Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Funding Opportunity Title

Research Into The Impact Of Economic Fluctuations On Alcohol Consumption, Drinking Patterns, And Prevention And Treatment Of Problem Drinking And Related Problems (R01)

Activity Code

R01 Research Project Grant

Announcement Type

New FOA

Related Notices

  • May 30, 2013 (NOT-OD-13-074) - NIH to Require Use of Updated Electronic Application Forms for Due Dates on or after September 25, 2013. Forms-C applications are required for due dates on or after September 25, 2013.

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

PA-11-061

Companion FOA

PA-11-062 , R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant

Number of Applications

See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Catalog of Federal Domestics Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)

93.273

FOA Purpose

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/ organizations that propose to investigate the impact of national or local economic fluctuations on alcohol consumption, alcohol drinking patterns, and the prevention and treatment of problem drinking.

Key Dates
Posted Date
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

January 5, 2011

Letter of Intent Due Date

Not Applicable

Application Due Date(s)

Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Standard dates apply , by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Scientific Merit Review

Standard dates apply

Advisory Council Review

Standard dates apply

Earliest Start Date(s)

Standard dates apply

Expiration Date

January 8, 2014

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

This FOA encourages research that will significantly add to existing knowledge about the relationship between economic fluctuations and drinking rates and patterns and drinking-related problems, as well as the likely effectiveness of established and developing approaches to the prevention and treatment of problem drinking, alcohol use disorders, and drinking-related problems.

BACKGROUND

Starting with an economic recession first identified in the U.S. in late 2007, an economic slide of massive proportions struck much of the developed world in the second half of 2008. By April, 2009, the International Monetary Fund estimated that, worldwide, banks and other financial institutions had faced aggregate losses of $4.05 trillion in the value of their holdings as a result of the crisis. The global economic downturn gave rise to a number of related stories. In reaction to their troubles in the housing markets as a result of disastrous real estate investments, banks tightened credit, generating a rippling effect through the U.S. and ultimately, world economy. Fewer loans were made available for financing homes, automobiles, and student loans, while nearly 1 in 10 U.S. home mortgages was either delinquent or in foreclosure by early 2009. Tightening credit markets and a consumer spending slump set off a wave of bankruptcies in American retailing, prompting thousands of store closings. As companies turned to job furloughs, wage reductions, hiring freezes and, ultimately, massive job cuts to cope with declining sales, the U.S. unemployment rate reached a 16-year-high of 7.2 percent in early 2009.

The current economic crisis has hit and likely will continue to hit millions of Americans in the forms of forced unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and loss of a lifetime’s savings, while also affecting multiple sectors of American society. Indeed, recent increases have been noted in a range of offenses from shoplifting to teen dating abuse. In addition, the research literature generally suggests that a poor economic climate which, typically, has been measured in terms of unemployment is associated with increases in mental health service utilization, symptoms of mental disorder, distressed mood/anxiety, physical abuse of children, violence against women, and rises in suicide rates.

Importantly, for this FOA, the research literature also suggests that economic downturns can significantly impact rates of problem drinking in the host society. Unemployment often has been linked to increased alcohol consumption, while Dee (2001) has observed that binge drinking prevalence tends to increase during bad economic times, even among those who remain employed, and Eliason and Storrie (2009) reported evidence from Sweden that job loss significantly increases risk of hospitalization due to alcohol-related conditions. Even adolescents drinking patterns appear to be impacted by the economy: Arkes (2007) found that a weaker economy leads to higher teenage alcohol use and Mossakowski (2008) observed that longer durations of youths poverty and involuntary unemployment significantly predicted heavy drinking and more frequent heavy drinking at ages 27-35 years.

Economic crises, and attendant consequences such as forced unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and loss of a lifetime’s savings, may significantly impact drinking and drinking-related problems insofar as affected individuals seek a means to control their emotional distress. The stress response system in humans is a highly complex, integrated network involving the central nervous, adrenal, and cardiovascular systems; the association between drinking and stress also is fairly complex. Thus, while drinking alcohol produces physiological stress, individuals also drink to relieve stress. Moreover, it appears that the impact of stress on likelihood of drinking is contingent on such factors as age, involvement in early-onset drinking, sense of powerlessness, depression, and developmental processes. Research based on data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions suggests that stress does not so much lead individuals to drink more often as to substitute larger quantities of alcohol on the days when they do drink.

Nevertheless, evidence about the nature of the relationship between economic woes and various health effects, including societal drinking levels, is conflicting. Catalano (1997) has argued that there are, in fact, several competing hypotheses that attempt to account for the effects of hard economic times on alcohol abuse incidence: a provocation hypothesis that posits that alcohol use increases to cope with anxiety induced by actual or threatened job loss; an uncovering hypothesis that argues that bad economic times may result in a decrease in alcohol use disorders as potentially abusive drinkers who might reasonably be expected to be those most likely to be laid off when the economy contracts are essentially frightened into moderation/treatment of their alcohol intake; and an income-effect hypothesis, which suggests that alcohol consumption decreases during periods of economic contraction as job loss/reduced overtime leave less income available for the purchase of alcohol. Better epidemiologic data could inform the debate between these competing hypotheses.

State of the Economy: Implications for drinking rates, patterns, and problems

This FOA encourages research that will significantly add to existing knowledge about the relationship between economic fluctuations and drinking rates and patterns and drinking-related problems, as well as the likely effectiveness of established and developing approaches to the prevention and treatment of problem drinking, alcohol use disorders, and drinking-related problems. These examinations need not necessarily be limited to a detailing of the alcohol-related consequences of the current economic crisis, but should inform an understanding of the general relationship between economic changes and the above-mentioned drinking-related issues.

Research efforts under this FOA might target the specific ways in which major economic changes differentially impact drinking patterns among diverse sociodemographic and age groups and labor force sectors. While there is some evidence that, for instance, the process of retirement from the work force may be associated with increased drinking, new research might examine the possible onset of new drinking patterns such as elevated drinking or increases in binge drinking among the middle-aged or elderly who have suddenly lost much of their life savings due to a plunging stock market, or among college students confronted with new concerns about future or immediate job prospects, or even their ability to continue with schooling in the face of reduced financial support.

Broadly speaking, this FOA seeks to further research into the ways in which host economy functioning moderates or mediates the effects of the standard predictors of alcohol use and misuse. Thus, potential avenues for investigation might include the effects of economic changes on

Such research also might look at fluctuations in rates and patterns of various drinking-related outcomes, including car crashes, injuries, assaults, and domestic violence, and how these may correspond to changes in the economy. Such research efforts may take the form of model building, including agent-based modeling approaches.

Moreover, the current global economic crisis calls attention to possible new areas that research might focus on. Thus, research under this FOA might look at how recent changes in the economy might affect the sheer availability of/access to alcohol. For instance, investigations might examine the effect on drinking patterns and drinking-related problems of economy-related changes in product line, output levels, and/or marketing efforts, as well as the pace of opening on- and off-premise drinking establishments. Insofar as most current theoretical approaches regarding the etiology of problem drinking across the life span posit a constant if not ever-expanding supply of alcohol, any limitations in alcohol availability stemming from these economic changes might well stimulate new thinking about the role of alcohol supply in the onset, development, and trajectory of drinking behavior across the life span.

Applications under this FOA should strive to creatively address some of the methodological issues that have beset previous explorations of the job loss-alcohol abuse relationship, such as failure to control for pre-job loss drinking levels. It also has been noted that alcohol consumption, rather than excessive drinking, typically has been the outcome variable in such studies, while risk of alcohol abuse among those who remain working during periods of economic contraction often has not been addressed. Attention should be paid to variables intervening between job loss and alcohol abuse. Seeman and Seeman (1992), for instance, found evidence that unemployment, in itself, was of relatively little consequence for drinking behavior, but that feelings of powerlessness were the most consistent predictor of alcohol use and abuse. Indeed, a number of factors are likely to impact the unemployment-problem drinking relationship, including duration of unemployment; whether the unemployment is forced or voluntary; the point in a worker’s career at which the job loss occurs; and the type of alcoholic beverage typically consumed. In addition, investigations that use measures of economic performance other than unemployment are likely to be valuable additions to the literature.

State of the Economy: Implications for the prevention and treatment of problem drinking and related problems

It has been speculated that large numbers of families may be pushed into poverty by the economic crisis, while government expenditures on health may become squeezed, household income to pay for health care drops, insurance protection declines, cost of medicine increases as a result of currency devaluations, and large numbers of patients switch from the private to the public sector to obtain health care. Indeed, fears that funding streams that have been essential in supporting many health-related prevention and treatment ventures might soon evaporate with a weakening economy have been voiced by a number of authorities, including the World Bank and the World Health Organization.

Hence, this FOA encourages research that illuminates ways in which economic fluctuations may impact outcomes in the prevention and treatment of problem drinking, alcohol use disorders, and drinking-related problems. Successful proposals might explore whether particular alcoholism treatment approaches such as pharmacologically-based, cognitive-behavioral therapy-based, or motivational enhancement approaches may be relatively more effective than others during times of economic stagnation or recession, or compare the relative efficacy during such periods of in-patient and out-patient treatment approaches, or standard treatment practices in comparison to spirituality-based approaches, referral to Alcoholics Anonymous, etc.

Similar questions may be asked about the success likelihood of various problem drinking prevention approaches during periods of economic downturn. Hence, applications might

Again, modeling for purposes of making projections about the size and direction of needed prevention measures as well as the likely demand for treatment, relapse rates, etc. in the wake of such economic change likely will be a useful addition to the literature.

Innovation in data collection

Applications submitted in response to this FOA should, where possible, seek to incorporate innovative, state-of-the-art data collection techniques, including ecological momentary assessment approaches to daily alcohol assessment, interactive voice response technology, personal data assistants (PDAs) to monitor alcohol consumption, wireless keypad surveys, web-based surveys, cell phones, palmtop-assisted self-interviewing, wearable vital signs monitoring systems, and audio-enhanced PDAs. This list is not meant to be comprehensive.

Section II. Award Information
Funding Instrument

Grant

Application Types Allowed

New
Renewal
Resubmission
Revision

The OER Glossary and the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Award Budget

Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect actual needs of proposed project.

Award Project Period

Scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum period is 5 years

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants
 
Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions:

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

For profit Organizations

Governments

Other

Foreign (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.

All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.

All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.

Eligible Individuals (Project Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization 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 support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Required and Optional Components

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional.  Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for application submission. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

Page Limitations
PHS 398 Research Plan Component

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Resource Sharing Plan

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Appendix

Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Foreign Organizations

Foreign (non-US) organizations must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign organizations described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

3. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

4. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

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.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.

Important reminders:
All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 or more for direct costs in any year

Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact NIH program staff at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? 

If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children 

When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Renewals

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.

Revisions

For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.

Select Agent Research

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).

Budget and Period of Support

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) (assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons), in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications . Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the NIAAA National Advisory Council . The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. 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.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.

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  and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov

eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Robert C. Freeman, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-8820
Email: rfreeman@mail.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Judy Fox
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-4704
Email: jfox@mail.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Authority and Regulations

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 Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.


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