and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Pre-Application for the FY12 NIDA Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research (X02) |
Activity Code |
X02 Preapplication |
Announcement Type |
Reissue of PAR-10-287 |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PAR-11-256 |
Companion FOA |
|
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.279 |
FOA Purpose |
The NIDA Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose high-impact research that will open new areas of HIV/AIDS research and/or lead to new avenues for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS among drug abusers. The term avant-garde is used to describe highly innovative approaches that have the potential to be transformative. The proposed research should reflect approaches and ideas that are substantially different from those already being pursued by the investigator or others. The research proposed must be in an area described in the Trans NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research http://www.oar.nih.gov/strategicplan/. |
Posted Date |
July 29, 2011 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
October 30, 2011 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
Not Applicable |
Application Due Date(s) |
November 30, 2011, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
January 2012 |
Advisory Council Review |
Not Applicable |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Expiration Date |
December 1, 2011 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
This announcement utilizes the X02 mechanism for submission of pre-applications. Pre-applications are a necessary first step in applying for a 2012 Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research. Pre-applications will be evaluated by a group of external experts. Those investigators whose projects are judged to be the most outstanding will be notified of the opportunity to submit full (DP1) applications under RFA-DA-12-011.
Avant-Garde awardees are required to commit the major portion (at least 51% or 6.1 person months) of their research effort to activities supported by the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research. Those who will not be able to meet this requirement should not submit pre-applications.
For additional information, consult the FAQs at http://drugabuse.gov/avgp.html.
Funding Instrument |
Grant |
Application Types Allowed |
New |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
No awards will be made under this announcement. Through the associated FOA (RFA-DA-12-011), NIDA expects to commit approximately $2 million to fund 2-3 awards. |
Award Budget |
No awards will be made under this announcement. Awards through RFA-DA-12-011 will be for $500,000 in direct costs each year for five years, plus standard F&A costs, which will be determined at the time of award. |
Award Project Period |
Not Applicable. |
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions:
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For profit Organizations
Governments
Other
Foreign (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are allowed.
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations
as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply
for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following
registrations.
All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must
also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons
or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons
account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant
organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at
least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
Investigators at all career levels who meet the eligibility criteria and are currently engaged in research are eligible to submit applications. The research proposed need not be in a conventional biomedical or behavioral discipline; if the individual’s experience is in non-biological areas, however, he/she must demonstrate a commitment to exploring topics of biomedical or behavioral relevance to HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.
This initiative is to support investigators who intend to pursue new research directions research that is distinct from that currently or previously conducted by the investigator. Applications for projects that are extensions of ongoing research should not be submitted. DP1 awardees are required to commit the major portion (at least 51% or 6.1 person months) of their research effort to activities supported by the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research. Those who will not be able to meet this requirement should not submit pre-applications.
Investigators who were not selected for an award in prior years may submit pre-applications this year; however, all pre-applications must be submitted as new applications regardless of any previous submission to the program.
Only one PD/PI (i.e., no multiple PDs/PIs) may be designated on the pre-application. NIH intramural investigators are not eligible for support under this program.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for application submission. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following exceptions or additional requirements:
Item Number 1. Type of Submission: Must be Pre-Application.
Item Number 8. Type of Application: Must be New.
Item Number 12. Proposed Project: Start date: 9/30/2012; End date: 7/31/2017.
Item Number 15a. Total Federal Funds Requested: Enter $0
Item Number 15c. Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds: Enter $0.
Item Number 15d: Estimated Program Income: Enter $0.
Complete as appropriate.
Item Number 1. Are Human Subjects Involved? Check No . Detailed plans regarding protection of human subjects, inclusion of women and minorities, targeted/planned enrollment, and inclusion of children are not required and should not be submitted with this pre-application. This information will be required from only those individuals who submit a full application in response to RFA DA-12-011.
Item Number 2. Are Vertebrate Animals Used? Check No . Detailed information regarding the use of vertebrate animals is not required at the time of submission. This information will be required only from those individuals, who submit a full application in response to RFA-DA-12-011.
Item Number 7. Project Summary/Abstract: Attach a one page (maximum) abstract of 300 words or less describing the goals of the project. Text only, in PDF format no figures, animations, or Web links are allowed.
Item Number 8. Project Narrative: Attach Public Health Relevance Statement: In 2-3 sentences written in plain language describe how the proposed research can positively impact HIV/AIDS treatment or prevention among drug abusers.
Item Number 9. Bibliography & References Cited: Do not use.
Item Number 10. Facilities & Other Resources: One page maximum.
Item Number 11. Equipment: Do not use.
Item Number 12. Most Significant Research Accomplishment : Attach a description of no more than one page of the applicant’s single most significant publication or research accomplishment. Applicants should submit one single accomplishment, not a summary of several accomplishments, multiple publications, or background narratives. Publications or other documents will not be accepted.
Profile PD/PI Attach Biographical Sketch: Complete items only for Project Director/Principal Investigator. Do not submit profiles for other senior/key personnel. Attach PD/PI’s biographical sketch, two pages maximum, PDF format, following the sample format shown in the URL in Section 4.5.2 of the Application Guide, omitting Section D, Research Support.) No other biographical sketches are to be submitted.
Profile PD/PI Attach Current and Pending Support: Attach a list of Current and Pending Support from all sources, including current year direct costs and percent effort devoted to each project. Use the format shown in Section 3.1.1.8 of the Application Guide. A statement must be included that, if chosen to receive an award, the applicant will commit a minimum of 51% or 6.1 person months of his/her research effort to the project supported by the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research.
Profile Senior Key Person 1: Do not use. Submit information only for PD/PI. Information on collaborators or other key personnel is not required but may be included in the Essay.
Cover letters should be included only when submitting late applications or Changed/Corrected applications after the submission deadline. Do not submit cover letters for initial submissions or for changed/corrected applications submitted before the submission deadline.
Item Number 2: Human Subjects: Omit
Item Number 4: Human Embryonic Stem Cells: Enter yes or no as appropriate.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Item Number 1. Introduction to Application (for Resubmission or Revision only): Do not use.
Item Number 2: Specific Aims: Do not use.
Note: A warning will be issued about the Specific Aims Page. The Specific Aims Page is not required for this FOA. Please disregard the warning.
Item Number 3: Research Strategy: Upload the Essay (limited to 5 pages) here.
In five pages maximum, describe the applicant’s innovative vision for, and the significance of, the HIV/AIDS biomedical or behavioral problem to be addressed, and his/her qualifications to engage in groundbreaking research. The essay should describe the individual's view of the major challenges in HIV/AIDS biomedical or behavioral research to which he/she can make seminal contributions. No detailed scientific plan should be provided since the research plan is expected to evolve during the tenure of the grant. The essay should include the following sections in the order given with the headings as shown below:
Project title: The project title must be included at the beginning of the essay.
Project Description: What is the scientific problem or challenge that will be addressed, and why is this important? What are the pioneering, and possibly high-risk, approaches that, if successful, might lead to groundbreaking or paradigm-shifting results? If the initial strategy/approach does not work out as planned, what alternative strategies/approaches might be employed?
Evidence of innovativeness: What concrete evidence can you provide for your claim of innovativeness? For example, qualities common to many highly innovative people include an interest in, and the ability to integrate, diverse sources of information; an inclination to challenge paradigms and take intellectual risks; persistence in the face of failure; an ability to be flexible and a willingness to take a new view of a vexing problem; an ability to attract the right collaborators; and the energy and concentration necessary to plan and execute effective strategies for accomplishing goals.
How the planned research differs from your past or current work: Describe how the project represents a new and distinct direction for your research.
Compatibility with the goal of the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research: Why is the planned research uniquely suited to the stated goal of the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research, rather than a traditional grant mechanism? How will the planned research move the field forward in a truly transformative way?
Information on collaborations may be included in the essay. Literature references are not required, but, if included, must fit within the five-page limit. Figures and illustrations may be included but must also fit within the five-page limit. Do not include links to websites to provide further information. No animations (movies) are allowed in any documents.
Resource Sharing Plan
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modifications:
Appendix
Appendices are not allowed and will not be accepted.
Foreign (non-US) organizations must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign organizations described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.
Applicants are responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
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.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
Important
reminders:
All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential
field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(R&R) Application
Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI
Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an
electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional
information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH . Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
For this particular announcement, note the following:
Pre-applications that are complete will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary group of outside experts convened by NIDA with expertise in HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, who will evaluate pre-applications based on the criteria listed below. PD/PIs with the most outstanding pre-applications (best address the review criteria) will be notified of the opportunity to submit full applications for the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research in response to RFA-DA-12-011.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field? Given that the overarching goal of the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research is to support cutting edge and possibly transformative research that addresses important challenges in HIV/AIDS that are relevant to drug abuse, does the application address a crucial biomedical or behavioral issue in a way that has the potential to major contribution to the HIV/AIDS field? What is the likelihood that the proposed work will open new avenues of research and/or lead to new HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment interventions that may benefit substance users?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? Given that the purpose of the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research is to support individual scientists of exceptional creativity who are proposing research that is at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research, is there clear evidence (appropriate for the applicant's career stage) that the applicant has the ability to address challenging research questions with solutions that are both highly innovative and result in major contributions to the field? Are there indicators that demonstrate the investigator’s ability to pursue groundbreaking research that is at once high-risk and high-payoff?
Innovation
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed? Given that the Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research focuses on the investigator’s vision for a broad and highly creative research project that has the potential to have a major influence on the field, is the project of higher risk than a traditional research project? Does the project represent a distinctly new scientific direction rather than a mere refinement of existing studies of the applicant or other researchers?
Approach
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned
and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential
problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the
project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish
feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of
human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members
of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms
of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?. Are the idea, the individual, and the strategy cohesive?
Environment
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Given that the Avant Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research supports an exceptional investigator who is focused on a transformative idea, does the scientific environment provide the level of support needed to execute such a creative program of study?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects
Not Applicable.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
Not Applicable
Vertebrate Animals
Not applicable.
Biohazards
Not Applicable
Resubmissions
Not Applicable.
Renewals
Not Applicable.
Revisions
Not Applicable.
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by a(an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by NIDA , in accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS,
CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
Not Applicable.
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Grants.gov
Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
Jacques Normand, Ph.D.
Director, AIDS Research Program
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institutes of Health
6001 Executive Blvd
Rm 5274 MSC 9581
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: 301-443-1470
Fax: 301-594-5610
Email: [email protected]
Mark Swieter, Ph.D.
Chief
Extramural Affairs Branch
Office of Extramural Affairs
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, DHHS
6101 Executive Boulevard, Suite 220, MSC 8401
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8401
Telephone: (301) 435-1389
FAX: (301) 443-0538
Email: [email protected]
Carol Alderson
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHSS
6001 Executive Blvd., MSC 9541
Rockville, MD 20892-9541
Telephone: 301-933-6196
Fax: 301-594-6849
Email: [email protected]
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
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