§ 136.313 Evaluation and grant awards.

(a) Within the limits of funds available for such purpose, the Secretary, acting through the Service, may award health professions recruitment grants to those eligible applicants whose proposed projects will in his judgment best promote the purposes of section 102 of the Act, taking into consideration: (1) The potential effectiveness of the proposed project in carrying out such purposes; (2) The capability of the applicant to successfully conduct the project; (3) The accessibility of the applicant to target Indian communities or tribes, including evidence of past or potential cooperation between the applicant and such communities or tribes; (4) The relationship of project objectives to known or anticipated Indian health manpower deficiencies; (5) The soundness of the fiscal plan for assuring effective utilization of grant funds; (6) The completeness of the application. (b) Preference shall be given to applicants in the following order or priority: (1) Indian tribes, (2) tribal organizations, (3) urban Indian organizations and other Indian health organizations, and (4) public and other nonprofit profit private health or educational entities. (c) The Notice of Grant Awards specifies how long the Secretary intends to support the project period without requiring the project to re-compete for funds. This period, called the project period, will usually be for one to two years. The total project period comprises the original project period and any extension. Generally the grant will be for a one year budget period, any subsequent award will also be a one year budget period. A grantee must submit a separate application for each subsequent year. Decisions regarding continuation awards and the funding level of such awards will be made after consideration of such factors as the grantee's progress and management practices, and the availability of funds. In all cases, awards require a determination by the Secretary that funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government. (d) Neither the approval of any application nor the award of any grant commits or obligates the Federal Government in any way to make any additional, supplemental, continuation, or other award with respect to any approved application or portion of an approved application.