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HRSA Reverses Previous Decision on GACA VA Applicants: What You Should Know

By Nancy Lundebjerg posted 02-19-2019 01:34 PM

  
We are delighted to report that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has reversed its earlier decision that applicants holding Veterans Affairs (VA) appointments were ineligible for the Geriatrics Academic Career Award (GACA) program. This is an important change that aligns HRSA with other federal agencies (e.g., the National Institutes of Health, NIH) when determining eligibility for applicants who work in the VA.
 
When the AGS first learned about application issues for VA employees, we reached out to HRSA to ask that they reconsider this decision, citing NIH policy and noting that the initial decision risked penalizing geriatrics health professionals who are caring for vulnerable older veterans. See our letter to HRSA here for additional information on the AGS/ADGAP response.
 
What the HRSA Decision Means for Existing and New GACA Applicants
  • If you applied for a GACA, you should have received an email last week notifying you that the application deadline had been extended through April 16, 2019, and that HRSA had posted a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) accessible here. If you determine for whatever reason that you would like to resubmit your existing application, please note that HRSA will only accept the last validated electronic submission.
  • If you did not previously apply for a GACA but would like to do so at this time, new applications are allowed through the extended deadline.
HRSA also has posted an updated response to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs); specific items about VA eligibility are excepted below for your reference.
 
If you have any additional or specific questions about your current or new GACA application, we encourage you to reach out to Young Song at ysong@hrsa.gov or 301-443-3353.
 
#AGSProud
 
The AGS team is delighted that our advocacy on behalf of affected applicants resulted in this change to eligibility criteria. We commend HRSA for listening to our concerns and implementing related changes. We believe extending the application deadline provides an opportunity for applicants who may not have applied due to the prior VA eligibility determination to submit an application, and we hope many will do so! A particular shout out to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for its outreach to HRSA, and to our GACA applicants and leaders who helped with this advocacy. Thanks also to AGS Board member Mark Supiano, MD, for his work on behalf of all potential VA applicants. We know that successful advocacy takes a village, and we are #AGSProud of the teamwork that went into this effort.

Excerpts from Updated HRSA GACA FAQ
  • If we are VA employees and our project is done in Veteran Affairs (VA), how will that be handled? The award is made to an eligible institution. Salary payments may be made from HRSA grant funds to full-time junior faculty as long as the combined federal salary and GACA award amount does not exceed 100% of the GACA candidate’s total salary.
  • For applicants who are VA employees with a full-time appointment at a university, do they need certificates of support from each institution or only the sponsoring academic institution? The award is made to an eligible institution. The certificate of faculty appointment must be from the accredited school of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, dentistry, pharmacy, or allied health where the GACA candidate has a full-time junior faculty appointment. The certificate of service requirement must be from your institution.

Access the complete revision to the HRSA GACA Application FAQ here.

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