Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

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 may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Table of Contents

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

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Research Conference Grant (R13) applications to conduct health disparities-related meetings, workshops, and symposia. The purpose of the Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series is to bring together academic institutions/organizations and community organizations to identify opportunities for reducing health disparities through the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). The objectives of meetings conducted as part of this award will be to: (1) establish and/or enhance existing academic-community partnerships; (2) identify community-driven research priorities; and (3) develop long-term collaborative CBPR research agendas. Thus, it is expected these partnerships will lead to grant applications for the support of CBPR projects designed to meet identified community needs. The areas of focus for these partnerships should include one or more of the following community-health issues: preterm birth; infant mortality; sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); maternal mortality; reproductive health; uterine fibroid tumors; childhood, adolescent, and/or adult obesity; violence prevention; perinatal HBV and HIV/AIDS prevention; HIV/AIDS prevention; asthma; intellectual and developmental disabilities; pediatric injury prevention; and medical rehabilitation.

Support of conferences is contingent on the fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of the individual NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). Therefore, a conference grant application is required to contain a permission-to-submit letter from the Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts. Applicants are urged to initiate contact well in advance of the application due date and no later than 6 weeks before that date. Please note that agreement to accept an application does not guarantee funding.

Background

The NIH recognizes the value of supporting academic and community partnerships which are relevant to one of the overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 "to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups." The Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series builds on NICHD's mission of conducting research to understand the biological, behavioral, and social processes that dictate physical, emotional, and cognitive health. NICHD's mission promotes research to understand the complex interplay of processes that transform cells into healthy functioning individuals, free of disease and disabilities. When this is not achieved, or is achieved unequally by different segments of the population (health disparities), NICHD seeks to understand factors contributing to these differences and works to develop effective prevention and intervention research strategies to help ameliorate these differences.

NICHD also aims to build bridges to improved health within communities by employing the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). This approach creates opportunities for establishing research priorities according to the community's health needs. CBPR is a collaborative process of research involving researchers and community representatives that (1) engages community members in all phases of the research; (2) employs local strengths and resources to identify relevant health problems and inform the design of interventions; (3) offers co-learning and capacity building for all partners; and (4) provides channels for dissemination of knowledge gained to all partners. Construction of these bridges must be thoroughly and carefully designed with foundations rooted in science, but firmly grounded in the communities to be served. Health disparities do not merely occur, they develop over time as natural biological and behavioral forces interact with a variety of community, social, familial, political, and economic influences. Closing the health disparities gap requires an in-depth understanding of the interactions of these processes and mechanisms as well as the conscientious design of educational and behavioral interventions based on input from members of the communities in which these interventions are to be implemented.

Program Scope

The purpose of the Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series is to bring together academic institutions and community organizations to identify opportunities for reducing health disparities through the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). The objective of meetings conducted as part of this award will be to:

• Establish and/or enhance existing partnerships between academic institutions and relevant community organizations;
• Identify, document, and highlight local priority health disparity conditions and the community's view of its own health problems; and
• Form an alignment between academic and community organizations to develop long-term collaborative CBPR research agendas

For purposes of this award, community organizations may include organizations that have a history (3 years or more) of (1) providing health services and/or improving the health of members of the relevant community (e.g., health departments); and/or (2) serving the interests of the relevant community or population of focus (e.g., faith-based organizations, schools, violence prevention centers, cooperative extension centers, tribal organizations, youth organizations).

While multiple PD/PI applications comprised of academic and community partners are strongly encouraged, partnerships between academic and community organizations/leaders do not have to be in place to qualify an institution to apply for these awards. Applicants that seek to strengthen existing relationships with community stakeholders are encouraged to apply. When appropriate, the award should be used to support the formative stages of such partnerships.

Anticipated outcomes of the Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series grant award include, but are not limited to: (1) providing a forum for the development of a community partnership structure that will support the conduct of an eventual CBPR project in one of the identified areas of emphasis; and (2) facilitating culturally centered community partnerships with a focus on reducing and eliminating health disparities.

Partnerships Between Academic and Community Organizations

Specific examples of collaborative meetings include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Workshops to identify issues and research objectives that are important to the community;
• Meetings to strengthen and enhance the collaborative/multidisciplinary research efforts between grantee institutions/organizations and communities of interest;
• Workshops among researchers, and community leaders to identify the health and resource needs of the community;
• Seminars led by community partners and academic researchers highlighting research findings on the prevalence and incidence of relevant health disparities in the community; and

Expected Timeline

Year 1

• Convene three to six opportunities (e.g. meetings, presentations) to introduce community partnership plans to various relevant community organizations;
• Identify members of the Advisory Board for the Academic-Community Partnership Series award;
• Convene at least two (2) Advisory Board meetings with the goal of planning community partnership activities; and
• Hold two to four open community forums to disseminate information on relevant community, regional, and/or state health disparities.

Year 2

• Convene two to three meetings to introduce community partnership plans to relevant community stakeholders;
• Hold two to four open community forums to disseminate information on relevant community, regional, and/or state health disparities;
• Hold quarterly (4) Advisory Board meetings to discuss details related to the progress of the Academic-Community Partnership Series;
• If CBPR expertise is not available as part of the original application, at least one partnership, as evidenced through the development of a specific Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with an institution or organization (e.g. academic institutions, community-based organization) that has evidence of CPBR expertise should be developed.
• Guidance that can inform the development of an Academic-Community Partnership MOU can be found in several places, including but not limited to the University of Kansas Community Tool Box
• The MOU should describe details related to the exact nature of the relationship, number of meetings per year, and clear outcomes that will benefit both partners. The individual identified as having CBPR expertise as part of the MOU should be named to the Advisory Board. Additional representatives with CBPR expertise may be named to the Advisory Board when deemed necessary.

Year 3

• Convene quarterly (4) Advisory Board meetings to discuss details related to the progress of the Academic-Community Partnership Series;
• Organize during the first quarter of the year, representatives from a select group of academic and community organization representatives that have been actively working during the first two years of the award;
• Develop at least one partnership, as evidenced through the specific development of an MOU. This MOU should describe details related to the exact nature of a relationship between the academic and community organization representatives, which may include (but not limited to):
  • Purpose of the partnership
  • Frequency of meetings
  • Designation of leadership roles
  • Bylaws or governing policies
  • Short- and long-term CBPR intervention development goals
  • Intended post Academic-Community Partnership Series award outcomes/benefits for the community of interest

Areas of Research Focus

An ongoing series of conferences, meetings, seminars, and workshops, where academic and community partners work together to develop a strong working relationship and a set of research goals focused on community priorities may be focused in one or more of the following areas:

• Preterm birth
• Infant mortality
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Maternal mortality
• Reproductive health
• Uterine fibroid tumors
• Childhood, adolescent, and/or adult obesity
• Violence prevention
• Perinatal HBV and HIV/AIDS prevention
• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Asthma
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Pediatric injury prevention
• Medical rehabilitation (e.g., spinal cord injury, TBI, stroke)

More than one area of research focus should be addressed only when scientifically appropriate. Health literacy and techniques for outreach and information dissemination should only be addressed in conjunction with one of the identified areas of research focus.

Additionally, consideration for support will be given to relevant topics where research is lacking or nascent and where stimulation of such research will meet the expressed needs of the community (e.g., role of paternal involvement in child health outcomes).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts of the FOA regarding the appropriateness of research focus for proposed projects. This may be done as part of the required process for requesting advanced permission to submit an application no later than six weeks before the receipt date.

Section II. Award Information

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.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

Domestic institutions or organizations, including established scientific or professional societies, are eligible to apply for conference support. An individual is not eligible to receive a grant in support of a conference.

Foreign Institutions

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.

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. 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.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

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 underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number of NIH IPF number) is allowed.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

In addition, the NIH will not accept a resubmission (A1) application that is submitted later than 37 months after submission of the new (A0) application that it follows. The NIH will accept submission:

• To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
• Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
• Of an application with a changed grant activity code.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

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.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

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.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project: Enter the title of the scientific conference or scientific meeting.

Cover Letter Attachment: Advance permission to submit an application is required for all NIH conference grant applications, including new, resubmission, renewal, and revision applications. Advance permission to submit an application should be requested early in the process and no later than six weeks before the application due date. All applicants must include the permission-to-submit letter from the Scientific/Research Contact listed for this FOA. Applications that do not include the permission-to-submit letter will not be accepted for review. Note that advance permission to submit an application does not guarantee funding.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Enter the site of the conference or meeting as the Performance Site.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Senior/Key Personnel are defined as the PD(s)/PI(s) and those responsible for the planning of the organizational/institutional meetings. Attach a biographical sketch for the PD(s)/PI(s) and other Senior/Key Persons.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are not allowed. Provide a narrative justification for each proposed personnel position, including role and proposed level of effort. Include information regarding efforts to obtain funding for this conference/meeting from other sources.

Allowable Costs: Salary (in proportion to the time or effort spent directly on the conference/scientific meeting); rental of necessary equipment; travel and per diem or subsistence allowances; supplies needed for conduct of the meeting (only if received for use during the budget period); conference services; publication costs; funds to help defray registration costs for some select attendees (for example, women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in science, graduate students); speakers fees.

Non-allowable Costs: Meals/food and beverages; purchase of equipment; transportation costs exceeding U.S. carrier coach class fares; visas; passports; entertainment; tips; bar charges; personal telephone calls; laundry charges; dues; honoraria or other payments for the purpose of conferring distinction or communicating respect, esteem or admiration; patient care; alterations or renovations; facilities and administrative costs/indirect costs. Refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information regarding costs.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Specific Aims: Specific Aims are required, and must include the following:

• One of the specific aims must address the development of an MOU between the applicant organization/institution and one or more organizations within the community of interest for the purpose of carrying out a CBPR project in one of the areas of interest for the initiative, consistent with achieving the program goals.

• At least one of the specific aims should address outreach to the community and how this grant will be used to identify the community's perceived areas of interest regarding the health disparity condition of focus. Use the sub-aims to describe how such an assessment will be conducted. (It is important to show how the programs areas of emphasis compare with the community's perceptions of their experiences in regard to the health disparity of focus.)

• At least one aim should address how the applicant plans to use the conference grant to provide health education in the areas identified by the community as their areas of concern.

Research Strategy: Note that this section will be called Conference Plan in the system-generated Table of Contents.

In the Conference Plan section of the application (uploaded as the Research Strategy attachment), describe the objectives, specific program, and logistical arrangements for the conference/meeting. Describe the format and list the agenda and speakers, including the principal topics to be covered, problems to be addressed, and developments or contributions the conference/meeting might stimulate. Provide a detailed justification for the conference, including the scientific need, timeliness, and usefulness of the conference/meeting to the scientific community.

A critical part of the application for NIH conference support is the documentation of appropriate representation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in science in the planning and implementation of, and participation in, the proposed conference/meeting. Appropriate representation means representation based on the availability of these scientists from these groups known to be working in a particular field of biomedical or behavioral research. If appropriate representation is not apparent, no award will be issued until program staff members are assured of concerted recruitment efforts. Organizers of scientific conferences/meetings must document compliance with the Guidelines for Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants policy.

Attendance for some individuals will be dependent on the availability of resources for family care. The application should describe plans to identify resources for child care and other types of family care at the conference site to allow individuals with family care responsibilities to attend. The information should allow attendees to make arrangements for family care as needed.

Describe the composition and role of the organizing committee, and provide the names and credentials of key participants (i.e. speakers, presenters, session moderators) in the conference, including the basis for their selection and documentation of their agreement to participate. Estimate the expected size and composition of the audience, as well as the method of selection.

Describe plans for publicizing the conference/meeting to all interested participants and for publishing the proceedings (with the latter plan not being required). Identify related conferences/meetings held on the subject during the past 3 years and how the proposed conference/meeting is similar to and/or different from these, and why it is still necessary and useful. If this is one in a series of periodic conferences held by a permanent sponsoring organization, briefly describe and evaluate the last conference/meeting in the series.

Applications requesting multiple years of support must provide the following additional information for each future year requested, in as much detail as possible:

• meeting topic(s)
• tentative dates, locations, and participants
• contingency plans for future meetings dependent upon, for example, the outcome of the first year’s conference/meeting or developments in the field.

In the "Conference Plan", applicants should describe the processes/methodologies for carrying out each of the specific aims noted in sufficient detail such that the reviewers clearly understand and can assess the merits of the design/methods in accomplishing each specific aim and ultimately the goal of the project.

Define the relevant community or communities of interest using a set of tangible and explicit criteria. The criteria can include a common interest, identity, characteristic, or condition. Document evidence of the health disparity condition in the defined community and how meetings conducted in this project will improve our understanding of how to reduce disparities in similar communities.

Applicants must identify the types of community organizations to be engaged as part of this award. For purposes of this award, community organizations may include organizations that have a history (3 years or more) of (1) providing health services and/or improving the health of members of the relevant community (e.g., health departments); and/or (2) serving the interests of the relevant community or population of focus (e.g., faith-based organizations, schools, violence prevention centers, cooperative extension centers, tribal organizations, youth organizations). Partnerships with community organizations/leaders do not have to be in place to qualify an institution to apply for these awards. When partners have not been identified, applicants should adequately describe the types of organizations to be engaged in these partnerships.

Describe the role of one or more CBPR partner(s). Provide the names and credentials of the CBPR partner(s), including the basis for their selection and documentation of their agreement to participate. If the CBPR partner(s) are not geographically close to the community of focus, plans should be provided on how the CBPR partner(s) will be engaged. If CBPR expertise is not available as part of the original application, applicants should describe the type of CBPR partner(s) that will be recruited. In this case, at least one partnership, as evidenced through the development of a specific Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with an institution or organization (e.g. academic, community-based organization) that has evidence of CPBR expertise should be developed in Year 2.

Applicants must identify specific plans to organize an Advisory Board as a part of the activities to be performed under this award. The purpose, function, and expectations of this Board should be described. Describe the types of members who will be selected, including the basis for their selection and the types of organizations they represent. Representatives from academic and community organizations should be included on the Board. The application should not name specific individuals who will serve on the Advisory Board. Describe expected outcomes and benchmarks that will be used to assess success in building academic-community partnerships.

Protection of Human Subjects:

Protection of Human Subjects is generally not applicable to R13 Conference grant applications. However, one of the objectives of meetings conducted as part of the Academic-Community Partnership Conference Series is to identify, document, and highlight local priority health disparity conditions and the community's view of its own health problems. In order to adequately assess and document community perceptions and research priorities, applicants may need to obtain information (e.g., interests in health disparities information, knowledge about disparities in the community, input on how to form partnerships) from community members in attendance at meetings. This information will be important in guiding the development of community partnerships and establishing collaborative research agendas. Applicants should follow instructions pertaining to Protection of Human Subjects in the SF424 Application Guide.

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 modification:

• Generally, Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and GWAS Sharing Plan) are expected, but they are not applicable for this FOA.

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.

• The appendix is limited to announcements and reports of previous conferences/meetings under the same sponsorship. If small scale data collection is proposed, preprinted questionnaires or surveys may be included in the Appendix. No other information or material should be submitted as appendices.

Planned Enrollment Report

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Planned Enrollment Reports as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

PHS 398 Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

3. Submission Dates and Times

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. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late.

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.

4. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

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.

In general, conference awards should be issued before the actual start date of the conference.

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

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. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

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. 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.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-13-030.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

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.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact 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).

Scored Review Criteria

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 this conference/scientific meeting address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these endeavors on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Do these meeting plans promote an academic-community partnership around a relevant health problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, will the academic-community partnership be advanced?

Investigator(s)

Is (are) the PD(s)/PI(s) well suited for organizing and fulfilling the goals of this conference/scientific meeting? Are the qualifications and past performance of the PD(s)/PI(s) appropriate, and are they well suited for their described roles in the conference/scientific meeting? Are the key personnel and selected speakers appropriate and well suited for their described roles in the conference/scientific meeting?

Will Senior/Key personnel and the Advisory Board include community as well as academic partners?

Innovation

Does the conference/meeting employ novel approaches or methods to fulfill its purpose? Does the conference/scientific meeting draw together appropriate experts who may otherwise not have an opportunity to meet?

Do the meetings or other planned activities employ novel community partnership approaches or methods to fulfill the program’s purpose?

Approach

Are the format and agenda for the conference/meeting appropriate for achieving the specified goals? Is the conference/meeting timely for the subject matter? For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, is the Leadership Plan approach, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance and organizational structure consistent with and justified by the topics of the conference/meeting and the expertise of each of the PDs/PIs?

If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Is the format of these meetings appropriate for achieving successful academic-community partnerships? Will the Advisory Board and CBPR partners be selected appropriately? Are the meetings timely for the subject matter? Will proposed activities increase likelihood of eventual conduct of CBR in the community of interest?

Environment

Is the conference/scientific meeting site appropriate? Does the applicant organization have the ability to contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed meetings, exhibits, interactions, etc., take advantage of unique features of the environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is institutional support evident?

Has the applicant identified a community in need of community partnership and ultimately CBPR? How appropriate are the meeting sites? Does the applicant have the ability to contribute to the probability of success in partnering with organizations that represent the community of interest? Do the proposed meetings take advantage of unique features of the community or employ useful partnership arrangements? Is there strong evidence of institutional/organizational and community support?

Additional Review Criteria

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.

Appropriate Representation

How well do the plans for inclusion of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who traditionally have been underrepresented in science provide for their appropriate representation in the planning, organization, and execution of the proposed conference/scientific meeting? For more information, visit Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

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

Not Applicable

Revisions

Not Applicable

Additional Review Considerations

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.

Provision of Family Care Facilities

Are the plans to inform attendees about family care resources adequate?

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Not Applicable

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.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by NICHD, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
• Will receive a written critique.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development (NACHHD) Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

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.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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 terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the annual Non-Competing Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) 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.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

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
Email: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone: 301-710-0267
Email: [email protected]

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Della Brown White, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-2712
Email: [email protected]

Peer Review Contact(s)

Sherry Dupere, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-451-3415
Email: [email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Bryan Clark, MBA
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6975
Email: [email protected]

Section VIII. Other Information

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.

Authority and Regulations

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.