Notice of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Correction and Clarification to RFA-AI-13-043 Sexually Transmitted Infections Cooperative Research Centers (STI CRC) (U19)

Notice Number: NOT-AI-13-058

Key Dates
Release Date: August 1, 2013

Related Announcements
RFA-AI-13-043

Issued by
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Purpose

The intent of this Notice is to inform interested parties that Frequently Asked Questions for the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) RFA-AI-13-043 "Sexually Transmitted Infections Cooperative Research Centers (STI CRC) (U19)", which was posted in the NIH Guide on June 28, 2013, are available on the NIAID website at the following link:

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/qa/Pages/RFA-AI-13-043.aspx#.

In addition, interested parties are hereby informed of the following correction to this FOA:

Part 2. Section IV.2 Content and Form of Application Submission

Research Projects

Current Language:
When preparing your application in ASSIST, use Component Type ‘Project.’

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.

A minimum of three individual Research Projects is required.

Each of the three or more individual Research Projects must present a unified, approach to the overall goals of the STI CRC.  These collaborative projects may build on the information that is available to the STI community and/or may consider utilizing the newest available technology to discover novel and innovative ways of addressing any gaps in knowledge.  Projects may propose research with simple organisms that cause STIs or those multi-organism polymicrobial infections.  These projects should advance the overall knowledge and understanding of the contributing role of unique STI organisms and polymicrobial infections to women’s overall health and wellbeing. 

New Language:
When preparing your application in ASSIST, use Component Type ‘Project.’

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.

A minimum of three individual Research Projects is required.

Each of the three or more individual Research Projects must present a unified, approach to the overall goals of the STI CRC.  These collaborative projects may build on the information that is available to the STI community and/or may consider utilizing the newest available technology to discover novel and innovative ways of addressing any gaps in knowledge.  Projects may propose research with single organisms that cause STIs or those multi-organism polymicrobial infections.  These projects should advance the overall knowledge and understanding of the contributing role of unique STI organisms and polymicrobial infections to women’s overall health and wellbeing. 

And finally, all interested parties are hereby informed of the following clarification in this FOA:

Part 2. Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Current Language:
This FOA will NOT support:

  • Applications that focus on Candida albicans;
  • Applications that focus on HIV/AIDS, unless HIV is directly involved with one of the syndromes; or
  • Clinical trials:  Clinical research may be supported; however, clinical trials are not to be initiated or conducted through the STI CRC Program.  A clinical trial is defined by NIH as: “A prospective biomedical or behavioral research study of human subjects that is designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions (drugs, treatments, devices, or new ways of using known drugs, treatments, or devices). Clinical trials are used to determine whether new biomedical or behavioral interventions are safe, efficacious, and effective.”

New Language:
This FOA will NOT support:

  • Applications that focus on Candida albicans;
  • Applications that focus on HIV/AIDS;
  • Clinical trials:  Clinical research may be supported; however, clinical trials are not to be initiated or conducted through the STI CRC Program.  A clinical trial is defined by NIH as: “A prospective biomedical or behavioral research study of human subjects that is designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions (drugs, treatments, devices, or new ways of using known drugs, treatments, or devices). Clinical trials are used to determine whether new biomedical or behavioral interventions are safe, efficacious, and effective.”

All other aspects of the FOA remain unchanged.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Carolyn Deal, Ph.D.
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-402-0443
Email: cdeal@niaid.nih.gov