FAQ: FY2023 Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency & Fellowship (ANE-NPRF) Program

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-23-009

• General questions
• Applicant eligibility
• Use of ANE-NPRF funds
• Funding preferences and special considerations
• Application submission process
• Review and selection process

General questions

Our organization was awarded a previous ANE-NPR Program or ANE-NPRIP grant. Should we operate the current grant program under a Continuation?

No. The ANE-NPRF Program is not a continuation of the ANE-NPR or ANE-NPRIP grant. The ANE-NPRF Program is a new grant program that merges two current NP Residency training grant programs – the ANE-NPRF and ANE-NPRIP.

Does the ANE-NPRF application have to use the Standardized Work Plan, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and other forms posted on Grants.gov under the “Optional Forms” column?

Yes. The following forms listed under Optional Forms in the Grants.gov Workspace are Mandatory Forms:

• Standardized Work Plan
• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
• Attachments (some attachments are Required and therefore mandatory)

Which Goals should be included in the Standardized Work Plan (SWP)?

You must enter the program goals for this NOFO in the Program Goals section of the SWP Form. For example, Goal 1 in the Purpose section of the NOFO will need to be entered as Goal 1 in the SWP Form.

Are applicants expected to submit both a Memorandum of Understanding and Letter of Support?

The Letters of Agreement/Memoranda of Understanding (Attachment 5) and Letters of Support (Attachment 7) are required for certain applications. Please see page 20 of the NOFO for additional information.

Are the target quarters in the Standardized Work Plan tied to the academic year, grant budget year, or federal fiscal year?

The target quarters in the Standardized Work Plan align with the grant budget year.

What happens if my application exceeds the page limit?

The page limit should be no more than 60 pages. HRSA will redact any pages considered over the page limit. The redacted copy of the application will move forward to the objective review committee.

Are the appendices counted in the 60-page limit?

Appendix A forms do not count in the 60-page limit.

Who can serve as a preceptor for the ANE-NPRF project?

Preceptors include individuals with demonstrated competence, appropriate academic preparation, clinical expertise, and experience as precepting APRN students, with a focus on primary care, behavioral health and/or maternal health.

Can preceptors be funded for academic contributions (lectures, facilitating workshops, planning meetings) and clinical education?

Yes. ANE-NPRF Program funding can be used to support recruitment and development of faculty and preceptors (including preceptors in community-based settings) to facilitate experiential learning opportunities for trainees.

The NOFO states that the awardees must train a minimum of four participants each project year. Do all participants have to be Nurse Practitioners (NPs), or can we have a mix of NPs and Physician Assistants?

The ANE-NPRF Program supports Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives only. Awardees must train a minimum of four participants each project year.

Must the Project Director or Project Coordinator be a Nurse Practitioner?

No. You must identify one Project Director. The Project Director for the proposed project must be a master’s or doctoral level RN with demonstrated competence, appropriate academic preparation, clinical expertise, and experience as an educator.

You must identify appropriate personnel to carry out the ANE-NPRF project. HRSA believes an effective ANE-NPRF Program may generally include but is not limited to many of the following personnel or similar roles:

• Project Coordinator
• Evaluation Coordinator
• Clinical Liaison Lead

Applicant eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for the HRSA-23-009 funding opportunity?

Those eligible to apply for this funding opportunity include:

• Accredited schools of nursing
• Nursing centers (nurse managed health clinics/centers)
• Academic health centers
• Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations
• Tribes and tribal organizations
• State or local governments and other nonprofit private or public entities determined appropriate by the HHS Secretary, such as Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers or HRSA-supported health centers

Does applying for accreditation in 2024 meet the requirement to apply for the HRSA-23-009 funding opportunity?

The HRSA-23-009 is an FY 2023 NOFO. Applicants applying for this program must demonstrate that they have started the accreditation process at the time of application.

Is state accreditation acceptable if our clinical facility does not have a national accreditation?

Schools of nursing/nursing academic programs must be accredited by a state agency, or a recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Clinical/Community-based organizations applying under this NOFO must provide documentation of accreditation by a national, regional, or state accrediting agency or body.

Do you require accreditation from all partners?

Not necessarily. You must submit accreditation as the lead applicant and for at least one key partner.

For consortiums, each entity must be accredited for this NOFO.

Is it necessary for the applicant school of nursing partner to have a recognized master's or doctoral degree program, or can a post-master's certificate suffice?

You must be able to support individuals that complete advanced nursing education (nurse practitioner or nurse midwifery) degree or post-master’s certificate program with a focus on primary care, behavioral health, or maternal health.

Use of ANE-NPRF funds

Does this grant pay up to $700,000 for all four Project Years or up to $700,000 for each year of the project?

You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $700,000 annually (reflecting direct and indirect costs) per year. Your request for each subsequent year of the period of performance cannot exceed your year one request.

Does the ANE-NPRF Program have stipend requirements?

Yes. The ANE-NPRF program has stipend requirements. Supporting participants using HRSA funds under this award is limited to 12 months for any one participant.

The participant stipend support from HRSA funds must be no more than 70% of the geographical market compensation for a comparable specialty for residents/fellows. Must the proposed project fund the remaining 30% of the NP resident/fellow stipend?

Yes. Award recipients must provide the remaining 30% of the NP resident/fellow compensation. See page 24 of the NOFO for more information.

The NOFO stated that the grant does not require a match. Is the 30% coverage of the resident stipend considered a match?

No. Cost sharing/matching is not required for this program. A cost sharing requirement is when the receiving entity is required to match Federal funds, for every Federal Dollar awarded, either monetarily or with in kind services.

Is the requirement to train a minimum of four participants per year beginning from year one?

Yes. You are required to train a minimum of four participants per project year.

Is the 60% traineeship support requirement limited to salary or can it include other training support costs like conferences, educational materials, and office supplies?

You must dedicate a minimum of 60% of the total award funds for participant support. Participant stipend support refers to participant compensation.

Are Physician Assistants eligible trainees for the NP Residency/Fellowship Program?

No. Beneficiaries (participants) are the NP residents/fellows.

Where can applicants find the geographical market rate?

HRSA does not require use of a particular valid source to confirm the NP resident/fellow geographical market rate. You can find occupational employment and wage estimates for a state, district, territory, or commonwealth on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

What does “establishment, expansion and/or enhancement” mean in relation to the ANE-NPRF Program?

• Establishment refers to NP residency or fellowship programs in the accreditation process.
• Expansion refers to increasing the number of NP residents/fellows trained, the number of partnerships formed, or extending care environment into rural or underserved locations.
• Enhancement refers to adding specific content or experiences to current program such as behavioral health or maternal health specialty and specialized curriculum or experiences (e.g., Social Determinants of Health and health equity training, diversity training, provider wellness training, etc.).

Can this money be used to expand/enhance our program by hiring a clinical education director to oversee both of our residency programs and facilitate our academic partnership?

You must execute the program requirements. Requirement 2 provides a detailed list of expectations for expanding/enhancing NP Residency/Fellowship Programs.

Identify appropriate personnel to carry out the ANE-NPRF project. See page 21 of the NOFO for examples of key project personnel. We recommend identifying specific individuals for their project needs.

Can participants propose a training program longer than 12 months?

Financial support for participants using HRSA funds under this award is limited to 12 months for any one participant. You may propose a longer training program, but HRSA funds can only provide 12 months of financial support.

Is there an allowable planning period?

There is no planning period for the ANE-NPRF award. The Residency/Fellowship program must begin no later than October 31 each of the four project years.

What is Maintenance of Effort (MoE)?

You must agree to maintain non-federal funding for award activities at a level that is not less than expenditures for such activities maintained by the entity for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the entity receives the award. Such federal funds are intended to supplement, not supplant, existing non-federal expenditures for such activities. Complete the Maintenance of Effort (MoE) information and submit as Attachment 6. Applicants must provide a baseline aggregate expenditure for the prior fiscal year and an estimate for the next fiscal year using a chart like the one in Attachment 6.

If the clinical site of the nurse practitioner fellows/residents is not a subaward, are they held to the program income requirements on page 32 of the NOFO?

All program income generated because of awarded funds must be used for approved project-related activities.

Academic Practice Partnerships refers to formal collaboration between academic and clinical practice settings. HRSA does not stipulate the terms of the partnership.

Funding preferences and special considerations

Does the ANE-NPRF Program NOFO offer a funding preference or special consideration?

The ANE-NPRF Program provides a funding preference for some projects that will substantially benefit rural or underserved populations or help meet public health nursing needs in state or local health departments.

If you receive preference, your application will be placed in a more competitive position among applications that can be funded. Applications that do not receive a funding preference will receive full and equitable consideration during the review process.

The ANE-NPRF Program also includes a Federally Qualified Health Center funding preference as a special consideration.

Is Table 1 mandatory or only applicable to applicants that have historic data for that range?

Table 1 requires information about graduates/program completers from the previous year (2021-2022). To be eligible for the Statutory Funding Preference, applicants must complete Table 1.

What program information is needed to specify funding preference/special consideration?

You need to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for one of the preferences by submitting the required NP resident/fellow data:

• Identify the funding preference(s) or special consideration being requested in the abstract.
• Complete the ANE Program Specific Data Forms (Appendix A).
  • Applicants requesting a Funding Preference must complete the program specific Table 1 – Graduate Data - Rural, Underserved, Public Health Practice Settings and HPSA Data - Graduate Data from 7/01/2021 to 6/30/2022 in Appendix A of the NOFO. You do not need to complete the ANE Program Specific Data Forms for the Special Consideration request.
• Provide supporting documentation in Attachment 7 – Request for Funding Preference. Also refer to NOFO Section V.2, Funding Preference.

What if we do not meet the funding preference/special consideration requirements but our academic practice partner does?

You will be eligible for funding preference/special consideration if your partner meets the required criteria in the NOFO. See pages 37-40 of the NOFO for more information.

Do educational institutions qualify for the funding preference?

You must meet only one qualification to receive the funding preference. Eligibility criteria for the preferences are detailed on pages 37 & 38 of the NOFO. Educational institutions may meet eligibility criteria for any of the funding preference qualifications listed.

Which dates should we report on the Program Specific Data Form?

Select the correct Current Fiscal Year – 2023. Once the correct fiscal year is selected, the form will auto populate the correct graduate data year required for Table 1 – July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022.

Application submission process

Do the Memoranda of Understanding have to be in place prior to application submission and signed individually by partners?

Yes. You must have a Letter of Agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding, and/or a Description(s) of Project-Specific Proposed/Existing Contracts at the time you submit your application.

Is there a standard form available to submit a biographical sketch with the application? Will the form be counted in the page limit?

Biographical sketches, not exceeding two pages per person, should include the information outlined on pages 22 and 23 of the NOFO. Biographical sketches must be uploaded in the SF-424 RESEARCH & RELATED Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form that can be accessed in Grants.gov via the ANE-NPRF NOFO Application Package under “Mandatory.” Include biographical sketches for persons occupying the key positions.

The biographical sketch is not counted in the page limit.

Review and selection process

How are applications evaluated and what criteria are used to score the applications?

HRSA staff review each application for eligibility, responsiveness, completeness, and conformity with the requirements outlined in the NOFO. See pages 33-37 of the NOFO for more information.