Selected Recipients for this Program

Not Applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds under this grant must only be used to repay the qualifying educational loans of health professionals who have entered into State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) contract with the States.

Funds cannot be used for the following purposes: costs of administering the program, State matching funds, or any other purpose.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible entities include the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S.

Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government and Native American Organizations may apply if they are otherwise eligible.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Applicants for State programs must have completed a course of study required to practice independently without supervision as one of the following health care professionals: Doctor of Allopathic Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine, General Practice Dentist (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Pediatric Dentist, Primary Care Certified Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Primary Care Registered Nurse, Pharmacist, Primary Care Physician Assistant, Registered Clinical Dental Hygienist, Health Service Psychologist (formerly Clinical or Counseling Psychologist (Ph.D. or equivalent), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (master?s or doctoral degree in social work), Psychiatric Nurse Specialist, Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor (master?s or doctoral degree with a major study in counseling), Marriage and Family Therapist (master?s or doctoral degree with a major study in marriage and family therapy),Registered Nurse and Pharmacist. The primary care specialties approvable for physicians are: family medicine (and osteopathic general practice), internal medicine, including geriatricians, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and geriatrics and general psychiatry. General practitioners (physicians who have not completed residency training programs) are not eligible for funding under the SLRP. The primary care specialties approval for registered nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are: adult, family, pediatrics, psychiatry/mental health, geriatrics, or women?s health. Participants must provide full-time clinical service for a minimum of two years in a public or non-profit entity located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Refer to the NHSC State Loan Repayment Program Guidance for specific requirements.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants should review the individual HRSA Notice of 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. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required.

Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov.

Award Procedures

Notification is made in writing by Notice of Award.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 338I, 42 U.S.C. 254 q-1(h), as amended; Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-10).

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Approximately 120 to 180 days after receipt of application.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Depending on Agency priorities and availability of funding, during the final budget year of the approved project period competing continuation applications may be solicited from interested applicants.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program. Matching Requirements: States must agree to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions in cash toward SLRP contracts in an amount not less than $1 for each $1 of Federal funds provided in the grant. A State may not use any Federal funds or in-kind contributions to satisfy the non-Federal match requirement. A State must verify that contributions from sources other than State appropriated funds are non-Federal. States may use non-Federal funds in excess of the $1 for $1 minimum match to supplement the repayment of qualifying loans of health professionals. The Federal share must be used to repay the government and commercial loans of health professionals for tuition, educational expenses and living expenses described in Section 338B(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act. States must assume administrative costs. This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

This funding opportunity provides support for a 4-year project period. States are asked to commit the full amount of funding for their loan repayment awards to practitioners in the current fiscal year to avoid out-year commitments for additional Federal funds. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Recipients drawdown funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS). PMS is the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Both program and financial reports are required.

The recipient will be required to submit annual performance and progress reports.

A Federal Financial Report (SF-425) is required according to the schedule in HRSA?s Application Guide.

A final report is due within 90 days after the project period ends.

If applicable, the recipient must submit a Tangible Personal Property Report (SF-428) and any related forms within 90 days after the project period ends.

New awards (?Type 1?) issued under this notice of funding opportunity are subject to the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 (Pub.

L.

109?282), as amended by section 6202 of Public Law 110?252, and implemented by 2 CFR Part 170.

Grant and cooperative agreement recipients must report information for each first-tier subaward of $25,000 or more in federal funds and executive total compensation for the recipient?s and subrecipient?s five most highly compensated executives as outlined in Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 170 (The FFATA details are available online at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/ffata.html).

Competing continuation recipients may be subject to this requirement and will be so notified in the Notice of Award.

Progress reports are not applicable.

No expenditure reports are required.

No performance monitoring is required.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503.

Records

Recipients 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.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0350-0-1-550.

Obigations

(Project Grants) FY 16 $13,070,603; FY 17 est $15,000,000; and FY 18 est $15,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY 16 awards ranged from $80,000 to $1,000,000, with an average award of $353,259. FY 17 awards TBD.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

All administrative and audit requirements and the cost principles that govern Federal monies associated with this activity will be subject to the Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200 as codified by HHS at 45 CFR 75.. HRSA awards are also 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/hhsgrantspolicy.pdf..

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Division of National Health Service Corps, Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 14N58, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Phone: (301) 594-4400

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Procedures for assessing the technical merit of grant applications have been instituted to provide an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. Critical indicators have been developed for each review criterion to assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information related to that criterion and to provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluation. Competing applications are reviewed by non-Federal expert consultant(s) for technical merit recommendations. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Purpose and Need; (2) Response to Program Purpose; (3) Impact; (4) Organizational Information, Resources and Capabilities; and (5) Support Requested. See the most recent Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed selection criteria.