Geriatric Academic Career Award
Program Guidance: Information About the Award
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I. INFORMATION ABOUT THE AWARD
Please note that the instructions within this application guidance have been revised for Fiscal Year 2007 applications. Read and follow these instructions carefully to avoid delays and misunderstandings.
A. Purpose
The purpose of the Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) is to increase the number of junior faculty at accredited schools of allopathic and osteopathic medicine and to promote the development of their careers as academic geriatricians who emphasize training in clinical geriatrics including the training of interdisciplinary teams of health professionals.
This program award provides a financial incentive for junior faculty to pursue an academic career in geriatrics. The individuals agree to serve as members of the faculties of accredited schools of allopathic or osteopathic medicine by providing teaching services (within the service requirements under this award) for the life of the 3 year award. The Government in turn agrees to pay the individual awardee $50,000 (adjusted each fiscal year after 1998 to reflect the increase in the Consumer Price Index) for each year the service requirement is met. The FY 2007 award is estimated to be $64,153.
Major components of the GACA application are: (1) a proposed career development plan; (2) information on applicant's previous training and experiences; and (3) an agreement with the medical school regarding institutional support for the individual faculty member.
B. Eligibility Requirements
Individuals who meet ALL of the following criteria are eligible to apply for the GACA:
- Are board certified, or board eligible, in internal medicine, family practice, or psychiatry;
- Have completed an approved fellowship program in geriatrics; and
- Have a junior faculty* appointment at an accredited school of medicine (allopathic or osteopathic).
*For purposes of the GACA a junior faculty appointment includes Instructors, Clinical Instructors, Assistant Professors, and other junior appointments. An Associate Professor is not considered junior faculty.
In addition, awardees are required to be citizens or non-citizen nationals or permanent residents of the United States . Also, each recipient must provide evidence that he/she has completely satisfied any obligation for health professional service which is owed under an agreement with the Federal Government, State Government, or other public or private entity prior to beginning the period of service under this program and certify that the United States does not hold a judgment against him/her.
Certification of citizenship or non-citizen national or permanent residency (“Green Card”) and satisfaction of any health professional service obligation must be indicated on the Applicant Certification Page of the application. (The Applicant Certification Page is in this Application Kit.)
C. Type of Award and Payment
The Geriatric Academic Career Award is an individual career development award. Funds are awarded directly to the individual awardee. No funds are awarded to an institution. Institutions are not required to submit a Financial Status Report.
GACA funds are subject to income tax withholding which are taken from the award.
D. Availability of Technical Assistance
The Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) is available to provide technical assistance and consultation. Before applying for a GACA, applicants should carefully review specific guidelines in this Guidance noting the eligibility requirements, award provisions, requirements for the agreement with the institution, and review criteria.
Technical Assistance regarding program questions is available from:
Joan Weiss, PhD, RN, CRNP
Deputy Director, Division of Nursing
Health Resources and Services Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Room 9-35
Rockville, Maryland 20857
Phone: (301) 443-0430
Fax: (301) 443-8586
E-mail: jweiss@hrsa.gov
John R. Kress, MHA
Director, Public Health Training Center Program
Public Health Branch, HRSA, DHHS
5600 Fishers Lane
Room 9A-08
Rockville , MD 20857
Phone: (301) 443-6864
Fax: (301) 443-1164
E-mail: jkress@hrsa.gov
E. Application Deadline Date
The application deadline for Fiscal Year 2007 is June 18, 2007 . Applicants must include the original and two (2) copies of the application. Applications will be considered to have met the deadline if they are postmarked on or before the established deadline date and received in time for orderly processing. Each application is limited to 40 pages in length. Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. Late applications will not be accepted for processing and will be returned to the applicant. Applications that exceed the specified page limit will be deemed non-compliant. All non-compliant applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.
The Chief Grants Management Officer (CGMO) or a higher level designee may authorize an extension of published deadlines when justified by circumstances such as acts of God (e.g. floods or hurricanes), widespread disruptions of mail service, or other disruptions of services, such as a prolonged blackout. The authorizing official will determine the affected geographical area(s).
Applications that do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
F. Where to Submit Applications
Applications should be submitted to:
Geriatric Academic Career Award
HRSA-07-GACA
Bureau of Health Professions
Health Resources and Services Administration
Room 9A-08
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
G. Effective Date of Awards
The estimated date of the award is September 1, 2007 or other date as determined by the Federal program office.
H. Award Agreement
After an applicant has been approved for an award, a notification of award will be sent to the applicant for signature by the applicant and by the supporting institution. The completed, signed and dated award agreement must be returned on or before the date specified in the award letter in order to guarantee the award.
I. Post-Award Reporting Requirements
In order to receive continuation funds each year of the award, each GACA awardee must submit an annual progress report signed by the applicant, the mentor and the institutional representative. In addition, a final report summarizing all three years of progress under the award is required at the end of the award period.
Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the one-year budget period but within the 3 year project period will be entertained in subsequent years on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the awardee and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.
BHPr will send the annual progress report request to awardees. Progress reports must be submitted to BHPr on or before the date specified in order for the awardee to be considered for continued funding in the following year.
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