Notice of Special Interest: Administrative Supplements to NIH-funded T32 and TL1 Training Grants to Better Integrate Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) with other Health-Related Sciences

Notice Number: NOT-OD-19-147

Key Dates
Release Date: September 30, 2019
First Available Due Date: January 25, 2020
Expiration Date: January 26, 2020

Related Announcements
PA-18-591

Issued by
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Purpose

OBSSR is interested in supporting the integration of health-related behavioral and social sciences (BSS) with other biomedical methodological and scientific disciplines (e.g., genetics, immunology, metabolomics, molecular biology, microbiome, biochemistry, or physiological sciences). The goal is to train a research workforce that has the content expertise and skills to meaningful address gaps in scientific advancement that are not well served by a more siloed approach to research. To support this goal, the OBSSR is soliciting applications for a one-time administrative supplement to existing NIH T32 and TL1 training grants for the addition of activities that support the acquisition of expertise and skills that are foundational to conducting multidisciplinary science that integrates BSS with biomedical approaches, methods, paradigms, and outcomes. Activities may include components to better prepare students for research careers in a variety of venues, such as industry, government, or entrepreneurial enterprises. Applicants are encouraged to develop components that can be easily shared with other training programs. Applicants might respond to this announcement by adding curricula from biomedical disciplines to T32s and TL1s that are primarily focused on BSS or by adding BSS curricula to T32s and TL1s that are primarily focused on biomedical sciences. Additions to existing grants should have the goal of developing skills and expertise in integrated and multidisciplinary research. The cross-discipline curricula added to a T32 or TL1 could focus on training in discipline-specific methods, measurement approaches, research paradigms, and/or discipline specific subject matter expertise.

Applicants should note that this NOSI provides an opportunity to request only one year of support, and the funds from this supplement must be expended during the 12-month budget period of the award. Some NIH institutes may have restrictions on the year in which the award can be made, so please consult with your program officer. Application budgets are limited to no more than $80,000 direct costs or the amount of the current parent award, and must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Applicants should also note that funds from this supplement are for added curricula development and implementation and are not intended to support additional trainee slots, nor should the funds be used to support faculty salaries.

Activities supported by this NOSI may vary by the NIH Institute funding the parent award. Please see institute-specific interests below.

  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIA promotes the integration of behavioral and social science research questions, methods, and approaches into biological and biomedical research on aging, including research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD). Consistent with NIA’s Strategic Directions, applications that propose to strengthen T32 programs on aging with training in approaches from psychology, cognitive science, economics, sociology, demography, behavioral medicine, anthropology, social epidemiology and/or health services research are strongly encouraged. Programs that take a lifecourse approach to the study of aging processes are particularly encouraged as are programs intended to increase the number of future investigators who could work on topics related to AD/ADRD using the tools of behavioral and social science research.

  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

The mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives. The NIEHS supports training programs focused on examining the biomedical effects of toxicant exposures, as well as programs in population health and epidemiology, in biostatistics and other quantitative approaches, in environmental health, and in other related areas. Through the curriculum supplements offered by this program, the NIEHS seeks to add instruction which integrates the foundational knowledge, research approaches, and methodology of the toxicologic sciences into programs which train individuals for research in health related behavioral and social sciences. Conversely, applications from biomedically focused training programs may submit supplements to develop and increase the curricula in the behavioral and social sciences, as defined by the OBSSR, relative to the focus of their program. Supplement applications deemed responsive to this announcement will promote the formation of new partnerships, bring in new faculty to reach beyond faculty and expertise currently associated with the training program, and bring in new cross-training experiences to students that are not currently available. Applications should also address how the new curricular material will be sustained after development by the supplement.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH strongly encourages potential applicants to contact program staff to discuss potential supplement applications (prior to submission) to assess the supplements alignment with NIMH’s mission and priorities.

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NCCIH is interested in applications to develop curricula that integrates behavioral and social science with biomedical approaches, methods, paradigms, and outcomes within the context of complementary and integrative heath approaches. Activities may include development of novel cross-discipline curricula and/or adaptation of existing curricula to be easily shared and implemented across other training programs. The curricula should support development of multidisciplinary skills and expertise in areas of science relevant to NCCIH Strategic Priorities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss potential applications with NCCIH Program staff prior to submitting.

  • National Center for Advancing Translational Medicine (NCATS)

NCATS supports predoctoral and postdoctoral training through the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program National Research Service Award Training Core (TL1). The goal of the NRSA Training Core is to train the next generation of the clinical and translational science workforce that improves the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Note about the Award Project Period: Supplement project and budget periods are limited to the remaining active budget period that started in FY20 for the existing parent award. To be eligible, the parent award must be active (i.e. not be in an extension period), and the activities proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the remaining active budget period that started in FY20 for the existing parent award. The earliest anticipated start date is July 1, 2020.

  • National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

NINR T32s are awarded to schools of nursing to support pre doctoral and postdoctoral research training in acute and chronic illness across the life span, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, health disparities, HIV/ AIDS, aging, caregiving, management of symptoms, self-management, and care at the end of life. NINR seeks to extend nursing science by integrating the biological and behavioral sciences, applying new technologies to nursing research questions, exploring genetics and genomics applications in nursing research, improving the quality and effectiveness of interventions, and developing nursing research investigators.

  • National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

NHGRI supports research training in its three scientific mission areas: 1) Genomic Sciences with a focus on the quantitative sciences, bioinformatics, and technology development; 2) Genomic Medicine with a focus on using genomics to advance the science of medicine and incorporating genomics to improve the effectiveness of healthcare ; and 3) Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of Genetic and Genomic Research with a focus on developing multi-disciplinary conceptual and methodological skills necessary to pursue independent careers as ELSI researchers. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NHGRI Program Staff to discuss potential supplement applications prior to submission.

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

NIAAA will support administrative supplements to enhance currently funded T32’s that focus on areas critical to alcohol use and its comorbidities, and exhibit significant potential to mitigate their injurious effects. NIAAA T32 grantees are encouraged to visit this link NIAAA T32 supplemental information

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application to this NOSI, provided that each is sufficiently distinct from any other administrative supplement currently under consideration by the awarding NIH Institute or Center. However, only one supplement request per parent award will be accepted.

Application and Submission Information

Applications for this initiative must be submitted using the following opportunity or its subsequent reissued equivalent.

  • PA-18-591 - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-18-591 must be followed, with the following additions:

  • Application Due Date(s) January 25, 2020 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
  • For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-IC-19-XXX (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
  • Requests may be for one year of support only.
  • The Research Strategy section of the application is limited to 6 pages.
  • The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify the program contact at the Institute supporting the parent award that a request has been submitted in response to this FOA in order to facilitate efficient processing of the request.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Erica L. Spotts, PhD.
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Telephone: 301-594-2105
Email: spottse@od.nih.gov

Gina Tesauro, M.S.W.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6786
Email: gina.tesauro@nih.gov

Dana Plude, PhD.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-3136
Email: dana.plude@nih.gov

Edith Swann, MD.
National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-627-3035
Email: swanne@niaid.nih.gov

Regina Bures, PhD.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-496-9485
Email: regina.bures@nih.gov

Albert Avila, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-496-8804
Email: NIDA_Training@nida.nih.gov

Alberto Rivera-Rentas, PhD.
National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Telephone: 301-496-1804
Email: alberto.rivera-rentas@nih.gov

Carol Shreffler, PhD.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Telephone: 984-287-3322
Email: shreffl1@niehs.nih.gov

Rebecca Campo, PhD.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-594-1047
Email: rebecca.campo@nih.gov

Mercedes Rubio, PhD.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-451-3137
Email: rubiome@mail.nih.gov

Mark Chavez, PhD.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-434-8942
Email: Mchavez1@mail.nih.gov

Lanay Mudd, PhD.
National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Telephone: 301-594-9346
Email: lanay.mudd@nih.gov

Patricia Jones, PhD.
National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS)
Telephone: 301-435-0792
Email: patricia.jones@nih.gov

Joy Boyer, B.A.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-480-2247
Email: boyerj@exchange.nih.gov

David Banks, PhD., MPH, RN
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-496-9558
Email: banksdh@mail.nih.gov

Yan Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Telephone:(301) 594-5032
Email: wangy1@mail.nih.gov

Ivana Grakalic, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Phone: 301-443-7600
Email: igrakalic@mail.nih.gov