Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions Pre-Graduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Programs; Announcement Type: Initial, 80370-80375 [2015-32352]

Download as PDF 80370 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices (2) Availability for service earlier than other applicants (first come, first served). (3) Date the individual’s application was received. IHS. Participants extending their contracts may receive up to the maximum amount of $20,000 per year plus an additional 20 percent for Federal withholding. C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates Not applicable. VII. Agency Contact Please address inquiries to Ms. Jacqueline K. Santiago, Chief, IHS Loan Repayment Program, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR (11E53A), Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: 301/443– 3396 [between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays]. VI. Award Administration Information mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES A. Award Notices Notice of awards will be mailed on the last working day of each month. Once the applicant is approved for participation in the LRP, the applicant will receive confirmation of his/her loan repayment award and the duty site at which he/she will serve his/her loan repayment obligation. B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Applicants may sign contractual agreements with the Secretary for two years. The IHS may repay all, or a portion, of the applicant’s health profession educational loans (undergraduate and graduate) for tuition expenses and reasonable educational and living expenses in amounts up to $20,000 per year for each year of contracted service. Payments will be made annually to the participant for the purpose of repaying his/her outstanding health profession educational loans. Payment of health profession education loans will be made to the participant within 120 days, from the date the contract becomes effective. The effective date of the contract is calculated from the date it is signed by the Secretary or his/her delegate, or the IHS, Tribal, urban, or Buy Indian health center entry-on-duty date, whichever is more recent. In addition to the loan payment, participants are provided tax assistance payments in an amount not less than 20 percent and not more than 39 percent of the participant’s total amount of loan repayments made for the taxable year involved. The loan repayments and the tax assistance payments are taxable income and will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The tax assistance payment will be paid to the IRS directly on the participant’s behalf. LRP award recipients should be aware that the IRS may place them in a higher tax bracket than they would otherwise have been prior to their award. C. Contract Extensions Any individual who enters this program and satisfactorily completes his or her obligated period of service may apply to extend his/her contract on a year-by-year basis, as determined by the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 VIII. Other Information IHS area offices and service units that are financially able are authorized to provide additional funding to make awards to applicants in the LRP, but not to exceed $35,000 a year plus tax assistance. All additional funding must be made in accordance with the priority system outlined below. Health professions given priority for selection above the $20,000 threshold are those identified as meeting the criteria in 25 U.S.C. 1616a(g)(2)(A) which provides that the Secretary shall consider the extent to which each such determination: (i) Affects the ability of the Secretary to maximize the number of contracts that can be provided under the LRP from the amounts appropriated for such contracts; (ii) Provides an incentive to serve in Indian health programs with the greatest shortages of health professionals; and (iii) Provides an incentive with respect to the health professional involved remaining in an Indian health program with such a health professional shortage, and continuing to provide primary health services, after the completion of the period of obligated service under the LRP. Contracts may be awarded to those who are available for service no later than September 30, 2016 and must be in compliance with any limits in the appropriation and 25 U.S.C. 1616a not to exceed the amount authorized in the IHS appropriation (up to $36,000,000 for FY 2016). In order to ensure compliance with the statutes, area offices or service units providing additional funding under this section are responsible for notifying the LRP of such payments before funding is offered to the LRP participant. Should an IHS area office contribute to the LRP, those funds will be used for only those sites located in that area. Those sites will retain their relative ranking from the national site-ranking list. For example, the Albuquerque Area PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Office identifies supplemental monies for dentists. Only the dental positions within the Albuquerque Area will be funded with the supplemental monies consistent with the national ranking and site index within that area. Should an IHS service unit contribute to the LRP, those funds will be used for only those sites located in that service unit. Those sites will retain their relative ranking from the national siteranking list. For example, Whiteriver Service Unit identifies supplemental monies for nurses. The Whiteriver Service Unit consists of two facilities, namely the Whiteriver PHS Indian Hospital and the Cibecue Indian Health Center. The national ranking will be used for the Whiteriver PHS Indian Hospital (Score = 77) and the Cibecue Indian Health Center (Score = 89). With a score of 89, the Cibecue Indian Health Center would receive priority over the Whiteriver PHS Indian Hospital. Dated: December 16, 2015. Robert G. McSwain, Principal Deputy Director, Indian Health Service. [FR Doc. 2015–32354 Filed 12–23–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165–16–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Indian Health Service Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions PreGraduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Programs; Announcement Type: Initial CFDA Numbers: 93.971, 93.123, AND 93.972 Key Dates Application Deadline: February 28, 2016, for continuing students Application Deadline: March 28, 2016, for new students Application Review: May 9–23, 2016 Continuation Award Notification Deadline: June 6, 2016 New Award Notification Deadline: July 5, 2016 Award Start Date: August 1, 2016 Acceptance/Decline of Awards Deadline: August 15, 2016 I. Funding Opportunity Description The Indian Health Service (IHS) is committed to encouraging American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter the health professions and to assuring the availability of Indian health professionals to serve Indians. The IHS is committed to the recruitment of students for the following programs: • The Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship authorized by E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices Section 103 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94–437 (1976), as amended (IHCIA), codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613(b)(1). • The Indian Health Professions Pregraduate Scholarship authorized by Section 103 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613(b)(2). • The Indian Health Professions Scholarship authorized by Section 104 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613a. Full-time and part-time scholarships will be funded for each of the three scholarship programs. The scholarship award selections and funding are subject to availability of funds appropriated for the scholarship program. II. Award Information Type of Award Scholarship. Estimated Funds Available An estimated $13.7 million will be available for fiscal year (FY) 2016 awards. The IHS Scholarship Program (IHSSP) anticipates, but cannot guarantee, due to possible funding changes, student scholarship selections from any or all of the approved disciplines in the Preparatory, Pregraduate or Health Professions Scholarship Programs for the scholarship period 2016–2017. Due to the rising cost of education and the decreasing number of scholars who can be funded by the IHSSP, the IHSSP has changed the funding policy for Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarship awards and reallocated a greater percentage of its funding in an effort to increase the number of Health Professions Scholarships, and inherently the number of serviceobligated scholars, to better meet the health care needs of the IHS and its Tribal and urban Indian health care system partners. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Anticipated Number of Awards Approximately 80 awards will be made under the Health Professions Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarship Programs for Indians. The awards are for ten months in duration, with an additional two months for approved summer school requests, and will cover both tuition and fees and other related costs (ORC). The average award to a full-time student is approximately $31,919.52. An estimated 245 awards will be made under the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program. The awards are for 12 months in duration and will cover both tuition and fees and ORC. The average award to VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 a full-time student is approximately $48,004.00. In FY 2016, an estimated $10,034,760 is available for Health Professions awards, and an estimated $3,687,137 is available for Preparatory and Pre-graduate awards. Project Period The project period for the IHS Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship stipend support, tuition, fees and ORC is limited to two years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of two years, not to exceed four years for part-time students. The project period for the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship stipend support, tuition, fees and ORC is limited to four years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of four years, not to exceed eight years for part-time students. The IHS Indian Health Professions Scholarship provides stipend support, tuition, fees, and ORC and is limited to four years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of four years, not to exceed eight years for part-time students. III. Eligibility Information This is a limited competition announcement. New and continuation scholarship awards are limited to ‘‘Indians’’ as defined at 25 U.S.C. Section 1603(13). Note: The definition of ‘‘Indians’’ for Section 103 Preparatory and Pre-graduate scholarships is broader than the definition of ‘‘Indians’’ for the Section 104 Health Professions scholarship, as specified below. Continuation awards are noncompetitive. 1. Eligibility The Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship awards are made to American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants of Federally recognized Tribal members, State recognized Tribal members and first and second degree descendants of State recognized Tribal members), or Eskimo, Aleut and other Alaska Natives who: • Have successfully completed high school education or high school equivalency; and • Have been accepted for enrollment in a compensatory, pre-professional general education course or curriculum. The Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship awards are made to American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants of Tribal members, and State recognized Tribal members, first and second degree PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 80371 descendants of Tribal members), or Eskimo, Aleut and other Alaska Natives who: • Have successfully completed high school education or high school equivalency; and • Have been accepted for enrollment or are enrolled in an accredited pregraduate program leading to a baccalaureate degree in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry or prepodiatry. The Indian Health Professions Scholarship may be awarded only to an individual who is a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Eskimo, Aleut or other Alaska Native as provided by Section 1603(13) of the IHCIA. Membership in a Tribe recognized only by a State does not meet this statutory requirement. To receive an Indian Health Professions Scholarship, an otherwise eligible individual must be enrolled in an appropriately accredited school and pursuing a course of study in a health profession as defined by Section 1603(10) of the IHCIA. 2. Cost Sharing/Matching The Scholarship Program does not require matching funds or cost sharing to participate in the competitive grant process. 3. Benefits From State, Local, Tribal and Other Federal Sources Awardees of the Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship, Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship, or Health Professions Scholarship, who accept outside funding from other scholarship, grant and fee waiver programs, will have these monies applied to their student account tuition and fees charges at the college or university they are attending, before the IHS Scholarship Program will pay any of the remaining balance, unless said outside scholarship, grant or fee waiver award letter specifically excludes use for tuition and fees. These outside funding sources must be reported on the student’s invoicing documents submitted by the college or university they are attending. Student loans and Veterans Administration (VA)/G.I. Bill Benefits accepted by Health Professions Scholarship recipients will have no effect on the IHSSP payment made to their college or university. IV. Application Submission Information 1. Electronic Application System and Application Handbook Instructions and Forms Applicants must go online to www.ihs.gov/scholarship/online_ E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 80372 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices application/index.cfm to apply for an IHS scholarship and access the Application Handbook instructions and forms for submitting a properly completed application for review and funding consideration. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek consultation from their Area Scholarship Coordinator (ASC) in preparing their scholarship application for award consideration. ASC’s are listed on the IHS Web site at: https:// www.ihs.gov/scholarship/contact/ areascholarshipcoordinators/. This information is listed below. Please review the following list to identify the appropriate IHS ASC for your State. IHS Area Office and States/Locality Served: Scholarship Coordinator Address: Great Plains Area IHS: Nebraska; Iowa; North Dakota; South Dakota ... Ms. Kim Annis; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Great Plains Area IHS; 115 4th Avenue SE; Aberdeen, SD 57401; Tel: (605) 226– 7466. Mr. Joshua Patton; Alaska IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Alaska Native Tribal Consortium; 4000 Ambassador Drive; Anchorage, AK 99508; Tel: (907) 729–1333; 1–800–684–8361 (toll free). Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium: Alaska ..................................... Albuquerque Area IHS: Colorado IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; New Mexico Albuquerque Area IHS; 5300 Homestead Road, NE; Albuquerque, NM 87110; Tel: (505) 248–4713. Bemidji Area IHS: Illinois; Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin ...... Billings Area IHS: Montana; Wyoming ..................................................... California Area IHS: California ................................................................. Nashville Area IHS: Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Mississippi; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; District of Columbia. Navajo Area IHS: Arizona; New Mexico; Utah ........................................ Oklahoma City Area IHS: Kansas; Missouri; Oklahoma; Texas .............. Phoenix Area IHS: Arizona; Nevada; Utah .............................................. Portland Area IHS: Idaho; Oregon; Washington ...................................... Tucson Area IHS: Arizona ........................................................................ mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 2. Content and Form Submission Each applicant will be responsible for entering their basic applicant account information online, in addition to submitting a completed, original signature hard copy and one copy set of application documents, in accordance with the IHS Scholarship Program Application Handbook instructions, to the: IHS Scholarship Program Branch Office, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR (11E53A), Rockville, Maryland 20857. Applicants must initiate an application through the online portal or the application will be considered incomplete. For more information on how to use the online portal, go to www.ihs.gov/scholarship. The portal will be open on December 18, 2015. The application will be considered complete if the following documents (original and one copy) are included: • Completed and signed online Application Checklist. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 Mr. Tony Buckanaga; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Bemidji Area IHS; 522 Minnesota Avenue NW; Room 115A; Bemidji, MN 56601; Tel: (218) 444–0486; 1–800–892–3079 (toll free). Mr. Delon Rock Above; Alternate: Ms. Bernice Hugs; Wyoming IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Billings Area IHS; Area Personnel Office; P.O. Box 36600; 2900 4th Avenue, North, Suite 400; Billings, MT 59107; Tel: (406) 247–7215. Ms. Mona Celli; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; California Area IHS; 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 7–100; Sacramento, CA 95814; Tel: (916) 930–3983 ext 311. Mr. Tyler Harman; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Nashville Area IHS; 711 Stewarts Ferry Pike; Nashville, TN 37214; Tel: (615) 467– 1590. Ms. Aletha John; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Navajo Area IHS; P.O. Box 9020; Window Rock, AZ 86515; Tel: (928) 871–1360. Mr. Keith Bohanan; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Oklahoma City Area IHS; Oklahoma 701 Market Drive; Oklahoma City, OK 73114; Tel: (405) 951–3789; 1–800–722–3357 (toll free). Ms. Trudy Begay; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Phoenix Area IHS; Southwest Region Human Resources; Hopi Health Care Center; P.O. Box 4000; Polacca, Arizona 86042; Tel: (928) 737–6374. Ms. Heidi Hulsey; IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator; Portland Area IHS; 1414 NW Northrup Street, Suite 800; Portland, Oregon 97209; Tel: (503) 414–7745. Ms. Trudy Begay; (See Phoenix Area). • Completed, printed, and signed IHSSP online application form for new or continuation student. • Current Letter of Acceptance from college/university or proof of application to a college/university or health professions program. • One set of official transcripts for all colleges/universities attended (or high school transcripts or Certificate of Completion of Home School Program or General Education Diploma (GED) for applicants who have not taken college courses). • Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): Calculated by the applicant. • Applicant’s Documents for Indian Eligibility. A. If you are a member of a Federally recognized Tribe or Alaska Native (recognized by the Secretary of the Interior), provide evidence of membership such as: (1) Certification of Tribal enrollment by the Secretary of the Interior, acting PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Certification: Form 4432-Category A or D, (whichever is applicable); or (2) In the absence of BIA certification, documentation that you meet requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the charter, articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the Tribe and have been officially designated as a Tribal member as evidenced by an accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal official, i.e., Tribal enrollment card showing enrollment number; or (3) Other evidence of Tribal membership satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior. Note: If you meet the criteria of Form 4432Category B or C, you are eligible only for the Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, which have eligibility criteria as follows in Section B. B. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are a member E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES of a Tribe terminated since 1940 or a State recognized Tribe and first or second degree descendant, provide official documentation that you meet the requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the charter, articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the Tribe and have been officially designated as a Tribal member as evidenced by an accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal official; or other evidence, satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior, that you are a member of the Tribe. In addition, if the terminated or State recognized Tribe of which you are a member is not on a list of such Tribes published by the Secretary of the Interior in the Federal Register, you must submit an official signed document that the Tribe has been terminated since 1940 or is recognized by the State in which the Tribe is located in accordance with the law of that State. C. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are not a Tribal member, but are a natural child or grandchild of a Tribal member you must submit: (1) Evidence of that fact, e.g., your birth certificate and/or your parent’s/grandparent’s birth/death certificate showing the name of the Tribal member; and (2) evidence of your parent’s or grandparent’s Tribal membership in accordance with paragraphs A and B. The relationship to the Tribal member must be clearly documented. Failure to submit the required documentation will result in the application not being accepted for review. • Two Faculty/Employer Evaluations with original signature. • Online narratives-reasons for requesting the scholarship. • Delinquent Debt Form with original signature. • Course Curriculum Verification with original signature. • Curriculum for Major. which must be submitted no later than Monday, May 30, 2016. Applications and supporting documents (original and one copy) shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received by the IHSSP branch office, postmarked on or before the deadline date. Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing and the application will not be considered for funding. New and continuation applicants may check the status of their application receipt and processing by logging into their online account at https:// www.ihs.gov/scholarship/online_ application/index.cfm. Applications received with postmarks after the announced deadline date will not be considered for funding. 3. Submission Dates Application Receipt Date: The online continuation application submission deadline for continuation applicants is Sunday, February 28, 2016. No supporting documents will be accepted after this date, except final Letters of Acceptance, which must be submitted no later than Friday, May 30, 2016. Application Receipt Date: New applicants must print and sign their online application and checklist and submit it with their supporting documents by the postal deadline of Monday, March 28, 2016. No supporting documents will be accepted after this date, except final Letters of Acceptance, 6. Other Submissions Requirements New and continuation applicants are responsible for using the online application system. See section 3. Submission Dates for application deadlines. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 4. Intergovernmental Review Executive Order 12372 requiring intergovernmental review is not applicable to this program. 5. Funding Restrictions No more than 5% of available funds will be used for part-time scholarships this fiscal year. Students are considered part-time if they are enrolled for a minimum of six hours of instruction and are not considered in full-time status by their college/university. Documentation must be received from part-time applicants that their school and course curriculum allows less than full-time status. Both part-time and fulltime scholarship awards will be made in accordance with the authorizing statutes at 25 U.S.C. 1613 and 1613a and the regulations at 42 CFR part 136 Subpart J, Subdivisions J–3, J–4, and J–8 and this information will be published in all IHSSP Application and Student Handbooks as they pertain to the IHSSP. V. Application Review Information 1. Criteria Applications will be reviewed and scored with the following criteria. • Academic Performance (40 points) Applicants are rated according to their academic performance as evidenced by transcripts and faculty evaluations. In cases where a particular applicant’s school has a policy not to PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 80373 rank students academically, faculty members are asked to provide a personal judgment of the applicant’s achievement. Preparatory, Pre-graduate and Health Professions applicants with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are not eligible for award. • Faculty/Employer Recommendations (30 points) Applicants are rated according to evaluations by faculty members, current and/or former employers and Tribal officials regarding the applicant’s potential in the chosen health related professions. • Stated Reasons for Asking for the Scholarship and Stated Career Goals Related to the Needs of the IHS (30 points) Applicants must provide a brief written explanation of reasons for asking for the scholarship and of their career goals. Applicants are considered for scholarship awards based on their desired career goals and how these goals relate to current Indian health personnel needs. The applicant’s narrative will be judged on how well it is written and its content. Applications for each health career category are reviewed and ranked separately. • Applicants who are closest to graduation or completion of training are awarded first. For example, senior and junior applicants under the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship receive funding before freshmen and sophomores. • Priority Categories The following is a list of health professions that will be considered for funding in each scholarship program in FY 2016. Æ Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarships A. Pre-Clinical Psychology (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only). B. Pre-Nursing. C. Pre-Pharmacy. D. Pre-Social Work (Jr. and Sr. preparing for an MS in social work). Æ Indian Health Professions Pregraduate Scholarships A. Pre-Dentistry. B. Pre-Medicine. C. Pre-Optometry. D. Pre-Podiatry. Æ Indian Health Professions Scholarship A. Chemical Dependency Counseling—Master’s Degrees. B. Clinical Psychology—Ph.D. or PsyD. C. Coding Specialist—AAS degree. D. Counseling Psychology—Ph.D. E. Dentistry: DDS or DMD degrees. F. Diagnostic Radiology Technology: AAS or BS. E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 80374 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES G. Environmental Engineering: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only). H. Environmental Health/Sanitarian: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only). I. Health Records Administration: RHIT (AAS) and RHIA (BS). J. Medical Technology: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only). K. Medicine: Allopathic and Osteopathic. L. Nurse: Associate and Bachelor Degrees and advanced degrees in Psychiatry, Geriatric, Women’s Health, Pediatric Nursing, Midwifery, Nurse Anesthetist, and Nurse Practitioner. (Priority consideration will be given to Registered Nurses employed by the IHS; in a program conducted under a contract or compact entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93– 638) and its amendments; or in a program assisted under Title V of the IHCIA). M. Optometry: OD. N. Pharmacy: PharmD. O. Physician Assistant: PA–C. P. Physical Therapy: MS and DPT. Q. Podiatry: DPM. R. Public Health Nutritionist: MS. S. Respiratory Therapy: BS Degree. T. Social Work: Masters Level only (Direct Practice and Clinical concentrations). U. Ultrasonography (Prerequisite: Diagnostic Radiology Technology degree/certificate). 2. Review and Selection Process The applications will be reviewed and scored by the IHS Scholarship Program’s Application Review Committee appointed by the IHS. Reviewers will not be allowed to review an application from their area or their own Tribe. Each application will be reviewed by three reviewers. The average score of the three reviews provides the final ranking score for each applicant. To determine the ranking of each applicant, these scores are sorted from the highest to the lowest within each scholarship health discipline by date of graduation and score. If several students have the same date of graduation and score within the same discipline, the computer will randomly sort the ranking list and will not sort by alphabetical name. Selections are then made from the top of each ranking list to the extent that funds allocated by the IHS among the three scholarships are available for obligation. VI. Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices It is anticipated that recipients applying for extension of their VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 scholarship funding will be notified in writing during the first week of June 2016 and new applicants will be notified in writing during the first week of July 2016. An Award Letter will be issued to successful applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing, which will include a brief explanation of the reason(s) the application was not successful and provide the name of the IHS official to contact if more information is desired. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Regulations at 42 CFR 136.304 provide that the IHS shall, from time to time, publish a list of allied health professions eligible for consideration for the award of IHS Indian Health Professions Preparatory and Pregraduate Scholarships and IHS Indian Health Professions Scholarships. Section 104(b)(1) of the IHCIA, 25 U.S.C. 1613a(b)(1), authorizes the IHS to determine the distribution of scholarships among the health professions. Awards for the Indian Health Professions Scholarships will be made in accordance with the IHCIA, 25 U.S.C. 1613a and 42 CFR 136.330–136.334. Awardees shall incur a service obligation prescribed under the IHCIA, Section 1613a(b), which shall be met by service, through full-time clinical practice (as detailed on page 18 of the IHS Scholarship Program Service Commitment Handbook at https:// www.ihs.gov/scholarship/handbooks/ service_commitment_handbook.pdf): (1) In the IHS; (2) In a program conducted under a contract or compact entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93– 638) and its amendments; (3) In a program assisted under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Pub. L. 94–437) and its amendments; or (4) In a private practice option of his or her profession if the practice (a) is situated in a health professional shortage area, designated in regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and (b) addresses the health care needs of a substantial number (75% of the total served) of Indians as determined by the Secretary in accordance with guidelines of the Service. Pursuant to the IHCIA Section 1613a(b)(3)(C), an awardee of an IHS Health Professions Scholarship may, at the election of the awardee, meet his/ her service obligation prescribed under IHCIA Section 1613a(b) by a program specified in options (1)–(4) above that: PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 (i) Is located on the reservation of the Tribe in which the awardee is enrolled; or (ii) Serves the Tribe in which the awardee is enrolled, if there is an open vacancy available in the discipline for which the awardee was funded under the IHS Health Professions Scholarship during the required 90-day placement period. In summary, all awardees of the Indian Health Professions Scholarship are reminded that acceptance of this scholarship will result in a service obligation required by both statute and contract, which must be performed, through full-time clinical practice, at an approved service payback facility. The IHS Director (Director) reserves the right to make final decisions regarding assignment of scholarship recipients to fulfill their service obligation. Moreover, the Director has the authority to make the final determination, designating a facility, whether managed and operated by IHS, or one of its Tribal or urban Indian partners, consistent with IHCIA, as approved for scholar obligated service payback. 3. Reporting Scholarship Program Minimum Academic Requirements It is the policy of the IHS that a scholarship awardee funded under the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program of the IHCIA must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good academic standing each semester/ trimester/quarter, maintain full-time student status (institutional definition of ‘‘minimum hours’’ constituting full-time enrollment applies) or part-time student status (institutional definition of ‘‘minimum and maximum’’ hours constituting part-time enrollment applies) for the entire academic year, as indicated on the scholarship application submitted for that academic year. The Health Professions Scholarship awardee may not change his or her enrollment status between terms of enrollment during the same academic year. New recipients may not request a Leave of Absence during the first year of their funding. In addition to these requirements, a Health Professions Scholarship awardee must be enrolled in an approved/accredited school for a health professions degree. An awardee of a scholarship under the IHS Health Professions Preparatory and Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship authority must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good standing each semester/ trimester/quarter and be a full-time E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Notices student (institutional definition of ‘‘minimum hours’’ constituting full-time enrollment applies, typically 12 credit hours per semester) or a part-time student (institutional definition of ‘‘minimum and maximum’’ hours constituting part-time enrollment applies, typically 6–11 credit hours). The Preparatory and Pre-graduate awardee may not change from part-time status to full-time status or vice versa in the same academic year. New recipients may not request a Leave of Absence during the first year of their funding. The following reports must be sent to the IHSSP at the identified time frame. Each scholarship awardee will have access to online Student and Service Commitment Handbooks and required program forms and instructions on when, how, and to whom these must be submitted, by logging into the IHSSP Web site at www.ihs.gov/scholarship. If a scholarship awardee fails to submit these forms and reports as required, they will be ineligible for continuation of scholarship support and scholarship award payments will be discontinued. A. Recipient’s and Initial Progress Report Within thirty (30) days from the beginning of each semester/trimester/ quarter, scholarship awardees must submit a Recipient’s Initial Program Progress Report (Form IHS–856–8, found on the IHS Scholarship Program Web site at https://www.ihs.gov/ scholarship/programresources/ studentforms/). mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES B. Transcripts Within thirty (30) days from the end of each academic period, i.e., semester/ trimester/quarter, or summer session, scholarship awardees must submit an Official Transcript showing the results of the classes taken during that period. C. Notification of Academic Problem If at any time during the semester/ trimester/quarter, scholarship awardees are advised to reduce the number of credit hours for which they are enrolled below the minimum of the 12 (or the number of hours considered by their school as full-time) for a full-time student or at least six hours for parttime students, or if they experience academic problems, they must submit this report (Form IHS–856–9, found on the IHS Scholarship Program Web site at www.ihs.gov/scholarship). D. Change of Status • Change of Academic Status Scholarship awardees must immediately notify their Scholarship Program Analyst if they are placed on VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:57 Dec 23, 2015 Jkt 238001 academic probation, dismissed from school, or voluntarily withdraw for any reason (personal or medical). • Change of Health Discipline Scholarship awardees may not change from the approved IHSSP health discipline during the school year. If an unapproved change is made, scholarship payments will be discontinued. • Change in Graduation Date Any time that a change occurs in a scholarship awardee’s expected graduation date, they must notify their Scholarship Program Analyst immediately in writing. Justification must be attached from the school advisor. VII. Agency Contacts 1. Questions on the application process may be directed to the appropriate IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator. 2. Questions on other programmatic matters may be addressed to: Chief, Scholarship Program, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR (11E53A), Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443–6197 (This is not a toll-free number). 3. Questions on payment information may be directed to: Mr. Craig Boswell, Grants Scholarship Coordinator, Division of Grants Management, Indian Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: (07E57B), Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443–0243 (This is not a toll-free number). VIII. Other Information The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2020, a PHS-led activity for setting priority areas. This program announcement is related to the priority area of Education and Community-Based Programs. Potential applicants may download a copy of Healthy People 2020 from https://www.healthypeople.gov. Interested individuals are reminded that the list of eligible health and allied professions is effective for applicants for the 2016–2017 academic year. These priorities will remain in effect until superseded. Applicants who apply for health career categories not listed as priorities during the current scholarship cycle will not be considered for a scholarship award. Dated: December 16, 2015. Robert G. McSwain, Principal Deputy Director, Indian Health Service. [FR Doc. 2015–32352 Filed 12–23–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165–16–P PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 80375 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. The meeting will be closed to the public in accordance with the provisions set forth in sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as amended. The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial property such as patentable material, and personal information concerning individuals associated with the grant applications, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health. Date: February 5, 2016. Closed: Closed: 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: National Institutes of Health, Building 31, Conference Room 6, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. Open: 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Agenda: A report from the Institute Director and other staff. Place: National Institutes of Health, Building 31, Conference Room 6, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. Contact Person: Martin H. Goldrosen, Ph.D., Director, Division of Extramural Activities, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Ste. 401, Bethesda, MD 20892–5475, (301) 594–2014, goldrosm@ mail.nih.gov. Any interested person may file written comments with the committee by forwarding the statement to the Contact Person listed on this notice. The statement should include the name, address, telephone number and when applicable, the business or professional affiliation of the interested person. In the interest of security, NIH has instituted stringent procedures for entrance onto the NIH campus. All visitor vehicles, including taxicabs, hotel, and airport shuttles will be inspected before being allowed on campus. Visitors will be asked to show one form of identification (for example, a E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80370-80375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32352]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Indian Health Professions Preparatory, Indian Health Professions 
Pre-Graduate and Indian Health Professions Scholarship Programs; 
Announcement Type: Initial

CFDA Numbers: 93.971, 93.123, AND 93.972

Key Dates

Application Deadline: February 28, 2016, for continuing students
Application Deadline: March 28, 2016, for new students
Application Review: May 9-23, 2016
Continuation Award Notification Deadline: June 6, 2016
New Award Notification Deadline: July 5, 2016
Award Start Date: August 1, 2016
Acceptance/Decline of Awards Deadline: August 15, 2016

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The Indian Health Service (IHS) is committed to encouraging 
American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter the health professions and 
to assuring the availability of Indian health professionals to serve 
Indians. The IHS is committed to the recruitment of students for the 
following programs:
     The Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship 
authorized by

[[Page 80371]]

Section 103 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-
437 (1976), as amended (IHCIA), codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613(b)(1).
     The Indian Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship 
authorized by Section 103 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 
1613(b)(2).
     The Indian Health Professions Scholarship authorized by 
Section 104 of the IHCIA, codified at 25 U.S.C. 1613a.
    Full-time and part-time scholarships will be funded for each of the 
three scholarship programs.
    The scholarship award selections and funding are subject to 
availability of funds appropriated for the scholarship program.

II. Award Information

Type of Award

    Scholarship.

Estimated Funds Available

    An estimated $13.7 million will be available for fiscal year (FY) 
2016 awards. The IHS Scholarship Program (IHSSP) anticipates, but 
cannot guarantee, due to possible funding changes, student scholarship 
selections from any or all of the approved disciplines in the 
Preparatory, Pre-graduate or Health Professions Scholarship Programs 
for the scholarship period 2016-2017. Due to the rising cost of 
education and the decreasing number of scholars who can be funded by 
the IHSSP, the IHSSP has changed the funding policy for Preparatory and 
Pre-graduate Scholarship awards and reallocated a greater percentage of 
its funding in an effort to increase the number of Health Professions 
Scholarships, and inherently the number of service-obligated scholars, 
to better meet the health care needs of the IHS and its Tribal and 
urban Indian health care system partners.

Anticipated Number of Awards

    Approximately 80 awards will be made under the Health Professions 
Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarship Programs for Indians. The 
awards are for ten months in duration, with an additional two months 
for approved summer school requests, and will cover both tuition and 
fees and other related costs (ORC). The average award to a full-time 
student is approximately $31,919.52. An estimated 245 awards will be 
made under the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program. The 
awards are for 12 months in duration and will cover both tuition and 
fees and ORC. The average award to a full-time student is approximately 
$48,004.00. In FY 2016, an estimated $10,034,760 is available for 
Health Professions awards, and an estimated $3,687,137 is available for 
Preparatory and Pre-graduate awards.

Project Period

    The project period for the IHS Health Professions Preparatory 
Scholarship stipend support, tuition, fees and ORC is limited to two 
years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of two years, 
not to exceed four years for part-time students. The project period for 
the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship stipend support, 
tuition, fees and ORC is limited to four years for full-time students 
and the part-time equivalent of four years, not to exceed eight years 
for part-time students. The IHS Indian Health Professions Scholarship 
provides stipend support, tuition, fees, and ORC and is limited to four 
years for full-time students and the part-time equivalent of four 
years, not to exceed eight years for part-time students.

III. Eligibility Information

    This is a limited competition announcement. New and continuation 
scholarship awards are limited to ``Indians'' as defined at 25 U.S.C. 
Section 1603(13). Note: The definition of ``Indians'' for Section 103 
Preparatory and Pre-graduate scholarships is broader than the 
definition of ``Indians'' for the Section 104 Health Professions 
scholarship, as specified below. Continuation awards are non-
competitive.

1. Eligibility

    The Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship awards are made to 
American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those 
from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants 
of Federally recognized Tribal members, State recognized Tribal members 
and first and second degree descendants of State recognized Tribal 
members), or Eskimo, Aleut and other Alaska Natives who:
     Have successfully completed high school education or high 
school equivalency; and
     Have been accepted for enrollment in a compensatory, pre-
professional general education course or curriculum.
    The Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship awards are made to 
American Indians (Federally recognized Tribal members, including those 
from Tribes terminated since 1940, first and second degree descendants 
of Tribal members, and State recognized Tribal members, first and 
second degree descendants of Tribal members), or Eskimo, Aleut and 
other Alaska Natives who:
     Have successfully completed high school education or high 
school equivalency; and
     Have been accepted for enrollment or are enrolled in an 
accredited pre-graduate program leading to a baccalaureate degree in 
pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry or pre-podiatry.
    The Indian Health Professions Scholarship may be awarded only to an 
individual who is a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, 
Eskimo, Aleut or other Alaska Native as provided by Section 1603(13) of 
the IHCIA. Membership in a Tribe recognized only by a State does not 
meet this statutory requirement. To receive an Indian Health 
Professions Scholarship, an otherwise eligible individual must be 
enrolled in an appropriately accredited school and pursuing a course of 
study in a health profession as defined by Section 1603(10) of the 
IHCIA.

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

    The Scholarship Program does not require matching funds or cost 
sharing to participate in the competitive grant process.

3. Benefits From State, Local, Tribal and Other Federal Sources

    Awardees of the Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship, Health 
Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship, or Health Professions 
Scholarship, who accept outside funding from other scholarship, grant 
and fee waiver programs, will have these monies applied to their 
student account tuition and fees charges at the college or university 
they are attending, before the IHS Scholarship Program will pay any of 
the remaining balance, unless said outside scholarship, grant or fee 
waiver award letter specifically excludes use for tuition and fees. 
These outside funding sources must be reported on the student's 
invoicing documents submitted by the college or university they are 
attending. Student loans and Veterans Administration (VA)/G.I. Bill 
Benefits accepted by Health Professions Scholarship recipients will 
have no effect on the IHSSP payment made to their college or 
university.

IV. Application Submission Information

1. Electronic Application System and Application Handbook Instructions 
and Forms

    Applicants must go online to www.ihs.gov/scholarship/online_

[[Page 80372]]

application/index.cfm to apply for an IHS scholarship and access the 
Application Handbook instructions and forms for submitting a properly 
completed application for review and funding consideration. Applicants 
are strongly encouraged to seek consultation from their Area 
Scholarship Coordinator (ASC) in preparing their scholarship 
application for award consideration. ASC's are listed on the IHS Web 
site at: https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/contact/areascholarshipcoordinators/.
    This information is listed below. Please review the following list 
to identify the appropriate IHS ASC for your State.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  IHS Area Office and States/Locality        Scholarship Coordinator
                Served:                              Address:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Plains Area IHS: Nebraska; Iowa;   Ms. Kim Annis; IHS Area
 North Dakota; South Dakota.              Scholarship Coordinator; Great
                                          Plains Area IHS; 115 4th
                                          Avenue SE; Aberdeen, SD 57401;
                                          Tel: (605) 226-7466.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium:  Mr. Joshua Patton; Alaska IHS
 Alaska.                                  Area Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Alaska Native Tribal
                                          Consortium; 4000 Ambassador
                                          Drive; Anchorage, AK 99508;
                                          Tel: (907) 729-1333; 1-800-684-
                                          8361 (toll free).
Albuquerque Area IHS: Colorado IHS Area
 Scholarship Coordinator; New Mexico
 Albuquerque Area IHS; 5300 Homestead
 Road, NE; Albuquerque, NM 87110; Tel:
 (505) 248-4713.
Bemidji Area IHS: Illinois; Indiana,     Mr. Tony Buckanaga; IHS Area
 Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.          Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Bemidji Area IHS; 522
                                          Minnesota Avenue NW; Room
                                          115A; Bemidji, MN 56601; Tel:
                                          (218) 444-0486; 1-800-892-3079
                                          (toll free).
Billings Area IHS: Montana; Wyoming....  Mr. Delon Rock Above;
                                          Alternate: Ms. Bernice Hugs;
                                          Wyoming IHS Area Scholarship
                                          Coordinator; Billings Area
                                          IHS; Area Personnel Office;
                                          P.O. Box 36600; 2900 4th
                                          Avenue, North, Suite 400;
                                          Billings, MT 59107; Tel: (406)
                                          247-7215.
California Area IHS: California........  Ms. Mona Celli; IHS Area
                                          Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          California Area IHS; 650
                                          Capitol Mall, Suite 7-100;
                                          Sacramento, CA 95814; Tel:
                                          (916) 930-3983 ext 311.
Nashville Area IHS: Alabama; Arkansas;   Mr. Tyler Harman; IHS Area
 Connecticut; Delaware; Florida;          Scholarship Coordinator;
 Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine;     Nashville Area IHS; 711
 Maryland; Massachusetts; Mississippi;    Stewarts Ferry Pike;
 New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York;     Nashville, TN 37214; Tel:
 North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania;      (615) 467-1590.
 Rhode Island; South Carolina;
 Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West
 Virginia; District of Columbia.
Navajo Area IHS: Arizona; New Mexico;    Ms. Aletha John; IHS Area
 Utah.                                    Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Navajo Area IHS; P.O. Box
                                          9020; Window Rock, AZ 86515;
                                          Tel: (928) 871-1360.
Oklahoma City Area IHS: Kansas;          Mr. Keith Bohanan; IHS Area
 Missouri; Oklahoma; Texas.               Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Oklahoma City Area IHS;
                                          Oklahoma 701 Market Drive;
                                          Oklahoma City, OK 73114; Tel:
                                          (405) 951-3789; 1-800-722-3357
                                          (toll free).
Phoenix Area IHS: Arizona; Nevada; Utah  Ms. Trudy Begay; IHS Area
                                          Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Phoenix Area IHS; Southwest
                                          Region Human Resources; Hopi
                                          Health Care Center; P.O. Box
                                          4000; Polacca, Arizona 86042;
                                          Tel: (928) 737-6374.
Portland Area IHS: Idaho; Oregon;        Ms. Heidi Hulsey; IHS Area
 Washington.                              Scholarship Coordinator;
                                          Portland Area IHS; 1414 NW
                                          Northrup Street, Suite 800;
                                          Portland, Oregon 97209; Tel:
                                          (503) 414-7745.
Tucson Area IHS: Arizona...............  Ms. Trudy Begay; (See Phoenix
                                          Area).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Content and Form Submission

    Each applicant will be responsible for entering their basic 
applicant account information online, in addition to submitting a 
completed, original signature hard copy and one copy set of application 
documents, in accordance with the IHS Scholarship Program Application 
Handbook instructions, to the: IHS Scholarship Program Branch Office, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR (11E53A), Rockville, Maryland 20857. 
Applicants must initiate an application through the online portal or 
the application will be considered incomplete. For more information on 
how to use the online portal, go to www.ihs.gov/scholarship. The portal 
will be open on December 18, 2015. The application will be considered 
complete if the following documents (original and one copy) are 
included:
     Completed and signed online Application Checklist.
     Completed, printed, and signed IHSSP online application 
form for new or continuation student.
     Current Letter of Acceptance from college/university or 
proof of application to a college/university or health professions 
program.
     One set of official transcripts for all colleges/
universities attended (or high school transcripts or Certificate of 
Completion of Home School Program or General Education Diploma (GED) 
for applicants who have not taken college courses).
     Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): Calculated by the 
applicant.
     Applicant's Documents for Indian Eligibility.
    A. If you are a member of a Federally recognized Tribe or Alaska 
Native (recognized by the Secretary of the Interior), provide evidence 
of membership such as:
    (1) Certification of Tribal enrollment by the Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 
Certification: Form 4432-Category A or D, (whichever is applicable); or
    (2) In the absence of BIA certification, documentation that you 
meet requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the charter, 
articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the Tribe and 
have been officially designated as a Tribal member as evidenced by an 
accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal official, i.e., 
Tribal enrollment card showing enrollment number; or
    (3) Other evidence of Tribal membership satisfactory to the 
Secretary of the Interior.

    Note:  If you meet the criteria of Form 4432-Category B or C, 
you are eligible only for the Preparatory or Pre-graduate 
Scholarships, which have eligibility criteria as follows in Section 
B.

    B. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are a 
member

[[Page 80373]]

of a Tribe terminated since 1940 or a State recognized Tribe and first 
or second degree descendant, provide official documentation that you 
meet the requirements of Tribal membership as prescribed by the 
charter, articles of incorporation or other legal instrument of the 
Tribe and have been officially designated as a Tribal member as 
evidenced by an accompanying document signed by an authorized Tribal 
official; or other evidence, satisfactory to the Secretary of the 
Interior, that you are a member of the Tribe. In addition, if the 
terminated or State recognized Tribe of which you are a member is not 
on a list of such Tribes published by the Secretary of the Interior in 
the Federal Register, you must submit an official signed document that 
the Tribe has been terminated since 1940 or is recognized by the State 
in which the Tribe is located in accordance with the law of that State.
    C. For Preparatory or Pre-graduate Scholarships, only: If you are 
not a Tribal member, but are a natural child or grandchild of a Tribal 
member you must submit: (1) Evidence of that fact, e.g., your birth 
certificate and/or your parent's/grandparent's birth/death certificate 
showing the name of the Tribal member; and (2) evidence of your 
parent's or grandparent's Tribal membership in accordance with 
paragraphs A and B. The relationship to the Tribal member must be 
clearly documented. Failure to submit the required documentation will 
result in the application not being accepted for review.
     Two Faculty/Employer Evaluations with original signature.
     Online narratives-reasons for requesting the scholarship.
     Delinquent Debt Form with original signature.
     Course Curriculum Verification with original signature.
     Curriculum for Major.

3. Submission Dates

    Application Receipt Date: The online continuation application 
submission deadline for continuation applicants is Sunday, February 28, 
2016. No supporting documents will be accepted after this date, except 
final Letters of Acceptance, which must be submitted no later than 
Friday, May 30, 2016.
    Application Receipt Date: New applicants must print and sign their 
online application and checklist and submit it with their supporting 
documents by the postal deadline of Monday, March 28, 2016. No 
supporting documents will be accepted after this date, except final 
Letters of Acceptance, which must be submitted no later than Monday, 
May 30, 2016.
    Applications and supporting documents (original and one copy) shall 
be considered as meeting the deadline if they are received by the IHSSP 
branch office, postmarked on or before the deadline date. Applicants 
should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a 
legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. 
Private metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely 
mailing and the application will not be considered for funding.
    New and continuation applicants may check the status of their 
application receipt and processing by logging into their online account 
at https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/online_application/index.cfm. 
Applications received with postmarks after the announced deadline date 
will not be considered for funding.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order 12372 requiring intergovernmental review is not 
applicable to this program.

5. Funding Restrictions

    No more than 5% of available funds will be used for part-time 
scholarships this fiscal year. Students are considered part-time if 
they are enrolled for a minimum of six hours of instruction and are not 
considered in full-time status by their college/university. 
Documentation must be received from part-time applicants that their 
school and course curriculum allows less than full-time status. Both 
part-time and full-time scholarship awards will be made in accordance 
with the authorizing statutes at 25 U.S.C. 1613 and 1613a and the 
regulations at 42 CFR part 136 Subpart J, Subdivisions J-3, J-4, and J-
8 and this information will be published in all IHSSP Application and 
Student Handbooks as they pertain to the IHSSP.

6. Other Submissions Requirements

    New and continuation applicants are responsible for using the 
online application system. See section 3. Submission Dates for 
application deadlines.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed and scored with the following 
criteria.
     Academic Performance (40 points)
    Applicants are rated according to their academic performance as 
evidenced by transcripts and faculty evaluations. In cases where a 
particular applicant's school has a policy not to rank students 
academically, faculty members are asked to provide a personal judgment 
of the applicant's achievement. Preparatory, Pre-graduate and Health 
Professions applicants with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are not eligible 
for award.
     Faculty/Employer Recommendations (30 points)
    Applicants are rated according to evaluations by faculty members, 
current and/or former employers and Tribal officials regarding the 
applicant's potential in the chosen health related professions.
     Stated Reasons for Asking for the Scholarship and Stated 
Career Goals Related to the Needs of the IHS (30 points)
    Applicants must provide a brief written explanation of reasons for 
asking for the scholarship and of their career goals. Applicants are 
considered for scholarship awards based on their desired career goals 
and how these goals relate to current Indian health personnel needs.
    The applicant's narrative will be judged on how well it is written 
and its content.
    Applications for each health career category are reviewed and 
ranked separately.
     Applicants who are closest to graduation or completion of 
training are awarded first. For example, senior and junior applicants 
under the Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship receive funding 
before freshmen and sophomores.
     Priority Categories
    The following is a list of health professions that will be 
considered for funding in each scholarship program in FY 2016.
    [cir] Indian Health Professions Preparatory Scholarships
    A. Pre-Clinical Psychology (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only).
    B. Pre-Nursing.
    C. Pre-Pharmacy.
    D. Pre-Social Work (Jr. and Sr. preparing for an MS in social 
work).
    [cir] Indian Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarships
    A. Pre-Dentistry.
    B. Pre-Medicine.
    C. Pre-Optometry.
    D. Pre-Podiatry.
    [cir] Indian Health Professions Scholarship
    A. Chemical Dependency Counseling--Master's Degrees.
    B. Clinical Psychology--Ph.D. or PsyD.
    C. Coding Specialist--AAS degree.
    D. Counseling Psychology--Ph.D.
    E. Dentistry: DDS or DMD degrees.
    F. Diagnostic Radiology Technology: AAS or BS.

[[Page 80374]]

    G. Environmental Engineering: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years 
only).
    H. Environmental Health/Sanitarian: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate 
years only).
    I. Health Records Administration: RHIT (AAS) and RHIA (BS).
    J. Medical Technology: BS (Jr. and Sr. undergraduate years only).
    K. Medicine: Allopathic and Osteopathic.
    L. Nurse: Associate and Bachelor Degrees and advanced degrees in 
Psychiatry, Geriatric, Women's Health, Pediatric Nursing, Midwifery, 
Nurse Anesthetist, and Nurse Practitioner. (Priority consideration will 
be given to Registered Nurses employed by the IHS; in a program 
conducted under a contract or compact entered into under the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93-638) and 
its amendments; or in a program assisted under Title V of the IHCIA).
    M. Optometry: OD.
    N. Pharmacy: PharmD.
    O. Physician Assistant: PA-C.
    P. Physical Therapy: MS and DPT.
    Q. Podiatry: DPM.
    R. Public Health Nutritionist: MS.
    S. Respiratory Therapy: BS Degree.
    T. Social Work: Masters Level only (Direct Practice and Clinical 
concentrations).
    U. Ultrasonography (Prerequisite: Diagnostic Radiology Technology 
degree/certificate).

2. Review and Selection Process

    The applications will be reviewed and scored by the IHS Scholarship 
Program's Application Review Committee appointed by the IHS. Reviewers 
will not be allowed to review an application from their area or their 
own Tribe. Each application will be reviewed by three reviewers. The 
average score of the three reviews provides the final ranking score for 
each applicant. To determine the ranking of each applicant, these 
scores are sorted from the highest to the lowest within each 
scholarship health discipline by date of graduation and score. If 
several students have the same date of graduation and score within the 
same discipline, the computer will randomly sort the ranking list and 
will not sort by alphabetical name. Selections are then made from the 
top of each ranking list to the extent that funds allocated by the IHS 
among the three scholarships are available for obligation.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    It is anticipated that recipients applying for extension of their 
scholarship funding will be notified in writing during the first week 
of June 2016 and new applicants will be notified in writing during the 
first week of July 2016. An Award Letter will be issued to successful 
applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing, which 
will include a brief explanation of the reason(s) the application was 
not successful and provide the name of the IHS official to contact if 
more information is desired.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Regulations at 42 CFR 136.304 provide that the IHS shall, from time 
to time, publish a list of allied health professions eligible for 
consideration for the award of IHS Indian Health Professions 
Preparatory and Pre-graduate Scholarships and IHS Indian Health 
Professions Scholarships. Section 104(b)(1) of the IHCIA, 25 U.S.C. 
1613a(b)(1), authorizes the IHS to determine the distribution of 
scholarships among the health professions.
    Awards for the Indian Health Professions Scholarships will be made 
in accordance with the IHCIA, 25 U.S.C. 1613a and 42 CFR 136.330-
136.334. Awardees shall incur a service obligation prescribed under the 
IHCIA, Section 1613a(b), which shall be met by service, through full-
time clinical practice (as detailed on page 18 of the IHS Scholarship 
Program Service Commitment Handbook at https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/handbooks/service_commitment_handbook.pdf):
    (1) In the IHS;
    (2) In a program conducted under a contract or compact entered into 
under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. 
L. 93-638) and its amendments;
    (3) In a program assisted under Title V of the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act (Pub. L. 94-437) and its amendments; or
    (4) In a private practice option of his or her profession if the 
practice (a) is situated in a health professional shortage area, 
designated in regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (Secretary) and (b) addresses the health care needs of a 
substantial number (75% of the total served) of Indians as determined 
by the Secretary in accordance with guidelines of the Service.
    Pursuant to the IHCIA Section 1613a(b)(3)(C), an awardee of an IHS 
Health Professions Scholarship may, at the election of the awardee, 
meet his/her service obligation prescribed under IHCIA Section 1613a(b) 
by a program specified in options (1)-(4) above that:
    (i) Is located on the reservation of the Tribe in which the awardee 
is enrolled; or
    (ii) Serves the Tribe in which the awardee is enrolled, if there is 
an open vacancy available in the discipline for which the awardee was 
funded under the IHS Health Professions Scholarship during the required 
90-day placement period.
    In summary, all awardees of the Indian Health Professions 
Scholarship are reminded that acceptance of this scholarship will 
result in a service obligation required by both statute and contract, 
which must be performed, through full-time clinical practice, at an 
approved service payback facility. The IHS Director (Director) reserves 
the right to make final decisions regarding assignment of scholarship 
recipients to fulfill their service obligation.
    Moreover, the Director has the authority to make the final 
determination, designating a facility, whether managed and operated by 
IHS, or one of its Tribal or urban Indian partners, consistent with 
IHCIA, as approved for scholar obligated service payback.

3. Reporting

Scholarship Program Minimum Academic Requirements
    It is the policy of the IHS that a scholarship awardee funded under 
the Indian Health Professions Scholarship Program of the IHCIA must 
maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good academic standing each 
semester/trimester/quarter, maintain full-time student status 
(institutional definition of ``minimum hours'' constituting full-time 
enrollment applies) or part-time student status (institutional 
definition of ``minimum and maximum'' hours constituting part-time 
enrollment applies) for the entire academic year, as indicated on the 
scholarship application submitted for that academic year. The Health 
Professions Scholarship awardee may not change his or her enrollment 
status between terms of enrollment during the same academic year. New 
recipients may not request a Leave of Absence during the first year of 
their funding. In addition to these requirements, a Health Professions 
Scholarship awardee must be enrolled in an approved/accredited school 
for a health professions degree.
    An awardee of a scholarship under the IHS Health Professions 
Preparatory and Health Professions Pre-graduate Scholarship authority 
must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain in good standing 
each semester/trimester/quarter and be a full-time

[[Page 80375]]

student (institutional definition of ``minimum hours'' constituting 
full-time enrollment applies, typically 12 credit hours per semester) 
or a part-time student (institutional definition of ``minimum and 
maximum'' hours constituting part-time enrollment applies, typically 6-
11 credit hours). The Preparatory and Pre-graduate awardee may not 
change from part-time status to full-time status or vice versa in the 
same academic year. New recipients may not request a Leave of Absence 
during the first year of their funding.
    The following reports must be sent to the IHSSP at the identified 
time frame. Each scholarship awardee will have access to online Student 
and Service Commitment Handbooks and required program forms and 
instructions on when, how, and to whom these must be submitted, by 
logging into the IHSSP Web site at www.ihs.gov/scholarship. If a 
scholarship awardee fails to submit these forms and reports as 
required, they will be ineligible for continuation of scholarship 
support and scholarship award payments will be discontinued.
A. Recipient's and Initial Progress Report
    Within thirty (30) days from the beginning of each semester/
trimester/quarter, scholarship awardees must submit a Recipient's 
Initial Program Progress Report (Form IHS-856-8, found on the IHS 
Scholarship Program Web site at https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/programresources/studentforms/).
B. Transcripts
    Within thirty (30) days from the end of each academic period, i.e., 
semester/trimester/quarter, or summer session, scholarship awardees 
must submit an Official Transcript showing the results of the classes 
taken during that period.
C. Notification of Academic Problem
    If at any time during the semester/trimester/quarter, scholarship 
awardees are advised to reduce the number of credit hours for which 
they are enrolled below the minimum of the 12 (or the number of hours 
considered by their school as full-time) for a full-time student or at 
least six hours for part-time students, or if they experience academic 
problems, they must submit this report (Form IHS-856-9, found on the 
IHS Scholarship Program Web site at www.ihs.gov/scholarship).
D. Change of Status
     Change of Academic Status
    Scholarship awardees must immediately notify their Scholarship 
Program Analyst if they are placed on academic probation, dismissed 
from school, or voluntarily withdraw for any reason (personal or 
medical).
     Change of Health Discipline
    Scholarship awardees may not change from the approved IHSSP health 
discipline during the school year. If an unapproved change is made, 
scholarship payments will be discontinued.
     Change in Graduation Date
    Any time that a change occurs in a scholarship awardee's expected 
graduation date, they must notify their Scholarship Program Analyst 
immediately in writing. Justification must be attached from the school 
advisor.

VII. Agency Contacts

    1. Questions on the application process may be directed to the 
appropriate IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator.
    2. Questions on other programmatic matters may be addressed to: 
Chief, Scholarship Program, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR (11E53A), 
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-6197 (This is not a 
toll-free number).
    3. Questions on payment information may be directed to: Mr. Craig 
Boswell, Grants Scholarship Coordinator, Division of Grants Management, 
Indian Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: (07E57B), 
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-0243 (This is not a 
toll-free number).

VIII. Other Information

    The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2020, a PHS-led activity for setting priority areas. This program 
announcement is related to the priority area of Education and 
Community-Based Programs. Potential applicants may download a copy of 
Healthy People 2020 from https://www.healthypeople.gov.
    Interested individuals are reminded that the list of eligible 
health and allied professions is effective for applicants for the 2016-
2017 academic year. These priorities will remain in effect until 
superseded. Applicants who apply for health career categories not 
listed as priorities during the current scholarship cycle will not be 
considered for a scholarship award.

    Dated: December 16, 2015.
Robert G. McSwain,
Principal Deputy Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-32352 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-P
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