Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Eye Institute (NEI) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T35) |
Activity Code |
T35 National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Research Training |
Announcement Type |
Reissue of PA-11-185 |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PA-14-016 |
Companion Funding Opportunity |
PA-14-015: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T32) |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.867, 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.866, 93.273, 93.855, 93.856, 93.286, 93.173, 93.847, 93.142, 93.213, 93.351, 93.865 |
Funding Opportunity Purpose |
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will award Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) to eligible, domestic institutions to develop and/or enhance research training opportunities for predoctoral students interested in careers in biomedical, behavioral or clinical research. Many NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) use this NRSA program exclusively to support intensive, short-term research training experiences for health professional students (medical students, dental students, and/or students in other health-professional programs) during the summer. This program is also intended to encourage training of graduate students in the physical or quantitative sciences to pursue research careers by short-term exposure to, and involvement in, the health-related sciences. The training should be of sufficient depth to enable the trainees, upon completion of the program, to have a thorough exposure to the principles underlying the conduct of biomedical research. |
Posted Date |
December 6, 2013 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
December 25, 2013 |
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Application Due Date(s) |
Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Standard AIDS dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. |
Scientific Merit Review |
Standard dates apply |
Advisory Council Review |
Standard dates apply |
Earliest Start Date |
Standard dates apply |
Expiration Date |
New Date May 10, 2016 per issuance of PA-16-151. (Original Expiration Date: January 8, 2017) |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide including the Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Application, 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.
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
The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. In order to accomplish this goal, NRSA training programs are designed to train individuals to conduct research and to prepare for research careers. More information about NRSA programs may be found at the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) website.
The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974. Research training activities can be in basic biomedical or clinical sciences, in behavioral or social sciences, in health services research, or in any other discipline relevant to the NIH mission.
Institutional NRSA programs allow the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) to select the trainees and develop a program of coursework, research experiences, and technical and/or professional skills development appropriate for the selected trainees. Each program should provide high-quality research training and offer opportunities in addition to conducting mentored research. The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels.
The objective of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (T35) program is to develop and/or enhance research training opportunities for health professional students and for graduate students in the physical or quantitative sciences interested in careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical research that are relevant to the NIH mission. The T35 program provides short-term support for a period of at least 8, but no more than 12, weeks in a grant year for full-time training experiences under the supervision of experienced researchers. Trainees are exposed to individuals with active research careers and learn about further research training opportunities and research career options. The training program should be of sufficient depth to enable selected trainees, upon completion of the program, to have a thorough exposure to the principles underlying the conduct of biomedical research.
The proposed institutional research training program may complement other ongoing research training and career development programs at the applicant institution, but the proposed program must be clearly distinct from related programs currently receiving Federal support.
Institutional short-term training grants are intended to introduce predoctoral students to research that would not otherwise be available through their regular course of graduate study. The research experiences should be tailored to the individual to meet their training goals. Didactic instruction must include training in the responsible conduct of research. Positions on NRSA short-term institutional training grants may not be used for courses and study leading to the M.D., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., or other clinical, health professional degree, nor to support residency training.
Research elective credit may be granted for students who complete a short-term, research training experience supported by the T35. The decision to award elective credit will be at the discretion of the sponsoring institution and must be consistent with the policies of the institution (see Funding Restrictions).
Grantee organizations may provide training to students enrolled at other institutions through a partnership or consortium structure. Consortia should be well justified to enhance the goals and objectives of the training program. Consortium partners will be identified by the applicant organization, and each partner institution must identify faculty at their location who have agreed to serve as mentors.
Special Note: Because of the differences in individual Institute and Center (IC) program requirements for this FOA, prospective applicants MUST consult the Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts, to make sure that their application is appropriate for one of the participating NIH ICs. Prior consultation with NIH staff is strongly encouraged.
Funding Instrument |
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF424 (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 the actual needs of the proposed project. Grantees are expected to be familiar with and comply with applicable cost policies and the NRSA Guidelines (NIH Grants Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants). Funds may be used only for those expenses that are directly related to and necessary for the research training and must be expended in conformance with OMB Cost Principles, the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and the NRSA regulations, policies, guidelines, and conditions set forth in this document. |
Award Project Period |
Awards for T35 short-term institutional NRSA research training grants may be for project periods up to five years in duration and are renewable. |
Stipends, Tuition, and Fees |
Kirschstein-NRSA awards provide stipends as a subsistence
allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training
experience. |
Trainee Travel |
The NIH awarding component may provide grant funds to cover the costs of trainee travel, including attendance at scientific meetings, which the organization determines is necessary to the individual s training. Trainees must be appointed to the training grants at time of the actual travel for this to be an allowable cost. |
Training Related Expenses |
NIH will provide funds to help defray other research training expenses, such as health insurance, administrative staff salaries, consultant costs, equipment, research supplies, and faculty/staff travel directly related to the research training program. The most recent levels of training related expenses are described on the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) site. Visit NIH Grants Policy Statement: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for more information. |
Indirect Costs |
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, consortium costs in excess of $25,000, and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. |
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.
Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
The applicant institution must have robust and high-quality research ongoing in the area(s) proposed under this FOA and must have the requisite faculty, staff, students and postdoctorates (as applicable), and facilities on site to conduct the proposed institutional program. It is anticipated that program faculty will have active, funded research projects in which participating trainees may gain relevant experiences consistent with their research interests and goals.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are
not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in
the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Applicant Organizations
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
- Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
- System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
- NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
- eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
- Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization’s eRA Commons account. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
Any individual(s) with
the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training program as the
Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training 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.
The Training PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area
in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both
administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation
of the proposed program. The Training PD/PI will be responsible for the
selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training
program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and
evaluation of the program. The Training PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess
the program and submit all documents and reports as required.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is programmatically distinct.
NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:
- To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
- Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
- Of an application with a changed grant activity code.
Program faculty should have strong records as researchers, including recent publications and successful competition for research support in the area of the proposed research training program. Program faculty should also have a record of research training, including successful, former trainees who have established productive careers relevant to the NIH mission. Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as mentors.
The individual to be trained must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. Additional details on citizenship, training period, and aggregate duration of support are available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Trainees selected for short-term training are required to pursue research training for 2-3 months on a full-time basis devoting at least 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. Within the full-time training period, trainees must devote their time to the proposed research training and must confine clinical duties to those that are an integral part of the research training experience. Successful trainees may be appointed for additional periods of short-term training or, if appropriate to their career level, they should be encouraged to apply for an extended period of full-time training supported by an NRSA training grant or fellowship, or an NIH career development award.
Short-term training is not intended, and may not be used, to support activities that would ordinarily be part of a research degree program, nor for any undergraduate-level training.
Short-term trainees must be medical students, dental students, students in other health-professional programs, or graduate students in the physical or quantitative sciences. To be eligible for short-term, predoctoral research training positions, students must have received a baccalaureate degree by the beginning date of their NRSA appointment. In addition, students must be enrolled, in good standing, and must have completed at least one quarter or semester in a program leading to a clinical doctorate or a doctorate in a physical or quantitative science such as physics, mathematics, or engineering before participating in the training program. Individuals already matriculated in a formal research degree program in the health sciences, or those holding a research doctorate, a master’s degree, or a combined health-professional/research doctorate normally are not eligible for short-term training positions. Within schools of pharmacy, only individuals who are candidates for the Pharm.D. degree are eligible for short-term, research training positions.
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.
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.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently
Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant
Applications.
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
Instructions for Application Submission
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Application.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Application.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA), with the following additional modifications:
Project Summary/Abstract. Provide an abstract of the entire application. Include the objectives, rationale and design of the research training program as well as key activities in the training plan. Indicate the planned duration of the program, the projected number of,trainees, and intended trainee outcomes.
Other Attachments. An Advisory Committee is not a required component of a training program. However, if an Advisory Committee is intended, provide a plan for the appointment of an Advisory Committee to monitor progress of the training program. The composition, roles, responsibilities, and desired expertise of committee members, frequency of committee meetings, and other relevant information should be included. Describe how the Advisory Committee will evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program. Proposed Advisory Committee members should be named in the application if they have been invited to participate at the time the application is submitted. Renewal applications with Advisory Committees should include the names of all committee members during the past project period. Please name your file Advisory_Committee.pdf .
The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA).
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA).
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R).
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:
- Use the PHS 398 Training Budget form to include all allowable categories of funds requested to support trainees in the program.
- Justify the number of trainees in the Budget Justification.
All Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Application must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Program Plan. The Program Plan should consist of the following elements:
Program Administration. Describe the acknowledged strengths, leadership and administrative skills, training experience, scientific expertise, and active research of the Training PD/PI. Relate these strengths to the proposed management of the training program. Describe the planned strategy and administrative structure to be used to oversee and monitor the program. If there are multiple Training PDs/PIs, then the plan for Program Administration is expected to synergize with the Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan section of the application.
Program Faculty. The application must include information about the program faculty who will be available to serve as preceptors/mentors and provide guidance and expertise appropriate to the level of trainees proposed in the application. Describe the complementary expertise and experiences of the proposed program faculty, including active research and other scholarly activities in which the faculty are engaged, as well their experience mentoring and training individuals at the proposed career stage(s). For any proposed program faculty lacking research training experience, describe a plan to ensure successful trainee guidance by these individuals. Describe the criteria used to appoint and remove individuals as program faculty and to evaluate their participation.
Proposed Training. Provide an overview of the proposed short-term training program. Outline the objectives of the program and the program activities that will be used to meet these objectives. Describe for whom the training program is intended. Include information about planned courses, curricula, seminars, workshops, or tutorials, if any, that will be included with mentored research experiences in the training program. Given the short-duration of support and the emphasis on research training, any didactic training must be well structured and well justified.
Trainees appointed to the short-term research training program must have the opportunity to carry out supervised biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research with the primary objective of developing or enhancing their research skills and knowledge in preparation for a health-related research career. Provide brief summaries of training plans that the program would employ and describe how such training plans could be tailored to the needs of the trainees, taking into account their knowledge and prior experience.
For renewal applications, highlight how the training program has evolved in response to changes in relevant scientific and technical knowledge, educational practices, and to evaluation of the training program.
Program Evaluation. Describe a plan to review and determine the quality and effectiveness of the training program. This plan should include the metrics to be evaluated (including program activities completed, degree completion (if applicable), publications, fellowships/honors, and subsequent positions) as well as plans to obtain feedback from current and former trainees to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements. Specified evaluation metrics should be tied to the goals of the program.
Trainee Candidates. Describe, in general terms, the size and qualifications of the pool of potential trainees. Describe specific plans to recruit candidates and explain how these plans will be implemented (see also section on Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity). Describe the nomination and selection process to be used to select candidates who would be offered admission to the program and criteria for trainees reappointment to the program.
Institutional Environment and Commitment to the Program. The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program including assurance that sufficient time will be allowed for the Training PDs/PIs and other program faculty to contribute to the proposed program. The application must include a signed letter, on institutional letterhead, that describes the applicant institution’s commitment to the planned program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program. This commitment may also include features such as PD/PI salary, stipend or tuition support for individuals involved in the proposed training program, or other commitments essential to a successful training program.
Institutions with ongoing research training, student development, or career development programs that receive external funding should explain what distinguishes the proposed program from existing ones at the same trainee level; how the programs will synergize, if applicable; whether trainees are expected to transition from one support program to another; and how the training faculty, pool of potential trainees, and resources are sufficiently robust to support the proposed program in addition to existing ones.
Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity. Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences workforce. The NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the educational and training environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in setting research priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and to improve the Nation’s capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.
Accordingly the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations and thus to enhance the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will enhance diversity on a national or institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of candidates:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27 and the most recent report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size; published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at HHS - Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such participants have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.
Recruitment and retention plans related to a disadvantaged background (C1 and C2) are most applicable to high school and perhaps undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of achievement. Under extraordinary circumstances the PHS may, at its discretion, consider an individual beyond the undergraduate level to be from a disadvantaged background. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, based on appropriate documentation.
Competing continuation and non-competing applications must include a detailed account of experiences in recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups during the previous funding period. Information must be included on successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies including aggregate information on the distribution of:
- Students or postdoctorates who applied for admission or positions within the department(s)/programs(s) relative to the training grant,
- Students or postdoctorates who were offered admission to or a position within the department(s)/program(s),
- Students actually enrolled in the academic program relevant to the training grant,
- Students or postdoctorates who were appointed to the research training grant.
For those trainees who were enrolled in the training program, the report should include information about the duration of research training and whether those trainees finished their training in good standing.
This Program Announcement requires all applicants to submit a recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity Additional information on the required Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity is available at Frequently Asked Questions Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity (Diversity FAQs).
Applications without a diversity recruitment and retention plan will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
All applications must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). The plan must address the five, required instructional components outlined in the NIH policy: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the program faculty in the instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction, taking into consideration the duration of the program; and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. See also NOT-OD-10-019. The plan should be appropriate and reasonable for the nature and duration of the proposed program. Renewal (Type 2) applications must, in addition, describe any changes in formal instruction over the past project period and plans to address any weaknesses in the current instruction plan. All participating faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders during the past project period must be named in the application.
Applications lacking a Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research will not be reviewed.
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.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications
before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application
corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications to 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 before the due date 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.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement. The National
Research Service Award (NRSA) policies apply to this program. An NRSA
appointment may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored
fellowship, traineeship, or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or
otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement. Note, however, that pre-award costs are not allowable
charges for stipends or tuition/fees on institutional training grants because these
costs may not be charged to the grant until a trainee has actually been
appointed and the appropriate paperwork submitted to the NIH awarding
component.
Any additional costs associated with the decision to allow research elective credit for short-term research training are not allowable charges on an institutional training grant.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (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(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in
the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF424(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 System for Award Management (SAM). 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.
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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Applicants are advised to refer to Agency Contacts for exceptions.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-13-030.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed training program will prepare individuals for successful, productive scientific research careers and thereby exert a sustained influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of training program merit, and give a separate score for each. When applicable, the reviewers will consider each question in the context of proposed short-term training. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.
Training Program and Environment
- Are the objectives, design, direction, and quality of the proposed short-term research training program appropriate and likely to ensure effective training?
- Does the proposed program provide suitable training for the level of trainees being proposed and the area(s) of science to be supported by the program? Are the quality of proposed courses, if applicable, and training experiences appropriate for the trainees to be included in the program?
- If appropriate, does the program provide training in inter- or multi-disciplinary research and/or provide training in state-of-the-art or novel methodologies and techniques?
- Is the proposed program of training likely to ensure that trainees will acquire knowledge and skills necessary to prepare them for a research career? Does the program include features likely to encourage short-term trainees to consider careers in health-related research?
- Are the research facilities and research environment conducive to preparing trainees for successful careers as biomedical research scientists?
- Is the level of institutional commitment to the training program, including administrative and research training support, sufficient to ensure the success of the program?
Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s))
- Does the Training PD/PI have the scientific background, expertise, and administrative and training experience to provide strong leadership, direction, management, and administration of the proposed research training program?
- Does the Training PD/PI plan to commit sufficient effort to ensure the program’s success?
- For applications designating multiple Training PDs/PIs:
- Is a strong justification provided that the multiple Training PD/PI leadership approach will benefit the training program and the trainees?
- Is a strong and compelling leadership approach evident, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure consistent with and justified by the aims of the training program and the complementary expertise of the PDs/PIs?
Preceptors/Mentors
- Are sufficient numbers of experienced preceptors/mentors with appropriate expertise and funding available to support the number and level of trainees proposed in the application?
- Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records as researchers, including recent publications and successful competition for research support in areas directly related to the proposed research training program?
- Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records of training individuals at the level of trainees proposed in the program? Are appropriate plans in place to ensure that preceptors lacking sufficient research training experience are likely to provide strong and successful mentoring?
Trainees
- Is a recruitment plan proposed with strategies likely to attract high-quality candidates for the short-term training program?
- Does the program have access to and the ability to recruit high quality, short-term trainees from the applicant institution or another health-professional school?
- Are the size and quality of the applicant pool adequate to support the program?
- Are the recruiting procedures and trainee selection criteria appropriate and well defined?
Training Record
- How successful are the trainees (or for new applications, other past students/fellows in similar training) in completing the program? Do trainees subsequently enter careers in health-related research?
- How productive are trainees (or for new applications, other past students/fellows in similar training) in terms of research accomplishments, publications, subsequent training appointments, fellowships, and individual research support?
- Does the program have a rigorous evaluation plan to assess the quality and effectiveness of the training? Are effective mechanisms in place for obtaining feedback from current and former trainees and monitoring trainees subsequent career development?
- Are appropriate plans presented to follow the careers of short-term trainees and to assess the effect of the training program on subsequent career choices?
- Is the program successful in attracting trainees back for multiple appointments, when possible and appropriate?
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 score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Vertebrate Animals
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Biohazards
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
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, including on the Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity. Does the application describe the program s accomplishments over the past funding period(s)? Is the program achieving its training objectives? Has the program evaluated the quality and effectiveness of the training experience, and is there evidence that the evaluation outcomes and feedback from trainees have been acted upon? Are changes proposed that would improve or strengthen the research training experience? Has the program been successful in attracting trainees back for multiple appointments and to continue subsequently in health-related research positions?
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.
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 score.
Recruitment & Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented groups. The plan will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the consensus of the review committee will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement.
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the specific characteristics of the training program, the level of trainee experience, and the particular circumstances of the trainees, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g. lectures, coursework and/or real-time discussion groups, including face-to-face interaction? (A plan involving only on-line instruction is not acceptable.); 2) Subject Matter - Does the plan include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics? 3) Faculty Participation - Does the plan adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? For renewal applications, are all training faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders during the past project period named in the application? 4) Duration of Instruction - Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least eight contact hours of instruction? 5) Frequency of Instruction Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least once during each career stage (undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels) and at a frequency of no less than once every four years?
For renewal applications, does the progress report document acceptable RCR instruction in the five components described above? Does the plan describe how participation in RCR instruction is being monitored? Are appropriate changes in the plan for RCR instruction proposed in response to feedback and in response to evolving issues related to responsible conduct of research?
Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Select Agent Research
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget, including the requested number of training positions (predoctoral, postdoctoral, short-term), and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research training program.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
- May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
- Will receive a written critique.
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 appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
- Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
- Availability of funds.
- Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
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.
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’s 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, SAM
Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
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.
Institutional NRSA training grants must be administered in
accordance with the current NRSA section of the NIH Grants
Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants.
The taxability of stipends is described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement. Policies
regarding the Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA payback obligation are explained in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Note: The leave durations stated below apply to full-time trainees. Short-term trainee leave must be proportionally adjusted based on the duration of appointment.
In general, trainees may
receive stipends during the normal periods of vacation and holidays observed by
individuals in comparable training positions at the sponsoring institution. For
the purpose of these awards, however, the period between the spring and fall
semesters is considered to be an active time of research and research training
and is not considered to be a vacation or holiday. Trainees may receive stipends for up to 15
calendar days of sick leave per year. Under exceptional circumstances, this
period may be extended by the NIH awarding IC in response to a written request
from an AOR. Sick leave may be used for the medical conditions related to
pregnancy and childbirth. Trainees may receive stipends for up to 60 calendar
days (equivalent to 8 work weeks) of parental leave per year for the adoption
or the birth of a child when individuals in comparable training positions at
the grantee organization have access to this level of paid leave for this
purpose. Either parent is eligible for parental leave. The use of parental
leave must be approved by the Training PD/PI
(see also: NOT-OD-08-064). A period of terminal leave is not permitted, and payment may not be
made from traineeship funds for leave not taken. Trainees requiring periods of
time away from their research training experience longer than specified here, i.e., more than 15 calendar days
of sick leave or more than 60 calendar days of parental leave, must seek
approval from the NIH awarding component for an unpaid leave of absence.
Approval for a leave of absence must be requested in advance by an AOR on
behalf of the trainee. Trainees
supported by academic institutions should refer to the NIH Institutional NRSA
training grant guidelines in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement for further guidance regarding vacations and
requested leave.
Awards made primarily for educational purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements and thus invention reporting is not required, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Not Applicable
The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR)
and financial statements as described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement are required annually. Continuation support will not
be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. For progress
reports using the paper PHS2590, use the Additional Instructions for Preparing
a Progress Report for an Institutional Training Grant found in the PHS2590.
For submissions using the RPPR, see the Training RPPR instructions.
Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms
in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure
disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
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.
- The institution must submit a completed Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271) for each trainee appointed or reappointed to the training grant. Grantees must submit the PHS 2271 data electronically using the xTrain system. More information on xTrain is available at xTrain (eRA Commons). An appointment or reappointment may begin at any time during the budget period, but not before the budget period start date of the grant year.
- A notarized statement verifying possession of permanent residency documentation must be submitted with the Statement of Appointment (Form PHS 2271). Individuals with a Conditional Permanent Resident status must first meet full (non-conditional) Permanent Residency requirements before receiving support.
- Termination Notice: Within 30 days of the end of the total support period, the institution must submit a Termination Notice (PHS Form 416-7) via xTrain for each trainee appointed for eight weeks or more. Trainees with service payback requirements must notify the NIH of any change in address and submit Annual Payback Activities Certification Forms (PHS 6031-1) until the payback service obligation is satisfied.
A final Progress Report and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Evaluation results should be included as part of the final Progress Report.
In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Because of the difference in individual Institute and Center
(IC) program requirements for this FOA, prospective applications MUST consult the Table of IC-Specific Information,
Requirements and Staff Contacts, to make sure that their
application conforms to the requirements of one of the participating NIH ICs.
Prior consultation with NIH staff is strongly encouraged.
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system
problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Web ticketing system: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonshelp
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions
regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application
packages)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
Email: [email protected]
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone: 301-710-0267
TTY: 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
See Table
of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts
Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).
See Table
of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts
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.
Awards are made under the authorization of Section 487 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 66.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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