Part I Overview Information

Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute on Aging (NIA), (http://www.nia.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), (http://www.niams.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), (http://www.nibib.nih.gov/)
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), (http://www.nccam.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), (http://www.niddk.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (http://www.nida.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/)
National Eye Institute (NEI), (http://www.nei.nih.gov/)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), (http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
National Library of Medicine (NLM), (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/)
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/)
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), (http://ncmhd.nih.gov)
Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), (http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/index.html)
Office of Disease Prevention (ODP), (http://odp.od.nih.gov/)
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/)
Office of Rare Diseases (ORD), (http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/)
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/)

Title: NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13)

Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PAR-03-176 which was previously released September 24, 2003.

Update: The following updates relating to this announcement have been issued:

Note: See information on all Parent Announcements for Unsolicited or Investigator-Initiated applications.

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 (R&R) forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

A registration process is necessary before submission and should be started at least two weeks in advance of the planned submission See Section IV.

Two steps are required for on time submission:

1) The application must be submitted to Grants.gov by the submission date (see Key Dates below.)

2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the Commons.

Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-041

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers
93.113, 93.114, 93.115, 93.121, 93.143, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.361, 93.389, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.846, 93.847, 93.848, 93.849, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, 93.859, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, 93.879

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: October 26, 2005
Opening Date: November 21, 2005 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Application Submission Dates: Standard dates apply. For details, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission Dates(s): Standard dates apply Ssee http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS.
Peer Review Date(s): see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Council Review Date(s): See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date):
Expiration Date/Closing Date: September 2, 2008 (New Expiration Date April 16, 2008 per PA-08-149)

Note: For some conference grant applications, the time from submission to funding is shorter than the regular cycle. For example, in some Institutes, a second level of review by Council is not required for applications with budgets less than $50,000 total costs; therefore, funding selections may be made sooner than the cycle indicated above.

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

This funding opportunity provides updated guidelines for National Institutes of Health (NIH) support of conferences and scientific meetings.

Table of Contents

Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission and Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
2. NIH Responsibilities
3. Collaborative Responsibilities
4. Arbitration Process
3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Program Contact(s)
3. Conference Grant Coordinator

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

The NIH recognizes the value of supporting high quality conferences/scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health. A conference/scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, scientific meeting, workshop or any other organized, formal meeting where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge. Support of such meetings is contingent on the fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of the individual Institutes and Centers, which are linked to the NIH Conference Grant Web site, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm. Therefore, a conference grant application is required to contain a letter from the appropriate NIH staff (see Contacts List) documenting advance permission. Investigators are urged to initiate contact well in advance of the application receipt date. Please note that agreement to accept an application does not guarantee funding.

An NIH Conference Grant Website has been created to centralize information regarding grants for scientific meetings and conferences, at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm. This site includes contact information for the participating NIH Institutes and Centers and Offices and links to detailed information regarding specific interests and funding parameters. This site and related links is updated frequently and interested parties should check periodically for the most current information.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information

1. Mechanism(s) of Support

This funding opportunity will use the Conference/Scientific Meeting (R13 /U13) grant award mechanisms. Under the R13 mechanism, the applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. Multiple year awards may be made to a permanently sponsoring organization for conferences held annually or biennially on a recurring topic. The total project period for an application requesting support may not exceed five years.

The NIH U13 is a cooperative agreement award mechanism. Under the U13 mechanism, the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with the PD/PI, as described in Section VI.2.A.

This funding opportunity uses just-in-time budget concepts. It also uses the non-modular budget format. Applicants must complete and submit a detailed categorical budget as described in Section 4.7 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

2. Funds Available

Because the nature and scope of the proposed activities will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the number of applications, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

Application(s) may be submitted by an organization that has any of the following characteristics:

Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply for conference grant support. An international conference can be supported through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society.

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to conduct the proposed conference is invited to work with that individual’s institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH programs.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria

Most ICs will accept applications for up to five years when a series of annual or biannual meetings is proposed by a permanently sponsoring organization. Support for meetings held on a less frequent schedule must be applied for individually.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

Registration and Instructions for Submission via Grants.gov

To download the SF424 (R&R) Application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that site.

A one-time registration is required for institutions at both:

The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH Commons.

Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant can submit an application through Grants.gov. See "Preparing for Electronic Submission" at http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take up to two weeks. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons.

Note: For some conference applications, the PD/PI identified is not an employee of the applicant organization. For other conferences, the PD/PI is an employee of the applicant organization. Therefore, for electronic receipt, applicants have the following two options:

a) Conference applicant organizations/institutions can name a scientific director who is an employee of the organization/institution and register that individual in the Commons. It is important to note that only the named scientific director at the institution will be able to access the Summary Statement, priority score, etc. If the applicant names someone else to be the scientific director for the conference, the applicant organization is responsible for sharing that information with the other individual (PD/PI).

b). Conference applicants/institutions may continue to use an "affiliated" individual as the PD/PI. In this case, the applicant organization will need to officially affiliate the PD/PI with the conference organization in the Commons.

Following are the steps to affiliate a PD/PI to an institution:

1) PD/PI gives Commons user ID and email address to the administrator of the new institution. (The email address must be the one that is contained in the Personal Profile for the PI.)

2) Administrator logs into the Commons. (The administrator can be the Signing Official, Administrative Official, or the Accounts Administrator.)

3) Administrator selects "Administration" tab and then "Accounts" tab.

4) Administrator selects "Create Affiliation" tab.

5) Administrator enters the Commons User ID and Email address into the appropriate fields and clicks "Submit."

Note: The account cannot have any other roles attached to it other than the PD/PI.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through the Grants.gov/Apply http://www.grants.gov/Apply Web site.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.

For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms (PDF or MS Word).

The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this announcement will include the following components:

Required Components:

SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget

PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist

Optional Components:

PHS398 Cover Letter

3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A. Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates

Opening Date: November 21, 2005 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Application Submission dates: Standard dates apply; see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for guidance on dates.
AIDS Application Submission Dates(s): Standard dates apply; see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS.
Peer Review Date(s): See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Council Review Date(s): See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.

3.A.1. Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is not required for the funding opportunity.

3. B. Sending an Application to the NIH

To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications in response to this FOA may only be submitted to Grants.gov through Grants.gov/Apply. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

3. C. Application Processing

Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov on or after November 21, 2005 (i.e., the Open Date on Grants.gov) and must be submitted no later than the application submission date described above (Section IV.3.A.). If an application is not submitted by that date, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research Administration process for validation. Both the PD/PI and the Signing Official for the organization must verify the submission via Commons within 2 business days of notification of the NIH validation.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an Introduction (limited to one page) addressing the previous critique. Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.

4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm).

Pre-Award Costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or competing renewal (formerly, competing continuation ) award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or competing renewal award.

The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project. See NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements

Advance permission to submit an application is required for all NIH conference grant applications, including new, resubmission (formerly revision/amended ), renewal (formerly competing continuation ), and revision (formerly supplemental ) applications. Advance permission to submit an application should be requested early in the process and no later than six weeks before the receipt date. The letter from an NIH Institute or Center documenting advance permission to submit an application must be submitted with the application. All applicants must include the advance permission letter from the NIH staff member who has agreed to accept assignment of the application. The NIH staff member granting advance permission must be one of the contacts designated at the NIH Conference Grant Web site, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm. Attach the letter as part of the PHS 398 Cover Letter component (PDF). If an application is received without a permission letter, it will not be accepted for review. Note that advance permission to submit an application does not guarantee funding.

The application will be assigned based on NIH Receipt and Referral Guidelines. This means that other ICs or Offices at NIH could be given dual assignments and have the opportunity to co-fund the conference. Only one advance permission letter is required per application. Dual assignments do not require advance permission to submit an application.

The following instructions are to be used in conjunction with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide accompanying the SF424 (R&R) application form:

SF424 (R&R) Cover Component. Enter the title of the conference or scientific meeting on line item 11.

Research and Related Project/Performance Site Locations. Enter the site of the conference or meeting as the Performance Site.

Research and Related Senior/Key Person: Personnel are defined as the PD/PI and those responsible for the scientific planning and organization of the meeting. Attach a biographical sketch for PD/PI, Co-Chair, key personnel, and confirmed key speakers.

Research and Related Budget: The appropriate IC conference award contact should be consulted for guidance regarding any IC specific budget requirements. Enter the direct costs requested. Provide a narrative justification for each proposed personnel position, including role and proposed level of effort. Include information regarding efforts to obtain funding for this conference/meeting from other sources.

Allowable Costs: Salary (in proportion to the time or effort spent directly on the conference/meeting); rental of necessary equipment; travel and per diem or subsistence allowances; supplies needed for conduct of the meeting (only if received for use during the budget period); conference services; publication costs; registration fees; speakers fees.

Non-allowable costs: Purchase of equipment; transportation costs exceeding U.S. carrier coach class fares; visas; passports; entertainment; tips; bar charges; personal telephone calls; laundry charges; dues; honoraria or other payments for the purpose of conferring distinction or communicating respect, esteem or admiration; patient care; alterations or renovations; facilities and administrative costs/indirect costs. Please also refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information regarding costs.

PHS 398 Research Plan Component. Submit one attachment, which may not exceed 10 pages, under the Research Design and Methods section (line item 5). Note that this section will be called Conference Plan in the system-generated Table of Contents. Letters of agreement from key speakers and participants should be attached at line item 13. Do not complete Sections 2 4 and the Human Subjects Sections (Items 6-10) of the PHS 398 Research Plan.

In the Conference Plan section of the application (uploaded as attachment #5), describe the objectives, specific program, and logistical arrangements for the meeting. Describe the format and agenda, including the principal topics to be covered, problems to be addressed, and developments or contributions the meeting might stimulate. Provide a detailed justification for the meeting, including the scientific need, timeliness, and usefulness of the meeting to the scientific community. Describe the composition and role of the organizing committee, and provide the names and credentials of key participants in the meeting, including the basis for their selection and documentation of their agreement to participate.

Describe plans for the appropriate involvement of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the planning and implementation of the proposed meeting. Estimate the expected size and composition of the audience, as well as the method of selection. Describe plans for publicizing the meeting and publication of the proceedings. Identify related meetings held on the subject during the past three years. If this is one of a series of periodic meetings held by a permanent sponsoring organization, briefly describe and evaluate the last meeting in the series.

Applications requesting multiple years of support must provide the following additional information for each future year requested, in as much detail as possible: meeting topic(s); tentative dates, locations, and participants; and contingency plans for future meetings dependent upon, for example, the outcome of the first year’s meeting or developments in the field.

A critical part of the application for NIH support of conferences is documentation of appropriate representation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in science. These individuals must be included in all aspects of planning, organization, and implementation of NIH-sponsored and/or supported meetings. Appropriate representation means representation based on the availability of these scientists from these groups known to be working in a particular field of biomedical or behavioral research. If appropriate representation is not apparent, no award will be issued until program staff are assured of concerted recruitment efforts. Organizers of scientific meetings must document compliance with the Guidelines for Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Scientific Meetings Supported by the NIH (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm). This Web site also includes addresses and information for offices at NIH that support conference activities.

Appendix. The appendix is limited to announcements and reports of previous meetings under the same sponsorship. No other information or material should be submitted as appendices.

PHS 398 Checklist Component. The checklist is required; however, no information regarding F&A should be included as this is not an allowable cost for this mechanism.

Plan for Sharing Research Data
Not applicable.

Sharing Research Resources
Not applicable.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the NIH ICs on the basis of an advance permission letter. Applications lacking such a letter will not be reviewed. Dual assignments will be made on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines. An appropriate evaluation group convened by the accepting IC will evaluate the application for scientific and technical merit.

The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

In their critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria, which will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application. Note that an application does not need to be strong in all categories to deserve a high priority score.

Significance: Does this conference/scientific meeting address an important health problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these endeavors on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Approach: Is the format and agenda for the meeting appropriate for achieving the goals of the conference? Is the meeting timely for the subject matter? How well do the plans for inclusion of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities provide for their appropriate representation in the planning, organization, and implementation of the proposed meeting?

Innovation: Does the meeting employ novel approaches or methods to fulfill its purpose?

Investigators: Is the PD/PI well suited for organizing and fulfilling the goals of this conference? Are the qualifications of the PD/PI appropriate and past performance adequate? Are the key personnel and selected speakers appropriate and well suited for their described roles in the conference?

Environment: How appropriate is the meeting site? Does the applicant organization have the ability to contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed meetings, exhibits, interactions, etc., take advantage of unique features of the environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?

2.A. Additional Review Criteria:

In addition to the above criteria, the following item will continue to be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority score:

Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants: (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-066.html)

NIH affirms that the value of scientific meetings is enhanced by including participants from all segments of the scientific population and, when appropriate, members of the lay community, in both the planning and conduct of such meetings. The adequacy of plans to include women, minorities and persons with disabilities in the planning and execution of a scientific meeting or conference is important to its success and relevance and will be assessed.

2.B. Additional Review Considerations

Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed plan. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

2.C. Sharing Research Data
Not Applicable.

2.D. Sharing Research Resources
Not Applicable.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not Applicable.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-075.html
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).

A formal email notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee authorized representative.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm) and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).

The following Terms and Conditions will be incorporated into the NoA and will be provided to the PD/PI as well as to the appropriate institutional official, at the time of award.

2.A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable OMB administrative guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement (U13), an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and the NIH as defined above.

2.A.1. Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Rights and Responsibilities

Awardees have primary authorities and responsibilities to define objectives and approaches, and to plan, conduct, analyze, and publish results, interpretations, and conclusions of the conference.

The PD/PI will retain custody of, and have primary rights to, information developed under the cooperative agreement, subject to government rights of access, consistent with the current DHHS, PHS, and NIH policies. Publication and copyright agreements and the requirements for financial status reports; retention of records; and terminal progress reports will be as stated in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awardees will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.

Awardees are responsible for identifying specific milestones for conferences that will be supported during the project period, when multi-year conferences are supported.

2.A.2. NIH Responsibilities

An NIH Project Scientist will have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below.

An NIH Project Scientist will have substantial scientific-programmatic involvement during conduct of this activity, through technical assistance, advice, and coordination above and beyond the normal program stewardship for grants. Substantial involvement as a partner would include, for example, assisting in planning the agenda, selecting speakers, organizing a symposium, determining the content of the meeting, or determining the acceptability of submitted papers. Substantial involvement would not include serving as an invited speaker or providing limited advice.

Additionally, an agency Program Official or IC Program Director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the NoA. The assigned Program Director will also serve as the Project Scientist.

2.A.3. Collaborative Responsibilities

Not Applicable.

2.A.4. Arbitration Process

Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to arbitration. An Arbitration Panel composed of three members will be convened. It will have three members: one chosen by the awardee, a second member selected by the IC, and the third member with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two. This special arbitration procedure in no way affects the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulations 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulations 45 CFR Part 16.

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the PHS Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Reports must be submitted two months prior to the next budget period start date. The Progress Report should include a report of the previous meeting supported by the current grant, as well as a full description of the next planned meeting.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into two areas: scientific/research, and financial or grants management issues.

1. Scientific/Research Contacts:

Consult the NIH Conference Grant Web site, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm, to direct your questions to the appropriate individual. Issues that remain after consultation with IC staff and that are not addressed in this FOA may be directed to:
(Contact information changed 4/26/2007)

Denise Russo, Ph.D.
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive
Rockledge I Building, Room 3524
Bethesda MD 20892
ph: 301-451-7972
fax: 301-480-0146
email: drusso1@mail.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Required Federal Citations

URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.

Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.


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