Grant Opportunities

Geriatric Academic Career Award

Program Guidance: Instructions for Preparing an Application

On this page:

• The Application Face Page (SF 424 R&R)
• Table of Contents
• Abstract and Personnel
• Biographical Sketch of Applicant and Mentor
• Applicant Certification Page
• Letters of Reference
• Proposed Career Development Plan Statements by Mentor(s) , Consultant(s), and Collaborator(s)
• Agreement with the Institution
• Explanation of HRSA's Cultural and Linguistic Competence related objectives

Note: Please read all previous sections of this document before beginning to prepare an application for a Geriatric Academic Career Award.

This section includes

1. instructions to be used when applying for an individual Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) using selected pages from the Standard Form 424 Research and Related (SF 424 R&R),
2. a suggested Table of Contents, and
3. guidelines for required sealed letters of reference.

Required Font Size and Type/Headers and

• The text portion of the application must be in 12 point Times New Roman or 12 point Arial font, and 1.0 line spacing.
• Abstract, Career Development Plan, Statements by Mentor(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborator(s), and Agreement with the Institution - Your last name, first name must be present in a header and appear in the upper left corner of the each page for these sections. The page numbers must be present as a footer and appear at the bottom centered for these sections.

Application Form Pages
The GACA application uses selected items of the SF 424 R&R. Please read and follow the instructions for completing this form, carefully. Some fields are pre-filled and should not be changed. Some fields are not applicable and should not be completed. Only provide information for the field that we have provided instructions to complete.

• printer-friendly Program Guidance & Application Form SF 424 R&R (800 KB)
• Application Form SF 424 R&R-GACA (532 KB)

You may need to download the latest version of Adobe Reader in order to complete the fillable SF 424 R&R.

• Download the free Adobe Reader (not a U.S. Government Web site)

A. The Application Face Page (SF 424 R&R)

B. Table of Contents

Use the Suggested Table of Contents at the end of this section or a similar Table of Contents.  

C. Abstract and Personnel
Abstract. Provide an abstract of the entire application (applicant background, agreement with the institution, and career development plan). Briefly summarize the applicant's immediate and long-term career goals, career development plan, and a description of the institution's commitment. The abstract should be 500 words or less in length.  

Performance Site(s). List the institutions where applicant will perform duties as a part of GACA. This list should be placed after the abstract but on the same page. Entitle this list “Performance Site (s)”.

Key Personnel. Name the applicant and the mentor (s) who will assume responsibility for assisting the applicant's career development at the institution. Again this section should be titled “Key Personnel” and placed after the Performance Site section.

D. Biographical Sketch
If necessary, use more than two pages but do not exceed four pages. Complete for the applicant and mentor following the instructions below.

Board Certification. List Board Certification or Board Eligibility and date. (It is highly desirable that the applicant holds Board Certification.)

Education. The applicant should give the month as well as the year for each degree conferred. For nondegree education, indicate the time period covered. List approved geriatric fellowship and date completed.

Research and/or Professional Experience. Use the headings given below instead of the instructions on the biographical sketch. Identify each heading.

Employment. Start with the first position held following the doctorate and give a consecutive record to date. Indicate the department and organization, department head or supervisor, rank, tenure status, whether the position is/was full- or part-time, and inclusive dates. Where applicable, include information on military service, internships, residencies, research assistantships, fellowships, etc.

Honors. List academic and professional honors.

Professional Societies. Identity and give dates for professional societies and related organizations in which membership has been held within the last 10 years.

Research and Publications. List all publications chronologically beginning with the most recent.

Suggested Format for the Biographical Sketch

Board Certification

Research and/or Professional Experience

Employment

Honors and Professional Societies

Research and Publications

Applicant Certifications
Applicants for an award must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States or its possessions and territories, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (hold a “Green Card”) at the time of the application. The applicant must also indicate whether or not she or he currently has any health care service obligations and whether the United States holds a judgment against him or her. There is an Applicant Certification Page on Page 16 of these guidelines. Insert the Applicant Certification Page after the Biographical Sketches in the application.

Applicant Certifications (check and sign relevant certification):

___ I certify that the statements herein are true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. I agree to accept responsibility for the conduct of the project and to provide the required progress reports if an award is made as a result of this application.

___ I certify that I am a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States .

______________________ ___________

Signature Date

___ I certify that I am a lawfully-admitted permanent resident of U. S. (Hold a “Green Card”)

______________________ ___________

Signature Date

___ I certify that I have no other obligations for health professional service obligation under agreement with the Federal Government, State Government, or other public or private entity (or will have no such obligation at the time of the award) and that the United States does not hold a judgment against me.

______________________ ___________

Signature Date

F. Letters of Reference
A minimum of three letters of reference are required for all Geriatric Academic Career Awards. Specific program G uidelines for Letters of Reference are on Page 24 of these guidelines. Applications with fewer than three reference letters will not be reviewed and will be returned.

Letters of reference are critically important and should address the candidate's competence and potential as an academic geriatrician. Only those individuals who can make the most meaningful comments about the candidate's professional training and qualifications for a geriatric career should be used. The mentor in this application cannot be counted as a reference.

Complete the upper section of the Reference Guidelines, including the application submission deadline. Then send the copies of the Reference Guidelines to those who have agreed to provide a reference. Persons agreeing to write references should be provided with postage-paid return envelopes addressed to you with the following words in the front bottom left corner "DO NOT OPEN - HRSA USE ONLY." Attach unopened references to the face page of the original application and submit the entire package by the submission deadline.

Where possible, select references (knowledgeable about your qualifications) who are not from your current department or organization. Request reference letters only from individuals who will be able to return them in time for submission of the application. Consider any factor (e.g., illness or extended vacation) that might cause an inordinate delay.

G. Proposed Career Development Plan
Do not exceed 10 pages.
The Career Development Plan is the major component of the Geriatric Academic Career Award application. It is important to describe the applicant's goals and aspirations. The applicant should describe how these activities, coupled with other development activities, will provide experience to launch and conduct an independent career.

The plan should be appropriate to develop skills needed by the applicant and should meet the requirements for the career development plan on page 8 of this document.

Begin by providing a description of where you see yourself in terms of your career in academic geriatrics at the end of the three years of the Geriatric Academic Career Award. Indicate what you will be teaching and identify the health professions of your trainees. Also, identify your plan for interdisciplinary team teaching. In addition to the direct education you will be providing to learners in the health professions, think in terms of what you need to do to be promoted to Associate Professor. Consider the types of curriculum you want to develop, the topics you want to write about for the professional literature, the medical school committees you would like to serve on, what you can do on the local, state, and national level in terms of developing your career as a well-established and respected academic geriatrician.

Describe your past academic history, indicating how the award would fit into your past and future academic career development. Include any additional information not described in the biographical sketch such as research and/or other clinical training experience. If there are consistent themes or issues which have guided previous work, these should be made clear. If your work has changed direction, the reasons for the change should be indicated. It is important to justify the award and how it would enable you to develop or expand your academic career in geriatrics.

Stress the new, enhanced clinical and academic skills you will acquire as a result of the proposed award. If you have considerable experience in the same areas as you propose in the application for the GACA, reviewers may determine that the application lacks potential to enhance your career. Describe structured activities, such as course work or technique workshops, which are part of the developmental plan. Discuss briefly each of the activities, including research, in which you expect to participate.

GACA applications do not require the extensive detail usually incorporated in regular research or project proposal applications. However, a fundamentally sound plan and a reasonably detailed section about the award activities should be provided. Describe the activities you will undertake in all three years of the GACA. There should be sufficient detail to enable the reviewers to determine that the plans, including the institution's involvement, for each year are worthwhile and likely to enhance the career of the applicant as an academic geriatrician.

The Proposed Career Development Plan should cover the headings listed in the following table. The plan may be presented in a tabular format or in a narrative format using the headings from the table. If the tabular format is used, there must be sufficient narrative with each activity to allow the reviewers to assess the likelihood that the activity will contribute to the career development of the applicant. Include a percentage of time involvement for each activity by year and explain how the activity is interrelated with the proposed career development plan.

Although applicants are expected to write the Proposed Career Development Plan, the mentor should review a draft of the plan and discuss it in detail with the applicant. Review by other knowledgeable colleagues is encouraged.

H. Statements by Mentor(s), Consultant(s), and Collaborator(s)
Do not exceed 3 pages for the Mentor(s) ' letter(s).
Do not exceed 1 page for consultant(s)' and other collaborator(s)' letter(s).
The mentor must explain how the award will enhance the development of the applicant's academic/clinical career in geriatrics. The activities as agreed to by the mentor must provide the plan for the applicant's training and academic/clinical career development as well as a clear commitment of staff time, facilities, and resources by the institution. This description must include other developmental activities, such as seminars, scientific meetings, and presentations. It should discuss expectations for publications over the entire period of the proposed award. The mentor should describe the applicant's teaching load for the period of the award (number and types of courses or seminars), clinical responsibilities (including number of patients currently seen and professional consultations), committee responsibilities and administrative assignments, and proportion of time available for research, if any. The mentor and the applicant's institution must provide assurances that the applicant will be released for the amount of time required by the GACA. (See Section II for details that must be documented in terms of institutional commitment.)

If the activities involve collaboration with individuals, other than the mentor, who will provide materials, data, guidance, or advice, then include letters from such individuals documenting their willingness to participate with the applicant. List all mentors, and other collaborators involved with the activities under this award.

Letters from each mentor and other collaborators confirming their participation in the project and describing their specific roles must be included in this section of the application. Do not place these letters in the appendix.

I. Agreement with the Institution
(See Requirements for the Agreement with the Institution.)
1. Signatures
The institutional commitment must be dated and bear the signature of the head of the organizational unit who is authorized to commit the institution to the agreements and assurances listed on pages 7-8. The signature must appear over the signer's name and title at the end of the statement of institutional commitment. In most cases, this will be the dean or the chairman of the department. “Per” signatures are not acceptable.

When an applicant will be working away from the home institution, signatures from both the home and the host institution are required. The applicant's institution, through its signatures on the application and the institutional commitment, certifies that all items outlined in this section will be provided and that the institution will abide by the applicable assurances and Public Health Service policies in support of the applicant's award.  

2. Content (see requirements)
The applicant's institution, through the statement of the mentor or other principal official of the institution, should indicate how the necessary facilities and other resources will be made available for career enhancement as well as the activities proposed in this application. The agreement must describe opportunities for intellectual interactions with other senior faculty, including courses offered, journal clubs, seminars, and presentations; and document provision of adequate time and support for the applicant to devote nearly full-time activities for career development for the entire period of the proposed award.

The institution should provide the equipment, facilities, and resources necessary for a structured program of career development. The agreement must document the institution's commitment to the retention, development and advancement of the applicant during the period of the award.

As provided by Section 753(c)(5) of the Public Health Service Act, an individual who receives an award under this subsection shall provide training in clinical geriatrics, including the training of interdisciplinary teams of health care professionals. The provision of such training shall constitute at least 75 percent of the obligations of such individual under this award. The applicant's institution must agree to release the applicant from other duties and activities to devote the required percentage of time for development of an academic/clinical career in geriatrics. Describe actions that will be taken to ensure development of an academic/clinical career in geriatrics; for example, describe the applicant's teaching load, committee and administrative assignments, and clinical or other professional activities for the current academic year. Include the proportion of time currently available for the applicant's research experience and what the applicant's institutional responsibilities will be in the event that an award is made.

Also describe the applicant's academic appointment, bearing in mind that it must be full-time, and that the appointment (including all rights and privileges pertaining to full faculty status) and the continuation of salary are not contingent upon the receipt of this award.

The agreement must provide the applicant with appropriate office space, equipment and other resources and facilities (including access to clinical and/or other research populations) to carry out the proposed activities under this award and provide appropriate time and support for any proposed mentor(s) and/or other staff consistent with the career development plan.

J. Cultural and Linguistic Competence
HRSA is committed to ensuring access to quality health care for all. Quality care means access to services, information, materials delivered by competent providers in a manner that factor in the language needs, cultural richness, and diversity of populations served. Quality also means that, where appropriate, data collection instruments used should adhere to culturally competent and linguistically appropriate norms. For additional information and guidance, refer to the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Cultural Competence: means a set of academic and interpersonal skills that allow an individual to increase their understanding and appreciation of cultural differences and similarities within, among and between groups. This requires a willingness and ability to draw on community-based values, traditions, and customs and to work with knowledgeable persons of and from the community in developing targeted interventions, communications, and other supports.

Culturally Competent Program: means a program that demonstrates sensitivity to and an understanding of cultural differences in program design, implementation and evaluation.

Cultural Diversity: means differences in race, ethnicity, language, nationality, or religion among various groups within a community, an organization, or a nation.

Wherever appropriate, identify programs, training and technical assistance implemented to improve health communications to foster healing relationships across culturally diverse populations.

Wherever appropriate, describe the program's or institution's strategic plan, policies, and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to providing culturally and linguistically competent health care and developing culturally and linguistically competent health care providers, faculty, staff, and program participants. This includes participation in, and, support of programs that focus on cross-cultural health communication approaches as strategies to educate health care providers serving diverse patients, families, and communities.

Whenever appropriate identify programs that work to (1) improve medication compliance of patients, and (2) improve patient understanding regarding health conditions and (3) improve the ability of the patient to manage their condition.

Wherever appropriate, describe a plan to recruit and retain key staff with demonstrated experience serving the specific target population and familiarity with the culture and language of the particular communities served:

• Wherever appropriate, summarize specific training, and/or learning experiences to foster knowledge and appreciation of how culture and language influences health literacy, patient safety, and access to high quality, effective and predictably safe healthcare services. 
• Wherever appropriate, provide a plan for using training to increase self-awareness of multicultural and health literacy issues and engage individuals, families, and communities from diverse social, cultural, and language backgrounds in self-managing their health care.
• Wherever appropriate, describe the program or institution's strategic plan, policies, and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to serving the specific target population and familiarity with the culture and literacy level of the particular target group.
• Wherever appropriate, describe the program's or institution's past performance in recruiting and retaining health care providers, faculty, staff  and students with demonstrated experience serving the specific target population and familiarity with the culture of the particular target group.
• Wherever appropriate, describe a plan to recruit and retain staff, health care providers, faculty, and students with demonstrated experience serving the specific target population and familiarity with the culture and literacy level of the particular target group.
• Wherever appropriate, describe the institution's strategic plan, policies, and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to developing culturally and linguistically competent health care providers, faculty, and students.
• Wherever appropriate, present a summary of specific training, and /or learning experiences to develop knowledge and appreciation of how culture and language influences health literacy improvement and the delivery of high quality, effective and predictably safe healthcare services.

Wherever appropriate, describe how training and/or learning experiences will increase staff awareness in serving the specific target population and familiarity with the culture and language of the particular target group.