Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-25-067
On this page
- Application submission
- Applicant eligibility
- Accreditation
- Use of GPE funds
- Funding preference and priority
- General questions
- NOFO modifications
Application submission
Do all attachments count towards the page limit?
No. Standard OMB-approved forms that are included in the workspace application package do not count in the page limit. Make sure your application does not exceed the specified 60-page limit. We will not review any pages over the page limit. Refer to page 17 of the NOFO for more information.
Can an application have more than one Program Director/Program Investigator?
No. We only recognize one Program Director/Program Investigator who will be accountable to HRSA.
If an attachment is not applicable, should we skip and renumber the attachment section?
No. Submit attachments with the same number as specified in the NOFO.
Is the BHW program specific form required?
Yes. The BHW program specific data form is required. See page 30 of the NOFO for a list of other required standard forms and how to find/review them.
Should the program goals and objectives in my SWP form be the same as the program goal and objectives listed in the NOFO on pages 10 and 11?
Yes. The program goal and objectives must be stated in the SWP form. You may include additional objectives if they further support your proposed project. All program requirements must be addressed by the objectives and subobjectives in your SWP. Please see page 31 of the NOFO.
Application eligibility
My placement does not serve a high need and high demand area. Am I eligible to apply?
Your application must demonstrate your program meets all eligibility requirements outlined in the NOFO to be considered eligible. Your training site does not need to be in a Mental Health HSPA area or in a county with less than 10 licensed psychologists per 100,000 population to apply, however this may unfavorably impact your score and likelihood of being funded.
Can individual students apply for this grant?
No. Individuals are not eligible applicants. Refer to page 7 of the NOFO for types of eligible entities.
Our program does not have a focus on opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders. Am I eligible to apply?
No. One of the program requirements is to ensure at least 25% of the time in the experiential training site(s) is in the delivery of opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Refer to page 11 of the GPE NOFO for more information.
Do green card holders qualify as eligible trainees?
Yes. Green card holders are considered “permanent residents” and do qualify to be a trainee. Students on a temporary or student visa are not eligible participants, unless they fall under “qualified alien” under section 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, as amended. Please see page 8 of the NOFO under trainee eligibility for more information.
Can students receive stipends for BHWET and GPE programs at the same time?
No. Students cannot receive both BHWET and GPE stipends at the same time.
A traineeship/fellowship or other training program (i.e., residency) under a HRSA-funded training award may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the training/fellowship award. The concurrent benefit refers to participant support per participant.
Can applicants apply to both BHWET Pro and GPE programs at the same time?
Yes. Applicants can apply for both BHWET Pro and GPE funding. However, applications must be for distinct programs.
Additionally, if awarded, organizations must ensure they adhere to the requirements and expectations of each grant program.
Are training sites required to meet the requirements listed in Table 2 in Attachment 3?
No. It is not a requirement. However, per the Review Criterion 2 on page 36 of the NOFO, applicants that list at least one training site, located in one of the high need and high demand areas listed in Table 2 in Attachment 3, will receive up to five points on their application score.
All training sites must enable trainees to meet the requirements listed in program requirement 3.
Can applicants include partnerships with other training programs in medically underserved communities?
Yes. Eligible organizations may apply in partnership with an accredited training program. Please see page 8 of the NOFO under “Other Eligibility Criteria”.
Accreditation
We are in the process of applying for accreditation, but we will not have our official accreditation letter until after the NOFO deadline. Can we apply?
No. Active accreditation is required to be eligible for GPE funding. You must provide a copy of your active accreditation as Attachment 1: Accreditation Documentation. Programs in the process of obtaining accreditation or with a current accreditation status of “Intent to Apply” are not eligible.
We are currently under review for APA reaccreditation. Are we eligible to apply?
Yes. Your current APA accreditation status is valid through the reaccreditation review period. Programs that are under review for reaccreditation by APA and have not received site visits at the time of their accreditation expiration date will be considered eligible for this program. Programs that are not APA accredited but are currently under review will not be considered eligible for this program. Programs with an APA status of “Intent to Apply” who do not currently have an active accreditation are also not considered eligible. Contact APA for additional questions regarding the reaccreditation process.
Are training programs required to have specialized accreditation?
Yes. Your training program must be in health service psychology as defined by the NOFO and accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, approved for such purposes by the U.S. Department of Education (currently only APA).
Are programs that are APA-accredited on contingency eligible?
Yes. You may apply if your program is accredited on contingency. You must provide a copy of your active accreditation as Attachment 1: Accreditation Documentation.
Do applicants need to submit accreditation for both training levels to support doctoral psychology students and psychology interns?
Yes. Your organization must submit separate accreditation for all training levels you plan to support. Please see page 8 of the NOFO for additional details.
Our institution would like to develop a postdoctoral program for this award. Are we also required to be an APA-accredited postdoctoral program?
Yes. If your training program supports postdoctoral psychology trainees, you must also be an APA-accredited postdoctoral program.
My program is APA-accredited for counseling and school psychology. Can we support both specializations under the GPE program?
Yes. If you are a combined program and propose training multiple specializations, make sure your accreditation in Attachment 1 lists both. Please see page 7 of the NOFO as well as how Health Service Psychology is defined on page 56 of the NOFO.
Use of GPE funds
Participant and trainee support
Can we provide stipends that are greater than those listed in Table 1 Student Stipends?
No. Stipend amounts at each trainee level are fixed at the amount indicated in Table 1 on page 25 of the NOFO. As a reminder, no less than 50% of your total budget must be from participant and trainee support costs. You may choose to provide higher stipend amounts by adding funds from non-federal sources.
Can we use GPE funds to support trainees from our other programs?
No. Only students, interns, and post-doctoral residents who receive stipends under this funding opportunity can receive the other trainee support listed under Participant/Trainee Costs. Trainees must receive the full HRSA stipend to be considered a GPE participant.
Can we provide stipends for students for more than one year?
No more than one year of stipend support is allowed per full-time trainee. Part-time trainees are allowed to receive a stipend prorated at one-half of the fixed amount over two years. See the “Participant and trainee support costs” section and Table 1 on page 24-25 of the NOFO.
Does the funding allocation for participant/trainee support include salaries, fringe benefits, tuition reimbursement, or health insurance?
The GPE program does not provide participant/trainee support in the form of a salary or fringe benefits.*
You are required to provide a budget with no less than 50% of the overall requested budget dedicated and distributed as participant/trainee support costs.
The participant/trainee support costs budget category includes the following items only:
- Stipends (see Table 1 Student Stipends on page 25 of the NOFO)
- Tuition
- Health Insurance
- Training supplies and materials
- Attendance at professional conferences
- Travel related expenses for training purposes
*Grant funds may not be used to support fringe benefits for trainees (such as liability insurance, unemployment insurance, life insurance, taxes, fees, and retirement plans) except for health insurance per page 23 of the NOFO.
Other funding questions
Should I include allowable costs when calculating the 8% indirect cost cap?
Yes. The calculation is 8% x modified total direct costs (MTDC) such as minus unallowable costs.
Can current GPE awardees use leftover funds if awarded the new GPE grant?
Yes. If an applicant is funded under the competing continuation, they may submit a carryover request within 30 days after the Final Financial Report is due through EHB under a prior approval.
Note: When carrying over unobligated funds from GPE 2022’s period of performance to GPE 2025 (HRSA-25-067), organizations must use the stipend level amount based on the NOFO and award period covered under the previous project period. Organizations cannot use carryover funds to support the new stipend levels in the GPE 2025 NOFO.
Can the full-time employment for the Principal Investigator be covered in-kind?
The NOFO does not specify in-kind.
Are unrecovered indirect costs considered non-federal expenditures?
No. Unrecovered indirect costs are not considered non-federal expenditures.
Can we request more than $450,000 in Year 1 if we plan to request less in Year 2 and Year 3?
No. This funding opportunity supports up to $450,000 annually per award. Additionally, your requests for each of years two and three cannot exceed your Year 1 request. See page 6 of the NOFO.
What does it mean to spend at least 25% of your experiential training time on OUD and other SUD prevention and treatment?
If funded, your program must ensure that 25% of total trainee time in experiential training is in OUD and other SUD prevention and treatment. This may be spread among each experiential training site trainees are placed in or predominantly at one site.
Is there a requirement to focus on children/youth/young adults?
Yes. Per page 11 of the NOFO, Requirement 3 does include a focus on knowledge and understanding of behavioral health disorders in children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth. This requirement can be met through didactics and/or experiential training.
Should I provide documentation for all training sites listed in Attachment 3?
Yes. We will not consider any experiential training sites listed in Attachment 3 without supporting documentation in Attachment 4. Supporting documentation must be signed and dated by the relevant authority of the associated organization or department to be considered. See pages 26 and 27 for more details.
For lengthy legal documents for a particular training site, the first two pages as well as a signature page will meet this requirement. If you have numerous training sites through one organization, only one supporting document is required for those training sites.
The psychology matching period for interns will be announced after the GPE Program award start date. Can HRSA adjust the project timeline?
No. The timeline of the project cannot be changed. However, trainees can be appointed anytime during a budget period for a 12-month (full-time trainee) or 24-month (part-time trainee) period. For example, an intern who begins in January 2026 during the Year 1 budget period may extend into Year 2 to complete 12 months of full-time training. Report the portion of the participant/trainee support costs not used in Year 1 in the annual Federal Financial Report to ensure availability in Year 2.
Can we support students in other disciplines or training programs?
Yes. Per page 11 of the NOFO, you must ensure that integrated, interdisciplinary training in team-based care includes two or more health disciplines besides psychology. This could include but is not limited to medical doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, etc.
Participant/trainee costs can only support GPE trainees, who are required to be trainees in health service psychology.
Funding preference and priority
What is the difference between funding priority and funding preference?
This NOFO includes both a funding priority and a funding preference. Applicants may apply for both or just one. Applications that do not receive a funding priority or preference will be given full and equitable consideration during the review process.
Applications that meet criteria for a priority will receive an additional five points added to their final score assigned by the peer review committee.
Applications that meet the criteria for a funding preference will be moved to a more competitive position among fundable applications. While you can apply and qualify for more than one funding preference, you can only be awarded one funding preference.
For more details on how to meet the funding priority and/or preference, see pages 40-44 of the NOFO. To be considered for a funding preference and/or funding priority, you must submit supporting documentation in Attachment 8.
Are HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations a sufficient indicator for medically underserved communities?
One or more of the following designations are acceptable indicators of medically underserved communities:
- Health Professional Shortage Area
- Mental Health and/or Primary Care only
- Medically Underserved Area
- Medically Underserved Population
- Governor’s Certified Shortage Area for Rural Health Clinic purposes HPSA
See the funding preference tables on pages 42 and 43 of the NOFO. Use the Find Shortage Areas tool to document the federal designation(s) used to determine graduate’s practice in medically underserved communities and include this information in Attachment 8. Only documentation from this link will be accepted. (Indicate Federal Designations for Graduate Practice)
Please define "place" in the statement: "for new and existing programs that demonstrate the ability to place program graduates in medically underserved communities (MUCs)."
The “place” in this statement means graduates of your program(s) who are employed in MUCs. Note that doctoral graduates who go on to further training in MUCs should not be included in the numerator of the funding preference calculations.
Are the 5 points for the funding priority on page 40 of the NOFO different from the 5 points for a qualifying training site on page 36 of the NOFO?
Yes. The two are different.
The requirement to meet the funding priority is that programs have demonstrated the ability to train psychology professionals to work in integrated care settings to receive five points. See page 40 of the NOFO.
An additional 5 points may be awarded if a training site is listed as a school-based health center in Table 2 of Attachment 3, which may be either HRSA funded or non-HRSA funded. See page 27 of the NOFO for required supporting documentation.
General questions
Is the Project Director or the institution the GPE recipient?
The applicant organization is the recipient. The Project Director listed on the notice of award will be responsible for grant oversight.
NOFO modifications
The following FAQs provide clarification for information that was previously published in the GPE NOFO released on October 22, 2024. These clarifications can be found in the most recent modified NOFO released on December 20, 2024.
Can I submit multiple applications?
Yes. More than one application may be submitted from the same organization under separate Unique Entity Identifier (UEIs). You may not submit more than one application per UEI. If you submit more than one application under the same UEI, we will only accept the last on-time submission. Communication within your organization is encouraged to prevent duplication and to promote collaboration. See pages 9 on application limits.
I am a current GPE recipient with funding that ends on June 30, 2025. Can I apply as a “Competing Continuation” applicant?
Yes. If your organization received GPE funding that ends on June 30, 2025, your organization is eligible and should apply as a “Competing Continuation” applicant if there is no change to your scope of work. If there is a change in scope, organizations should apply as a new applicant. See page 7 of the NOFO.
Are doctoral students prior to year three of their doctoral program eligible to be a GPE program participant and to receive funding?
Yes. A first- or second-year student can be a GPE program participant and be eligible for funding support. While it is recommended that students further along in their doctoral program be GPE participants, it is not a requirement under the NOFO.
What are the training site and didactic requirements?
Experiential training/internship sites must:
- Provide an integrated, interdisciplinary behavioral health experience including in community-based primary care settings located in high need and high demand areas. Please see the BHW glossary for the definition of primary care settings.
- Integrated, interdisciplinary training in team-based care includes two or more health disciplines besides psychology.
- Ensure at least 25% of the time in the experiential training site(s) is in the delivery of OUD and other SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
Required focus areas**:
- Opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD)
- Trauma-informed care
- Tele-behavioral health strategies
- Knowledge and understanding of behavioral health disorders in children, and adolescents and transitional-aged youth (see program specific definitions)
Other focus areas may include:
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and other substance use disorders
- Social determinants of health
- Supporting provider mental health and well-being
**Training in the required focus areas may be through didactics and/or experiential training sites. However, note the requirement that at least 25% of the time in the experiential training site(s) is in the delivery of OUD and other SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
What is the correct formula for Funding Preference Qualification 2: Significant Increase?
The formula should be the percent of total AY 2023-2024 graduates employed in MUCs subtracted by the percent of total AY 2022-2023 graduates employed in MUCs. If you can demonstrate a 25% increase, you will meet the funding preference via Qualification 2: Significant Increase. Please see page 43 of the NOFO for more details.