and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating
Organizations
National
Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov/)
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF)
(http://www.oref.org)
Components of Participating
Organizations
National
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) (http://www.niams.nih.gov)
Title: National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowships In Epidemiology, Clinical Trials, and Outcomes Research In Orthopaedic Surgery(F32)
Announcement Type
New
Looking Ahead: As part of the Department of Health and Human Services' implementation of e-Government, during FY 2006 the NIH will gradually transition each research grant mechanism to electronic submission through Grants.gov and the use of the SF 424 Research and Related (R&R) forms. Therefore, once the transition is made for a specific grant mechanism, investigators and institutions will be required to submit applications electronically using Grants.gov. For more information and an initial timeline, see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/. NIH will announce each grant mechanism change in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html). Specific funding opportunity announcements will also clearly indicate if the Grants.gov submission and the use of the SF424 (R&R) are required. Investigators should consult the NIH Forms and Applications Web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm) for the most current information when preparing a grant application.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PAR-06-539
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
95.846
Key Dates
Release Date: August 30, 2006
Application Receipt Date(s): October 23, 2006; February
23, June 23, October 23, 2007; and February 23, June 23, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): February/March, June/July, October/November,
2007 and 2008
Council Review Date(s): May/June, September/October,
2007; January/February, May/June, September/October, 2008; and January/February,
2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details.
Expiration Date: June 24, 2008
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not applicable
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Training Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility
Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and
Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt and Review and Anticipated Start
Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of
Award
1. Principal Investigator Rights and
Responsibilities
2. NIH Responsibilities
3. Collaborative Responsibilities
4. Arbitration Process
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency
Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations
Part II - Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Training Objectives
The objective of the Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Postdoctoral NRSA Fellowship Award (F32) program is to provide support to promising postdoctoral applicants with the potential to become productive and successful independent research investigators in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.
The purpose of the NRSA program is to help ensure that diverse pools of highly trained scientists will be available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to carry out the Nation's biomedical, behavioral and clinical research agendas. The NIH awards individual postdoctoral fellowships (F32) to promising applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in fields related to the mission of participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The proposed postdoctoral training must be within the broad scope of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research or other specific disciplines relevant to the research mission of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The proposed training must offer an opportunity to enhance the fellow's understanding of the health-related sciences and extend his/her potential for a productive research career.
The purpose of this PAR is to assist in the development of a cadre of orthopaedic surgeon clinician scientists who are prepared to become independent investigators in epidemiology, clinical trials research, and outcomes research in orthopaedic surgery.
Research Training Program: The NIAMS, along with the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), announces the availability of individual NRSA postdoctoral fellowships to support the training of physicians with expertise in clinical orthopaedic surgery to supplement that knowledge with training in epidemiology/clinical trials/outcomes research. These fellowships are intended to support up to two years of advanced training in the relevant methodologies which is to be used to obtain a Master's of Public Health (or similar relevant area of study such as biostatistics, etc.) and/or a Ph.D. in epidemiology to qualify the fellow to pursue a career in these areas as they relate to musculoskeletal injuries and diseases. Therefore, a special feature of this award is the inclusion of tuition and fees for the necessary course work which is to be taken at a School of Public Health or as part of an appropriate degree granting program within a graduate school. Applicants to this PAR may request activation up to 6 months after the date of award. An additional unique feature is the cooperation of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation which will provide supplementation of approximately $30,000 per year per fellow for up to two awards per year to supplement the stipend and any other expenses involved in the training. Some of the supplemental funds could also be used to support the research program of the individual if University policy does not allow the full amount to be used for salary supplementation. Supplementation by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation will be handled directly with the grantee institution and not through the NIH grant award. The intent of this announcement is to begin to train a cadre of investigators who will be both experienced clinicians in orthopaedic surgery as well in the sciences underpinning epidemiology/clinical trials/outcomes research so that in the future this data will be available to the orthopaedic surgery community. The overall goal of this research training initiative is to increase the number of clinically trained orthopaedic surgeons who have the appropriate training in epidemiology/clinical trials/outcome research to pursue a career focused on this combined area of investigation. The secondary goal is to enhance the visibility of this discipline at U.S. academic health centers.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This funding opportunity will use the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) award mechanism. As an applicant, the candidate and his/her sponsor are jointly responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this PAR may not exceed a total of two years. The requested project period should be reduced by the amount of time a fellow has received support on any prior NRSA post-doctoral fellowship including Institutional NRSA training grants (T32s) so that the total NRSA support does not exceed 3 years.
This mechanism is intended for candidates that will have received an M.D. or D.O., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution and have completed at least two years of orthopaedic surgery training in an accredited program prior to activation of the fellowship award.
2. Funds Available
The NIAMS intends to fund up to 4 new applications responding to this PAR in FY 2007, and/or FY 2008, and/or FY 2009 subject to the availability of resources and receipt of sufficiently meritorious applications. The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of support of this program are $150,000.
This NRSA mechanism provides a stipend, tuition and fees and an institutional allowance. For information see: http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm and NOT-OD-06-093 at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-093.html.
Stipends: NRSA awards provide stipends to postdoctoral fellows as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience. The awards are not provided as a condition of employment with either the Federal government or the sponsoring institution. The stipend level for the first year of NRSA support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time the award is issued (not at the time of activation, see below). Fellows with less than one full year of postdoctoral experience at the time of award will receive initial support at the zero level. Relevant experience may include research (including research in industry), teaching, internship, residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in full-time studies in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. The current stipend schedule is on the NIH website at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm and the NIH Guide Notice released January 9, 2006 located at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-026.html. The NIAMS will adjust awards on the anniversary date of the fellowship award to ensure consistency with the stipend schedule in effect at that time.
The stipend for each subsequent year of NRSA support is the next level of experience using the stipend schedule in effect at that time. Stipends will be adjusted on the anniversary date of the award and will not be changed mid-year to accommodate an increase in the level of experience. No departure from the published NRSA stipend schedule may be negotiated between the institution and the fellow.
For fellows sponsored by domestic non-federal institutions, the stipend will be paid through the sponsoring institution. For fellows sponsored by Federal or foreign institutions, the monthly stipend payment will be deposited in the fellow's U.S. bank account or paid directly to the fellow by U.S. Department of Treasury check.
Tuition and Fees: The NIH will offset the combined cost of tuition and fees at the rate in place at the time of award. The rate recently announced provides 60% of all costs up to $4,500. Costs associated with tuition and fees are allowable only if they are required for specific courses in support of the research training experience supported by the fellowship. It is expected that applicants will request tuition and fees for the necessary coursework which is to be taken at a School of Public Health or as part of an appropriate degree granting program within a graduate school. A full description of the tuition policy is contained within the NRSA section of the Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
A change in policy was released August 18, 2006, and can be found at :http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-093.html.
Institutional Allowance: At the time of publication of this funding opportunity announcement, fellows receive an institutional allowance of $7,850 per 12-month period to nonfederal, nonprofit, or foreign sponsoring institutions to help defray fellowship expenses such as research supplies, equipment, health insurance (either self-only or family as appropriate), and travel to scientific meetings. Support for health insurance is allowable only if it is applied consistently for all individuals in a similar research training status regardless of the source of support. This allowance is intended to cover training related expenses for the individual fellow, and is not available until the fellow officially activates the award. If an individual fellow is enrolled or engaged in training for less than 6 months of the award year, only one-half of that year's allowance may be charged to the grant.
NIH will currently provide an institutional allowance of up to $6,750 for fellows sponsored by Federal laboratories or for-profit institutions for expenses associated with travel to scientific meetings, health insurance, and books. For fellows at for-profit institutions, the $6,750 will be paid to the institution for disbursement to the fellow. Funds for fellows at Federal laboratories will be disbursed from the NIAMS.
The Institutional Allowance is adjusted from time-to-time. Prospective applicants are advised to check for the current Institutional Allowance in the most recent documentation related to NRSA stipends at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm. A change in policy was released August 18, 2006 and can be found at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-093.html.
Other Training Costs: Additional funds may be requested by the institution when the training of a fellow involves extraordinary costs for travel to field sites remote from the sponsoring institution or for accommodations for fellows who are disabled, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/q%26aeng02.htm . The funds requested for costs of this nature must be reasonable in relationship to the total dollars awarded under the fellowship, must be directly related to the approved research training experience, and must be specifically identified in the application. Such additional funds shall be provided only in exceptional circumstances which are fully justified and explained by the sponsoring institution in the application.
Awards for training at a foreign site may include a single economy or coach round-trip travel fare. No allowance is provided for dependents. U.S. flag air carriers must be used to the maximum extent possible when commercial air transportation is available for travel between the United States and a foreign country or between foreign countries. Funds are not provided to cover the cost of travel between the fellow's place of residence and a domestic training institution. However, in cases of extreme need or hardship, a one-way travel allowance may be authorized by the sponsoring institution. Such travel must be paid from the institutional allowance.
Facilities and Administrative Costs: F&A (indirect) costs are not allowed on individual fellowship awards.
SUPPLEMENTATION OF STIPENDS, COMPENSATION, AND OTHER INCOME
The sponsoring institution is allowed to provide funds to the fellow in addition to the stipends paid by the NIH in accordance with its own formally established policies governing stipend support. These policies must be consistently applied to all individuals in a similar status, regardless of the source of funds. Such additional amounts either may be in the form of augmented stipends (supplementation) or in the form of compensation, such as salary or tuition remission for services such as teaching or serving as a laboratory assistant, provided the conditions described below are met. Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation or the services provided for compensation interfere with, detract from, or prolong the fellow's approved NRSA training program.
Stipend Supplementation: Supplementation or additional support to offset the cost of living may be provided by the sponsoring institution. Supplementation does not require additional effort from the fellow. DHHS funds may not be used for supplementation under any circumstances. Additionally, no funds from other Federal agencies may be used for supplementation unless specifically authorized by the NIH and the other Federal Agency.
Compensation: The sponsoring institution may provide additional funds to a fellow in the form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition remission) for services such as teaching or serving as a research assistant. A fellow may receive compensation for services as a research assistant or in some other position on a Federal research grant, including a DHHS research grant. However, compensated services should occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal full time research training activities. In addition, compensation may not be paid from a research grant supporting the fellow's research training experience.
A full description of the policy for stipend supplementation and compensation is located in the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10.htm
Educational Loans or G.I. Bill: An individual may make use of Federal educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (G.I. Bill). Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation. Postdoctoral fellows may also be eligible to participate in the NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program. Information on this program is available at http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit (an) application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics:
The sponsoring institution must have staff and facilities available on site to provide a suitable environment for performing high-quality research training.
Applicants requesting fellowship support for foreign research training must demonstrate in the application that the foreign institution and sponsor offer unique opportunities and clear scientific advantages over positions currently available in the United States. Only if there is a clear scientific advantage will foreign training be supported.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training is invited to work with his/her sponsor and institution to develop an application to support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
Citizenship: By the time of award, 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 (i.e., possess a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Non-citizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Individuals may apply for the F32 in advance of admission to the United States as a Permanent Resident recognizing that no award will be made until legal verification of Permanent Resident status is provided.
Degree Requirements: The candidate must have an M.D. or D.O. degree and have completed at least two years of clinical orthoapedic training in an accredited program prior to the commencement of the fellowship. Clinical orthopaedic surgery training may not have been completed more than five years prior to submission of the application.
Research Training Program: Fellowship awardees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies, to the training program. Research clinicians must devote full-time to their proposed research training and must restrict clinical duties within their full-time research training experience to activities that are directly related to the research training experience. These awards may not be used to support the clinical years of residency training.
Because didactic work in a degree granting program is a requirement of this award, candidates must indicate the relevant degree granting program in which they intend to enroll, and provide information on tuition and fees.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing is not required.
The most current Grants Policy Statement can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
An individual may not have two or more competing NIH fellowship applications pending review concurrently. In addition, CSR will not accept for review any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.
Duration of Support: Up to two years of training may be supported by this fellowship award. Because the NRSA legislation limits postdoctoral level support to 3 years, including any combination of support from institutional training grants (T32) and individual fellowship awards (F32), applicants must consider any prior NRSA postdoctoral research training in determining the duration of fellowship support requested. Training beyond the 3-year aggregate limit may be possible under certain exceptional circumstances, but a waiver from the NIH awarding component is required. Individuals seeking additional NRSA support beyond the third year are strongly advised to consult with relevant NIAMS staff before preparing a justification. Any waiver will require a detailed justification of the need for additional research training.
Sponsor: Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must identify a sponsoring institution and an individual who will serve as a sponsor (also referred to as mentor or supervisor) and will supervise the training and research experience. The sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research who is committed to the research training of the individual and will directly supervise the candidate's research. The sponsor must document the availability of sufficient staff research support, didactic training, and facilities for high-quality research training. In most cases, the F32 supports research training experiences in new settings in order to maximize the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. Opportunities for the fellow to obtain additional guidance from other subject matter experts during the research training experience are encouraged. However, in unusual circumstances, applicants may propose postdoctoral training experiences at their doctorate institution or at the institution where they have been training for more than a year. In such cases, the applicant must carefully document the opportunities for new research training experiences specifically designed to broaden their scientific background.
Sponsoring Institution: The sponsoring institution must have appropriate faculty and facilities available on site to provide a suitable environment for performing high-quality research training.
Applicants requesting foreign training are required to provide detailed justification for the foreign training, including the reasons why the facilities, the sponsor, or other aspects of the proposed experience are more appropriate than training in a domestic setting. The justification is evaluated in terms of the scientific advantages of the foreign training as compared to the training available domestically. Foreign training will be considered for funding only when the scientific advantages are clear. Applicants seeking training abroad are encouraged to contact NIAMS program staff.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
The PHS 416-1 application instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/phs416.htm#forms in an interactive format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: [email protected]. Note that the PHS 416-1 has been restructured (Rev. 10/05) and the instructions have been significantly modified. See the NIH Notice released December 9, 2005, located at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-016.html
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be prepared using the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Application Form PHS 416-1. Applications must have a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/. The D&B number should be entered on line 13b of the face page of the PHS 416-1 form (Rev, 10/05)
The title and number of this funding opportunity must be typed on line 3 of the face page of the application form. If the fellowship application is submitted in response to a Program Announcement (PA) or Request for Application (RFA) from a particular NIH Institute or Center, the applicant should identify the number of the PA or RFA in Item 3.
Applications must include at least three sealed letters of reference using the PHS 416-1 reference page. Applications without at least three letters of reference may be delayed in review or returned to the applicant without review. Information applicable to the required references is located in the application instructions, Part 1 Preparing Your Application, E. Application Section III.
If the applicant has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, the Permanent Resident of U.S. block should be checked on the Face Page of the PHS 416-1 application. Applicants who have applied for and have not yet been granted admission as a permanent resident should also insert the word "pending." A notarized statement documenting legal admission for permanent residence must be submitted prior to the issuance of an award.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications
must be mailed on or before the receipt date described below (Section IV.3.A).
Submission times N/A.
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
A letter of
intent is not required for the funding opportunity.
3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH
Applications must be prepared using the PHS 416 (Rev. 10/05) research fellowship grant application instructions and forms as described above.
Applicants must follow the instructions stated on pages 30 and 31 of the PHS 416-1 for submitting the application and any Appendix materials. Please send the original and 1 copy to CSR, and 1 copy and all appendices to NIAMS Review Branch.
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Review
Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
One Democracy Plaza
6701
Democracy Blvd., Ste. 800
Bethesda, MD 20892-4872
Personal deliveries of applications are no longer
permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html
Certification Procedure: No application will be accepted without the applicant’s signing the certification block on the face page of the application. Individuals admitted to the United States as Permanent Residents must submit notarized evidence of legal admission prior to the award.
3.C. Application Processing
Applications must be submitted on or before the application receipt dates described above (Section IV.3.A.) and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/dates.htm. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by CSR. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least three sealed letters of reference must be submitted with the application.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique.
Information on the status of an application should be checked by the applicant in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
4. Intergovernmental Review
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 Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm (see also Section VI.3. Reporting).
These awards are also subject to the NRSA Policies. For more information see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10.htm#_Toc54600187
Concurrent Awards: A NRSA fellowship may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of this award.
Tax Liability: Internal Revenue Code Section 117 applies to the tax treatment of all scholarships and fellowships. The Tax Reform Act of 1986, Public Law 99-514, impacts on the tax liability of all individuals supported under the NRSA program. Under that section, non-degree candidates are required to report as gross income all stipends and any monies paid on their behalf for course tuition and fees required for attendance. Degree candidates may exclude from gross income (for tax purposes) any amount used for tuition and related expenses such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction at a qualified educational organization.
The IRS and Treasury Department released regulations in January 2005 (Revenue Procedure 2005-11) clarifying the student exception to the FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes for students employed by a school, college, or university where the student is pursuing a course of study. Our understanding is that these final regulations do not apply to or impact NRSA programs or awards. An NRSA stipend is provided by the NIH as a subsistence allowance for Kirschstein-NRSA fellows and trainees to help defray living expenses during the research training experience. NRSA recipients are not considered employees of the Federal government or the grantee institution for purposes of the award. We must note that the NIH takes no position on the status of a particular taxpayer, nor does it have the authority to dispense tax advice. The interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the IRS. Individuals should consult their local IRS office about the applicability of the tax laws to their situation and for information on their tax obligations.
Service Payback: As required by the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, postdoctoral fellows incur a service obligation of 1 month for each month of support during the first 12 months of the Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support. The 13th and subsequent months of NRSA support are acceptable postdoctoral payback service. Thus, individuals who continue under the award for 2 years will have paid off their first year obligation by the end of the second year.
Applicants accepting an award for the first 12 months of NRSA postdoctoral support must sign a payback agreement (PHS Form 6031) in which they agree to engage in health-related research training, research, and/or teaching for 12 months.
Those who do not pay back their obligation through continued NRSA supported training may satisfy their obligation by serving in a position in which health-related research, research training, or teaching are the primary activities. Such individuals must engage in research, research training, or teaching at a rate of 20 or more hours per week averaged over a full work-year. Payback service may be conducted in an academic, governmental, commercial, or nonacademic environment, in the United States or in a foreign country. Examples of acceptable payback service include research associateships/assistantships, postdoctoral research fellowships, and college or high school science teaching positions. Examples of unacceptable payback service include clinical practice and administrative responsibilities not directly related to scientific research.
Payback service positions are arranged by the individual, not by the NIH. The NIH will review and approve the activity at the end of the year in which it occurs. Service to satisfy any outstanding obligation must be initiated within 2 years after termination of NRSA support, and must be performed on a continuous basis. For individuals who fail to fulfill their service obligation, the United States is entitled to recover the total amount of NRSA funds paid to the individual for the obligated period plus interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury. Financial payback must be completed within 3 years, beginning on the date the United States becomes entitled to recover such amount.
Under certain conditions, the Secretary, DHHS, may extend the period for starting service, permit breaks in service, extend the period of repayment, or otherwise waive the payback obligation when compliance would constitute a substantial hardship against equity and good conscience.
Policies regarding the NRSA payback obligation are explained in the NRSA Section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
Specific questions may appear in a list of Frequently Asked Questions that appears on the Web at http://grants.nih.gov/training/faq_fellowships.htm. Other questions on payback should be directed to NIAMS grants management staff or see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10.htm#_Toc54600187.
Future Year Support: Funds for continuation beyond the initial year are determined by the progress described in the continuation application (PHS 416-9, rev. 10/05), the timely submission of all required forms, and the availability of funds.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants are advised to pay special attention to the instructions in the PHS 416-1. Please note several important changes and reminders on pages 1and 2, and the new biographical sketch format page.
The applicant’s sponsor/mentor, who will directly supervise the applicant’s research, should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research and meet the eligibility requirements in Section III. The sponsor must describe in detail his/her commitment to and proposed role in guiding the individual applicant during the research training experience.
Include items such as classes, seminars, and opportunities for interaction with other groups and scientists and how these will assist the applicant achieve his/her research goals. Describe the research environment and available research facilities and equipment. Indicate the relationship of the proposed research training to the candidate's career goals. Describe the skills and techniques that the candidate will learn as they relate to the candidate's career goals.
The NIH strongly encourages NRSA postdoctoral fellows to obtain instruction and training in grant writing in order to apply successfully for future career development and research support. All postdoctoral NRSA fellows should also be provided with instruction in laboratory and project management.
If the sponsoring institution is a foreign institution, information must be provided describing how the institution and sponsor offer unique opportunities for research training not currently available in the United States.
Additionally, the quality of the facilities and related resources (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, available research support, etc.) must be described.
Research Proposal: A description of the broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health relatedness of the research proposal must be included (page 2 of the application PHS 416-1, rev. 10/05). The applicant must describe concisely the research design and methods for achieving these goals, as well as the rationale and techniques planned to pursue these goals.
Training Potential: The application must include statements addressing the planned value of the proposed fellowship experience and research training program, and how these relate to the applicant’s needs in preparation for a career as an independent researcher.
Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research: Applications must include the candidate's plans for obtaining instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and duration of instruction. The amount and nature of faculty participation must be described. Although the NIH has not established specific curriculum or format requirements for this training, it is suggested that the following topics be covered: conflict of interest, data sharing, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects, and data management. Applications without plans for training in responsible conduct of research will be considered incomplete and may be returned without review. No award will be made if an application lacks this component.
Human Subjects Research: If the proposed research involves human subjects, the applicant must be responsive to the instructions in the current version of the PHS 416-1. The adequacy of plans to include appropriate human subjects is included in the fellowship evaluation (see Additional Review Criteria below). Note that NIH defines children as individuals under 21 years of age. Consult the decision tree for the exemptions that apply: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/tree_children_hs.pdf.
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the applicant must be responsive to the instructions in the current version of the PHS 416-1. The adequacy of plans for the care and use of vertebrate animals is assessed as part of the fellowship evaluation.
Biohazards: The investigator and the sponsoring institution are responsible for protecting the environment and research personnel from hazardous conditions. If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, please describe the procedures to be taken in order to ensure adequate protection.
Plan for Sharing Research Data
Not applicable
Sharing Research Resources
Sharing Model Organisms: If the development of model organisms is anticipated, include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. For many individual fellowships it is anticipated that plans of this nature would have already been reported to the NIH by your sponsor in his/her research application. When this has occurred, indicate so in this section and include the appropriate grant number. For additional information on this policy, see Sharing Model Organisms Policy (PHS 416-1). If model organisms are not part of the planned research training plan, omit this section. This description is not included in the Research Training Plan page limits.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Not applicable.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the NIAMS.
An appropriate scientific review group (SRG) convened by NIAMS in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures (http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm) will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
Applications receive two sequential levels of review. The first level is an assessment of the merit of the research training by an SRG, composed primarily of non-government scientists selected for their competence in research and research training in a scientific area related to the application. After the SRG meeting, the Scientific Review Administrator (SRA), a designated Federal official, who coordinates the review of applications for the SRG, prepares a written summary of the review of each application and forwards it to the NIAMS. Staff within the NIAMS provides a second level of review.
As part of the initial merit review, applications:
The goal of the NIH NRSA F32 program is to provide support to promising applicants with the potential to become productive and successful independent research investigators in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research training will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of this goal. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application. The scientific review group will use information in the letters of reference in consideration of the review criteria. Note that an application does not need to be strong in all categories to merit a favorable priority score. The final priority score will reflect the overall evaluation of the entire application.
Review criteria:
1. Candidate
2. Sponsor/Mentor and Training Environment
3. Research Training Proposal
4. Training Potential
2.A. Additional Review Criteria:
In addition to the above criteria, the following items may be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority score:
Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be assessed. (See criteria included in the section on Federal Citations, below).
Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria in the sections on Federal Citations, below).
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the five items described in I.C.7. of the PHS 416-1 fellowship application instructions (rev. 10/05) will be assessed (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm).
Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed protection is adequate.
2.B. Additional Review Considerations
Responsible Conduct of Research: Every NRSA fellow must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not92-236.html). Applications must include the candidate's plans for obtaining instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and duration of instruction. The amount and nature of faculty participation must be described. The plan will be discussed after the overall determination of merit, so that the review panel's evaluation of the plan will not be a factor in the determination of the priority score. The plan will be judged as acceptable or unacceptable. The acceptability of the plan will be described in an administrative note of the summary statement. Regardless of the priority score, an application with an unacceptable plan will not be funded until the applicant provides a revised acceptable plan. Staff in the NIH awarding component will judge the acceptability of the revised plan.
2.C. Sharing Research Data
Not applicable
2.D. Sharing Research Resources
Sharing Model Organisms: For many individual fellowships it is anticipated that plans for sharing model organisms would have already been reported to the NIH by the sponsor in his/her research application. When this has occurred, applicants will indicate so and include the appropriate grant number. However, if the development of a new model organism is anticipated, applicants will include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible.
The reviewers will assess the adequacy of plans for sharing model organisms, and will describe their assessment of the sharing plan in an administrative note, but will not include their assessment in the overall priority score. The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding IC when making recommendations about funding applications.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not
applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his/her Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA Commons.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request just-in-time information from the applicant. A request for just-in-time information should not be interpreted as indicating that an award will be issued.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Research Fellowship Award (NRFA) will be provided electronically to the designated sponsoring institution business official listed on the face page of the application. The NRFA may also be retrieved by the institution through its eRA Commons account. The NRFA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document indicating that an award has been made.
Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. An awardee has up to six months from the issue date on the NRFA to activate the award.
Activation: No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has started training under the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5, Rev. 10/05) and a Payback Agreement (PHS 6031, Rev. 10/05) have been submitted to the NIH. A fellow has up to 6 months from the issue date on the award notice to activate the award. Under unusual circumstances, an NIH Institute may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt of a specific request from the fellow.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Kirschstein- NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowships require a payback agreement. For more information see Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10.htm#_Toc54600187.
All NIH grants and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the notice of award. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm) and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
Fellowships must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA section of the Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm), and any terms and conditions specified on the award notice.
Leave Policies: In general, fellows 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. Fellows may receive stipends for up to 15 calendar days of sick leave per year. Sick leave may be used for the medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. Fellows may also receive stipends for up to 30 calendar days of parental leave per year for the adoption or the birth of a child when those in comparable training positions at the grantee institution have access to paid leave for this purpose and the use of parental leave is approved by the program director.
A period of terminal leave is not permitted and payment may not be made from fellowship funds for leave not taken. Fellows requiring periods of time away from their research training experience longer than specified here must seek approval from the NIH awarding component for an unpaid leave of absence.
Part-time training: While Kirschstein-NRSA awardees are required to pursue research training full time, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies, under unusual and pressing personal circumstances, a fellow may submit a written request to the awarding component to permit less than full-time training. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. They must be approved by the awarding NIH Institute or Center in advance for each budget period. The nature of the circumstances requiring the part-time training might include medical conditions, disability, or pressing personal or family situations such as child or elder care. Permission for part-time training will not be approved to accommodate other sources of funding, job opportunities, clinical practice, clinical training, or for other responsibilities associated with the fellow's position at the institution. In each case, the fellow must submit a written request countersigned by the sponsor and an appropriate institutional business official that includes documentation supporting the need for part-time training. The written request also must include an estimate of the expected duration of the period of part-time training, an assurance that the fellow intends to return to full-time training when that becomes possible, and an assurance that the trainee intends to complete the proposed research training program. In no case will it be permissible for the fellow to be engaged in Kirschstein-NRSA supported research training for less than 50 percent effort. Individuals who must reduce their commitment to less than 50 percent effort must take a leave-of-absence from Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship support. The fellowship notice of award will be reissued and the stipend will be pro-rated during the period of any approved part-time training. Part-time training may affect the rate of accrual or repayment of the service obligation for postdoctoral fellows.
Certification Requirements: Individuals admitted to the United States as Permanent Residents must submit notarized evidence of legal admission prior to the award. A Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031, Rev. 10/05) must accompany the Activation Notice for any award that occurs during the individual's initial 12 months of Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support. When support ends, the fellow must submit a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7, Rev. 10/05) to the NIH. If the fellow has a payback obligation, he or she must notify the NIH of any change in address and submit Annual Payback Activities Certification Forms (PHS 6031-1, Rev. 10/05) until the payback service obligation is satisfied. Forms will be provided to awardees by the NIH awarding component. Forms may also be found on the NIH Website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.
Inventions: Fellowships made primarily for educational purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements. F32 awards will not contain any provision giving PHS rights to inventions made by the awardee.
Publication and Sharing of Research Results: NIH supports the practical application and sharing of outcomes of funded research. Therefore, fellows should make the results and accomplishments of their Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship activities available to the research community and to the public at large. The grantee organization should assist fellows in these activities, including the further development of discoveries and inventions for furthering research and benefiting the public.
Fellows are encouraged to submit reports of their findings for publication to the journals of their choice. Responsibility for direction of the project should not be ascribed to the NIH. However, NIH support must be acknowledged by a footnote in language similar to the following: This investigation was supported by National Institutes of Health under Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (number). In addition, federal funding must be acknowledged as provided in Public Policy Requirements and Objectives-Availability of Information-Acknowledgment of Federal Funding.
Copyrights: Except as otherwise provided in the terms and conditions of the award, the recipient is free to arrange for copyright without approval when publications, data, or other copyrightable works are developed in the course of work under a PHS grant-supported project or activity. Any such copyrighted or copyrightable works shall be subject to a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to the Government to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use them, and to authorize others to do so for Federal Government purposes.
Please note that all forms have been revised for immediate use, see NIH Notices: NOT-OD-06-017 (http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-017.html) and NOT-OD-06-018 (http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-018.html) released December 9, 2005 for additional details.
Activation Notice. An awardee has up to six months from the issue date on the Notice of Research Fellowship Award to activate the award using the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Activation Notice (PHS 416-5, Rev. 10/05) available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. Under unusual circumstances, an NIH Institute may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt of a specific request from the fellow. Such a request must be countersigned by the Sponsor and an authorized institutional official.
Payback Agreement: A Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031, Rev. 10/05) must accompany the Activation Notice for any award that occurs during the individual’s initial 12 months of Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support.
Application for Continued Support: An awardee will be required to submit the form PHS 416-9, Rev. 10/05, Continuation of an Individual National Research Service Award, for the second year of support, (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/416-9/phs416-9.htm) as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The report is due two months before the beginning date of the next budget period and must include information related to the current year's progress as well as the plans for the coming year. Note that the instructions request that a listing of all courses and publications completed during the past year be included in the application for continued support.
Termination Notice: When support ends, the fellow must submit a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7, Rev. 10/05) to the NIH within 30 days following termination. If the fellow has a payback obligation, he or she must notify the NIH of any change in address and submit Annual Payback Activities Certification Forms (PHS 6031-1, Rev. 10/05) until the payback service obligation is satisfied. Forms may be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.
We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1.
Scientific/Research Contacts:
James S.
Panagis, M.D., MPH
Director,
Orthopaedics Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
One
Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Blvd.,
Ste. 800
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 594-5055
Fax: (301)
480-1284
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Yan Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Scientific Review
Chief
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
One Democracy Plaza
6701
Democracy Blvd., Ste. 800
Bethesda, MD 20892-4872
Tel:
(301) 594-4957
Fax: (301) 402-2406
Email: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Melinda
Nelson
Grants
Management Officer
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
One Democracy Plaza
6701
Democracy Blvd., Ste. 800
Bethesda, MD 20892-4872
Tel:
(301) 594-3535
Fax: (301) 480-5450
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving live, vertebrate animals
must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that applications and proposals involving
human subjects must be evaluated with reference to the risks to the subjects,
the adequacy of protection against these risks, the potential benefits of the
research to the subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained
or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials,
including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy
studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III).
Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and
safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials
involving interventions that entail potential risks to the participants (NIH
Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage sharing of important
research resources including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical
research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to
elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the
application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and
distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH
funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will
permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public
funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a
cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications
where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their
sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research
projects unless a clear and compelling justification is provided indicating
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
clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women
and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB
standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical
trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all
applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans
to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b)
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses,
as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of
21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the
NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.
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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human Subject
Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants
for all investigators submitting NIH applications for research involving human
subjects and individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available
at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov/). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this
information will be returned without review.
NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to the NIH manuscript
submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov/)
at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript
upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or
in part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as
the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all
modifications from the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research projects or 2) previously supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts, Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters, editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.
For more information about the Policy or the submission process please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov and view the Policy or other Resources and Tools including the Authors' Manual (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_manual.htm).
Access to Research Data through the Freedom of
Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to
provide access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first produced in a project that is
supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) cited publicly and
officially by a Federal agency in support of an action that has the force and
effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed through FOIA. It is
important for applicants to understand the basic scope of this amendment. NIH
has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this PAR in a public archive,
which can provide protections for the data and manage the distribution for an
indefinite period of time. If so, the application should include a description
of the archiving plan in the study design and include information about this in
the budget justification section of the application. In addition, applicants
should think about how to structure informed consent statements and other human
subjects procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under
this award.
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to
the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information,"
the "Privacy Rule," on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable health
information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil
Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding
must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For publications
listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Unless
otherwise specified in this solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs)
should not be used to provide any other information necessary for
the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet
sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be
compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion
and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led
national activity for setting priority areas. This PAR is related to one or
more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of
"Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 487
of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288) and under Federal
Regulations 42 CFR 66. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan repayment from qualified
health professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a research career
involving clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health
disparities related areas. The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts
to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers by providing the means
for developing a research career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt.
Note that an NIH grant is not required for eligibility and concurrent career
award and LRP applications are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP
award may overlap providing the LRP recipient with the required commitment of
time and effort, as LRP awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at
least 20 hours per week based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research.
For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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