HCAI staff on Sept. 3 walked applicants through the Health Careers Exploration Program (HSEP) application structure, evaluation process and post-award obligations, emphasizing early application and accurate documentation.

“Elvira Sanchez, the HSEP program officer, said HCAI will review each application for the presence or absence of required information and may reject applications that contain false or misleading information,” according to the webinar recording. Sanchez told attendees the application contains 12 sections, including general information, program information, partner organizations and a detailed budget.

The agency said the scoring framework is extensive: presenters noted a maximum of 172 points is available across program information, proposal quality, organization background and program activities. HCAI advised applicants to select only the activities they plan to carry out and to explain how proposals will be culturally and linguistically responsive.

On budget and expenses, HCAI listed allowable line items including advertising, meals, supplies, transportation, facility costs and indirect costs; indirect costs are capped at 15% of the total grant. Presenters also said grantees must include a current STD 204 payee data record and provide a payee address that exactly matches IRS records to avoid payment delays. The State Controller’s Office will mail paper checks to the address on file.

Post-award administration: HCAI will execute grant agreements via DocuSign. The agency warned that refusing to sign required documents by the deadline may result in forfeiture of the award and said it reserves the right to recover funds if grantees fail to meet deliverables.

On technical and eligibility questions, HCAI staff recommended applicants complete their portal profiles early so staff can grant appropriate application access (for example, program director role). Dawn Snodgrass, HCAI communications analyst, and others asked attendees to send specific or sensitive questions to the program inbox posted in the chat for individualized responses.

Clinton Ramson, program manager, advised applicants not to wait until the deadline and explained that the official close time is 3 p.m.; the website may show a later time as a small cushion for last-minute submissions but staff will not provide help after the official close. “That is our 3PM is our official official close date,” Ramson said.

HCAI said slides and a recording of the webinar will be posted on the HSEP resources page within seven to 10 business days, and encouraged applicants to read the grant guide for detailed scoring criteria and a full list of program activities.