NOT-DK-17-021: Notice of Change to the Elements of the Letter of Eligibility for PAR-18-102 "Small Grants for New Investigators to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (R21)

Notice of Change to the Elements of the Letter of Eligibility for PAR-18-102 "Small Grants for New Investigators to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (R21)"

Notice Number: NOT-DK-17-021

Key Dates
Release Date: December 1, 2017

Related Announcements
NOT-DK-17-019
NOT-OD-17-101
PAR-18-102

Issued by
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to modify the elements of the Letter of Eligibility to reflect the changes in Eligible Individuals in NOT-OD-17-019: Notice of Change in Eligible Individuals for PAR-16-064 "Small Grants for New Investigators to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (R21)"(PAR-16-064 has since been reissued as PAR-18-102).

Part 2. Section IV. Application and Submission Information 2. Content and Form of Application Submission, SF424(R&R) Other Project Information, Other Attachments

Currently reads:

"Letter of Eligibility: Eligibility information must be submitted by the applicant's Institution in a letter certifying that the PD/PI satisfies all four of the eligibility criteria listed under Section III. 1. Eligibility Information, "Eligible Individuals:"

New Investigator;
Eligible Health Professional or Doctoral Degree;
Underrepresented PD(s)/PI(s); and
U.S. Citizenship, Noncitizen National or U.S. Permanent Resident.

This letter must be on institutional letterhead and scanned so that the signatures from an Authorized Organization Representative and the PD(s)/PI(s) are clearly legible. Name the PDF formatted letter ‘EligibilityCertification.pdf’. Applications without a complete Letter of Eligibility (i.e., documenting all four eligibility criteria and bearing the legible signatures of an institutional AOR and the PD(s)/PI(s)) will be deemed incomplete and withdrawn."

The revised Letter of Eligibility requirements state:

"Letter of Eligibility: Eligibility information must be submitted by the applicant's Institution in a letter certifying that the PD/PI satisfies all of the eligibility criteria listed under Section III. 1. Eligibility Information, "Eligible Individuals:"

New Investigator, defined as an investigator who has not competed successfully as PD/PI for any NIH independent research award;
Awarded no more than $125,000 funding for more than one year. The PD/PI has not received an award letter by the time of this award for research funds for more than or equal to $125,000 direct costs from any source(s) with planned funding for more than one year;
Health Related Doctoral Degree. Identify the PD(s)/PI(s) Eligible Health Professional or Doctoral Degree which is defined as one of the following degrees: MD, DO, DDS, DVM, PharmD, PsyD, DrPH, OD and PhD;
Underrepresented Group. Identify the underrepresented group that qualifies the PD/PI for this FOA. The following groups are underrepresented groups within biomedical research: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The disadvantaged background category is applicable to programs focused on high school and undergraduate candidates. See, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-053.html.
Eligible PD/PIs for this announcement are:
- Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27, and the report Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). See, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-089.html
- American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment;
- Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.;
- Hispanic or Latino. A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands, or
- Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. See NSF data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/2013/pdf/tab7-5_updated_2014_10.pdf; and
U.S. Citizenship, Noncitizen National or U.S. Permanent Resident. Provide which category the applicant is a member.

This letter with responses to all five elements must be on institutional letterhead and scanned so that the signatures from an Authorized Organization Representative and the PD(s)/PI(s) are clearly legible. Name the PDF formatted letter ‘EligibilityCertification.pdf’. Applications without a complete Letter of Eligibility (i.e., documenting details of all five eligibility criteria and bearing the legible signatures of an institutional AOR and the PD(s)/PI(s)) will be deemed incomplete and withdrawn." For more information on compliance with application instructions at the time of submission, see NOT-OD-17-105.

All other aspects of this Funding Opportunity Announcement remain the same.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Salina P. Waddy, MD
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-7608
Email: SmallGrant4Diversity@niddk.nih.gov