PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTERS

Release Date:  March 18, 1999

PA NUMBER:  PA-99-074

P.T.

National Institute of Mental Health

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 15, 1999; and November 1 each year
thereafter
Application Receipt Date:  May 12, 1999; and January 15 each year thereafter

This program announcement supersedes PAR-94-038, published in the NIH Guide Vol.
23, No. 7, February 18, 1994 (Rev. August 1995), and will govern future
competitive renewals for existing PRCs and applications for new PRCs.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) invites research grant
applications for Prevention Research Centers (PRCs). The primary goal of this
program is to provide scientific infrastructure support that facilitates the
development and widespread application of new preventive interventions for mental
disorders, including severe mental disorders.  Prevention research includes
interventions to (a) reduce the risk of onset, or delay onset, of mental
disorders and behavioral dysfunctions; (b) reduce the severity and course of
disorders; (c) prevent comorbid conditions and disorders; (d) prevent relapse,
recurrence, excess disability, side effects, and inappropriate service or
resource use.  These Centers are essential to the development of integrated,
interdisciplinary research strategies that can address key issues in the rapidly
evolving field of prevention science.

This program announcement (PA) focuses on support for research Centers that
either bridge basic and intervention research (Translational Centers), or
intervention and services research (Intervention Centers).  All centers will
focus on state-of-the-art methodologies and interdisciplinary research
approaches, in order to address pressing public health problems.  This PA is
responsive to recommendations from three landmark reviews of the prevention
science field:

(1) the report of the Institute of Medicine, "Reducing Risks for Mental Disorder:
Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research"
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/rrmd/index.html

(2) the report of the NIMH Ad Hoc Committee on Prevention Research, AA Plan for
Prevention Research for the NIMH:  "Report to the National Advisory Mental Health
Council" http://www.nimh.nih.gov/op/opprev.htm

(3) the report of the National Advisory Mental Health Council Workgroup on Mental
Disorders Prevention Research, "Priorities for Prevention Research at NIMH"
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/priorrpt/index.htm

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion
and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS led national
activity for setting priority areas.  This PA, Prevention Research Centers, is
related to the priority area of Mental Health and Mental Disorders.  Potential
applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at
http://www.crisny.org/health/us/health7.html

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals,
laboratories, units of State or local governments, and eligible agencies of the
Federal Government.  Women, racial/ethnic minority individuals, and persons with
disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal investigators.  Foreign
institutions are not eligible for either the R24 or P30 funding mechanisms.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This PA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Resource-Related
Research Projects (R24) mechanism for developing centers and Center Core Grants
(P30) mechanism for mature centers.  Support for a developing center (R24) may
be requested for a single, non-renewable 5-year period only, with a maximum
request of $400,000 direct costs per year, plus negotiated institutional indirect
costs. Competitive renewal may be only for a mature center.  Support for a mature
center (P30) can be requested for an initial period of up to 5 years, followed
by a competitive renewal for a second 5-year period, with a maximum period of 10
years and a maximum request of $1,000,000 direct costs per year, plus negotiated
institutional indirect costs.  Criteria for developing and mature centers are
described below.

Allowable Costs

PRC funds can support subject recruitment and incentive costs and outreach
activities to ensure appropriate participation by women, children and
adolescents, and minorities.  In appropriate cases, PRCs may also request
allowable patient bed costs or research ward costs as well as additional
personnel for outpatient facilities.  Such funds will be made available, however,
only when it is clear that no other funds are available for such purposes and the
beds or facilities are essential to the conduct of the research.

Because the nature and scope of the research proposed in response to this program
announcement may vary, it is anticipated that the size of an award will also
vary.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

PRCs provide infrastructure support rather than support for specific, fully
developed research studies.  The availability of such an infrastructure is
intended to enable a greater efficiency and breadth in the capacity to pursue
preventive intervention research.  Investigators seeking support for individual
research projects, or for a coordinated set of research projects, should use
mechanisms other than the PRC, such as a program project grant, interactive
research project grant, or multi-institutional collaborative research project.

Prevention Research Center Infrastructure

Prevention research is construed broadly to include not only the prevention of
initial cases of mental disorders and related problems, but also the prevention
of comorbid conditions, recurrence, relapse, functional impairments, side
effects, and inappropriate service or resource use.  Although the specific
structure and organization of individual PRCs will vary, all PRCs are organized
around a major prevention question or theme.  There are two different types of
PRCs, Translational and Intervention, both of which may be either developing or
mature centers.

Translational PRCs focus on infrastructure support for risk factor and other pre-
intervention research in order to develop and pilot promising preventive
interventions prior to going to scale with larger efficacy and effectiveness
trials.  The primary mission of these PRCs is to translate findings from basic
research on biological, psychological, and social risk and protective processes
into new models of potential preventive interventions.

Intervention PRCs focus on infrastructure support for randomized, controlled
efficacy and effectiveness trials, and/or preventive service systems and policy
research.  The primary mission of these PRCs is to test the efficacy,
application, and dissemination of preventive intervention strategies in a variety
of well-defined populations and settings, with the objective of informing and
improving public health policy.

Research supported by PRCs need not be limited to strictly translational research
or prevention trials.  Translational PRCs may also provide limited infrastructure
support for some efficacy and/or effectiveness trials within the scope of their
central scientific theme.  Similarly, Intervention PRCs may also provide limited
infrastructure support for some pre-intervention research and other pilot work
prior to going to scale in large efficacy and effectiveness trials.  It is
expected, however, that the primary focus of PRC activities will be on either
translational or intervention research.

The proposed research agenda for the PRC must be based upon a highly integrated,
multidisciplinary approach which bridges basic and applied science, and involves
the most advanced technologies relevant to the research area.  A PRC need not be
limited by departmental or geographical boundaries.  A research team may consist
of investigators drawn from research components within a single institution or
institutions which are geographically distant, to the extent that this is
feasible and cost effective.  For example, it is anticipated that an Intervention
PRC may need access to several different sites for effectiveness trials.

All PRCs are expected to provide:

o  leadership as a major national scientific resource, through the development
of a clear research agenda and an active program of preventive intervention
research within the Center, collaborative arrangements across Centers and with
other relevant research programs, and strong mentorship and/or research
apprenticeship opportunities for new prevention scientists;

o  the PRC Director should have overall responsibility for leadership of the PRC
as a major national scientific resource.  This individual must have demonstrated
capability to organize, administer, and direct the Center, be a principal
investigator on at least one of the projects, and have a minimum time commitment
of 30 percent to the Center;

o  an environment of research excellence achieved through a critical core of
investigators who integrate ideas from diverse scientific and disciplinary
realms.  PRC multidisciplinary teams work at a high level of methodological
sophistication, and have a productive record of peer-reviewed publications. 
Examples of multidisciplinary teams may include, but need not be limited to,
epidemiologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and statisticians; or
anthropologists, social scientists, statisticians, psychiatrists; or
pediatricians, epidemiologists, psychologists, and statisticians, etc.;

o  administrative structure that maximizes efficiency through strategic
scientific program planning, monitoring, and execution, pooled resources, and 
sound financial practices.  A PRC must have sufficient authority to establish the
necessary administrative and management procedures to carry out its scientific
mission within the institution in which it is housed;

o  institutional infrastructure dedicated to prevention science; resources that
facilitate prevention research by scientists who receive primary support through
NIH and other peer-reviewed sources and who require the types of facilities
available through a PRC; research support and facilities not easily obtained
through individual research project grants;

o  models of community outreach, input, and collaboration, including the
development of culturally sensitive preventive interventions and research designs
acceptable to the communities within which the Center is working.  Research
designs and interventions should be developed in partnership with communities and
their facilities and institutions whenever feasible, and should be compatible
with existing services structures, where appropriate; and

o  opportunities for investigators who have potential for independent research
careers to become skilled in state-of-the-art approaches and methods. In
addition, opportunities should be made available for established, mid-career
researchers in closely related fields to re-focus their work on prevention
science issues. There should also be close coordination between the PRC and
relevant predoctoral and/or postdoctoral research training programs of the
institution. Special attention should be given to the recruitment of minority
students.  PRCs are expected to make maximum use of the variety of mechanisms
available to researchers to recruit and support developing prevention scientists.

PRC Functions

To fulfill the mission outlined above, all PRCs are expected to perform a number
of functions that support the conduct of translational or prevention trials
research. These functions may be represented as individual core units of the
Center, or they may be clustered together.  Although the relative emphasis of PRC
functions will vary with the specific structure and organization, all of the
elements must be addressed in each application.  Functions include, but are not
limited to:

o  Research agenda and theory development.  PRCs are expected to develop an
organizing prevention/promotion research theme or set of themes and a research
agenda that define the mission of the Center.  For each theme, PRC applications
are expected to review the relevant empirical and theoretical literature,
identify major unresolved issues, and present a plan for developing a rigorous,
theory driven, multi-disciplinary program to address research questions and
clarify theory and/or practice;

o  Methodology.  PRCs are expected to provide state-of-the-art, sophisticated
methodological expertise to all Center-related research projects.  This function
includes, but is not limited to, sample development, methods and instrument
development, assessment and diagnosis, research design, statistics, and primary
and secondary data analysis.  PRCs can also support relevant biological and
behavioral research laboratories.  PRCs are strongly encouraged, where
appropriate, to include a focus on methodological research aimed at solving
design and statistical problems of critical importance to longitudinal field
trials;

o  Data management.  PRCs are expected to provide up-to-date data management
efforts of the highest quality in order to facilitate all aspects of data
processing and analysis, including secondary data analysis, development of data
for public use, and timely production of research publications;

o  Innovative pilot projects.  PRCs may request seed money and start-up funds to
support new, innovative pilot projects.  Such high-risk preliminary studies have
the potential for developing into larger projects that could then compete for
funds on their own from other Federal, State, or private sources.  PRCs must
provide a process of scientific review for the pilot study program;

o  Knowledge and technology transfer.  PRCs are expected to sponsor scientific
meetings and symposia in their thematic area, generate scientific and public
education publications and other outreach activities to address public health
issues, make data available for public use, disseminate findings and successful
intervention technologies, and highlight ethical issues in preventive
intervention research.  Both Center and additional mechanisms can be used as
appropriate;

o  Mentoring.  PRCs are expected to provide prevention research opportunities to
new and established investigators through a program of training, career
development, and research apprenticeships.  Special attention should be given to
the recruitment of minority investigators.  The full range of research training
and other career mechanisms can be used; and

o  Opportunities for research collaboration.  PRCs are expected to capitalize on
opportunities for cross-site and cross-research-project collaborations, where
appropriate.  Collaborative research planning activities, including piloting, can
be included as PRC sponsored activities.  Fully developed collaborative projects
will be funded through regular research grant mechanisms.

Developing and Mature Centers

There are two categories of grant applications under the PRC program:
applications for developing centers and applications for mature centers. Although
there are no absolute criteria to distinguish who should apply in which category,
the following guidelines apply:

The category of developing centers is appropriate for institutions that (a) are
interested in developing a critical mass of research scholars necessary to
conduct state-of-the-art prevention research, or (b) already have a critical mass
of researchers from relevant disciplines who are interested in re-focusing and
integrating their research around a prevention science theme of translational
research or intervention trials.  Applicants in this category must have strong
track records in research (although not necessarily in prevention research) and
show promise of developing into fully functioning centers. Developing centers
have research themes and existing collaborations, but need funds to recruit
additional scientists, expand core functions, or fully develop a
multidisciplinary prevention science agenda.

A developing center contains research planning activities and a developmental
program of pilot research which will determine the specific form and direction
that a fully operational Center could take in future years.  A developing center
may focus on improving research methodology, strengthening and focusing existing
research programs, integrating scientific perspectives, community or service base
building for effectiveness trials, developing cultural competence in theory and
intervention strategies, recruiting promising investigators and other
professional personnel, and addressing other areas of research potential.
Although the level of funding for a developing center will be relatively modest
and a function of the specific needs of the Center, the grant will provide
maximum flexibility to allow the achievement of its desired goals.  As a
developing center progresses, in terms of both the articulation of major research
programs and the development of resources and facilities, application for R01s
and for full support as a mature center can be made.  Developing centers should
demonstrate the potential for becoming a national scientific research resource
in the area of prevention science.

Mature centers are fully developed entities that are poised to rapidly become
mature centers by virtue of previous commitments of institutional resources,
recruitment and/or development of an existing critical mass of prevention
scientists, the presence of substantial recent prevention research publications
in peer-reviewed research journals, active prevention trials grants, etc.  Mature
centers should be a major national scientific research resource in prevention
science.  In mature centers, funds can be requested to support research career
development candidates at the same level of experience as would be appropriate
for Institute-supported scientist development and academic awards.

Specific Research Topics

For Translational PRCs, infrastructure may be in support of:

o  Development and preliminary testing of prevention strategies aimed at changing
risk factors and/or mediators associated with mental disorders and related
behavioral dysfunctions;

o  Development and preliminary testing of promotive interventions, with emphasis
on identification and independent assessment of relevant mental health outcomes;

o  Development and piloting of novel preventive interventions, including
pharmacological interventions, that target genetic or other biological risk
factors for mental disorders.  Such risk factors may be specific to disorders as
well as general;

o  Hypothesis development studies, including animal models and case-control
research, to identify potential causal factors and mechanisms involved in the
development, exacerbation, or recurrence of symptoms, disorders, impairments, and
comorbid outcomes;

o  Model-building etiological research to specify the nature, timing, and
relative contribution of risk and protective factors, as well as underlying
psychological, social, and biological processes that mediate the movement from
risk to psychopathology and impairment over time;

o  Targeted intervention experiments to test causal pathways specified in
etiological models to identify mechanisms by which interventions work;

o  Intervention technology development studies that examine innovative methods
for changing targeted risk factors and processes, or for promoting and
maintaining behavior change;

o  Studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms of change and maintenance of
change at levels of the individual, interpersonal relationships, families,
networks of support, and/or community;

o  Studies aimed at understanding optimal timing or scope of interventions, or
subgroup differences in response to different intervention strategies;

o  Generation and piloting of ecologically valid prevention trials with multiple
intervention components that target risk and protective factors across a number
of domains simultaneously;

o  Development and piloting of prevention strategies aimed at risk factors and
processes common to multiple outcomes; and/or

o  Development and piloting of multicomponent intervention approaches through
systematic construction of individual modules which later can be tested in
combinations.

For Intervention PRCs, infrastructure may be in support of:

o  Efficacy trials of promising preventive interventions that test previously
generated causal models of risk and protective processes;

o  Studies to guide dosing and duration of preventive interventions in specific
subgroups and populations;

o  Prevention efficacy and/or effectiveness trials aimed at risk factors common
to comorbid disorders and/or maladaptive outcomes;

o  Prevention trials that target subsyndromal or prodromal disorders that place
the individual at high risk for conversion to full-blown disorder;

o  Prevention trials aimed at reducing risk for relapse and recurrence of
disorders;

o  Research on the prevention of side effects and adverse reactions to preventive
or treatment interventions;

o  Prevention efficacy trials to test individual and/or combined modules of
multicomponent intervention strategies prior to testing for effectiveness;

o  Prevention trials involving embedded universal, selected, and indicated
intervention strategies;

o  Prevention trials involving systematic testing of combinations of previously-
developed individual modules;

o  Studies that address cultural, methodological, design, and other transitional
issues that may arise in adapting an efficacious intervention for testing in
multi-site and/or effectiveness trials;

o  Effectiveness trials to adapt and test efficacious preventive intervention
approaches in new populations or settings (e.g., different geographic region,
primary care, work sites);

o  Multi-site trials to test the generalizability of preventive interventions in
more diverse, heterogeneous populations and settings;

o  Economic, e.g., cost-effectiveness, cost-offset, etc., studies of preventive
interventions;

o  Research that broadens the measurement of outcomes of interventions, including
functional status and appropriate service utilization; and/or

o  Dissemination and/or services research once interventions have demonstrated
effectiveness and are ready for adoption by service systems.

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their
subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral
research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling
rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with
respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research.  This
policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public
Law 103-43).

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical
Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994
(FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No.
11, March 18, 1994 available on the web at the following URL address: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21)
must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the
NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.  This
policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates
after October 1, 1998.

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in
Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants
and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL address:
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html

Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed
under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide additional relevant information
concerning the policy.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prior to application submission, prospective applicants are encouraged to submit
a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed PRC, the
name, address, telephone number, and email address of the Principal Investigator,
the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the
number and title of this program announcement.  Although a letter of intent is
not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent
applications, the information allows NIMH staff to estimate the potential review
workload and to help avoid conflict of interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be submitted by April 15, 1999; or by November 1 each
year thereafter.  The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Eve Moscicki at the
addresses listed under INQUIRIES.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program staff early in application
development with any questions regarding the responsiveness of their application
to the goals of this PA.

Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev.
4/98) and will be accepted on the single receipt date of May 12, 1999 and on
January 15 each year thereafter.  The earliest possible funding in 1999 would be
December 1.  Application kits are available at most institutional offices of
sponsored research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach
and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive,
MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301)710-0267; fax: (301)480-0525
Email: GRANTSINFO@NIH.GOV.  The application is also available at
http://www.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm

An applicant planning to submit an investigator-initiated new (type 1), competing
continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended/revised version of
the preceding grant application types requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs
for any year are advised that he or she must contact Institute program staff
before submitting the application, i.e., as plans for the study are being
developed.  Furthermore, the applicant must obtain agreement from Institute staff
that the Institute will accept the application for consideration for award. 
Finally, the applicant must identify, in a cover letter sent with the
application, the staff member and Institute who agreed to accept assignment of
the application.  This policy requires an applicant to obtain agreement for
acceptance of both any such application and any subsequent amendment.  Applicants
who are uncertain regarding which Institute or Center to contact should call the
Referral Office, Center for Scientific Review.  Refer to the NIH Guide for Grants
and Contracts, March 20, 1998 (http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-030.html).

Applications for new R24 and new P30 grants that were not previously supported
under the R24 mechanism have the following page limitations: (1) the Overview of
the Center including sections on the Background, Significance, and Aims of the
Center, the Model for the Center, and a brief description of each Core, and the
complete Administrative Core are considered one component with a 25-page limit;
and (2) a maximum of 5 additional pages per Core may be used to describe each
Core and how it is expected to relate to and enhance the capabilities of the
other Cores and the overall aims of the Center.

For P30 applications for Centers previously funded (as R24s or P30s), an
additional 5 pages may be used to report on overall progress of the Center, and
another 5 pages per Core to report on the progress of each Core during the
preceding years.

The title and number of the program announcement must be typed in Section 2 on
the face page of the application.

The completed original application and three legible copies must be sent or
delivered to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must also be
sent to:

Henry Haigler, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6154, MSC 9609
Bethesda, MD  20892-9609

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an
appropriate peer review group convened by the NIMH in accordance with the
standard NIH peer review procedures.  As part of the initial merit review, all
applications will receive a written critique and may undergo a process in which
only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally
the top half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority
score, and receive a second level review by the appropriate national advisory
council or board, when applicable.

Review Criteria

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of bio-
behavioral systems, improve the control of disease and disorder, and enhance
health.  In their written comments reviewers will be asked to discuss the
following aspects of the application in order to judge the likelihood that the
proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.
Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall
score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.

(1) Public Health Significance:  Does this center address an important public
health problem?  If the aims of the application are achieved, how will the field
of prevention science benefit?  What will be the effect of the center and its
affiliated studies on fundamental advances in the development, testing, and
dissemination of preventive interventions and on informing public health policy?

(2) Approach:  Is the concept of a center fulfilled, including (a) an integrated
prevention science theme and a multidisciplinary thrust to achieve a common
mission, (b) development of a pooled, core database that can yield results beyond
that accomplished with individual projects alone, (c) attraction of established
investigators and development of genuine collaborations among investigators with
diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, (d) a research development component
for new or mid-career investigators through research training and career
development mechanisms, (e) a process for stimulation and evaluation of new pilot
study proposals?  Will a center approach add significantly to what could be
accomplished through other modes of research support?  Is the approach adequately
developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to its public health aims?  Does the
applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?

(3) Innovation:  Does the center propose to develop novel concepts, approaches,
measures or methods in translating basic research for the development of
preventive interventions, or in intervention research for the testing and
dissemination of preventive interventions?  Are the aims original and innovative? 
Does the center extend existing approaches or develop new methodologies or
technologies in prevention science?

(4) Leadership:  Are the center director and other senior investigators at the
forefront of their respective fields?  Do they have the experience and authority
necessary to organize, administer and direct the center?

(5) Environment:  Does the scientific, technical, and administrative environment
of the center contribute to excellence and the probability of success?  Does the
center take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ
useful collaborative arrangements?  Is the center able to gain access to
representative samples of target populations in a variety of community and
institutional settings? Is there evidence of a high level of institutional
commitment and support?

The initial review group will also examine:  the appropriateness of proposed
project budget and duration; the adequacy of plans to include both genders,
minorities and their subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific
goals of the research and plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects;
the provisions for the protection of human and animal subjects; and the safety
of the research environment.

In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

o  PRC Organization.  The quality and appropriateness of the organizational
structure, the quality and experience of the administrative staff, the plans for
quality control through in-house consultation and outside review (e.g.,
Scientific Advisory Board), and the quality of the plans for the allocating and
monitoring of resources;

o  Center Functions.  The quality of the proposed core functions, including:
research agenda/theory development, methodology, data management, knowledge and
technology transfer, mentoring, collaboration, community sanction/liaison,
laboratories, etc.  The extent to which these Center functions can be expected
to contribute to the quality of individual research projects developed under the
Center umbrella, and to the quality of research in the field more broadly;

o  Community Collaboration.  The quality of proposed procedures for community,
institution, or agency outreach and input in developing and testing culturally
competent and acceptable prevention strategies.

Modified Review Criteria for Developing Centers

All PRC applications will be reviewed according to the procedures and criteria
outline above.  However, for applications for developing centers, the above
criteria will be modified by the following:

o  The quality and extent of institutional support available to facilitate the
development of the PRC. The nature and level of resource commitments from the
home institution/department and from other participating institutions/departments
are of necessity not of the level of the mature center. Nonetheless, evidence of
significant commitment of long-term institutional support is needed;

o  The quality of plans to recruit excellent new research faculty, or to further
integrate the work of existing investigators around preventive intervention
trials.  Applications for a developing center need not be characterized by the
same level, disciplinary mix, or number of established, funded investigators as
an application for a mature center.  Instead, a developing center is reviewed on
the basis of the quality of its plans to recruit or re-deploy high caliber
investigators, the likelihood these plans will succeed, and the probability that
the developing center will lead to significant new research collaborations or
multi-disciplinary integrations;

o  The likelihood that the establishment of a developing center will facilitate
existing research activities and serve as a mechanism to expand the proposed
prevention science theme into a fully developed prevention research agenda that
will serve as a basis for an application for a fully mature center;

o  The likelihood that the PRC will develop into a fully mature center during the
five years of support.  Developing centers are carefully reviewed for evidence
that the PRC is likely to succeed and become a fully functioning mature center
within the 5-year funding period.

Additional Criteria for Developing Centers Seeking Competing Renewal as Mature
Centers

o  The extent to which the developing center has matured.  The extent to which
the center has developed a significant research identity and focus in prevention
science, and has evolved into a major national scientific resource;

o  The extent to which the PRC's leadership has been successful in establishing
core structures, articulating the program of each core, encouraging inter-core
collaborations, and in developing administrative procedures and practices that
foster prevention science research of the highest quality and significance;

o  The extent to which the PRC has been successful in attracting productive
investigators and promising trainees to the center.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved
applications.  The following will be considered in making funding decisions: 
program relevance, quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review,
availability of funds, program balance, and Institute priority.

INQUIRIES

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact appropriate program staff well in
advance of submitting an application for peer review. The opportunity to clarify
any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:

Doreen Spilton Koretz, Ph.D.
Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research, and AIDS
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6200, MSC 9617
Bethesda, MD  20892-9617
Telephone:  (301) 443-5944
FAX:  (301) 443-4611
Email:  dkoretz@nih.gov

Eve K. Moscicki, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Division of Services and Intervention Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7149, MSC 9633
Bethesda, MD 20892-9633
Telephone:  (301) 443-4283
FAX:  (301) 443-4045
Email:  emoscick@nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Diana S. Trunnell
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone:  (301) 443-3065
FAX:  (301) 443-6885
Email:  Diana_Trunnell@nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.
93.242.  Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act,
Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241
and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42
CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental
review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.
Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement (October 1, 1998).

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


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