Notice Number: NOT-AT-06-004

Key Dates
Release Date: April 7, 2006

Issued by
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), (http://www.nccam.nih.gov/)

NCCAM is instituting some changes to its Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) research training programs (T32 grant awards) starting with the May 25, 2006 receipt date. The purpose of this Notice is to outline these changes. Additionally, this Notice reminds applicants and grantees of some requirements of the NCCAM T32 program (Item 3).

1. The maximum annual total direct cost for NCCAM new and competing renewal T32 NRSA grants may not exceed $400,000 per year.
   
   
2. NCCAM allows requests for carryover of unobligated balance of funds from the initial 01 year to the 02 year only. Unobligated balances that become available from the 02 year to subsequent years are not available for carryover. Rather these funds will be utilized to offset future commitments.
   
   
3. NCCAM has only one receipt date per year for T32 institutional training grants, which is May 25th each year.
   
   
4. NCCAM reminds present T32 grantees and future T32 applicants of some key features of the T32 grant award.
   
   
   1. A T32 trainee must be a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
      
      
   2. Trainee appointments are normally made in 12-month increments; thus, trainees must be re-appointed annually. Appointments and re-appointments must be reported to NCCAM using the Statement of Appointment form PHS 2271. In addition, postdoctoral trainees must also submit a Payback Agreement (PHS 6031, Rev. 10/05) at the time of the initial trainee appointment. Upon completion of an individual’s training, institutions must submit a Termination Notice form (PHS 416-7, Rev. 10/05) to NCCAM. All of these forms are available on the NIH website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm#training. Failure to submit the required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
      
      
   3. No individual trainee may receive more than 5 years of aggregate NRSA support at the predoctoral level or more than 3 years of support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of support from institutional training grants and individual fellowship awards. A waiver to permit a longer period of training on an NCCAM-funded NRSA grant must be requested from and approved by NCCAM. NCCAM grants such waivers only under exceptional circumstances.
      
      
   4. Complete policy guidelines for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards are found at: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10.htm#_Toc54600187.

Inquiries

For questions regarding research training issues please contact:

Dr. Partap S. Khalsa
NCCAM
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 594-3462
FAX: (301) 480 3621
Email: khalsap@mail.nih.gov

For questions regarding financial issues please contact:

George Tucker, M.B.A.
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 401, MSC 5475
Bethesda, MD 20892-5475
Phone: 301-594-9102
Fax: 301-480-1552
Email: tuckerg@mail.nih.gov