To provide for the development of information describing and analyzing the health care workforce and workforce related issues in order to provide necessary information for decision-making regarding future directions in health professions in response to societal and professional needs.

Grants under

credit: Photo by Andres Rodriguez

this CFDA number include the following: Health Workforce Research Centers -- to increase the amount of high quality, impartial, policy-relevant research on the health workforce and to assist decision-makers at the federal, state and local levels to better understand health workforce needs to ensure access to high quality, efficient health care.

Selected Recipients for this Program

Not Applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds can be used to provide for the collecting, analyzing, and reporting of data related to health workforce, including targeted information collection and research on high priority workforce questions, technical assistance to local and regional entities to support the development of a nonfederal analytic and research infrastructure related to health workforce-related issues, and program evaluation and assessment efforts.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Those eligible to apply are: state or local governments, a state workforce investment board, public health or health professions schools, schools of medicine, schools of nursing, universities, academic health centers, community-based health facilities, and other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities, including faith based and community based organizations.

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

Beneficiary Eligibility

Those who will ultimately benefit from these grants are the local, state, and federal legislators, planners, and policy makers, as well as the public, who will receive the information needed to better understand health workforce issues and trends and to make evidenced-based health workforce decisions.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants should review the individual HRSA Notice of Funding Opportunity issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted with an application package. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable.

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. All eligible, 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 Award.

Award Procedures

Notification of award is made in writing (electronic) through a Notice of Award.

Deadlines

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

Authorization

Section 761(c) of the Public Health Servifes Act (42 U.S.C. 294n), as amended by Section 5103 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Approximately 120 - 180 days after receipt of applications.

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: Some cooperative agreements may require a matching requirement for State and local studies; refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for specific information. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Assistance is available for between 3 and 5 years. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Recipients draw down funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS), centralized web based payment system for HHS awards.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Both program and financial reports are required.

The recipient is required to submit 4 or 5 reports each budget year, one for each research study or technical assistance initiative undertaken in that budget year.

In addition, there are 4 rapid response projects for each center per budget year that are submitted as requested by the agency.

Cash reports are not applicable.

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, etc.

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

Expenditure reports are not applicable.

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 from the date they submit the 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

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 16 $2,989,303; FY 17 est $3,522,130; and FY 18 est $3,132,132 - Not included: SAMHSA IAA for $900 to fund Behavioral Health Center.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY15 - $357,436 to $570,492; Average award of $484,111 FY16 - $433,266 to $566,650; average award of $498,217. FY 17 est. - $465,366 to $759,471; average award of $587,022.

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

Robin Streeter 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 11N78, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Email: rstreeter@hrsa.gov Phone: 301-443-1304

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 nonfederal reviewers for technical merit recommendations using the following review criteria. (1) The degree to which an applicant specializes in health workforce research. An applicant will be considered as specializing in health workforce research through identification of its mission, health workforce research accomplishments, and dedicated staff to health workforce research; (2) The degree to which the applicant demonstrates state and national experience and accomplishments in health workforce issues and research that align with BHW's mission to improve the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecing skilled professionals to communities in need. Experience, accomplishments, and the potential impact of previous work could be demonstrated through past or currently funded research; publication of articles in peer-reveiwed journals; presentations at national and international conferences and meetings; and publication of policy briefs, fact sheets, articles, blogs, etc. that are available in the public domain; (3) The degree to which the applicant has health workforce research experience relevant to the proposed research project. In terms of workforce discipline-specific studies, the applicant should demonstrate experience in conducting research on the given discipline. For example, for a proposed research project that focuses on a behavioral health workforce issue, the applicant should demonstrate experience in conducting research on behavioral health workforce; and (4) The degree to which the applicant's proposed research includes: a well-developed background statement, clearly stated research objectives, clearly stated project activities and methodology, and a well-developed, reasonable management plan that will enable the successful completion of the project.