DoD/VA Joint Incentive Fund (JIF)

JIF Program

Section 721 of FY 2003 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) required establishment of a Joint Incentive Fund (JIF) to identify, provide incentives to, implement, fund, and evaluate creative DoD/VA coordination and sharing initiatives at the facility, regional and national levels. DoD and VA must contribute $15M each to the Fund through FY 2010.

A press release from a "successful" JIF project between Keesler Medical Center and the Biloxi VAMC, focused on cardiac care, can be found at: http://www.keesler.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123046556. Of note from this article is the following:

JIF projects compete annually for developmental dollars and must benefit both the DOD and VA party and support the VA/DOD joint strategic plan. They must improve the quality and access to care for VA and DOD beneficiaries, show a positive return on investment and be self-sustaining after two years.

...successful JIF projects are awarded "seed money" to outfit, equip or staff a clinic or project. After two years, the clinic or project must recapture enough workload that formerly would have gone out to the civilian network to sustain the salaries and other costs associated to make that clinic or project run.

FY09 Program Information and Dates

Program announcements, dates, and submission forms can be accessed through the OTSG JIF web site at:

http://vadodrs.amedd.army.mil

How to Submit a Proposal

A call for JIF proposals is generally released through the OTSG in the December/January timeframe with proposal submission deadline in April. Proposals must be jointly developed between the DoD and VA entities and submitted through their respective management structures, ie: Service Surgeon General or VISN.

• Every DoD proposal must have a VA partner.
  
• The OTSG reviews and prioritizes all Army submissions prior to their submission to the Executive
  Committee of the Financial Management Working Group (FMWG) for final funding approval.
  
• Proposals must meet a business case analysis. Interim progress reports will be used as part of the oversight process.
  
• Upon the conclusion of the two-year period of performance all projects must be self-sustaining or internally funded by the DoD/VA activities that submitted the proposal.
  
• These funds are NOT intended for research.
  
• There is no minimum or maximum award amount.
  
• Avoid proposals with guard and reserve units.

For helpful hints on submitting proposals, lessons learned from past solicitations, and examples of successful proposals, go to the JIF web site at: http://www.tricare.mil/DVPCO/joint-init.cfm