42 U.S.C. § 295o–1 — Generally applicable provisions

(a) Awarding of grants and contracts. The Secretary must make sure grants and contracts under this subchapter go out on a competitive basis, when appropriate, to fund new demonstration projects or fill strategic workforce gaps needed to meet health workforce goals. The Secretary can contract with public or private groups as needed. (b) Eligible entities. Unless another part of this subchapter says otherwise, the Secretary must accept applications from health professions schools, academic health centers, state or local governments, or other appropriate public or private nonprofit groups. The Secretary may also accept applications from for-profit groups if that seems appropriate. (c) Information requirements. (1) In general. Recipients must meet whatever information requirements the Secretary sets. (2) Data collection. The Secretary must set procedures ensuring that any required data collection accounts for age, sex, race, and ethnicity. (3) Use of funds. The Secretary must set procedures letting money appropriated under this subchapter be used for data collection. (4) Evaluations. The Secretary must set procedures for annually evaluating funded programs and projects. Continued funding depends on the program showing real progress toward its goals. (d) Training programs. Training programs funded under this subchapter must meet the usual accreditation and quality standards. (e) Duration of assistance. (1) In general. Subject to (2), payments to an entity under a single grant, cooperative agreement, or contract can't run longer than 5 years. Payments still need annual Secretary approval and available funding. This doesn't limit how many separate awards an entity can get. (2) Limitation. This 5-year cap only applies to the extent it doesn't conflict with some other, more specific rule elsewhere in this subchapter about how long payments can run. (f) Peer review regarding certain programs. (1) In general. Except for scholarship or loan programs (including three named sections), every grant application under this subchapter must go to a peer review group to evaluate its merits. The Secretary cannot approve an application unless the peer review group recommended it. (2) Composition. Peer review groups must mainly be made up of people who aren't federal officers or employees. The Secretary must aim for sex, racial, ethnic, and geographic balance on these groups. (3) Administration. The Secretary carries this out through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. (g) Preference or priority considerations. When weighing a funding preference or priority based on outcome measures, the Secretary may also consider whether the entity could meet that goal in the future through improving its program design. (h) Analytic activities. The Secretary must make sure: (1) cross-cutting workforce analysis happens as part of the workforce information activities under a named section; and (2) profession-specific workforce information and analysis happens as part of (A) the community-based linkage program under Part D, and (B) the health workforce development program under a named subpart of Part E. (i) Osteopathic schools. Wherever this subchapter refers to medical schools, that includes osteopathic medical schools. Wherever it refers to medical students, that includes osteopathic medical students.