Arra - Health Careers Opportunity Program

 

As funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the HCOP program strives to develop a more competitive applicant pool to build diversity in the health professions. The program's goal is to provide students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to develop the skills needed to successfully compete to enter and graduate from health professions schools, allied health professions schools, graduate programs in behavioral and mental health, and programs for the training of physician assistants.

Deleted 03/03/2014 (Archived.) 93.416 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Health Resources and Services Administration Project Grants Not Applicable. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) , Public Law 111-5. Grants may be made to accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, chiropractic, podiatric medicine, public or nonprofit private schools that offer graduate programs in behavioral and mental health, programs for the training of physician assistants, and other public or private nonprofit health or educational entities. Students who meet the definition of either educationally or economically disadvantaged, and who express an interest in pursuing a health degree program are eligible for participation in an HCOP program during their primary, secondary pre-professional, and professional education. Students must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or foreign nationals who possess a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States. An individual will be determined to be disadvantaged if he or she comes from a background that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school or program providing education or training in an allied health profession; or comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low income thresholds according to family size published by the Bureau of the Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in health professions programs. Applicants should review the individual HRSA funding opportunity announcement issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. HRSA is requiring applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov. All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions.
Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Grant Award. Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines. From 30 to 60 days. Not Applicable. Not Applicable. Overview: (1) The applicant's record in developing, training, and strengthening the academic performance of disadvantaged students throughout the educational pipeline, including health professions schools; (2) the needs assessment study; (3) the established relationship between the program's stated needs, objectives, and outcomes; (4) the project's plan for developing and expanding the pool of competitive health professions school applicants; (5) the qualifications and experience of the faculty and staff to implement and manage an HCOP program, as well as the experience of the faculty and staff in working with the proposed target group; (6) evidence that formal linkages have been established in order to create a more comprehensive HCOP program; (7) the project activities and their reasonability given the proposed level of staff effort, length of project period and budget requested, resources available, and linkages established; (8) the proposed methods for evaluating the project (including data collection, analysis and reporting procedures, quality control methods and type of personnel involved; (9) the demonstrated knowledge and expertise the applicant possess for coordinating activities with school districts and other community based entities, as well as identifying and leveraging resources from private, philanthropic, business and other government entities; and 10) the budget demonstrates effective use of grant funds and is reasonable, based on: (a) a detailed justification for each line item, (b) the level of in-kind support and other sources of funds, both Federal and non-Federal, the applicant proposes to utilize for carrying out the program, (c) the applicant's proposed plan for continuation of the proposed project beyond the federally-funded project period.

REVIEW CRITERIA. All competitive applications will be reviewed and ranked on the basis of 7 review criteria are used to review and rank applications.
1. RESOURCES/ CAPABILITIES: a) the applicant demonstrates a commitment to disadvantaged students and/or underserved communities; b) the applicant provides documentation of evidence utilizing institutional resources and activities aimed at developing, training and strengthening the academic performance and cultural competence of disadvantaged students throughout the educational pipeline, including health professions schools; c) the applicant demonstrates a commitment to disadvantaged students and/or underserved communities; d) the applicant provides documentation of evidence utilizing institutional resources and activities aimed at developing, training and strengthening the academic performance and cultural competence of disadvantaged students throughout the educational pipeline, including health professions schools; e) project personnel are qualified by training and/or experience to implement and carry out the project; and f) the capabilities of the applicant organization, and quality and availability of facilities and personnel to fulfill the needs and requirements of the proposed project.

2. IMPACT: a) the applicant clearly describes the plan for disseminating and implementing HCOP project results to the education and/or health professions community, regionally and/or nationally; b) the applicant clearly delineates specific venues, media, timelines, etc.; c) the applicant describes the extent to which the project activities are replicable; and d) the applicant describes the probability of the program, or significant components of the program, being maintained beyond HCOP funding.

3. NEED: a) the extent to which the application describes the problem and associated contributing factors to the problem, with support data provided; b) the targeted disciplines mirror the health professions workforce needs of the geographic area to be served; and c) support data includes information on the academic performance and social needs of students in the targeted area and demographics for health professionals in the geographic area.

4. RESPONSE: a) an effective, well-delineated plan for carrying out all seven (7) of the HCOP program purposes. The plan explicitly identifies the targeted health disciplines and includes measurable objectives that are clearly written with corresponding methodology, evaluation and budget sections that describe in detail how they will be carried out, evaluated and supported by HCOP grant dollars and/or other sources; b) the extent to which the proposed project responds to the “Purpose” included in the program description; c) the clarity of the proposed goals and objectives and their relationship to the identified project; d) the extent to which the activities described in the application are capable of addressing the problem and attaining the project objectives; and e) the extent to which the project’s objectives are appropriate, measurable, logical, time-framed, and provide baseline data.

5. CULTURAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT: a) the proposed project must clearly define
goals and objectives for teaching cultural competence, including educational and
training activities for each educational level; and b). the objectives must be measurable
and attainable.

6. SUPPORT REQUESTED: a) the overall proposed budget, including non-trainee expenses, should be cost effective, reasonable and consistent in relation to the objectives, the proposed activities and the anticipated results; and b) expenditures should be justified and in-kind contributions documented.

7. PROGRESS SUMMARY OF EVALUATIVE MEASURES (FOR COMPETING CONTINUATIONS): a) the progress summary reveals that the applicant was able to successfully manage the grant and met the objectives of the current HCOP grant; b) lists the original grant objectives and provides outcomes for each objective in measurable terms; and c) provides an evaluation of the outcomes and lists corrective actions taken to remedy objectives that were not met. Section 739 provides for assisting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter a health or allied health profession. Grant funds may be used for: (1) recruitment; (2) facilitating entry; (3) counseling, mentoring and other services; (4) preliminary education and health research training; (5) financial aid information dissemination; (6) primary care exposure activities; (7) development of a more competitive applicant pool; and (8) stipends. Funds under this Section may not be used for: (1) Direct compensation of payment to parents who participate in HCOP activities; (2) Training expenses for faculty or staff; (3) Tuition of fees for students, including test taking fees for health professions schools; (4) Dependency allowances; (5) Construction of facilities, acquisition of land, or fund raising; (6) Interview trips to health and allied health professions schools; (7) Support of courses that are offered as part of the regular academic curriculum; (8) Sectarian instruction or for any religious purpose; (9) Job placement activities; (10) Activities for health professionals (e.g. internships, externships, residencies); (11) Remedial courses; (12) Faculty support for full-time course work during the academic year; (13) Pilot projects, planning projects, feasibility studies, or activities of a similar nature; (14) Entertainment activities (including meals, beverages, lodging, and transportation). All projects funded with ARRA funds are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements as outlined in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act. A Uniform Progress Report must be submitted for a second or subsequent budget period within a previously approved project period. Cash reports are not applicable. A final progress report and final financial status report must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the project period. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the date they submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR). If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.
Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program. Project period is approximately 3 years. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Grantees draw down funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS). PMS is the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards. See Regional Agency Offices. Violet R. H. Woo, Chief, Diversity Branch, Division of Diversity and Interdisciplinary Education, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane Rm. 9C-26 , Rockville, MD 20857, by telephone at 301-443-8032 and E-mail at vwoo@hrsa.gov.

Kyle Peplinski, Public Health Analyst, Diversity Branch, Division of Diversity and Interdisciplinary Education, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane Rm. 9C-26, Rockville, MD 20857, by telephone at 301-443-7758 and E-mail at kpeplinski@hrsa.gov. Kyle Peplinski 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9C-26 , Rockville, Maryland 20857 Email: kpeplinski@hrsa.gov Phone: (301) 443-3043. http://www.hrsa.gov 75-0351-0-1-550. (Salaries) FY 11 $0; FY 12 est $0; and FY 13 est $0 - All funds awarded in FY10. $976,747 to $1,527,351, with an average award of $1,252,049. This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments; and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations.

HRSA awards are subject to the requirements of the HHS Grants Policy Statement (HHS GPS) that are applicable based on recipient type and purpose of award. The HHS GPS is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants. Not Applicable.