Section 592.125  Grant Award Process and Grant Agreement

a)         Once all qualifying applications are received and complete, the Department will use the following to determine the distribution of grants:

1)         Preference shall be given to those individuals who come from racial minorities which traditionally have been most underrepresented in the field of dentistry. Underrepresentation will be determined by:

A)        Obtaining the most recent year data available for the number of licensed dentists in Illinois by race/ethnic category, as defined in the term racial minority in Section 592.30.  The percentage of dentists will be calculated for each race/ethnic category from this data;

B)        Obtaining the most recent year data available for the population of Illinois by race/ethnic category, as defined in the term racial minority in Section 592.30.  The percentage of the population for each race/ethnic category will be calculated from this data;

C)        From the data sets referenced in subsections (a)(1)(A) and (B), a comparison will be made to the percentage of dentists in a particular race/ethnic category to the percentage of that particular race/ethnic category's Illinois population;

D)        From these calculations, the race/ethnic category that has the most underrepresented number of individuals in the field of dentistry in Illinois will receive preference in the awarding of grants;

2)         Preference shall be given to those individuals whose financial resources are such that, in the absence of a dental student grant, the individual will be prevented from pursuing a dental degree;

3)         Preference shall be given to those individuals who express an intent to teach or practice dentistry in the State of Illinois (Section 4.03a of the Act);

4)         Financial need as certified by the applicant's dental school;

5)         Recommendations from officials at the applicant's dental school regarding the student; and

6)         Greater number of years of dental school remaining.

b)         Applicants will be notified of their status by means of an award letter or other communication.  The notice will contain information concerning the amount of the grant award, the dates of the Grant Agreement, and that distribution of grant funds is dependent on available funding.

c)         Grant funds will be awarded in amounts and at time intervals specified in the Grant Agreement.

d)         The Grant Agreement will be executed between the applicant and the Department.

e)         An award to an applicant will not be final until the applicant and the Department have executed a Grant Agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the grant, using the form prescribed by the Department.  The Department will retract the award of a grant if an agreement cannot be reached on the terms of the Grant Agreement.

f)         Pursuant to the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act, the Grant Agreement shall, at a minimum:

1)         Describe the purpose of the grant and be signed by the Department and all grantees of the grant;

2)         Specify  how payments shall be made, what constitutes permissible expenditure of the grant funds, and the financial controls applicable to the grant, including, for those grants in excess of $25,000, the filing of quarterly reports describing the progress of the program, project, or use and the expenditure of the grant funds related thereto;

3)         Specify the period of time for which the grant is valid and the period of time during which grant funds may be expended by the grantee;

4)         Contain a provision that any grantees receiving grant funds are required to permit the Department, the Auditor General or the Attorney General to inspect and audit any books, records or papers related to the program, project, or use for which grant funds are provided;

5)         Contain a provision that all grant funds remaining at the end of the Grant Agreement or at the expiration of the period of time grant funds are available for expenditure or obligation by the grantee shall be returned to the State within 45 days; and

6)         Contain a provision in which the grantee certifies under oath that all information in the Grant Agreement is true and correct to the best of the grantee's knowledge, information and belief; that all funds shall be used only for the purposes described in the Grant Agreement; and that the award of grant funds is conditioned upon such certification. (Section 4(b) of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act)

(Source:  Added at 38 Ill. Reg. 23080, effective November 21, 2014)