Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 09 204
Apply for HRSA 09 204
- The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers of Excellence" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.157 Centers of Excellence.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 28, 2009 and posted on Dec 18, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 29, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $20,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants are accredited allopathic scholls of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or graduate programs in behavioraal or mental health, or other public and nonprofit health or educational entities including faith based organizations and community based organizations that meet the requirements of section 736(c) of the PHS Act, as amended. See minimum student enrollment requirements under Designations of Centers of Excellence. Schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, graduate programs in behavioral or mental health, or other public and non profit health or educational entities, including faith based organizations, and community based organizations, that meet the requirements of section 736(c) of the Public Health Service Act. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as described in section 736(c)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act and which received contracts under former section 788B of the Public Health Service Act (Advanced Financial Distress Assistance) for fiscal year 1987 may apply for Centers of Excellence (COE) grants under section 736(c)(2) of the Public Health Service Act.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Centers of Excellence (COE) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HRSA 09-204; CFDA 93.157) is a discretionary grant program designed to help eligible health professions schools and certain public or nonprofit entities build and sustain standout education and training programs that better serve underrepresented minority students and communities. At its core, the program aims to strengthen the pipeline into health careers for underrepresented minority individuals while improving the quality, relevance, and cultural competence of health professions education. HRSA planned to make about 14 awards with an estimated total funding level of $20,000,000, and the opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching.
Award recipients are expected to use COE funds across several connected areas that collectively improve student success, faculty diversity, training quality, and community impact. One major emphasis is academic support for underrepresented minority students, including establishing, strengthening, or expanding programs that improve academic performance and progression. Another key requirement focuses on the faculty side of the pipeline: grantees must improve their capacity to train, recruit, and retain underrepresented minority faculty, and the opportunity explicitly allows the use of stipends and fellowships to support that goal. The program also prioritizes improvements to educational infrastructure and training quality, including information resources, clinical education experiences, curricula, and the cultural competence of graduates as it relates to minority health issues. In addition, COE funding is intended to encourage and expand faculty and student research on health issues that disproportionately affect underrepresented minority groups, including research tied to health care delivery challenges and solutions.
A distinctive component of the COE program is its community-based training requirement. Grantees must operate a program that trains students to provide health services to a significant number of underrepresented minority individuals, with training taking place in community-based health facilities that deliver those services and are located away from the main teaching site of the school. This reflects an expectation that training should be grounded in real-world settings where underserved communities receive care, helping students build skills and familiarity with the populations the program is meant to benefit. The funding can also be used to provide stipends where appropriate, supporting participation and reducing barriers for students and trainees.
Beyond supporting those already enrolled, the COE program also pushes institutions to widen and strengthen the long-term applicant pipeline. Grantees are expected to develop a larger and more competitive pool of applicants by creating linkages with institutions of higher education, local school districts, and other community-based entities. The intent is to create an educational pathway into health professions careers that starts earlier, supports students through transitions, and ultimately increases representation in the health workforce.
Eligibility is centered on accredited health professions education programs and certain qualifying organizations under section 736(c) of the Public Health Service Act. Eligible applicants include accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy, as well as graduate programs in behavioral or mental health. In addition, other public and nonprofit health or educational entities can apply, including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations, as long as they meet the statutory requirements, including any minimum student enrollment thresholds tied to COE designations. The announcement also notes that certain Historically Black Colleges and Universities (as described in the statute) with prior participation in an older federal assistance program may be eligible under specific provisions.
The timeline information in the notice reflects that this was a posted opportunity with dates spanning late 2008 through 2009, including an original closing date of February 18, 2009 and an updated closing date of May 29, 2009, with an archive date of July 27, 2009. The notice also includes an important caveat about federal budgeting: it states that the COE program was not included in the President's budget for 2006 and advises applicants to treat the announcement as provisional pending final Congressional action, with updates to be provided through HRSA. For official details, applicants were directed to HRSA resources and the HRSA call center for support in accessing the full announcement.
Centers of Excellence (COE) Grant (HRSA 09-204) - Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the HRSA Centers of Excellence (COE) grant opportunity?
The Centers of Excellence (COE) opportunity is a discretionary grant program from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is designed to help eligible health professions schools and certain public or nonprofit entities build and sustain high-quality education and training programs that better serve underrepresented minority students and the communities they serve.
2) What is the main purpose of the COE program?
The program focuses on strengthening the pipeline into health careers for underrepresented minority individuals and improving the quality, relevance, and cultural competence of health professions education, particularly as it relates to minority health issues and underserved communities.
3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HRSA 09-204, and the CFDA number listed is 93.157.
4) How many awards did HRSA plan to make, and what was the estimated total funding level?
HRSA planned to make about 14 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $20,000,000.
5) Does this opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The opportunity indicated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
6) What kinds of activities are award recipients expected to support with COE funds?
The notice describes a connected set of expected uses of funds, including:
- Academic support for underrepresented minority students (including establishing, strengthening, or expanding programs to improve academic performance and progression).
- Improving the ability to train, recruit, and retain underrepresented minority faculty.
- Enhancing educational infrastructure and training quality (for example, information resources, clinical education experiences, and curricula).
- Improving the cultural competence of graduates as it relates to minority health issues.
- Encouraging and expanding faculty and student research on health issues that disproportionately affect underrepresented minority groups, including research tied to health care delivery challenges and solutions.
7) Is student academic support specifically emphasized?
Yes. A major emphasis is on academic support for underrepresented minority students, including establishing, strengthening, or expanding programs aimed at improving academic performance and progression.
8) What does the opportunity say about supporting underrepresented minority faculty?
The opportunity requires grantees to improve their capacity to train, recruit, and retain underrepresented minority faculty. It also explicitly allows the use of stipends and fellowships to support that goal.
9) Can grant funds be used for stipends or fellowships?
Yes. The announcement explicitly allows stipends and fellowships to support the training, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented minority faculty. It also notes that funding can be used to provide stipends where appropriate to support participation and reduce barriers for students and trainees.
10) What improvements to training quality and educational infrastructure are prioritized?
The program prioritizes improvements to educational infrastructure and training quality, including information resources, clinical education experiences, curricula, and efforts to improve the cultural competence of graduates in relation to minority health issues.
11) Does the program support research activities?
Yes. COE funding is intended to encourage and expand faculty and student research on health issues that disproportionately affect underrepresented minority groups. This includes research connected to health care delivery challenges and solutions.
12) What is the community-based training requirement?
A distinctive requirement is that grantees must operate a program that trains students to provide health services to a significant number of underrepresented minority individuals. The training must take place in community-based health facilities that deliver those services and are located away from the main teaching site of the school.
13) Where must community-based training occur?
Training must occur in community-based health facilities that serve underrepresented minority individuals and are located away from the main teaching site of the school (meaning the training is expected to be grounded outside the primary campus/teaching location).
14) Why does the program require community-based training away from the main teaching site?
The notice frames this as a way to ensure training is grounded in real-world settings where underserved communities receive care, helping students build skills and familiarity with the populations the program is intended to benefit.
15) Does the COE program address earlier pipeline development (before students apply to health professions programs)?
Yes. Beyond supporting currently enrolled students, the program expects grantees to expand and strengthen the long-term applicant pipeline by developing a larger and more competitive pool of applicants.
16) What kinds of partnerships are expected to strengthen the applicant pipeline?
The opportunity states that grantees are expected to create linkages with institutions of higher education, local school districts, and other community-based entities to build pathways into health professions careers.
17) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is centered on accredited health professions education programs and certain qualifying organizations under section 736(c) of the Public Health Service Act. The notice lists eligible applicants as including accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy, as well as graduate programs in behavioral or mental health.
18) Can public or nonprofit organizations apply even if they are not a health professions school?
Yes. The notice indicates that other public and nonprofit health or educational entities can apply (including faith-based organizations and community-based organizations) as long as they meet the statutory requirements, including any minimum student enrollment thresholds tied to COE designations.
19) Are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) mentioned as potentially eligible?
Yes. The notice states that certain Historically Black Colleges and Universities (as described in the statute) with prior participation in an older federal assistance program may be eligible under specific provisions.
20) What were the key timeline dates listed in the notice?
The notice reflects a posted opportunity spanning late 2008 through 2009. It lists an original closing date of February 18, 2009, an updated closing date of May 29, 2009, and an archive date of July 27, 2009.
21) What does it mean that this opportunity is archived?
The notice includes an archive date (July 27, 2009), which indicates the posting is historical and tied to that application cycle and timeframe.
22) Was there any budget-related caveat included in the announcement?
Yes. The notice states that the COE program was not included in the President's budget for 2006 and advises applicants to treat the announcement as provisional pending final Congressional action. It also notes that updates would be provided through HRSA.
23) Where were applicants directed for official details and assistance?
For official details, applicants were directed to HRSA resources and the HRSA call center for support in accessing the full announcement.
24) What populations and outcomes is the COE program designed to impact?
Based on the notice, the program is designed to benefit underrepresented minority students, strengthen their progression into health careers, increase underrepresented minority faculty capacity, improve culturally competent training related to minority health issues, and expand service-oriented community training experiences that reach significant numbers of underrepresented minority individuals.
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