ANIMAL FACILITY IMPROVEMENT FOR SMALL RESEARCH PROGRAMS NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 8, February 26, 1993 PAR NUMBER: PAR-93-058 P.T. 34 Keywords: Animal Breed. & Facil., Scientific Animal Research Policy National Center for Research Resources PURPOSE The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) encourages the submission of individual animal resource improvement grant applications from small biomedical research institutions. Domestic public and private institutions, organizations, and associations are eligible to apply for this grant if they meet the following two requirements: (1) The institution must have one or more research projects supported by the Public Health Service (PHS) that involve the use of laboratory animals, and (2) The institution must have received less than $1,500,000 (direct costs) of PHS support for research projects during the most recently completed Federal fiscal year (October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992). The major objectives of this program are to upgrade animal facilities, develop administratively centralized programs of animal care, and enable institutions to comply with the USDA Animal Welfare Act and DHHS policies related to the care and use of laboratory animals. These awards do not require matching funds from the awardee institution. Support is limited to alterations and renovations (A&R) to improve laboratory animal facilities, and purchase of major equipment items for animal resource, diagnostic laboratory, transgenic animal resources, or similar associated activities. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Domestic public and private institutions, organizations, and associations are eligible to apply for this grant if they meet the above requirements. Institutions and commercial firms providing only services or products and without a clearly defined animal related research component are not eligible to apply. Also, this program will not support requests for equipment used for teaching purposes and for housing non-research animals. Applications from other Federal agencies or institutions (e.g., Department of Veterans Affairs) are limited to requests for equipment only. Applicants may not submit more than one application or apply for other NCRR support for developing and improving institutional animal resources in the same Federal fiscal year. Another grant program for animal facility improvement, called "Developing and Improving Institutional Animal Resources" is available, and will be announced in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. Dollar ceilings are higher in that program, but there will be a requirement for matching funds. Institutions receiving less than $1,500,000 per year may compete for funding under either program. Institutions receiving $1,500,000 or more (direct costs) of PHS support for research projects during the most recently completed Federal fiscal year may only submit applications to the "Developing and Improving Institutional Animal Resources" program. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The mechanism available for the support of improvement projects is the Grant for Repair, Renovation, and Modernization of Existing Research Facilities (G20). Requests are limited to A&R to improve existing laboratory animal facilities, allowable fees associated with the A&R project, and major resource equipment related to the improvement project, such as animal cage systems and cage washers. Requests for new construction, including the completion of shell space, and equipment intended for teaching or non-research purposes are not allowable. Requests for basic general purpose equipment items for centralized surgeries, diagnostic laboratories, transgenic animal facilities, and other similar associated activities are allowable when well justified and integral to the proposed project. However, a single item of equipment, or an aggregate of identical equipment items, must have a total cost of at least $1,000. The total budget request for the improvement grant application and award is limited to a total of $300,000 (direct costs), of which not more than $200,000 may be used for alterations and renovations. Matching funds are not required. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Animal resource improvement grants are awarded to assist biomedical research institutions in upgrading animal facilities and developing administratively centralized and uniformly effective programs of research animal care. Another major objective is to assist institutions in complying, and maintaining compliance, with provisions of the Animal Welfare Act and PHS policies related to the care and use of laboratory animals. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications are to be submitted on grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91). The single annual receipt date for these applications is June 1. Applications received by this deadline will receive October/November initial peer review, January/February review by the National Advisory Research Resources Council, and will have an earliest possible award date of April 1. Applications received after the June 1 deadline will be returned to the applicant without review. Current guidelines for this program may be requested from the Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, CMP. These guidelines must be followed in detail. Applications not adhering to these guidelines will be considered non-responsive to this program and will be returned to the applicant without review. The completed original application (signed original including appendices, if any) and three copies must be sent or delivered to: Grant Application Receipt Office Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 Bethesda, MD 20892-4500** Simultaneously, two additional copies (with appendices, if any) must be sent under separate cover to: Scientific Review Administrator Comparative Medicine Review Committee Office of Review National Center for Research Resources Westwood Building, Room 10A16 Bethesda, MD 20892-4500 REVIEW PROCEDURES All applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review committee managed by the Office of Review, NCRR. Second level review will be provided by the National Advisory Research Resources Council (NARRC). Review of the applications will be based on scientific merit, technical soundness, and cost effectiveness. Review criteria are listed in the supplemental program guidelines. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete with all others in the G20 category for available funds. An institution must have current PHS funding for research to be eligible for an award. The following will also be considered when making funding decisions: o Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review o Availability of funds INQUIRIES Inquiries about specific improvement program guidelines and detailed instructions for application are encouraged and are to be directed to the following address (requests for guidelines should include two self-addressed mailing labels): Cynthia L. Pond, D.V.M. Director, Laboratory Animal Science Program Comparative Medicine Program National Center for Research Resources Westwood Building, Room 857 5333 Westbard Avenue Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-5175 (After 3/28/93, (301) 594-7933) FAX: (301) 480-0868 (After 3/28/93, (301) 594-9149) Questions regarding fiscal matters may be directed to: Mr. Paul Karadbil Office of Grants and Contracts Management National Center for Research Resources Westwood Building, Room 849 5333 Westbard Avenue Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-9840 (After 3/28/93, (301) 594-7955) Application forms (PHS 398) may be obtained from the institutions office of sponsored research and from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301) 496-7441 (After 3/28/93, (301) 710-0267). AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.306, Laboratory Animal Sciences and Primate Research. Awards will be made under the authority of the Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 78.410, as amended; 42 USC 241) and administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. .
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