding under this notice.

https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home

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Maintenance of Effort (MoE) 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 prior to receiving the award, as required by Section 797(b) of the PHS Act. Complete the MOE information and submit as Attachment 6.

Required Forms HRSA will consider any application received without the required SDS Program-specific forms and accompanying tables non-responsive and will not consider it for funding under this notice.

Multiple Applications Multiple applications from an organization with the same DUNS number are allowable;

however, only one application may be submitted per one health profession degree program (refer to section III). Institutions must not submit a single application for multiple health profession degree programs; rather, each application will represent one discipline. While multiple applications from an institution are allowable, a maximum of three per institution may be funded. Collaborative proposals are not allowed.

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.

Beneficiary Eligibility Under the SDS Program, scholarships are awarded by eligible entities to any full-time student who is an eligible individual as defined by the statute in Section 737(d)(2) of the PHS Act. The definition of “eligible individual” means an individual who: (A) is from a disadvantaged background; (B) has a financial need for a scholarship; and (C) is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an eligible health professions or nursing school as a full-time student in a program leading to a degree in a health profession or nursing.

A student receiving support from grant funds must be a citizen or national of the United States, or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, or a foreign national having in his/her possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States, or a non-citizen national.

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 NOFO following the directions provided at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

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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. You will also receive notifications of documents placed in the RELATED DOCUMENTS tab on Grants.gov that may affect the NOFO and your application. 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 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 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 70 pages when printed by HRSA. The page limit includes the abstract, project and budget narratives, attachments including biographical sketches (bio sketches), 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 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) The prospective recipient certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals is 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 the prospective recipient is unable to attest to any of the statements in this certification, an explanation shall be included in Attachment 9: Other Relevant Documents.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html 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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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 Students are required to be from a disadvantaged background, enrolled or accepted for enrollment as full-time, and must demonstrate financial need to be eligible for the SDS Program. To ensure consistency in assessing financial need, HRSA has adopted the need analysis procedure approved by the Department of Education (see 20 U.S.C.

1087kk–1087vv). Financial need is determined only by the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Schools must refer to the following link and follow the steps detailed on the site to calculate financial need:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/how-calculated. Any student who is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in a health professions school or nursing school must provide information on his or her parents’ financial situation or his or her own financial situation, depending upon his or her tax status.

The amount of a scholarship may not exceed a recipient’s cost of tuition expenses, other reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses incurred in attendance at the health professions or nursing school. The scholarship may be expended by the student only for these expenses. In determining financial need for potential SDS recipients, the school must take into consideration the:

• Financial resources available to the student (Expected Family Contribution); and

• Costs reasonably necessary for the student's attendance at the school (Cost of

Attendance).

General Requirements for Calculating Financial Need The following general requirements apply when calculating financial need:

• SDS recipients must use the expected family contribution calculated from the need analysis formula as detailed by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (See 34 CFR 682.200).

• Parental income must be used to determine a student’s eligibility for financial need in all cases except in those cases where the student is considered independent by being at least 24 years old and not listed as a dependent on his or her parents’ income tax for 3 or more years. In those cases, the student’s income will be used instead of parental income.

• Recipients must be able to produce documentation of a student’s age and independent status, if applicable. Schools have discretion in determining which documentation to use to demonstrate this status, such as the student’s or parents’ last three years of income taxes. For proof of age, examples of sufficient documentation include a photocopy of a driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport. The school must determine whether a student should be deemed independent.

• If a student satisfies the age requirement but is unable to provide proof that he or she can be deemed independent, then he or she will be considered dependent and schools must use the parental income for financial need.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/how-calculated

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• Recipients must consider a student’s estimated other financial resources, including financial aid.

• The information collected by the schools to make an assessment of a student's need for SDS funds must be extensive enough to include a student's (and his or her spouse and parents’) current income, assets and other resources such as trust funds or support from other family members.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Developing a student’s budget requires careful identification of reasonable costs necessary for the student's attendance at the school, including any special needs or financial obligations of each student, or costs common to particular groups of students. The school must develop student budgets which treat students within groups consistently, but are sensitive to individual circumstances. Schools must be able to document the various student budgets used in determining financial need.

Child care expenses are not allowed.

The COA is the total amount it will cost a student to go to college each year. The COA includes tuition and fees; on-campus room and board (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); and allowances for books, supplies, and transportation. See sample calculation below:

Tuition and fees $30,000 On-campus room and board $15,000 Books $700 Supplies $1,000 Transportation $3,500 Cost of Attendance $50,200

You are required to give preference to students for whom the cost of attendance would constitute a severe financial hardship and to former recipients of scholarships under sections 736 [Scholarships for Students of Exceptional Financial Need] and 740(d)(2)(B) [Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Health Professions Students] (as such sections existed on the day before the date of enactment of this section) of the PHS Act. Eligible students who have a greatest financial need are considered to have a severe financial hardship.

Strategic plans and policies to recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds must be completed for the health profession or nursing program specifically.

Recruitment and retention programs are encouraged to include activities that allow students to gain exposure to working in a primary care setting and medically underserved areas or populations, especially rural and underserved areas. This exposure can be accomplished via partnerships. SDS funds may not be used to carry out these activities.

You are required to have all trainees in eligible health professions to obtain National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers to aid long-term assessment of the program’s impact on access and delivery of quality health care services. Eligible trainees who receive HRSA funds as a result of this award must apply for an NPI for the purpose of collecting

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