Notice of Availability of Administrative Supplements for Collaborative Science

Notice Number: NOT-GM-11-105

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

• December 13, 2011 - See Notice NOT-GM-11-117. Notice of Additional Required Element for Applications for Administrative Supplements for Collaborative Science.

Release Date: April 8, 2011
Receipt Date: January 15, 2012, May 15, 2012, January 15, 2013, May 15, 2013, January 15, 2014, May 15, 2014
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: 10 weeks after the submission date

NIGMS Administrative Supplements for Collaborative Science NOT-GM-08-130

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) re-announces the availability of funds for Administrative Supplements to NIGMS-funded research projects. This announcement replaces NOT-GM-08-130. These funds are intended to stimulate and support new multidisciplinary collaborations among NIGMS grantees and other members of the scientific community. Collaborations that bring together ideas and approaches from disparate scientific disciplines are particularly encouraged, as are those involving individuals from groups that are currently underrepresented in the biomedical and biobehavioral sciences. These collaborative activities must be within the scope of the approved aims of the parent award and are expected to provide novel scientific approaches to the research plan for the NIGMS grantee and collaborators.

Complex biological problems often require integrative and multi-disciplinary approaches for their solution. However, individual laboratories may lack the necessary breadth of expertise and resources to achieve this goal. The collaboration of investigators with different intellectual and technical approaches may promote the novel insights required to achieve significant research advances. Large and medium scale collaborative efforts can be supported by Program Projects (P01) or by single or multiple PD/PI Research (R01) grants. Smaller scale collaborations also can lead to significant advances, particularly when they take advantage of new information and new or improved approaches. However, fiscal constraints may limit the ability of researchers to initiate new collaborative efforts that would advance a line of research during the course of a project. Therefore, NIGMS has developed the Administrative Supplements for Collaborative Science (SCS) Program to enable NIGMS-funded researchers to form new collaborations that were not anticipated at the time of submission, review and funding of the NIGMS parent grant in order to stimulate collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches to complex biological problems.

A total of $3,500,000 is anticipated to be provided in Fiscal Year 2012 for up to 25 awards. The amount that can be requested depends on the number of collaborating groups. The PD/PI and one collaborating group may request up to a maximum of $90,000 total annual direct costs. An additional $45,000 can be requested for a second collaborating group, for a maximum of $135,000 total annual direct costs per supplement. Maximum direct costs are exclusive of consortium/contractual Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs.

Administrative Supplements are generally limited to less than 60% of the Council-approved direct costs for the current budget year of the project or under $140,000 each, whichever is less.

This announcement is for Supplements to FOA Research Project Grant PA-10-067 (Parent R01; earlier versions are also eligible). R01 awards issued in response to specialty FOAs, e.g. the EUREKA program (RFA-GM-10-009), or converted to R37 MERIT Awards, also are eligible.

To be eligible, the parent grant must have at least eighteen months of active funding remaining at the time that the supplement application is submitted, and the research proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the currently funded award period. Collaborations must be newly established, i.e. there cannot be a substantial history of collaboration within the past 3 years. The leader of each collaborating group should hold the equivalent of an independent faculty appointment in academia or group leader in industry, and have active peer-reviewed grant support from NIH, other funding agencies, or foundations. Exceptions may be granted if the collaborator is from industry, a foreign institution or an allied field not traditionally supported by peer-reviewed grants. The proposed supplement must be within the general scope of the peer-reviewed activities and aims approved within the parent grant.

IMPORTANT: The research proposed by the NIH grantee in the supplement application must be within the original scope of the NIH-supported grant project. The funding mechanism being used to support this program, administrative supplements, can be used to cover cost increases that are associated with achieving certain new research objectives as long as they are within the original scope of the project. Any cost increases need to result from making modifications to the project in order to take advantage of opportunities that would increase the value of the project consistent with its originally approved objectives and purposes.

To be considered for an Administrative Supplement, the request must be signed by the Authorized Organizational Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO), and must describe the need for additional funding and the categorical costs.

Submit one original, hard copy of the request packet (with original signatures of the authorized business official) to the address listed below:

Mr. Jun Moy, Grants Management Specialist
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Building 45, 2AN38A
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Phone: 301-594-2761
Email: [email protected]

In addition, applicants are encouraged to send an electronic copy of the submitted supplement request as an e-mail attachment in PDF format to the contact listed above.

Requests should be submitted on the PHS398 Application Guide forms (font size and other formatting rules apply as designated in the instructions), as indicated below. Include only the following elements:

Cover Letter which cites this Notice, and the following information:

• Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) name
• Parent grant number and title
• Amount of the requested supplement
• Name and title of the institutional official, and
• Phone, email, and address information for both the PD/PI and institutional official.
• The cover letter must be signed by the authorized organizational representative/institutional official.

PHS 398 Form Page 1 (Face page)

• The title of the project should be the title of the parent award.
• This Notice should be cited in Box 2, and the yes box should be checked.
• The Principal Investigator (PI) must be the same as the PI on the parent award. For Multiple PI parent awards, the Contact PI must be the PI listed on the supplement request, and the supplement cannot change the Multiple PI team.
• The remaining items on the face page should be filled out in accordance with the PHS 398 application instructions.

PHS 398 Form Page 2

• Note: The project summary is that of the Administrative Supplement, not the parent grant.

A brief proposal describing the project, including:

• Scope of the overall project and the anticipated contribution of the requested supplement (not to exceed five pages). The References Cited section does not count toward the five page limit.
  • Provide a brief description of the scope of the overall project on which the supplemental request is based.
  • Describe the supplement's specific aims, including research design and methods, data analysis, and a description of each collaborating group’s contributions. Describe the relationship of the supplement request to the parent grant, how it will enhance the approved aims of the parent grant, and why the work cannot be accomplished as part of the parent grant.
• Budget for the Supplement with a justification that details the items requested, including Facilities and Administrative costs. Note that the funds need not be divided equally among the collaborating groups.
• Biographical Sketch for all new key personnel (those who are additions on the supplemental project).
• Human Subjects/ Vertebrate Animal documentation (if applicable).
  • Include a current Human Subjects/IRB or Vertebrate Animals/IACUC approval letter, if available. Otherwise, this will be required at the time of funding. All appropriate IRB and IACUC approvals must be in place prior to a supplement award being made.
  • Any differences in the involvement or use of human subjects or specimens, or use of vertebrate animals, between the administrative supplement activity and the parent grant should be noted.
  • When appropriate, details should be provided on the protection of human subjects and inclusion of women, children, and minorities. Additional guidance on Human Subjects Research and Vertebrate Animals is provided under Part II of the PHS 398 instructions.
• PHS 398 Checklist Form.

Administrative supplement requests will be reviewed administratively by NIGMS Staff. Selection factors will include the following:

• Relevance of the proposed activities to the parent grant
• Adequate progress of the parent grant appropriate to the current stage of the project
• Appropriate and well-described plan to accomplish the goals within the timeframe proposed
• Expertise of the research team proposed to conduct and achieve the goals the supplemental study.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome within approximately 10 weeks of submission of the application. Summary statements or other detailed critiques will not be provided.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their plans for responding to this Notice with their NIGMS program director. For additional information or general questions, please contact:

Program Contacts

Dr. Susan Haynes, Program Director
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Building 45, 2AS25E
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Phone: 301-594-0943
Email: [email protected]

Or

Dr. Vernon Anderson, Program Director
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Building 45, 2AS43J
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Phone: 301-594-3827
Email: [email protected]

Grants Management Contact

Mr. Jun Moy
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Building 45, 2AN38A
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Phone: 301-594-2761
Email: [email protected]