Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA 24-098
Eligibility
Who is eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?
Eligible entities include not-for-profit accredited public or private schools of nursing that grant associate or baccalaureate registered nursing degrees whose students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam to enter the nursing workforce. Additionally, other eligible institutions include health care facilities, federally qualified health centers, nurse-managed health clinics, or a partnership of such with a school and facility. For full eligibility information, please refer to pages 3, 4, and 7 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Does this grant provide nursing education support for licensed practical nurses (LPNs)?
No. This funding opportunity is specifically intended to increase the Registered Nurse (RN) workforce in rural (non-metro) and underserved areas to address the critical shortage of nurses, particularly in acute and long-term care settings. Therefore, the support is focused on students in registered nursing programs who are authorized to take the NCLEX-RN exam upon completion of their nursing program.
Our program was accredited by our state Board of Nursing. Are we eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?
Approval from your state Board of Nursing alone is not sufficient unless the state agency is approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Schools of nursing affiliated with the project must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body or by a state agency approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. All nursing programs associated with the project must be accredited for the purpose of nursing education.
Who is NOT eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?
Individuals, for-profit entities, and foreign entities are not eligible to apply for this award. Schools of nursing whose accreditation or approval status cannot be verified will be considered nonresponsive and deemed ineligible.
Can organizations that are not designated as rural or non-metro apply?
Yes. The eligible entities must meet the criteria listed on pages 3-4 in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to be considered eligible to apply to the funding opportunity.
Application submission
This funding opportunity has a very short application window. Will HRSA grant an application submission extension?
No. HRSA will not provide extensions for application submissions. You must submit your application before July 26, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Our organization has several different locations. Are we allowed to submit an application for each branch?
No. Multiple applications from an organization with the same Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) are not allowed.
What is the page limit for the application narrative section?
There is a 50-page limit for the overall application. Please carefully review which documents will be counted in the page limit. Applicants should use the Standard OMB-approved forms included in the workspace application package. HRSA will not review any pages over the page limit.
Funding preferences and priorities
My facility qualifies for all three funding preferences. Does my facility have a better chance of being awarded funding?
No. Applicants can only qualify for one funding preference. Qualifying for a funding preference does not guarantee that your application will be successful. Applicants must provide proof of qualification for the funding preference. If adequate proof is not provided, the preference will not be recognized.
Can applicants qualify for both funding priorities?
Yes. Applicants can qualify for BOTH funding priorities and receive points for both funding priorities. Applicants must indicate the intention to receive the priority in the project abstract. Proof for priority points should be placed in Attachment 6 in the application. Partial points will not be awarded for either priority. Please refer to pages 32-33 of the NOFO for information about funding preferences and priorities.
- Priority 1: States with the Greatest Nursing Shortages (2 Points), AND
- Priority 2: Public Entities (2 Points). Funding priority will be given to eligible entities who provide proof of their status as a public entity.
What is a special consideration?
A special consideration is the favorable consideration of an application based on the extent to which the application addresses a specific area. For this funding opportunity, HRSA funding officials will give special consideration to entities that grant associate degrees in nursing, such as community colleges.
Will my application be considered if my entity does not meet the requirements for special consideration?
Yes. Entities that do not receive special consideration will be given full and equitable consideration during the review process.
Program requirements
How should applicants implement the required 80 hours of training?
Award recipients are expected to implement a minimum of 80 hours of additional training beyond the nursing students’ regular clinical rotation hours. It is up to the applicant to determine the number of weeks or semesters that best fulfills the minimum number of hours required for the clinical training.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity states that there can only be one Project Director (PD)/ Principal Investigator (PI) on the project. Am I allowed to have a Co-PD/PI for my project?
No. Co-PD/PI positions are not allowed. HRSA will only recognize one individual as the Project Director/Primary Investigator (PD/PI) for the NEPQR-WEP project. You may add other key personnel to assist the PD/PI. However, the key personnel should not have the same roles and responsibilities as the PD/PI. The PD/PI on this project must be a registered nurse.
Budget and grants management
What is the ceiling amount that can be requested for each year of the award?
You may request up to $1,000,000 per budget period. Each budget period consists of 12-month intervals. The project period consists of the total time of the approved project. The NEPQR-WEP project period is four years. Your funding request for years 2, 3, and 4 cannot exceed your request for year one.
Can we use our negotiated indirect cost rate for this funding opportunity?
No. Indirect costs for training awards cannot exceed 8% of modified total direct costs. Please review page 9 of the NOFO for more information about the indirect cost rate for this funding opportunity.