American Indians Into Nursing, 22139-22146 [2019-10097]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Indian Health Service

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22139-22146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10097]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


American Indians Into Nursing

    Announcement Type: New and Competing Continuation.
    Funding Announcement Number: HHS-2019-IHS-NU-0001.
    Assistance Listing (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) Number: 
93.970.

Key Dates

    Application Deadline Date: June 20, 2019.
    Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 20, 2019.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Statutory Authority

    The Indian Health Service (IHS), Division of Health Professions 
Support, is accepting cooperative agreement

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applications for the American Indians into Nursing Program. This 
program is authorized under: Section 112 of the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437, as amended (IHCIA), codified at 25 
U.S.C. 1616e. This program is described in the Assistance Listings 
located at https://beta.sam.gov (formerly known as Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance) under 93.970.

Background

    The IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS), is responsible for providing Federal health services to 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). The mission of the IHS is 
to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of AI/AN. 
The IHCIA authorizes the IHS to provide cooperative agreements to 
colleges, universities, and other entities to develop and maintain 
nursing education programs and recruit individuals to become registered 
nurses, certified nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners who will 
provide services to AI/AN people. The programs administered are 
designed to attract and recruit qualified AI/AN individuals into 
nursing and advanced practice nursing professions.

Purpose

    The purpose of this IHS cooperative agreement is to recruit, 
retain, graduate and increase the number of registered nurses, 
certified nurse midwives and nurse practitioners who deliver health 
care services to AI/AN communities. The primary objectives of this 
cooperative agreement grant award are to: (1) Recruit and train AI/AN 
individuals to be baccalaureate prepared nurses; (2) facilitate 
associate degree registered nurses becoming baccalaureate prepared 
registered nurses; (3) provide a program that prepares practicing 
registered nurses for advanced nursing education; (4) provide a program 
that encourages registered nurses and advanced practice nurses to 
provide or continue to provide, health care services to AI/AN 
communities; and (5) provide scholarships to AI/AN individuals that 
will cover tuition, books, fees, room and board, stipend for living 
expenses, or other expenses incurred in connection with baccalaureate 
level nursing or advanced practice nursing programs. This notice of 
funding opportunity solicits applications that provide a preference to 
AI/AN students and a curriculum with a rural health and public health 
focus.

Limited Competition Justification

    The limitation is based on IHS geographically high need areas: 
Navajo Area (New Mexico, Arizona), Billings Area (Montana, Wyoming), 
Great Plains Area (South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska), Albuquerque 
Area (Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada), and Phoenix Area (Nevada, Utah, 
Arizona). Historically and currently, these IHS areas have a high need 
for both registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. Many IHS 
service units within these areas are designated by the Health Resource 
and Service Administration (HRSA) as Health Professions Shortage Areas 
(HPSA). Additionally, many of these states have American Indian Serving 
Institutions (Tribal colleges and universities) that feed into 
universities with nursing programs.

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument

    Cooperative Agreement.

Estimated Funds Available

    The total funding identified for fiscal year (FY) 2019 is 
approximately $1,686,706. Individual award amounts are anticipated to 
be between $300,000 and $400,000. The funding available for competing 
and subsequent continuation awards issued under this announcement is 
subject to the availability of appropriations and budgetary priorities 
of the Agency. The IHS is under no obligation to make awards that are 
selected for funding under this announcement.

Anticipated Number of Awards

    Approximately five awards will be issued under this program 
announcement.

Period of Performance

    The period of performance is for five years.

Cooperative Agreement

    Cooperative agreements awarded by the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) are administered under the same policies as a 
grant. However, the funding agency (IHS) is anticipated to have 
substantial programmatic involvement in the project during the entire 
award segment. Below is a detailed description of the level of 
involvement required for the IHS.

Substantial IHS Involvement Description for Cooperative Agreement

    (1) An IHS assigned program official will work with project 
director to ensure timely receipt of progress and audit reports and to 
ensure program compliance.
    (2) An IHS program official will provide programmatic technical 
assistance to awardees as needed.
    (3) An IHS program official will coordinate and conduct site visits 
as needed, if funds are available for travel.
    (4) An IHS program official will conduct semi-annual conference 
calls with awardees and students.
    (5) An IHS program official will work with the Division of Grants 
Management (DGM) to ensure all goals and objectives of the program are 
met.
    (6) An IHS program official will provide American Indians into 
Nursing programs and scholarship recipients with information on IHS 
scholarship service obligation requirements.
    (7) An IHS program official will initiate default proceedings 
within 90 days after receiving notification from the Program Director 
that a student has been dismissed from the nursing program, withdrawn 
from school, failed to graduate with a nursing degree, or failed to get 
licensed and begin obligated service time within 90 days of graduation.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligibility

    Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 1616e(a), the following entities are 
eligible:
    (a) Accredited public or private schools of nursing,
    (b) accredited Tribally controlled community colleges and Tribally 
controlled post-secondary vocational institutions, and
    (c) nurse midwife programs and nurse practitioner programs, that 
are provided by any public or private institution.
    All schools of nursing must be fully accredited without 
restrictions at the time of application by a national nurse educational 
accrediting body or state approval body recognized by the Secretary of 
the U.S. Department of Education for the purposes of nursing education. 
The schools offering a degree in nurse midwifery must provide 
verification of accreditation by the American College of Nurse 
Midwives. Tribally-controlled community colleges nursing programs and 
post-secondary vocational institutions must be fully accredited by an 
appropriate recognized nursing accrediting body without restrictions.
    (a) In accordance with the IHCIA, funding preference will be given 
to applicants who have: (1) Programs that provide a preference to AI/
AN; (2) programs that train nurse midwives or nurse practitioners; and 
(3) programs that are interdisciplinary, i.e., with medicine, pharmacy, 
dental and behavioral health students.

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    (b) Priorities: All complete, eligible applications will be 
considered. If more than one university and college application is 
received from an IHS area, only one award will be made to that 
particular area providing a DNP, MSN, or BSN program.
    1. Priority I: At least two awards to public or private college or 
university, school of nursing which provides DNP, MSN, BSN, ADN 
(registered nurse, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife) degrees, not to 
exceed $400,000 per year up to a project period of five years.
    2. Priority II: At least three awards to a Tribally-controlled 
community college, school of nursing which provides BSN and ADN 
(registered nurse) degrees, not to exceed $400,000 per year up to a 
project period of five years.
    (c) Other preferences: Schools of nursing that have transcultural, 
cultural competency, and rural and public health care focus.
    Current American Indians into Nursing awardees are eligible to 
apply for competing continuation funding under this announcement and 
must demonstrate that they have complied with previous terms and 
conditions of the American Indians into Nursing cooperative agreement 
in order to receive funding under this announcement.

    Note:  Please refer to Section IV.2 (Application and Submission 
Information/Subsection 2, Content and Form of Application 
Submission) for additional proof of applicant status documents 
required.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    The IHS does not require matching funds or cost sharing for grants 
or cooperative agreements.

3. Other Requirements

    Applications with budget requests that exceed the highest dollar 
amount outlined under the Award Information, Estimated Funds Available 
section, or exceed the Period of Performance outlined under the Award 
Information, Period of Performance section will be considered not 
responsive and will not be reviewed. The Division of Grants Management 
(DGM) will notify the applicant.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Obtaining Application Materials

    The application package and detailed instructions for this 
announcement is hosted on https://www.Grants.gov.
    Please direct questions regarding the application process to Mr. 
Paul Gettys at (301) 443-2114 or (301) 443-5204.

2. Content and Form Application Submission

    The applicant must include the project narrative as an attachment 
to the application package. Mandatory documents for all applicants 
include:
     Abstract (one page) summarizing the project.
     Application forms:
     SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.
    [cir] SF-424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs.
    [cir] SF-424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.
     Project Narrative (not to exceed 25 pages). See IV.2.A 
Project Narrative for instructions.
    [cir] Background information on the organization.
    [cir] Proposed scope of work, objectives, and activities that 
provide a description of what will be accomplished.
     Budget Justification and Narrative (not to exceed 5 
pages). See IV.2.B Budget Narrative for instructions.
     One-page Timeframe Chart.
     Proof of accreditation.
     Biographical sketches for all Key Personnel.
     Contractor/Consultant resumes or qualifications and scope 
of work.
     Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL).
     Certification Regarding Lobbying (GG-Lobbying Form).
     Copy of current Negotiated Indirect Cost rate (IDC) 
agreement (required in order to receive IDC).
     Organizational Chart (optional).
     Documentation of current Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Financial Audit (if applicable).
    Acceptable forms of documentation include:
    [cir] Email confirmation from Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC) 
that audits were submitted; or
    [cir] Face sheets from audit reports. Applicants can find these on 
the FAC website: https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx.
Public Policy Requirements
    All Federal public policies apply to IHS cooperative agreements, 
with the exception of the Discrimination Policy.
Requirements for Project and Budget Narratives
A. Project Narrative
    This narrative should be a separate document that is no more than 
25 pages and must: (1) Have consecutively numbered pages; (2) use black 
font not smaller than 12 points; (3) and be formatted to fit standard 
letter paper (8\1/2\ x 11 inches).
    Be sure to succinctly answer all questions listed under the 
evaluation criteria (refer to Section V.1, Evaluation Criteria) and 
place all responses and required information in the correct section 
noted below or they will not be considered or scored. If the narrative 
exceeds the page limit, the application will be considered not 
responsive and not be reviewed. The 25-page limit for the narrative 
does not include the work plan, standard forms, Tribal resolutions, 
budget, budget justifications, narratives, and/or other appendix items.
    There are three parts to the narrative: Part 1--Program 
Information; Part 2--Program Planning and Evaluation; and Part 3--
Program Report. See below for additional details about what must be 
included in the narrative.
    The page limitations below are for each narrative and budget 
submitted.
Part 1: Program Information (Limit--5 Pages)
Section 1: Needs
    Present the comprehensive framework of the proposed American 
Indians into Nursing program. Clearly describe the unmet AI/AN nursing 
workforce needs in AI/AN communities. Describe the social determinants 
and health disparities that impact AI/AN communities and how the 
proposed program will serve the IHS and Tribal health care programs as 
well as support to IHS scholarship recipients. Discuss how these social 
determinants have historically affected access to AI/AN health care and 
have impacted AI/AN student's access to education specifically nursing 
education. Include the purpose and background of the program and prior 
experience with nurse recruitment programs.
Part 2: Program Planning and Evaluation (Limit--10 Pages)
Section 1: Program Plans
    American Indians into Nursing program applicants must develop a 
comprehensive, succinct, well organized work plan to address the 
proposed project. The information should include the elements below but 
is not limited to the following: (1) Describe the administration of the 
program-strategies, activities, methods, techniques, or steps that will 
be use to achieve objectives in proposed project; (2) describe the 
strategy to attract pre-nursing students and recruit, retain, and 
graduate AI/AN nursing students and identify actions to monitor IHS 
scholarship recipients post-graduation for IHS service obligation; (3) 
describe how the activities of the project are defined by objectives 
and how the

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project will achieve the desired outcomes; (4) include a plan to 
achieve sustainability after the cooperative agreement is complete; (5) 
describe how the program will incorporate support to AI/AN nursing 
students who have experienced the social determinants in AI/AN 
communities; (6) describe how the program will support AI/AN students 
in meeting their social, physical, spiritual and academic needs; and, 
(7) as addressing the opioid crisis is a priority of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, the project plan may provide information on 
how the awardee will educate and train students in opioid addiction 
prevention, treatment and recovery.
Section 2: Program Evaluation
    Applicant must provide a complete program evaluation plan that 
describes the projects methodology and strategies for assessing the 
progress of the objectives and outcomes of their program. The 
evaluation should address the successes, failures, and continuing 
improvements.
Part 3: Program Report (Limit--10 Pages)
Section 1: Describe Your Organization's Significant Program Activities 
and Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years Associated With the Goals 
of This Announcement
    Previous awardees shall include objectives, strategies, and a brief 
description of the following for program function and or activity 
involved: (1) Compare actual accomplishments to the goals established 
for the period; (2) provide description of internal and external 
collaboration, new resources secured, interventions, successes, 
barriers identified and plans for the next quarter (academic year); (3) 
indicate reasons for slippage where established goals were not met and 
plan of action to overcome slippages; (4) indicate the number of 
current AI/AN recipients in the program and their academic status; and 
(5) indicate the number of AI/AN recipients placed in IHS and Tribal 
facilities and whom have completed their service obligations.
Section 2: Describe Major Activities Over the Last 24 Months
    Please identify and summarize recent major project activities of 
the work done during the project period. Program activities shall 
include: Recruitment, retention and support activities to student, 
graduate and evaluation demonstrating performance measures.
B. Budget Narrative (Limit--5 Pages)
    Provide a budget narrative that explains the amounts requested for 
each line of the budget. The budget narrative should specifically 
describe how each item will support the achievement of proposed 
objectives. Be very careful about showing how each item in the 
``other'' category is justified. For subsequent budget years, the 
narrative should highlight the changes from year one or clearly 
indicate that there are no substantive budget changes during the period 
of performance. Do NOT use the budget narrative to expand the project 
narrative.

3. Submission Dates and Times

    Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the Application Deadline Date listed in 
the Key Dates section. Any application received after the application 
deadline will not be accepted for review. Grants.gov will notify the 
applicant via email if the application is rejected.
    If technical challenges arise and assistance is required with the 
application process, contact Grants.gov Customer Support (see contact 
information at https://www.grants.gov). If problems persist, contact 
Mr. Paul Gettys ([email protected]), DGM Grant Systems Coordinator, 
by telephone at (301) 443-2114 or (301) 443-5204. Please be sure to 
contact Mr. Gettys at least ten days prior to the application deadline. 
Please do not contact the DGM until you have received a Grants.gov 
tracking number. In the event you are not able to obtain a tracking 
number, call the DGM as soon as possible.
    The IHS will not acknowledge receipt of applications.

4. Intergovernmental Review

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

5. Funding Restrictions

     Preaward costs are allowable up to 90 days before the 
start date of the award provided the costs are otherwise allowable if 
awarded. Preaward costs are incurred at the risk of the applicant.
     The available funds are inclusive of direct and 
appropriate indirect costs.
     Only one cooperative agreement will be awarded per 
applicant.

6. Electronic Submission Requirements

    All applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Please use the 
https://www.Grants.gov website to submit an application. Find the 
application by selecting the ``Search Grants'' link on the homepage. 
Follow the instructions for submitting an application under the Package 
tab. No other method of application submission is acceptable.
    If the applicant cannot submit an application through Grants.gov, a 
waiver must be requested. Prior approval must be requested and obtained 
from Mr. Robert Tarwater, Director, DGM, (see Section IV.6 below for 
additional information). A written waiver request must be sent to 
[email protected] with a copy to [email protected]. The waiver 
must: (1) Be documented in writing (emails are acceptable), before 
submitting an application by some other method, and (2) include clear 
justification for the need to deviate from the required application 
submission process.
    Once the waiver request has been approved, the applicant will 
receive a confirmation of approval email containing submission 
instructions. A copy of the written approval must be included with the 
application that is submitted to DGM. Applications that are submitted 
without a copy of the signed waiver from the Director of the DGM will 
not be reviewed. The Grants Management Officer of the DGM will notify 
the applicant via email of this decision. Applications submitted under 
waiver must be received by the DGM no later than 5:00 p.m., EDT, on the 
Application Deadline Date. Late applications will not be accepted for 
processing. Applicants that do not adhere to the timelines for System 
for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov and/or that fail to request 
timely assistance with technical issues will not be considered for a 
waiver to submit an application via alternative means.
    Please be aware of the following:
     Please search for the application package in https://www.Grants.gov by entering the CFDA number or the Funding Opportunity 
Number. Both numbers are located in the header of this announcement.
     If you experience technical challenges while submitting 
your application, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support (see 
contact information at https://www.grants.gov).
     Upon contacting Grants.gov, obtain a tracking number as 
proof of contact. The tracking number is helpful if there are technical 
issues that cannot be resolved and a waiver from the agency must be 
obtained.
     Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the 
deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov as 
the registration process for

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SAM and Grants.gov could take up to 20 working days.
     Please follow the instructions on Grants.gov to include 
additional documentation that may be requested by this funding 
announcement.
     All applicants must comply with any page limits described 
in this funding announcement.
     After submitting the application, the applicant will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The IHS will not notify the applicant that 
the application has been received.
Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
    Applicants and grantee organizations are required to obtain a DUNS 
number and maintain an active registration in the SAM database. The 
DUNS number is a unique 9-digit identification number provided by D&B, 
which uniquely identifies each entity. The DUNS number is site 
specific; therefore, each distinct performance site may be assigned a 
DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy, and there is no charge. 
To obtain a DUNS number, please access the request service through 
https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform, or call (866) 705-5711.
    The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, as 
amended (``Transparency Act''), requires all HHS recipients to report 
information on sub-awards. Accordingly, all IHS grantees must notify 
potential first-tier sub-recipients that no entity may receive a first-
tier sub-award unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to the 
prime grantee organization. This requirement ensures the use of a 
universal identifier to enhance the quality of information available to 
the public pursuant to the Transparency Act.
System for Award Management (SAM)
    Organizations that are not registered with SAM will need to obtain 
a DUNS number first and then access the SAM online registration through 
the SAM home page at https://www.sam.gov (U.S. organizations will also 
need to provide an Employer Identification Number from the Internal 
Revenue Service that may take an additional 2-5 weeks to become 
active). Please see SAM.gov for details on the registration process and 
timeline. Registration with the SAM is free of charge, but can take 
several weeks to process. Applicants may register online at https://www.sam.gov.
    Additional information on implementing the Transparency Act, 
including the specific requirements for DUNS and SAM, can be found on 
the IHS Grants Management, Grants Policy website: https://www.ihs.gov/dgm/policytopics/.

V. Application Review Information

    Weights assigned to each section are noted in parentheses. The 25 
page narrative should include only the first year of activities; 
information for multi-year projects should be included as an appendix. 
See ``Multi-year Project Requirements'' at the end of this section for 
more information. The narrative section should be written in a manner 
that is clear to outside reviewers unfamiliar with prior related 
activities of the applicant. It should be well organized, succinct, and 
contain all information necessary for reviewers to understand the 
project fully. Points will be assigned to each evaluation criteria 
adding up to a total of 100 points. Points are assigned as follows:

1. Criteria

A. Introduction and Need for Assistance (10 Points)
    a. Applications must justify overall need of the program and 
clearly demonstrate the ability to administer the cooperative 
agreement, and indicate prior experience with similar programs.
    b. Describe the target population receiving IHS scholarships 
(preference will be given to schools of nursing that recruit, retain 
and graduate AI/AN veterans and veterans who have medical military 
experience).
    c. Describe how the program will increase the number of registered 
nurses, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners in IHS.
    d. Describe relevance of the program relating the objectives to the 
purposes of the cooperative agreement.
    e. Describe the differences between the current and proposed 
activities (previous awardees).
B. Project Objective(s), Work Plan and Approach (40 Points)
    Applications must clearly state specific, time-framed, measurable 
objectives for the goals related to the purpose of the IHS nursing 
cooperative agreement.
    (1) Objectives:
    (a) Describe how the program will increase the number of AI/AN 
nursing students that are recruited, retained and graduated from school 
of nursing.
    (b) Describe how the program will recruit AI/AN students who are 
veterans and veterans who have experience as an emergency medical 
technician (EMT), hospital corpsman, paramedic/military medic, license 
vocational/practical nurse and nurses (associate or diploma nurse).
    (c) Describe how the program will offer or establish formal bridge 
program agreements between Tribal colleges, universities.
    (d) Describe how the program will provide a program that increases 
the skills of, and provide continuing education to registered nurses, 
nurse practitioners and nurse midwives.
    (e) Describe how the program will assist IHS program officials with 
job placement and track the IHS scholarship recipient's service 
obligation.
    (f) Describe clearly how the program will collect students' BIA-
4437 forms to verify whether students receiving tuition support in 
their program are members of eligible, federally-recognized tribes.
    (g) As addressing the opioid crisis is a priority of the Department 
of Health and Human Services, describe how the proposed program will 
educate and train students in opioid addiction prevention, treatment 
and recovery.
    (2) Methodology:
    (a) Describe strategies, activities, steps, timelines, and staff 
for implementation of proposal of projects.
    (b) Describe the methodology of how IHS scholarships will be 
awarded to nursing students.
    (c) Provide evidence supporting the proposed methodologies using 
historical data and prior experiences.
    (3) Approach:
    (a) Describes how the program will establish or collaborate with 
existing IHS and Tribal programs and colleges.
    (i) To establish an agreement for clinical rotations.
    (ii) To establish a faculty exchange program to enhance cultural 
competency and faculty strength.
    (iii) Offer formal bridge programs agreements between Tribal 
colleges and universities so as to provide a program that increases the 
skills of, and provide continuing education to nurses, nurse 
practitioners, and nurse midwives.
    (b) Include challenges that are likely to be encountered or have 
been a challenge in designing and implementing the activities in the 
work plan and approaches that will be used to resolve challenges.
    (c) Describe how the program will sustain the project after the 
period of performance ends. Include in the sustainability plan the 
barriers to achieving self-sufficiency.
C. Program Evaluation (30 Points)
    Applicant must include an evaluation plan that describes strategies 
for assessing the progress and outcomes of their projects. The 
evaluation plan should be linked to the objectives and purpose of the 
cooperative agreement.

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The proposed project shall have evaluation measures that demonstrate 
how the program is meeting identified goals and objectives where 
programs can collect, track, and report performance measures on a semi-
annual basis and for periodic audit reports. Applicants must include 
how the program will collect and manage student scholarship data. 
Applicants must describe any potential obstacles for implementing the 
program performance evaluation and how those obstacles will be 
addressed.
D. Organizational Capabilities, Key Personnel and Qualifications (15 
Points)
    Provide information on applicant's organization, philosophy, and 
practice methods. Describe how all will contribute to the ability to 
conduct program requirements and meet American Indians into Nursing 
program/cooperative agreement purpose, objectives, and expectations. 
Include nursing accreditation documentation. All schools of nursing 
that are associated with the project and have conferring degrees must 
be accredited.
E. Categorical Budget and Budget Justification (5 Points)
    (1) Personnel costs: Applicants shall identify one Program 
Director. The Program Director must be a licensed registered nurse.
    (2) Key support personnel: Provide names, title, position 
description, salary, and fringe benefits. Administrative cost is 
limited to 8% of the award.
    (3) Consultants: Provide names, affiliations and qualifications of 
each consultant, including expected rate of compensation, travel, per 
diem and other related costs.
    (4) Travel: Name conferences or other recruitment events, airline 
tickets, lodging, per diem, booth, public transportation, or other 
related costs.
    (5) Equipment: Must be related to the objectives of the project, 
retained by awardee, use in accordance with the terms of the 
cooperative agreement award, and must comply with procurement 
requirements for Federal grant and cooperative agreements.
    (6) Scholarships: Must cover tuition, fees, books, stipend, and 
other related educational expenses. The proposed project must use IHS 
scholarship funds in a manner that will meet the needs of eligible AI/
AN students. The budget narrative must indicate the number of students 
to receive scholarship for each year of the cooperative agreement and 
the amount of each scholarship per student.
Multi-Year Project Requirements
    Applications must include a brief project narrative and budget (one 
additional page per year) addressing the developmental plans for each 
additional year of the project. This attachment will not count as part 
of the project narrative or the budget narrative.
Additional Documents Can Be Uploaded as Appendix Items in Grants.gov
     Work plan, logic model and/or time line for proposed 
objectives.
     Position descriptions for key staff.
     Resumes of key staff that reflect current duties.
     Consultant or contractor proposed scope of work and letter 
of commitment (if applicable).
     Current Indirect Cost Agreement.
     Organizational chart.
     Map of area identifying project location(s).
     Additional documents to support narrative (i.e., data 
tables, key news articles, etc.).

2. Review and Selection

    Each application will be prescreened for eligibility and 
completeness as outlined in the funding announcement. Applications that 
meet the eligibility criteria shall be reviewed for merit by the ORC 
based on evaluation criteria. Incomplete applications and applications 
that are not responsive to the administrative thresholds will not be 
referred to the ORC and will not be funded. The applicant will be 
notified of this determination.
    Applicants must address all program requirements and provide all 
required documentation.

3. Notifications of Disposition

    All applicants will receive an Executive Summary Statement from the 
IHS within 30 days of the conclusion of the ORC outlining the strengths 
and weaknesses of their application. The summary statement will be sent 
to the Authorizing Official identified on the face page (SF-424) of the 
application.
A. Award Notices for Funded Applications
    The Notice of Award (NoA) is the authorizing document for which 
funds are dispersed to the approved entities and reflects the amount of 
Federal funds awarded, the purpose of the grant, the terms and 
conditions of the award, the effective date of the award, and the 
budget/project period. Each entity approved for funding must have a 
user account in GrantSolutions in order to retrieve the NoA. Please see 
the Agency Contacts list in Section VII for the systems contact 
information.
B. Approved but Unfunded Applications
    Approved applications not funded due to lack of available funds 
will be held for one year. If funding becomes available during the 
course of the year, the application may be reconsidered.

    Note: Any correspondence other than the official NoA executed by 
an IHS grants management official announcing to the project director 
that an award has been made to their organization is not an 
authorization to implement their program on behalf of the IHS.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Administrative Requirements

    Cooperative agreements are administered in accordance with the 
following regulations and policies:
    A. The criteria as outlined in this program announcement.
    B. Administrative Regulations for Grants:
     Uniform Administrative Requirements for HHS Awards, 
located at 45 CFR part 75.
    C. Grants Policy:
     HHS Grants Policy Statement, Revised 01/07.
    D. Cost Principles:
     Uniform Administrative Requirements for HHS Awards, ``Cost 
Principles,'' located at 45 CFR part 75, subpart E.
    E. Audit Requirements:
     Uniform Administrative Requirements for HHS Awards, 
``Audit Requirements,'' located at 45 CFR part 75, subpart F.

2. Indirect Costs

    This section applies to all grant recipients that request 
reimbursement of indirect costs (IDC) in their grant application. In 
accordance with HHS Grants Policy Statement, Part II-27, IHS requires 
applicants to obtain a current IDC rate agreement prior to award. The 
rate agreement must be prepared in accordance with the applicable cost 
principles and guidance as provided by the cognizant agency or office. 
A current rate covers the applicable grant activities under the current 
award's budget period. If the current rate is not on file with the DGM 
at the time of award, the IDC portion of the budget will be restricted. 
The restrictions remain in place until the current rate agreement is 
provided to the DGM.
    Generally, IDC rates for IHS grantees are negotiated with the 
Division of Cost Allocation (DCA) https://rates.psc.gov/ and the 
Department of Interior (Interior

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Business Center) https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-Cost-Services/indian-tribes. For questions regarding the indirect cost 
policy, please call the Grants Management Specialist listed under 
``Agency Contacts'' or the main DGM office at (301) 443-5204.

3. Reporting Requirements

    The grantee must submit required reports consistent with the 
applicable deadlines. Failure to submit required reports within the 
time allowed may result in suspension or termination of an active 
grant, withholding of additional awards for the project, or other 
enforcement actions such as withholding of payments or converting to 
the reimbursement method of payment. Continued failure to submit 
required reports may result in one or both of the following: (1) The 
imposition of special award provisions; and (2) the non-funding or non-
award of other eligible projects or activities. This requirement 
applies whether the delinquency is attributable to the failure of the 
grantee organization or the individual responsible for preparation of 
the reports. Per DGM policy, all reports are required to be submitted 
electronically by attaching them as a ``Grant Note'' in GrantSolutions. 
Personnel responsible for submitting reports will be required to obtain 
a login and password for GrantSolutions. Please see the Agency Contacts 
list in section VII for the systems contact information.
    The reporting requirements for this program are noted below.
A. Progress Reports
    Program progress reports are required semi-annually, within 30 days 
after the budget period ends. These reports must include a brief 
comparison of actual accomplishments to the goals established for the 
period, a summary of progress to date or, if applicable, provide sound 
justification for the lack of progress, and other pertinent information 
as required. A final report must be submitted within 90 days of 
expiration of the period of performance.
B. Financial Reports
    Federal Financial Report (FFR or SF-425), Cash Transaction Reports 
are due 30 days after the close of every calendar quarter to the 
Payment Management Services, HHS at https://pms.psc.gov. The applicant 
is also requested to upload a copy of the FFR (SF-425) into our grants 
management system, GrantSolutions. Failure to submit timely reports may 
result in adverse award actions blocking access to funds.
    Grantees are responsible and accountable for accurate information 
being reported on all required reports: The Progress Reports and 
Federal Financial Report.
C. Federal Sub-Award Reporting System (FSRS)
    This award may be subject to the Transparency Act sub-award and 
executive compensation reporting requirements of 2 CFR part 170.
    The Transparency Act requires the OMB to establish a single 
searchable database, accessible to the public, with information on 
financial assistance awards made by Federal agencies. The Transparency 
Act also includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to 
report information about first-tier sub-awards and executive 
compensation under Federal assistance awards.
    The IHS has implemented a Term of Award into all IHS Standard Terms 
and Conditions, NoAs and funding announcements regarding the FSRS 
reporting requirement. This IHS Term of Award is applicable to all IHS 
grant and cooperative agreements issued on or after October 1, 2010, 
with a $25,000 sub-award obligation dollar threshold met for any 
specific reporting period. Additionally, all new (discretionary) IHS 
awards (where the period of performance is made up of more than one 
budget period) and where: (1) The period of performance start date was 
October 1, 2010 or after, and (2) the primary awardee will have a 
$25,000 sub-award obligation dollar threshold during any specific 
reporting period will be required to address the FSRS reporting.
    For the full IHS award term implementing this requirement and 
additional award applicability information, visit the DGM Grants Policy 
website at https://www.ihs.gov/dgm/policytopics/.
D. Compliance With Executive Order 13166 Implementation of Services 
Accessibility Provisions for All Grant Application Packages and Funding 
Opportunity Announcements
    Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must 
administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. 
This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to 
their programs without regard to a person's race, color, national 
origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. 
This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with 
limited English proficiency. The HHS provides guidance to recipients of 
FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to 
provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited 
English proficiency. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/guidance-federal-financial-assistance-recipients-title-VI/.
    The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) also provides guidance on 
complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/; and 
https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/. Recipients of FFA also have 
specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with 
disabilities. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/. Please contact the HHS OCR for more 
information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil 
rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/ 
or call (800) 368-1019 or TDD (800) 537-7697. Also note it is an HHS 
Departmental goal to ensure access to quality, culturally competent 
care, including long-term services and supports, for vulnerable 
populations. For further guidance on providing culturally and 
linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the 
National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate 
Services in Health and Health Care at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.
    Pursuant to 45 CFR 80.3(d), an individual shall not be deemed 
subjected to discrimination by reason of his/her exclusion from 
benefits limited by federal law to individuals eligible for benefits 
and services from the IHS.
    Recipients will be required to sign the HHS-690 Assurance of 
Compliance form which can be obtained from the following website: 
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/forms/hhs-690.pdf, and send it 
directly to the: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office 
of Civil Rights, 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20201.
E. Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)
    The IHS is required to review and consider any information about 
the applicant that is in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity 
Information System (FAPIIS), at https://www.fapiis.gov, before making 
any award in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000) over the period of performance. An applicant may review and 
comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency 
previously entered. The IHS will

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consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other 
information in FAPIIS in making a judgment about the applicant's 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal 
awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as 
described in 45 CFR 75.205.
    As required by 45 CFR part 75 Appendix XII of the Uniform Guidance, 
non-federal entities (NFEs) are required to disclose in FAPIIS any 
information about criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings, and/
or affirm that there is no new information to provide. This applies to 
NFEs that receive federal awards (currently active grants, cooperative 
agreements, and procurement contracts) greater than $10,000,000 for any 
period of time during the period of performance of an award/project.
Mandatory Disclosure Requirements
    As required by 2 CFR part 200 of the Uniform Guidance, and the HHS 
implementing regulations at 45 CFR part 75, effective January 1, 2016, 
the IHS must require a non-federal entity or an applicant for a federal 
award to disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the IHS or pass-
through entity all violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, 
bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal 
award.
    Submission is required for all applicants and recipients, in 
writing, to the IHS and to the HHS Office of Inspector General all 
information related to violations of federal criminal law involving 
fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the 
federal award. 45 CFR 75.113.
    Disclosures must be sent in writing to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service, 
Division of Grants Management, ATTN: Robert Tarwater, Director, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 09E70, Rockville, MD 20857 (Include 
``Mandatory Grant Disclosures'' in subject line); Office: (301) 443-
5204; Fax: (301) 594-0899; Email: [email protected]

AND

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector 
General, ATTN: Mandatory Grant Disclosures, Intake Coordinator, 330 
Independence Avenue SW, Cohen Building, Room 5527, Washington, DC 
20201, URL: https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/index.asp (Include 
``Mandatory Grant Disclosures'' in subject line); Fax: (202) 205-0604 
(Include ``Mandatory Grant Disclosures'' in subject line) or Email: 
[email protected]

    Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the 
remedies described in 45 CFR 75.371 Remedies for noncompliance, 
including suspension or debarment (See 2 CFR parts 180 & 376 and 31 
U.S.C. 3321).

VII. Agency Contacts

1. Questions on the programmatic issues may be directed to: Eric Pinto, 
Senior Program Specialist, Office of Human Resource, Division of Health 
Professions Support, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: OHR 11E53A, 
Rockville, MD 20857, Phone: (301) 443-5086, Fax: (301) 443-6048, Email: 
[email protected].
2. Questions on grants management and fiscal matters may be directed 
to: Vanietta Armstrong, Senior Grants Management Specialist, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 09E70, Rockville, MD 20857, Phone: (301) 443-
4792, Fax: (301) 594-0899, Email: [email protected].
3. Questions on systems matters may be directed to: Paul Gettys, Grant 
Systems Coordinator, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop: 09E70, Rockville, MD 
20857, Phone: (301) 443-2114; or the DGM main line (301) 443-5204, Fax: 
(301) 594-0899, Email: [email protected].

VIII. Other Information

    The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant, 
cooperative agreement and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free 
workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, 
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in 
certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of the facility) in 
which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or 
early childhood development services are provided to children. This is 
consistent with the HHS mission to protect and advance the physical and 
mental health of the American people.

Chris Buchanan,
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, Deputy Director, 
Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-10097 Filed 5-15-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-P