(a) General Information. The program, as it applies to this section:
  (1) Name--Minority Health Research and Education Grant Program.
  (2) Purpose--To provide funding to eligible institutions of higher education to conduct research and educational programs on public health issues affecting one or more minority groups in Texas.
  (3) Authority--Texas Education Code, §§63.301 - 63.302.
  (4) Minority--A particular ethnic or racial group that is under-represented in one or more areas of health research or health education.
  (5) Eligible institutions--The entities identified in Texas Education Code, §63.302, as eligible to receive grants.
  (6) Eligible programs--Research and educational initiatives, including those that expand existing research and degree programs, and develop other new or existing activities and projects, that are not funded by state appropriation during the funding period. Proposed programs shall not conflict with current judicial decisions and state interpretation on administering minority programs in higher education.
  (7) Application requirements--Applicants shall submit applications to the Board in the format and at the time specified by the Board.
  (8) General Selection Criteria--Competitive. Designed to award grants that provide the best overall value to the state. Selection criteria shall be based on:
    (A) Program quality as defined by the evaluation criteria in the Request for Applications (RFA);
    (B) Potential impact on public health issues affecting one or more minority groups in the state;
    (C) Cost of the proposed program; and
    (D) Other factors to be considered may include financial ability to perform program, state and regional needs and priorities, whether the eligible institution has been designated as an Historically Black or Hispanic Serving institution by the U.S. Department of Education, ability to continue program after grant period, and past performance.
  (9) Award amounts will be set forth in the RFA based on the availability of funds.
  (10) Maximum award length--A program is eligible to receive funding for up to three years within a grant period. Currently and previously funded programs may reapply to receive funding according to eligibility requirements specified in the RFA.
(b) Review Criteria. The review criteria will be set forth in the RFA.
  (1) Board staff and/or peer reviewers may evaluate the applications.
  (2) The Commissioner shall select qualified individuals to serve as reviewers. Reviewers shall demonstrate appropriate credentials to evaluate grant applications in health research and education. Reviewers shall not evaluate any applications for which they have a conflict of interest.
  (3) The Board staff shall provide written instructions and training for reviewers.
  (4) The reviewers shall review each application according to these evaluation criteria:
    (A) Significance and impact of research or educational program for minority health issues;
    (B) Program design;
    (C) Resources to perform the program;
    (D) Cost effectiveness; and
    (E) Evaluation and expected outcomes.
(c) Application and Review Process.
  (1) The Board staff shall review applications to determine if they adhere to the grant program requirements and the funding priorities contained in the RFA. An application must meet the requirements of the RFA and be submitted with proper authorization on or before the deadline specified by the RFA to qualify for further consideration. Qualified applications shall be forwarded to the reviewers for evaluation. Board staff shall notify an applicant if their application does not qualify based on the screening process no later than 30 days after the RFA deadline.
  (2) Reviewers shall evaluate applications based on the evaluation criteria included in the RFA.
(d) Funding Decisions.
  (1) Board staff and/or peer reviewers will evaluate applications for grant funding only based upon the information provided in the written application.
  (2) Board staff shall make a recommendation of selected applicants to be funded to the Commissioner, who will submit a funding decision recommendation to the Board for their final approval as consistent with §1.16 of this title (relating to Contracts, Including Grants, for Materials and/or Services).
  (3) The Board shall review and may approve grants based upon the Commissioner's recommendation.

Source Note: The provisions of this §6.74 adopted to be effective May 29, 2003, 28 TexReg 4130; amended to be effective August 25, 2008, 33 TexReg 6811; amended to be effective May 17, 2021, 46 TexReg 3123