Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
and Human Services (HHS)
Reissue of PAR-16-254
PAR-18-923, R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant
93.855, 93.838
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support innovative studies to identify and understand the immune responses that mediate protection from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection or progression to active tuberculosis (TB) disease. Such responses may be operative in mycobacterial infection, or following vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Gu rin (BCG) or investigational TB vaccines. Studies may focus on any stage of mycobacterial infection and may include HIV-infected and/or uninfected individuals. Research supported under this FOA should go beyond descriptive information currently known about Mtb infection, immune responses to TB vaccines, or immune modulation by non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection, or by HIV/AIDS. Applications are sought that include characterization of the timing, anatomical location, and contribution to disease outcome, of mucosal and/or systemic immune responses to mycobacterial infection and/or vaccination. This research is expected to advance understanding of immune mechanisms in Mtb infection/vaccination and contribute to the advancement of new TB vaccines, including in populations also infected with HIV.
June 28, 2019
Not Applicable
January 14, 2020, January 14, 2021, and January 14, 2022 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.
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.
January 14, 2020, January 14, 2021, and January 14, 2022, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
All types of AIDS and AIDS-related applicationsallowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.
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.
March 2020, March 2021, March 2022
May 2020, May 2021, May 2022
July 2020, July 2021, July 2022
New Date September 10, 2020 per issuance of NOT-AI-20-073. (Original Expiration Date: January 15, 2022 )
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide,except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from 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.
Purpose
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support innovative studies to identify and understand the immune responses that mediate protection from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection or progression to active tuberculosis (TB) disease. Such responses may be operative in mycobacterial infection, or following vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Gu rin (BCG) or investigational TB vaccines. Studies may focus on any stage of mycobacterial infection and may include HIV-infected or uninfected individuals. Research supported under this FOA should go beyond descriptive information currently known about Mtb infection, immune responses to TB vaccines, or immune modulation by non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection, or by HIV/AIDS. Applications are sought that include characterization of the timing, anatomical location, and contribution to disease outcome, of mucosal and/or systemic immune responses to mycobacterial infection and/or vaccination. This research is expected to advance understanding of immune mechanisms in Mtb infection/vaccination and contribute to the advancement of new TB vaccines, including in populations also infected with HIV.
Background
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a slow-growing pathogen that infects a variety of host cells, including macrophages and epithelial cells. While it is estimated that TB rates are slowly decreasing globally, TB continues to have a major negative impact on public health systems and individuals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, an estimated 10 million individuals developed TB disease, and 1.6 million died from TB. In addition, TB has been intricately associated with HIV infection, and since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic remains responsible for one fourth of all HIV-related deaths, making it the main killer of HIV-positive individuals. The rise in multi-drug resistant TB (estimated 4.1% of new cases and 19% of treated cases) also poses a major challenge to TB treatment and underscores the need for development of effective vaccines to prevent Mtb infection and/or TB disease.
NIAID supports a comprehensive research portfolio in both immunology and vaccine R&D to facilitate development of TB vaccines. Some of this work is achieved through the development and application of animal models, reagents, and assays to better assess Mtb pathogenesis and immunity, and through translational work performed in clinical trials of Mtb-uninfected, latently infected, and HIV-co-infected individuals. Collaborative funding between NIAID and other agencies/partners has supported academia, product development partnerships, and pharmaceutical companies; and has contributed to the development of many of the candidate vaccines that are currently in pre-clinical and clinical development. Vaccine design and development is also supported through basic and applied science to better understand host responses in infection and disease and in individuals able to contain Mtb naturally. Clinical studies of vaccine candidates have led to the identification of knowledge gaps in how we measure immunity, what animal models may be predictive of human responses, and our understanding of vaccine and adjuvant design.
BCG, the most commonly administered pediatric vaccine worldwide, does not provide lasting protection against pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults. Furthermore, exposure to environmental mycobacteria varies in different geographical regions and is thought to impact BCG vaccine efficacy. More recently, two phase II trials conducted in southern Africa, demonstrated that BCG revaccination may prevent establishment of Mtb infection in adolescents, and that recombinant adjuvanted M72 vaccination provides protection against development of active pulmonary tuberculosis disease in adults previously infected with Mtb. However, correlates of vaccine-induced protection have not yet been identified, which would greatly accelerate selection of next-generation vaccine candidates. Although numerous studies have identified immunodominant Mtb antigens that trigger T cell responses and immune parameters that may be associated with some level of protection such as 1) production of TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, GM-CSF and IFN-gamma; 2) generation of lung-resident poly-functional CD4 T cells; or 3) activation of innate T cells; none of these parameters appear to sufficiently provide long-term protective immunity against Mtb infection or prevent development of TB disease. Studies suggest that humoral immune responses may play a role in TB immunity, and more work is needed to expand our understanding of humoral immune responses to Mtb infections/vaccines. Mtb also has evolved numerous immune evasion mechanisms that disrupt the generation of protective immunity and facilitate pathogen survival within the host. Finally, the specific mechanisms in children, the elderly and HIV-infected individuals that increase the probability of progression to active TB disease remain unclear, as do those that support growth of the pathogen in these vulnerable populations.
A number of studies have used systems immunology approaches to characterize human immune signatures of different vaccines. For example, immune profiles of response to the yellow fever vaccine were described that identify and predict the immunogenicity of the vaccine in humans. Similarly, signatures of the early response to influenza vaccination identified gene expression patterns that could predict the production of influenza specific antibodies at titers expected to induce protection. While TB researchers are conducting some systems immunology studies, further application of advanced immunologic analyses of systemic and tissue-specific responses to the TB field would dramatically enhance our understanding of immune mechanisms required for protection and provide fundamental information to improve TB vaccine design.
This funding opportunity, and its companion FOA, PAR-18-923, seek to support innovative research in deciphering immune mechanisms in humans required for protection from Mtb infection or TB disease, or induced by TB vaccines, that go beyond what have traditionally been investigated in TB. Animal models also provide valuable insights into these processes, as they permit studies of potentially important immune mechanisms that may not be possible to study in humans. In addition, animal efficacy data from TB vaccine candidates that are advancing to phase I clinical trials may provide valuable data on immune correlates of protection. Therefore, results from both human and animal studies have the potential to provide new insights into mechanisms of protective immunity against Mtb and TB disease and help identify immunologic and pathogen-specific mechanisms that may be effectively targeted by vaccines in HIV-infected and/or uninfected individuals.
Objectives and Scope
This program will support innovative studies to identify and understand the immune responses that mediate protection from Mtb infection or progression to active TB disease. Such responses may be operative in mycobacterial infection, or following vaccination with BCG or investigational TB vaccines. Studies may focus on any stage of mycobacterial infection and may include HIV-infected and/or uninfected individuals.
Examples of potential research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Applications proposing any of the following research topics will NOT be supported under this FOA:
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.
Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For-Profit Organizations
Governments
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 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.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.
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.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Research Strategy: Applicants proposing to use an animal model must justify the choice of animal model in terms of the relevance to human responses for the specific scientific goals and approaches proposed.
Applicants proposing human subjects research must describe and justify the number of subjects with respect to the proposed analyses and data interpretation. In addition, applicants must describe the goals for the planned study population with respect to feasibility and cohort characterization, if applicable.
Letters of Support: Applicants proposing to analyze samples from independently funded clinical trials/studies should provide letters of support that specifically address sample availability (including information about sample volume/cell numbers) and consent for studies proposed.
The following modifications also apply:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. 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. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday , the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
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 and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.
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 How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
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 and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.
Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission 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 exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project ? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?
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 individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Specific to this FOA: For projects involving human subjects, are sufficient numbers of subjects included for adequate data interpretation? If applicable, are the plans for recruitment feasible? Is the study population appropriate to address the specific scientific goals and approaches proposed, and is the population well characterized? For projects involving animal models, is the animal model justified in terms of the relevance to human responses for the specific scientific goals and approaches proposed?
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the 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 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.
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 individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) 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.
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.
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.
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.
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.
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.
Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
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).
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) Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS).
For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.
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 Center for Scientific Review, 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.
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 submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council.
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available 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.
Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to their programs without regard to a person’s race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research.
In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.
For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA. HHS provides general guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/index.html. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.htmlhttps://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/laws-regulations-guidance/index.html. Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/index.html. Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697. Also note it is an HHS Departmental goal to ensure access to quality, culturally competent care, including long-term services and supports, for vulnerable populations. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.
A final RPPR, 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.
In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 Award Term and Conditions for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
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, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
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Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
Cesar Boggiano, PhD
Division of AIDS
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-627-3038
E? mail: cesar.boggiano@nih.gov
Katrin Eichelberg, Ph D
Div ision of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Te?lephone: 240-669-2921
E?mail: keichelberg@nih.gov
Nancy V zquez-Maldonado, Ph.D.
D?ivision of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)T
Telephone: 240-669-5044
Email: nvazquez@niaid.nih.gov
Josh Fessel, M.D., Ph.D.
?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
?Telephone: 301-435-0222
?Email: josh.fessel@nih.gov
John Pugh, PhD
Center for Scientific Review
Telephone: 301-442-1059
Email: pughjohn@mail.nih.gov
Ann Devine
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-2988
Email: adevine@niaid.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.
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