TRANS-NIH RECOVERY ACT LOAN REPAYMENT SUPPORT
Initiatives will attract and retain health professionals performing research in fields required by the NIH to carry out its mission by providing educational loan repayment
The Department of Health and Human Services is the Federal government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially to those who are least able to help themselves.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2008: 1,583 awards were made under the extramural Loan Repayment Programs in FY 08. However, ARRA funding is a new program so there are no comparable accomplishments. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available
Uses and Use Restrictions
To provide support for NIH loan repayment initiatives funded under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Initiatives will attract and retain health professionals performing research in fields required by the NIH to carry out its mission by providing educational loan repayment for participants with substantial amounts of educational debt relative to income, who agree by written contract to engage in biomedical, behavioral or clinical research in a qualifying nonprofit institution or as an employee of the NIH for 2 years for new intramural and extramural contracts.
Recipients must have qualified educational debt in excess of 20 percent of their annual salary, which is referred to as their "debt threshold." An amount equal to half of this "debt threshold" will not be repaid by NIH and must be paid by the program participants.
Participants may apply for and the Secretary may grant extension contracts for one-year or two-year periods, as determined by the Secretary, if the individual continues to engage in qualifying research beyond their initial contracts.
Renewal applications are competitively reviewed and the submission of a renewal application does not assure the award of benefits.
Eligible renewal applications that score within the funding range will receive continuation contracts from non-ARRA funding sources.
The maximum program benefit is $35,000 per year in loan repayments and $13,650 per year in Federal tax reimbursements, plus discretionary State and local tax reimbursements.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Small business (less than 500 employees): Health/Medical
Beneficiary Eligibility
Specialized group (e.g. health professionals, students, veterans); Health Professional; U.S. Citizen
Credentials/Documentation
Applicants electronically transmit the following documents to the NIH: Applicant Information Statement, Biosketch, Personal Statement, Description of Research Activities, 3 Recommendations, Loan Information including current account statement(s) and promissory note(s) or disclosure statement(s), Assessment of Research Activities Statement (completed by the research supervisor), and Description of the Research Environment (completed by the research supervisor), Training or Mentoring Plan (completed by the research supervisor). Institutional Contacts electronically transmit a certification that: (a) assures the applicant will be provided the necessary time and resources to engage in the research project for two years from the date a Loan Repayment Program Contract is executed; (b) assures that the applicant is or will be engaged in qualifying research for 50 percent of their time (or not less than 20 hours per week based on a 40 hour week); (c) certifies that the institution is nonprofit (exempt from tax under 26 USC 501), and (d) provides the applicant"s institutional base salary. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Applicants must access and submit the Loan Repayment Program application via the website www.lrp.nih.gov. Applications submitted to the NIH Division of Loan Repayment are first examined to determine if the basic eligibility requirements are satisfied. If these requirements are met, the application is forwarded to the NIH Center for Scientific Review for a determination regarding which NIH Institute or Center the application will be assigned to for review, scoring, and ranking.
Award Procedures
The NIH Institutes and Centers approve or disapprove applications for participation in the Loan Repayment Program. When an Institute or Center approves an application, the NIH Office of Loan Repayment notifies individuals of their award amount, provides a repayment schedule that covers the period of participation, and a Loan Repayment Program Contract is executed by an authorized representative of the Secretary, DHHS. If the approved research assignment changes, or if the employing research institution changes, the participant must have their continued eligibility recertified by the Institute or Center which approved their application. Contact the NIH via E-mail at LRP@NIH.GOV for further guidance.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part G, Section 487F, Public Law 106-505, 42 U.S.C 288-5a.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Not Applicable.
Appeals
Not Applicable.
Renewals
At the conclusion of the ARRA 2-year contract, participants may apply and be considered for subsequent 1 or 2-year continuation contracts under the application and approval procedures specified above. Renewal applications are competitively reviewed and the submission of a renewal application does not assure the award of benefits. Eligible renewal applications that score within the funding range will receive continuation contracts from non-ARRA funding sources.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.This program has no matching requirements. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
For initial two-year contract periods, loan repayments awards may range from $2,298 to $70,000; Tax reimbursements range from $1,040 to $31,679. The average contract cost which includes loan and tax reimbursement is $48,718. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Not available.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Audits
No audits are required for this program.
Records
No Data Available.
Financial Information
Account Identification
74-4554-0-1-552.
Obigations
(Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $12,000,000; FY 10 est $12,000,000
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
For initial two-year contract periods, loan repayments awards may range from $2,298 to $70,000; Tax reimbursements range from $1,040 to $31,679. The average contract cost which includes loan and tax reimbursement is $48,718.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Pertinent information is contained in Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part G, Section 487F, Public Law 106-505, 42 U.S.C. 288-5a. The NIH LRP-CR was initially announced by publication of a Notice in the Federal Register (Vol. 66, No. 173), and updated in Federal Register (Vol. 68, No. 61).
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Sherry Mills 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 206, MSC 7650, Bethesda 20892-7650 Email: lrp@nih.gov Phone: (866) 849-4047
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The NIH Institutes and Centers approve or disapprove applications for participation in the Loan Repayment Programs. Applications that are on time, complete and eligible are referred to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center by the NIH Center for Scientific Review. The NIH Institutes and Centers convene panels comprised of non-NIH scientists to review, score and rank applications. In evaluating the application, reviewers are directed to consider the following components as they relate to the likelihood that the applicant will continue in a research career: (1) potential of the applicant to pursue a career in research, and (2) quality of the overall environment to prepare the applicant for a research career.
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