and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (R25) |
Activity Code |
R25 Education Projects |
Announcement Type |
Reissue of PAR-13-082 |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PAR-14-121 |
Companion Funding Opportunity |
None |
Only one application per institution is allowed, as defined in Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility. |
|
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.859 |
Funding Opportunity Purpose |
The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The goal of this NIGMS R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce. To this end, this funding opportunity announcement encourages the development of creative educational activities with a primary focuses on research experiences, courses for skills development and mentoring activities. |
Posted Date |
February 27, 2014 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
April 1, 2014 |
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Application Due Date(s) |
May 1, 2014; January 26, 2015; January 25, 2016, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
June/July, 2014; June/July, 2015; June/July, 2016 |
Advisory Council Review |
October, 2014; October, 2015; October, 2016 |
Earliest Start Date |
December, 2014; December, 2015; December, 2016 |
Expiration Date |
January 26, 2016 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide 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 will not be reviewed
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers. The over-arching goals of the NIH R25 program are to: (1) complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs; (2) enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce; (3) help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences; and (4) foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its implications.
The goal of this National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce. To this end, this funding opportunity announcement encourages the development of creative academic developmental activities and research experiences at research intensive institutions to enhance the ability of students to complete the Ph.D. and engage in biomedical and behavioral research, especially members of groups underrepresented in the current workforce.
Several reports from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as from the National Academies reveal the national need for a well-trained workforce in biomedical and behavioral sciences and the continuing importance of developing and maintaining a strong, vital scientific workforce whose diversity reflects that of our nation. Studies also show that African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians and Natives of US Pacific Islands continue to be underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences (National Academy of Sciences. 2011. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. Washington, D.C. The National Academies Press; National Research Council. 2011. Research Training in the Biomedical, Behavioral and Clinical Research Sciences. Washington, D.C. The National Academies Press; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2013. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. 2013. Special Report NSF 13-304. Arlington, VA).
The IMSD program provides opportunities to develop new or expand existing effective institutional developmental programs designed to prepare a diverse group of students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences for competitive research careers and leadership positions in these fields. These grants are awards to institutions that confer the baccalaureate and/or doctoral degree in biomedical and/or behavioral science fields, have a demonstrated commitment to encourage and assist students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences, and have a research-intensive environment. The IMSD Program is sponsored by the Undergraduate and Predoctoral Training Branch of the Division of Training, Workforce Development and Diversity (TWD) of the NIGMS.
At the institutional level, the IMSD program should:
To accomplish these objectives, the design of the proposed institutional programs should be derived from an institutional self-assessment of the:
As a result of the self-assessment, each applicant must establish the program's goals and specific measurable objectives.
Various strategies may be utilized to attain the objective of increasing the pool of underrepresented researchers via the IMSD program. These may include but are not limited to the initiation of new academic developmental activities as well as the expansion, enhancement and/or improvement of existing activities. Some institutions may opt to offer programs to improve preparation of undergraduate students for admission to research doctoral degree programs. Others may concentrate on training graduate students to obtain their doctoral degrees and prepare for successful research careers and still others may concentrate on both. Each IMSD program is strongly encouraged to develop a partnership with NIH-funded T32 training program(s) (http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm) at the applicant institution or another institution in order to facilitate the networking and transition of IMSD students to T32 training programs as well as to identify the institutional impact of the program. Program directors are expected to characterize intended and actualized improvements to training experiences for the general student population that originate in or are inspired by the implementation of the IMSD Program. The duration of the proposed IMSD program should be defined. A two-year undergraduate and/or a two-year graduate IMSD program is typical.
The IMSD program can provide support for student academic development activities that are designed to improve scientific critical thinking and quantitative skills, communication skills, time management, group learning opportunities, independent library or bench research skills, interdisciplinary or advanced research-based courses and opportunities to meet and discuss career choices with appropriate role models.
Research education programs may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those training and education programs currently receiving Federal support. R25 programs may augment institutional research training programs (e.g., T32, T90) but cannot be used to replace or circumvent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs.
Funding Instrument |
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The total amount to be awarded is approximately $5 million (total costs) per year. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research education program will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the quality, duration and costs of the applications received. |
Award Budget |
Although the size of award may vary with the scope of the research education program proposed and there are no specific budget limitations, the requested direct costs must be reasonable, well documented, fully justified and commensurate with the scope of the proposed program. All awards are subject to the availability of funds. |
Award Project Period |
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 5 years. |
Personnel Costs |
Individuals designing, directing, and implementing the research education program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities with participants are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then any costs associated with the mentoring and other interactions with participants are not allowable costs from grant funds). Limited program-related administrative and clerical salary costs associated distinctly with the program that are not normally provided by the applicant organization may be direct charges to the grant only when they are in accordance with applicable cost principles. When specifically identified and justified, these expenses must be itemized in Sections A and B, as appropriate, of the R&R Budget. Salary support for the PD/PI (or combination of multiple PDs/PIs) is limited to up to 1.8 person months (i.e., 15% on a 12-month basis), depending on person months devoted to the administration of the program. The total salary support for a Program Administrator and/or program assistant is limited to up to 6.0 person months (i.e., 50% on a 12-month basis), depending on person months devoted to the administration of the program. |
Participant Costs |
Participants may be paid if specifically required for the
proposed research education program and sufficiently justified. Participant
costs must be itemized in the proposed budget |
Other Program-Related Expenses |
Consultant costs, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution. |
Indirect Costs |
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. |
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
The applicant institution must award the baccalaureate and/or doctoral degree in biomedical and/or behavioral science fields. In addition, applicant institutions must have significant numbers of potential mentors with NIH R01 or equivalent extramural research support. An institution should have sufficient mentors to enable assignment of no more than two participants to one mentor. Applicants should consider their proposed participant pool to determine an appropriate number of potential mentors. Institutions supported by the TWD Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) or Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) programs are not eligible to apply for or receive IMSD grants.
The
sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program.
Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of
adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to
the planned program.
Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) or other Federally
funded training programs may apply for a research education grant provided that
the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs
receiving federal support. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed
research education program will complement ongoing research training occurring
at the applicant institution.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are
not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible
to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in
the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Applicant Organizations
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons.If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources
necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal
Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds,
including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with
disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple
Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key
Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which
the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and
scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed
program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and
submit all documents and reports as required.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may not submit more than one application per cycle.
NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:
Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as preceptors/mentors. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program. Mentors must be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of the mentee s participation in this award.
Applications must describe the intended participants, and the selection criteria and/or educational prerequisites that are essential for participation in the proposed research education program. Identify the career levels essential for participation in the planned program. The program-supported participants are selected by the applicant institution. To receive salary support from the IMSD program, students must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals or permanent residents and must be matriculated full-time in baccalaureate or doctoral degree programs in biomedical or behavioral science fields at the applicant institution. A non-citizen national is a person who, although not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the U.S. This is generally a person born in a land that is not a state, but that is under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction or administration (e.g., American Samoa). An individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence must possess an alien registration receipt card (I-551) prior to appointment on the grant. Individuals on temporary visas, those seeking asylum or refugees are not eligible for support from the IMSD Program.
The purpose of the IMSD program is to enhance the ability of students to complete the Ph.D. and engage in biomedical and behavioral research, especially members of groups underrepresented in the current workforce. Underrepresented groups include those reported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as the National Academies to be underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences (i.e., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Natives of US Pacific Islands and people with disabilities). Applicants may include and identify any other categories that institutional policies have determined to be underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research fields with a strong rationale, appropriate references and official validated documentation. Selection of program-supported participants should take into consideration whether the students' participation would help achieve the overall goals/objectives of the proposed institutional program and the IMSD goals. It is the responsibility of the applicant institution to establish the qualifications of students prior to their selection for the IMSD program.
Unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to NIH, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Individuals supported by NRSA and/or K awards are not eligible to participate in this R25 program.
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 will not be reviewed.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
Instructions for Application Submission
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:
Facilities & Other Resources. Describe the educational environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and implementation of the proposed program. List all thematically related sources of support for research training and education following the format for Current and Pending Support.
Other Attachments
Advisory Committee. (Uploaded via the Other Attachments section)
An institutional IMSD Advisory Committee may be included as a component of the program. Describe its role and how it will provide counsel to the PD/PI and to the chief executive of the institution in meeting the goals of the IMSD program and the institution. The composition of the committee must reflect the institutional approach and support for the proposed program and may include representatives of the administration, faculty, investigators, mentors, collaborators, PD/PIs of other T32 training and student development programs at the institution and current and former student participants. Describe the composition and functions of the advisory committee.
The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:
IMSD applications must present an integrated set of student development activities and therefore a single consolidated budget is required. Each item in the budget must be clearly justified. IMSD grant awards include some restrictions as to how the funds may be used. The following account summarizes the non-allowable costs under the IMSD Program.
Non-allowable Costs include:
Other costs prohibited by OMB Circular A-21. See: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a021.html.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Research Strategy
The Research Strategy section must be used to upload the Research Education Program Plan, which must include the following components described below:
Research Education Program Plan
While the proposed research education program may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. When research training programs are on-going in the same department, the applicant organization should clearly distinguish between the activities in the proposed research education program and the research training supported by the training program. The description should include the educational and/or career level(s) of the planned participants.
The Research Education Program Plan component of the IMSD application should be organized to reflect the institutional scope of the proposed program, and it should be presented as an integrated set of student developmental activities that enhance academic excellence and promote timely progression of students to the next academic/career step. Table 1 (below) should be inserted into the body of the text and is included in the 25 page limit. Use the appendix to include other tables, figures, diagrams, charts and evaluation instruments. Make clear and precise statements to refer to their location in the body of the Research Education Program Plan. Details are presented below for the information required to be included in an IMSD grant application in each of these sections in the Research Education Program Plan.
The Proposed Research Education Program should include the following specific items:
1) Institutional Setting and Current Status of the Undergraduate and/or Graduate Biomedical Science-Related Academic Programs: Provide evidence of the institution's commitment to diversify the student demographics in the biomedical and/or behavioral sciences. Briefly describe the current diversity programs and counseling/mentoring services (funded by the institution and by sponsoring entities) and their success in preparing and graduating underrepresented students as well as all other students in the sciences.
2) Institutional Student and Faculty Profile: For the last fifteen years or since program inception (for existing awardees), provide the numbers and trends of
Applications must include data for underrepresented groups as well as data for non-underrepresented groups. Applicants are encouraged to provide data using the suggested table format (Table 1), below.
Table 1. Cumulative Summary of Institutional Baseline Data
Reporting Period: __________________
Institutional Baseline Data |
Underrepresented (%)* |
Non-underrepresented (%) |
Total number and percent of student enrollment at the institution |
||
Total number and percent of undergraduate students enrolled in biomedical/behavioral-related departments |
||
Total number and percent of graduate students enrolled in biomedical/behavioral-related departments |
||
Total number of students who completed B.S./B.A. degrees in biomedical/behavioral-related departments |
||
Total number of students who completed Ph.D. degrees in biomedical/behavioral-related departments |
||
Number of alumni from biomedical/behavioral-related departments who went on to obtain Ph.D. degrees in sciences in the past 10 years. (This information can be obtained from WebCaspar, an NSF database.) |
||
List of departments included in this table: |
*See further down in Section IV.2 for definition of Underrepresentation including A, B and C classes of participants
3) Vision and Anticipated Value of the Proposed IMSD Program to the Institution: Describe the institution's vision of the IMSD program and how it will be integrated into any of the existing academic programs and how it will partner with or complement other externally funded and institutionally funded educational research training programs, including NIH T32 training programs and other undergraduate/graduate student training programs. Describe options available to the institution for embracing and incorporating, beyond the scope of the grant, any particularly effective curricular, training, programmatic elements, etc., that may be developed within the institution's IMSD program.
4) Activities and Objectives: Provide programmatic detail on the special activities proposed (e.g., courses, curricula, seminars, workshops). Describe what makes the IMSD experience unique to participants. Include description of activities (if any) that will be available only to IMSD participants. Provide detailed information on plans to improve the academic and research competitiveness of underrepresented students at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels and to increase their graduation from Ph.D. programs. Provide a coordinated development plan that describes overall goals and specific measurable objectives of the proposed program. Provide information on the selection process for the participants in the IMSD program. Explain the plan for monitoring student progress and roles of the faculty/personnel involved. Describe how each proposed specific academic development activity will contribute toward realization of the measurable objectives. Describe the milestones (i.e., anticipated intermediate steps toward the objectives). Give a brief account of the proposed schedule of the activities and whether these activities will be available to all students. Discuss any perceived impediments to implementing the proposed activities and alternative strategies to achieve the measurable objectives.
Proposed student development activities may include but are not limited to the following: activities to improve scientific critical thinking, written/oral communication, and problem-solving skills; time-management and group learning opportunities; supplemental instruction [see for example, Byars-Winston, A. et al. (2011), CBE-Life Sciences Education (10), 357-567]; independent library and/or bench research; interdisciplinary or advanced courses with focus on critical thinking and use of quantitative skills to address biomedical/behavioral problems; opportunities to meet and discuss career choices with appropriate role models; research-oriented technical training courses or workshops for graduate students; research proposal development and grant-writing workshops for graduate students; research and other training experiences; and any other training that could facilitate entry into careers in biomedical or behavioral research for persons trained in mathematics, computer sciences and other quantitative sciences. These activities may be offered to full-time matriculated students during the academic year and/or in special summer sessions. Activities may also expand the scope of ongoing institutional efforts to diversify the pool of engaged in biomedical and behavioral research and broadening the opportunities for their participation in biomedical and behavioral research.
The IMSD Program seeks to improve participation of underrepresented students while sponsoring enhancements to the training experience for all, thereby promoting long-lasting and positive institutional change. Describe the impact and/or value of IMSD program activities on the enrollment numbers, profile, academic environment and graduation rates of underrepresented students and other related aspects of the institution. Report activities and impact that directly result from the IMSD program that would not occur in the absence of IMSD support. Explain the value added to the institutional setting. PD(s)/PI(s) are expected to identify successful curricular innovations and promote the adoption of these innovations by the undergraduate and graduate programs at large within the environment harboring the IMSD Program. Also, explain how IMSD efforts address any gap at the institution in retention, graduation and degree completion between underrepresented and non-underrepresented students. Describe what has been learned through the program evaluation and any changes made in the program as a result of the evaluation.
Program Director/Principal Investigator. Describe arrangements for administration of the program. Provide evidence that the Program Director/Principal Investigator is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the mission of NIH, and can organize, administer, monitor, and evaluate the research education program. For programs proposing multiple PDs/PIs, describe the complementary and integrated expertise of the PDs/PIs; their leadership approach, and governance appropriate for the planned project. The PD/PI is expected to be the principal contact with TWD/NIGMS at the institution and prepares and submits in a timely manner the required reports, e.g., annual progress reports, changes in program activities if any, etc. The PD/PI works with the program evaluator to monitor and evaluate the progress of individual program elements and the overall functioning of the program.
Program Faculty. Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as program faculty. Faculty should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program and demonstrate a history of, or the potential for, their intended roles. IMSD mentors are expected to have NIH R01 or equivalent extramural research support as well as high-impact publications in their fields. Applicants should use Training Table 4 associated with SF424 to provide information on grant support of participating faculty research mentors (include as a separate attachment). Provide the biographical sketches of the faculty members with past records in training and mentoring underrepresented students, include their teaching and/or research achievements, and extramural research support in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Section. Additional biographical sketches of faculty members that can serve as mentors can be included as a document in the appendix.
Program Participants. Applications must describe the intended participants, and the selection criteria and/or educational prerequisites that are essential for participation in the proposed research education program. Identify the career levels for which the proposed program is planned.
Institutional Environment and Commitment. Describe the institutional environment, reiterating the availability of facilities and educational resources (described separately under Facilities & Other Resources ), that can contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of institutional commitment to the research educational program is required. A letter of institutional commitment must be attached as part of Letters of Support (see below). Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education program.
Diversity
Recruitment and Retention Plan. The NIH recognizes a unique and
compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical
sciences research workforce. The NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce
to lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups; to
improve the quality of the educational and training environment; to balance and
broaden the perspective in setting research priorities; to improve the ability
to recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols;
and to improve the Nation's capacity to address and eliminate health
disparities.
Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their
student and faculty populations and thus to enhance the participation of
individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral,
and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially,
culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have
inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research.
Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will enhance diversity
on a national basis.
The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention
of the following classes of participants:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27 and the most recent report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size; published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at HHS - Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such participants have (1) qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance, (2) they have received Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL) or Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or (3) they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.
New applications must include a description of plans to enhance recruitment of a diverse participant pool and may wish to include data in support of past accomplishments. The plan should be appropriate and reasonable for the nature and duration of the proposed program.
Renewal applications must include a detailed account of experiences in recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups during the previous funding period. Information must be included on successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies including aggregate information on the distribution of:
For those individuals who participated in the research
education program, the report should include information about the duration of education
and aggregate information on the number of individuals finished the program in
good standing. Additional information on the required Recruitment and Retention
Plan to Enhance Diversity is available at Frequently Asked Questions:
Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity (Diversity FAQs).
Applications lacking a diversity recruitment and retention plan will not
be reviewed.
Plan
for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. All
applications must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in
the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). The plan must address the five,
required instructional components outlined in the NIH policy: 1) Format - the required
format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or
real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable);
2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data
management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research
misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty
Participation - the role of the program faculty in the instruction;
4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction, taking into consideration the
duration of the program; and 5) Frequency
of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and
at least once every four years. See also NOT-OD-10-019.
The plan should be appropriate and reasonable for the nature and duration of the
proposed program. Renewal (Type 2) applications must, in addition, describe any
changes in formal instruction over the past project period and plans to address
any weaknesses in the current instruction plan. All participating faculty who
served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders
during the past project period must be named in the application.
Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research will
not be reviewed.
Evaluation Plan. Applications must include a plan for evaluating the activities supported by the award. The application must specify baseline metrics (e.g., numbers, educational levels, and demographic characteristics of participants), as well as measures to gauge the short or long-term success of the research education award in achieving its objectives. Wherever appropriate, applicants are encouraged to obtain feedback from participants to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for improvements.
Dissemination Plan. A specific plan must be provided to disseminate nationally any findings resulting from or materials developed under the auspices of the research education program, e.g., sharing course curricula and related materials via web postings, presentations at scientific meetings, workshops.
Letters of Support
A letter of institutional commitment must be attached as part of Letters of Support (see section above: "Institutional Environment and Commitment.
Resource Sharing Plans
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:
When relevant, applications are expected to include a software
dissemination plan if support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of
software is requested in the application. There is no prescribed single
license for software produced. However, the software dissemination plan should
address, as appropriate, the following goals:
Appendix
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide .
When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Planned Enrollment Reports as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications
before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application
corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration.
Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA
Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
Important
reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the
Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons
and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent
the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information
may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-13-030.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered
in the review process. As part of the NIH mission,
all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical, behavioral, and
clinical research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the
NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to strongly advance research education by fulfilling the goal of this R25 Education Program, 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.
Significance
Does the proposed program address a key audience and an important aspect or important need in research education? Is there convincing evidence in the application that the proposed program will significantly advance the stated goal of the program? Is the proposed program likely to have a positive effect on the participation of members of under-represented groups in the biomedical and behavioral sciences at the host institution?
Investigator(s)
Is the PD/PI capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program? Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program leadership to ensure the program's intended goal is accomplished? If applicable, is there evidence that the participating faculty have experience in mentoring students and teaching science? If applicable, are the faculty good role models for the participants by nature of their scientific accomplishments? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation
Taking into consideration the nature of the proposed research education program, does the applicant make a strong case for this program effectively reaching an audience in need of the program's offerings? Where appropriate, is the proposed program developing or utilizing innovative approaches and latest best practices to improve the knowledge and/or skills of the intended audience?
Approach
Does the proposed program clearly state its goals and objectives, including the educational level of the audience to be reached, the content to be conveyed, and the intended outcome? Is there evidence that the program is based on a sound rationale, as well as sound educational concepts and principles? Is the plan for evaluation sound and likely to provide information on the effectiveness of the program? If the proposed program will recruit participants, are the planned recruitment, retention, and follow-up (if applicable) activities adequate to ensure a highly qualified participant pool? Did the institution provide a sound assessment supporting the goals of the program?
Environment
Will the scientific and educational environment of the proposed program contribute to its intended goals? Is there a plan to take advantage of this environment to enhance the educational value of the program? Is there tangible evidence of institutional commitment? Is there evidence that the faculty have sufficient institutional support to create a sound educational environment for the participants? Where appropriate, is there evidence of collaboration and buy-in among participating programs, departments, and institutions? Is the institution likely to have an appropriate pool of talented participants for the IMSD program? Does the application provide evidence that sufficient mentoring expertise is available at the host institution?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Vertebrate Animals
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Biohazards
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Resubmissions
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Renewals
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period, and the success of the program in attracting and retaining individuals from diverse populations, including populations underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral and clinical research. A detailed progress report must be included. Applications with only one previous funding cycle must provide information on the past funding cycle. Applications with more than one previous funding cycle must provide information on the past three consecutive funding cycles or on progress since program inception. In the report, state the original and specific measurable objectives, anticipated milestones and outcomes, as well as a summary of the accomplishments of the IMSD program.
Applicants should use "Training Tables" associated with SF424 (tables 6A, 11 and 12A) to provide data on the progress achieved. Programs with an undergraduate component must report:
Programs with a graduate component must report:
Progress reports must clearly report outcomes from undergraduate and graduate components separately.
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period, including the following:
Revisions
For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.
Recruitment & Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented groups. The review panel’s evaluation will be included in the summary statement. Plans will be rated as acceptable or unacceptable, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
Taking into account the specific characteristics of the proposed research education program, the level of participant experience, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the program faculty in the instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction, taking into consideration the duration of the program; and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. See also: NOT-OD-10-019. The review panel’s evaluation will be included in the summary statement. Plans will be rated as acceptable or unacceptable, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Not Applicable.
Select Agent Research
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
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). If support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of software is requested in the application, the reviewers will comment on the proposed software dissemination plan.
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 (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the NIGMS. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
After the peer review of the application is completed, the
PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique)
via the eRA
Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee’s business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, SAM
Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) and financial statements as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are required annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. Programs that involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of research and complete a Training Diversity Report, in accordance with the PHS 2590 Additional Instructions for Preparing a Progress Report for an Institutional Research Training Grant, Including Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.
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.
Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
A final progress reportand the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH or its Institutes and Centers will periodically evaluate their R25 research education programs, employing the measures identified below. In assessing the effectiveness of its research education investments, NIH may request information from databases, PD/PIs, and from participants themselves. Where necessary, PD/PIs and participants may be contacted after the completion of a research education experience for periodic updates on participants subsequent educational or employment history and professional activities.
Upon the completion of a program evaluation, NIH and its ICs will determine whether to (a) continue a program as currently configured, (b) continue a program with modifications, or (c) discontinue a program. Programs will be evaluated by comparison of outcomes to institutional baselines of participation of members of under-represented groups (See Table 1). Essential criteria include completion of degree program, matriculation to Ph.D. programs and attainment of the Ph.D. degree.
Evaluation Measures:
The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following:
For programs involving Undergraduate Students:
Successful completion of an undergraduate degree in a biomedical or behavioral field
Enrollment in an advanced degree program in a biomedical or behavioral field
For programs involving Graduate Students:
Successful completion of a biomedical or behavioral graduate program
Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a biomedical or behavioral field
Subsequent participation in research
Subsequent employment in a research or research-related field
Subsequent authorship of scientific publications in a biomedical or behavioral field
Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions
regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and
application packages)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
Email: support@grants.gov
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov
Daniel E. Janes, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-0943
Fax: 301-480-2228
Email: Daniel.Janes@nih.gov
Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-2881
Fax: 301-480-8506
Email: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov .
Ms. Lori Burge
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-451-3781
Fax: 301-480-2554
Email: burgel@nigms.nih.gov
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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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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