HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration announced in the May 5 Federal Register the availability of $26 million in FY 2003 to support a new two-year program to train the health care workforce to respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.  Applications for funds are due by June 30; awards will be announced in late September.
 
Under the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program, funds will be awarded to provide continuing education and training for practicing health care providers and to enhance curricula in health professions schools.  The goal of the program is to develop a health care workforce that can:
 

• recognize indications of a terrorist event;
• treat the acute care needs of patients arising from such an event, including pediatric and other vulnerable populations;
• participate in a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to terrorist events and other public health emergencies; and
• rapidly and effectively alert the public health system of such an event.

As many as 38,000 health care professionals will be trained annually.  Trainees may include health care providers serving in public and private hospitals, community health centers, migrant health centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, National Health Service Corps sites, and private and group practice.
 
Awards will be in the form of cooperative agreements to eligible entities to fund continuing education for providers and curricular enhancement in health professions schools.  HRSA expects to award up to 37 cooperative agreements of varying amounts.
 
Application materials are available at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/grants/applications/03bioterror.htm.  Hard copies may be obtained from the HRSA Grants Application Center, Grants Management Office, 901 Russell Ave., Suite 450, Gaithersburg, Md. 20879, phone (877) 477-2123 or fax at (877) 477-2345.  Refer to program announcement number HRSA 03-099.
 
To help prepare potential applicants, HRSA will conduct technical assistance workshops in the following sites and dates: Chicago, May 13; San Francisco, May 15; Boston, May 21; Dallas, May 23; Washington, D.C., May 28; Denver, May 30; and Atlanta, June 3.  Attendance is voluntary and at the expense of the participant, and registration is required.  On-line registration is available at http://meetings.z-techcorp.com/cmt/. 
 
For more information on the Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program, contact Lynn Wegman at (301) 443-1648; fax (301) 443-0157; or email: lwegman@hrsa.gov.