VMLRP Shortage Nominations Requested

January 15, 2014 — 

The Federal Register notice to solicit veterinary shortage nominations from State Animal Health Officials (SAHOs) for the 2014 Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) cycle has been published. For a PDF version of the notice, click here.

SAHOs will have 60 days to submit their nominations by email attachment (deadline, March 10, 2014) on the form (same as last year) provided. Maximum number of nominations for each state remains the same as prior years (see website for your State's maximum number of nomination.)

As in the past, carry-over nominations, which require no further merit review for inclusion on the 2014 veterinary shortage map, must be copied and pasted without change of content from last year into a new shortage form to which the current year submission date will be applied as well as any changes in the name of the SAHO making the submission. As in the past, new shortage nominations submitted by SAHOs will undergo merit review and be officially designated and posted to the map if approved by the external panel of experts convened by NIFA in March. We anticipate 2014 shortage maps will be posted in April.

SAHOs are asked to indicate which are carry-over and which are new shortage nominations in the body of the submission email.

In determining 2014 shortage priorities, SAHOs are encouraged to review the historical shortage maps available for viewing under the SAHO daughter page at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp to determine whether areas previously indicated as filled by prior awardees may no longer be filled, e.g., due either to expiration of the 3yr contract period (this has just occurred for the 2010 awardee cohort, except for the few who won renewal), or to early termination of the award. The latter has occurred in a small number of cases, typically related to extenuating circumstances. Vacated shortage areas may therefore once again become candidate shortages situations depending on priorities established by each SAHO in his/her state for 2014-2016.

Questions and comments may be sent to vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov, or directly using the contact information below.

Gary B Sherman MS, DVM, PhD Nat'l Program Leader, Veterinary Science USDA-National Institute of Food & Agriculture Institute of Food Production & Sustainability Waterfront Centre, Rm 3131 800 9th St SW Washington D.C. 20024 Email: gsherman@nifa.usda.gov Off: 202-401-4952 Fax: 202-401-6156

Source: NIFA