(a) Awarding of grants and contracts
The Secretary shall ensure that grants and contracts under this subchapter are awarded on a competitive basis, as appropriate, to carry out innovative demonstration projects or provide for strategic workforce supplementation activities as needed to meet health workforce goals and in accordance with this subchapter. Contracts may be entered into under this subchapter with public or private entities as may be necessary.

(b) Eligible entities
Unless specifically required otherwise in this subchapter, the Secretary shall accept applications for grants or contracts under this subchapter from health professions schools, academic health centers, State or local governments, or other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities for funding and participation in health professions and nursing training activities. The Secretary may accept applications from for-profit private entities if determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(c) Information requirements

(1) In general
Recipients of grants and contracts under this subchapter shall meet information requirements as specified by the Secretary.

(2) Data collection
The Secretary shall establish procedures to ensure that, with respect to any data collection required under this subchapter, such data is collected in a manner that takes into account age, sex, race, and ethnicity.

(3) Use of funds
The Secretary shall establish procedures to permit the use of amounts appropriated under this subchapter to be used for data collection purposes.

(4) Evaluations
The Secretary shall establish procedures to ensure the annual evaluation of programs and projects operated by recipients of grants or contracts under this subchapter. Such procedures shall ensure that continued funding for such programs and projects will be conditioned upon a demonstration that satisfactory progress has been made by the program or project in meeting the objectives of the program or project.

(d) Training programs
Training programs conducted with amounts received under this subchapter shall meet applicable accreditation and quality standards.

(e) Duration of assistance

(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), in the case of an award to an entity of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this subchapter, the period during which payments are made to the entity under the award may not exceed 5 years. The provision of payments under the award shall be subject to annual approval by the Secretary of the payments and subject to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments. This paragraph may not be construed as limiting the number of awards under the program involved that may be made to the entity.

(2) Limitation
In the case of an award to an entity of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this subchapter, paragraph (1) shall apply only to the extent not inconsistent with any other provision of this subchapter that relates to the period during which payments may be made under the award.

(f) Peer review regarding certain programs

(1) In general
Each application for a grant under this subchapter, except any scholarship or loan program, including those under sections ¹ 292, 292q, or 292s of this title, shall be submitted to a peer review group for an evaluation of the merits of the proposals made in the application. The Secretary may not approve such an application unless a peer review group has recommended the application for approval.

(2) Composition
Each peer review group under this subsection shall be composed principally of individuals who are not officers or employees of the Federal Government. In providing for the establishment of peer review groups and procedures, the Secretary shall ensure sex, racial, ethnic, and geographic balance among the membership of such groups.

(3) Administration
This subsection shall be carried out by the Secretary acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration.

(g) Preference or priority considerations
In considering a preference or priority for funding which is based on outcome measures for an eligible entity under this subchapter, the Secretary may also consider the future ability of the eligible entity to meet the outcome preference or priority through improvements in the eligible entity's program design.

(h) Analytic activities
The Secretary shall ensure that—

(1) cross-cutting workforce analytical activities are carried out as part of the workforce information and analysis activities under section 294n of this title; and

(2) discipline-specific workforce information and analytical activities are carried out as part of—

(A) the community-based linkage program under part D; and

(B) the health workforce development program under subpart 2 of part E.

(i) Osteopathic Schools
For purposes of this subchapter, any reference to—

(1) medical schools shall include osteopathic medical schools; and

(2) medical students shall include osteopathic medical students.