and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human
Services
Participating
Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov/)
Components of
Participating Organizations
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
Title: Strategies for Treatment of Young Adults with
Alcohol Use Disorders (R03)
Announcement Type
New
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PAS-10-247
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.273
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: August 4, 2010
Opening Date: September 16, 2010 (Earliest date an application
may be submitted to Grants.gov) Letters of Intent Receipt
Date(s): Not more than 30 days before receipt
date
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully
submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization).
Peer Review
Date(s): Standard
dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council
Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Additional
Information To Be Available Date (URL Activation Date): Not
Applicable
Expiration
Date: September 8, 2013
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview Content
Executive
Summary
Table of Contents
Part I Overview Information
Part
II Full Text of Announcement
Section
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility
Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations
Part II - Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1.
Research Objectives
Purpose
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites applications to support new research on the treatment of young adults (18-25 years of age) with alcohol use disorders. Compared to all other age groups, the prevalence of periodic heavy or high-risk drinking is greatest among young adults aged 18 to 25. Alcohol use disorders, including alcohol dependence, also peak during this critical period during which profound neurodevelopmental and psychosocial changes occur. Despite having the highest prevalence of drinking, interventions for this group have been understudied. Gaps exist in understanding how to effectively engage this group in treatment, which treatments are the most effective, and how to maintain treatment gains in the longer term after treatment.
The Target Population and Research Scope
Although innovative treatment research projects across the full spectrum of drinking severity in this age group are eligible, of particular interest in this FOA are young adults who are heavy drinkers and/or those who frequently engage in binge drinking. Target groups are young adults who regularly engage in heavy or other harmful drinking patterns that place them at risk for serious consequences. Since a substantial body of research on prevention and treatment interventions for college students exists, the preferred young adult target group is those not attending a full time college program. Young adults 18 to 25 from a variety of settings and backgrounds are of interest. Examples include, but are not limited to, high school seniors, young adults who are employed, in military service, or attending technical or vocational schools, and unemployed young adults. Young adults with multiple risks are also eligible, including but not restricted to those with nonpsychotic psychiatric, medical and/or neurobehavioral comorbidities; and youth with social, economic, cultural or legal impediments which may cause them to be difficult to reach and/or difficult to treat.
The scope of treatments of interest includes novel and developmentally appropriate behavioral interventions, pharmacologic agents, and innovative combinations of behavioral and pharmacologic treatments. Phase 2 clinical trials are eligible, as well as smaller pilot studies, research addressing methodology and feasibility, secondary data analyses, qualitative research and other types of studies that generate hypotheses and lay the groundwork for subsequent efficacy trials.
Magnitude of the Problem
Alcohol misuse is a serious problem among the 18 to 25 year old age group According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health survey (NSDUH,2005) 51% of those aged 18 to 20 are current drinkers (at least one drink in the past 30 days), and 67% of those aged 21 to 25 are current drinkers. Among the 18-20 group, 36% reported binge drinking, and 46% of age 21 to 25 reported binge drinking(5 or more drinks on the same occasion.) Overall, in the total young adult group (18-25 years old) the binge drinking rate is 42%, a similar rate to that in 2002, 2003, and 2004, indicating little progress in treating young adults. Heavy alcohol use, (5 or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the last 30 days) was reported by about 14% of those 18-20, and about 18% in those 21-25.
These drinking habits often lead to tragic consequences most notably alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Thirty-two percent of drivers ages 16 20 who died in traffic crashes in 2003 had measurable alcohol in their blood, and 51 percent of drivers ages 21 24 who died tested positive for alcohol. Young adult drinkers clearly pose a serious public health threat, putting themselves and others at risk. Vital neurodevelopmental activity occurs during this period, raising the possibility that essential neurological maturation processes may be adversely affected.
It is a common perception that young adults in college are the main subgroup affected by dangerous drinking. However, heavy drinking and related problems are also pervasive among people in their early twenties, regardless of whether they attend college or not. Although alcohol use (as measured by the 30 day prevalence rate) for college students is slightly higher than for noncollege students of the same age, analyses of Monitoring the Future survey data suggest that daily use of alcohol (and other substances) is more prevalent among young adult noncollege students. College student drinking tends to cluster on weekends, as opposed to daily consumption.
After the age of 26, both binge and heavy drinking begin to decline. Among those entering middle age (40-44) the rate of binge drinking is about 23%, compared to 42% in the 18-25 group. Those who attended college tend to stop these drinking practices more quickly than noncollege persons, maturing out of harmful alcohol use before it becomes a long-term problem. Among all adults aged 26 or older, binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are slighty lower among those who had graduated from college (i.e. 19% and 5%), than those who had not completed college, (i.e. 22% and 6%)
Young adults in the military are more likely to drink heavily (i.e., consume five or more drinks per typical drinking occasion at least once a week) than older enlistees. In 2002, 27% of adults ages 18 to 25 in the military reported heavy drinking, compared with only about 9% of those aged 26 to 55.
The age when people begin drinking (especially heavy drinking) has proven to be an especially good predictor of problems with alcohol later in life. Survey results from interviews with adults consistently confirm a strong association between an early initiation of drinking and later alcohol-related problems. People who binge drink also are at higher risk for later alcohol problems. And young adults who drink heavily are at particular risk for behavioral problems and may have difficulty assuming the responsibilities of adult roles due to consequences of their drinking.
Because young adults do not tend to identify themselves as having alcohol problems, interventions need to be proactive. For example, screening for problematic drinking is especially effective in locations where young adults are likely to seek assistance for alcohol-related injuries and other consequences. These settings may include hospital emergency departments, counseling centers, worksites, jails, probation facilities, or social services settings.
Traditional alcohol education programs, which provide information about the risks of alcohol use, take a variety of forms (e.g., individual sessions, lectures, multisession groups). However, these approaches have not resulted in reduced drinking either in nonstudent or student populations. Given the variety of drinking patterns evident in the young adult population and the minimal effect of traditional alcohol education programs, more targeted, systematic approaches are needed to help young adults recognize and reduce their hazardous drinking.
Studies tend show that young adults who are drinking in ways that are harmful or risky may respond better to brief, intensive interventions than to traditional long-term treatments which originally were designed for adults with longer histories of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Brief interventions typically consist of one to four sessions with a trained interventionist (e.g., physician, psychologist, counselor), with each session ranging from several minutes to up to an hour in length. These interventions are especially useful for people who do not have severe drinking problems, which require more intensive treatment.
The years of transition from adolescence to early adulthood appear to be a critical period to target young adults to both encourage maturing out or natural recovery, as well as to actively intervene with continuing drinkers to avoid a trajectory of high risk drinking and harmful outcomes in the later adult years.
Treatment Approaches: Behavioral Treatments
Over the past 20 years, there has been substantial progress in research on behavioral treatments for adults with AUD. Efficacy has been demonstrated for motivational enhancement therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, brief interventions, behavioral couples therapy, twelve-step facilitation therapy, and the community reinforcement approach. Interestingly, several studies indicate that these behavioral therapies appear to have similar efficacies.
Less alcohol treatment research has been done with youth, although during the last decade research on teens and adolescents has demonstrated efficacy using behavioral/psychosocial interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based interventions (e.g. Multidimensional Family Therapy, multisystemic therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy).
Little is known about whether adult or adolescent interventions are developmentally suitable for the unique life stage of young adulthood when individuals are establishing themselves into a more independent life style. This is especially so for those not in college who are entering the workforce or the military and assuming adult roles and responsibilities. It is therefore critical for behavioral interventions to be developmentally appropriated for this age group and their needs as emerging adults.
Pharmacologic Treatments
Development of medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorders in adults has expanded rapidly in recent years as new neurochemical targets have been discovered. Three agents disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate are now approved for use in the United States and many other countries. Recently, topiramate also has been shown to be effective in treating alcohol-dependent adult patients.
Although developmental research on new medications as monotherapies, combinations of medications, and integration with behavioral therapies is increasing, due to the heterogeneous nature of alcohol use disorders, many patients have limited or no response to these medications. Interest in personalized medicine is increasing and genetic differences between individuals are beginning to explain why medications work better (or cause more side effects) in certain individuals and not others. Numerous medications already approved for other disorders are being tested in clinical trials for their effects upon drinking, such as gabapentin, ondasentron, levetiracetam, quetiapine, baclofen, zonisamide, pregabalin, and prazosin. In addition, novel compounds targeting one or several transmitter receptor sites are being rapidly developed and are in various stages of testing both in animals and humans.
The vast majority of medication clinical trials have been conducted in older adults (40+) who have an average drinking history of 20 years or more, an established repertoire of alcohol consumption with friends, acquaintances, significant others, or alone, and, perhaps multiple cessation attempts or relapse episodes. Their patterns of socializing usually take place around alcohol use and their peer groups tend to be fellow drinkers. Initial treatment-seeking typically begins 10 or more years after initiation of habitual drinking, and often after individuals suffer significant losses in one or more domains of life (i.e. home life and partner relationships, health, legal, financial, social, and professional.) Repeated attempts to quit or cut down produce neural changes that may make successful control of drinking more difficult.
Research is needed to understand whether medications are safe and effective treatment options for young adults whose drinking patterns, social context and accumulated neural effects from alcohol differ from the typical medication treatment research sample. Further, it is unclear how acceptable daily medication is for this age group, given surveys which suggest that young people are medications adverse. Also, there is no clear indication whether the behavioral platforms used in clinical trials with older participants are developmentally appropriate and acceptable to young adults. Finally, compliance and retention in pharmacologic treatment among young adults occupied with achieving social and financial independence is not well characterized.
High Need Subgroups
Certain subsets of the young adult population may be more challenging to treat, and may also have a greater need for assistance with problematic drinking. Although often difficult to reach and difficult to treat, the number of individuals in these subgroups is substantial. Some may be more likely to suffer more consequences from prolonged drinking than young adults who have greater family and personal resources.
Alcohol treatment research among racial/ethnic groups, rural, and low-income populations remains a NIAAA priority. In addition to these populations who are already experiencing health disparities in the United States, the recent immigration of large numbers of people from diverse cultures requires examination of existing treatment methods for relevance, efficacy, and effectiveness across all levels of adaptation/acculturation among youth from diverse cultures.
Other subgroups with understudied treatment needs include youths in the Juvenile Justice system; those in the Social Services system; youths living in rural or other areas where treatment access is difficult; young women residing in shelters for victims of domestic violence; the unemployed; and youth with developmental disabilities due to prenatal alcohol exposure (FASD), and young adults with learning disabilities or attention disorders (ADD, ADHD), and/or physical or psychological comorbidities. Developmental delays may be present in these groups and should be considered in the design of interventions.
Young adult military personnel, veterans, and their families are also an NIAAA priority. Treatment research should address a variety of comorbid conditions that may be found in young military members or in young adult children aged 18 to 25 of service members. Complicating factors may include consequences of growing up in a home environment with problematic drinking and/or inadequate parenting, presence of one or more comorbidities such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and chronic pain.
The overall goal of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of specialized therapies in understudied and high need subpopulations of young adults with AUD, some of whom may be identified in non-medical settings. Examples of such settings include individuals in the criminal justice and social services systems; U.S. military personnel, veterans and their families; individuals in the workplace, school, recreational venues, and neighborhoods of predominately racial/ethnic minorities etc
In doing this, a variety of specific research areas may be addressed which include, but are not limited to, the following examples.
Develop and test pharmacological and developmentally appropriate behavioral treatments in young adults who engage in harmful drinking. Interventions should be tailored to developmental, biological, psychological, and social needs of this age group.
Evaluate combinations and sequences of pharmacological treatments and/or behavioral treatments
Conduct pilot studies or smaller research studies that address methodology and feasibility; qualitative research, and other types of foundational studies necessary to generate hypotheses and lay the groundwork for subsequent efficacy trials with young adults.
Incorporate design methods to identify patients who respond positively to the medications being tested and those who experience adverse events. Examples of approaches to personalized medicine that can be incorporated into a clinical study include pharmacogenetics, sophisticated modeling of human characteristics, brain imaging and physiological and biochemical markers.
Identify or develop and test developmentally suitable interventions that enhance engagement of young individuals in treatment, and promote adherence and retention.
Evaluate specialized pharmacological and behavioral interventions for alcohol-dependent/abusing patients with psychiatric/substance abuse comorbidity.
Comparative Effectiveness Research:
Compare two or more different existing, available medications or behavioral
interventions for the treatment of alcohol use
disorders in young adults, within the context of real-world needs.
See Section VIII, Other Information -
Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this
announcement.
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This FOA will use the Small Research Grant R03 award mechanism. The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts see SF424 (R&R) Application Guide). It also uses the modular as well as the non-modular budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm). Specifically, a U.S. organization submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs) should use the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
For specific information about the R03 programs, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm.
2.
Funds Available
Because the
nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to
application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will
also vary. Although the financial plans of the NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs)
provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity
are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient
number of meritorious applications.
A project period of up to two years and a budget for direct costs of up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each). Commensurate Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are allowed.
Facilities
and Administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants are not
included in the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.
All awards are subject to the availability of funds. The
estimated amount of funds available for support of projects awarded as a result
of this announcement is $1.5 million dollars for
fiscal year 2011. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1.
Eligible Applicants
The following organizations/institutions are eligible to apply:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
More than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs), may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PDs/PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. When considering the multiple PD/PI option, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PDs/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
2.
Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does
not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3.
Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Number of Applications. Applicants
may submit more than one application, provided that each application is
scientifically distinct.
Resubmissions. Applicants may submit a resubmission application, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). Beginning with applications intended for the January 25, 2009 official submission due date, all original new applications (i.e., never submitted) are permitted only a single amendment (A1). See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-003.html and NOT-OD-09-016. Original new applications that were submitted prior to January 25, 2009 are permitted two amendments (A1 and A2). For these grandfathered applications, NIH expects that any A2 will be submitted no later than January 7, 2011, and NIH will not accept A2 applications after that date.
Renewals. The R03 is not renewable.
Small grant support may not be used for thesis or dissertation research.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To
download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, use the Apply for
Grant Electronically button in this FOA or link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions
provided on that Web site.
Registration:
Appropriate registrations with Grants.gov and eRA Commons must be completed on or before the due date in order to successfully submit an application. Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered with both Grants.gov and the Commons. All registrations must be complete by the submission deadline for the application to be considered on-time (see 3.C.1 for more information about on-time submission).
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PDs/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Registered
Grants.gov Customer
Support
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Business Hours: M-F 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Email [email protected]
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
eRA Commons Help Desk
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Business hours M-F 7:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Email [email protected]
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Both the PD(s)/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.
Note: The registration process is not sequential. Applicants should begin the registration processes for both Grants.gov and eRA Commons as soon as their organization has obtained a DUNS number. Only one DUNS number is required and the same DUNS number must be referenced when completing Grants.gov registration, eRA Commons registration and the SF424 (R&R) forms.
1. Request Application Information
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the Attachment files may be useable for more than one FOA.
For further assistance contact GrantsInfo -- Telephone 301-435-0714, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications
for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2.
Content and Form of Application Submission
Prepare all applications using the SF424
(R&R) application forms for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply and in
accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).
The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:
Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site
Locations
Research & Related Other
Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398
Modular Budget or Research
& Related Budget, as appropriate (See
Section IV.6. regarding appropriate required budget component.)
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s)
Form
Foreign
Organizations (Non-domestic [non-U.S.] Entities)
NIH policies concerning grants to foreign (non-U.S.) organizations can be found in the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.
Applications from Foreign organizations must:
Proposed research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States (U.S.) or that augment existing U.S. resources.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs
When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs, but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above.
Information for the Contact PD/PI should be entered on the SF424 (R&R) Cover component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of PD/PI. Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the Credential field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.
Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, the section of the Research Plan entitled, Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan , must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, and should include communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.
If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award (NoA).
Applications Involving a Single Institution
When all PDs/PIs are within a single institution, follow the instructions contained in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Applications Involving Multiple Institutions
When multiple institutions are involved, one institution must be designated as the prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. When submitting a detailed budget, the prime institution should submit its budget using the Research & Related Budget component. All other institutions should have their individual budgets attached separately to the Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form. See Section 4.8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the subaward budget form.
When submitting a modular budget, the prime institution completes the PHS398 Modular Budget component only. Information concerning the consortium/subcontract budget is provided in the budget justification. Separate budgets for each consortium/subcontract grantee are not required when using the Modular budget format. See Section 5.4 of the Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A. for
details.
3.A. Submission, Review, and
Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: September 16, 2010 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letter of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not more than 30 days before receipt date.
Application Due Date(s): Standard dates apply, please
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
Peer
Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
Although
a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the
review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows
staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
The letter of
intent is to be sent by the date listed in Section IV.3.A.
The letter of
intent should be emailed to:
Bautista, Abraham, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Extramural
Activities
National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 2085
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Telephone: (301) 443-9737
Fax: (301) 443-6077
Email: [email protected]
3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH
To submit an application in response to
this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow Steps 1-4. Note: Applications must
only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED. All attachments must
be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or
special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
3.C. Application Processing
3.C.1
Submitting On-Time
Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application due date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the due date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed. All applications must meet the following criteria to be considered on-time :
Please visit http://era.nih.gov/electronicReceipt/app_help.htm for detailed information on what to do if Grants.gov or eRA system issues threaten your ability to submit on time.
Submission to Grants.gov is not the last step applicants must follow their application through to the eRA Commons to check for errors and warnings and view their assembled application!
3.C.2 Two Day Window to Correct eRA Identified Errors/Warnings
IMPORTANT NOTE! NIH has eliminated the error correction window for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond. As of January 25, all corrections must be complete by the due date for an application to be considered on-time. See NOT-OD-10-123.
Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, NIH provides applicants a two day error correction window to correct any eRA identified errors or warnings before a final assembled application is created in the eRA Commons. The standard error correction window is two (2) business days, beginning the day after the submission deadline and excluding weekends and standard federal holidays. All errors must be corrected to successfully complete the submission process. Warnings will not prevent the application from completing the submission process.
Please note that the following caveats apply:
3.C.3 Viewing an Application in the eRA Commons
Once any eRA identified errors have been addressed and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two weekdays (Monday Friday, excluding Federal holidays) to view the assembled application before it automatically moves forward to NIH for further processing.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR/SO receives the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR/SO and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.
Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on the application status in the Commons.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. Note that such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
4. Intergovernmental Review
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. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior
approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days
before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such
costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project, and 2) would be allowable under
the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures
would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval
before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be
incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new award.
The incurrence
of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award
imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount
of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated
and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the
grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against
future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to
accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way
adversely affect the conduct of the project. See NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.
6. Other Submission Requirements
PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
The NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the PROFILE Project Director/Principal Investigator section, Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component. The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Registration FAQs Important Tips -- Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Organizational DUNS
The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
PHS398 Research Plan Component Sections
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, with the following requirements for R03 applications:
Budget Component
U.S. applicants submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs) must use the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
U.S. applicants requesting more than $250,000 in annual direct costs and all foreign applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the Research & Related Budget component.
R03 applications will use the modular budget and non-modular budget format (Foreign organizations) and Just-in-Time information concepts, with direct costs requested in up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, for up to two years (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each).
Appendix Materials
Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).
R03 Appendix materials may include ONLY pre-printed questionnaires or surveys. No publications or figures are allowed in the Appendix.
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations. An application that does not observe these limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Resource Sharing Plan(s)NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value and further the advancement of the research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this should be explained in the Resource Sharing section of the application (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm).
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Not Applicable
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Regardless of the amount requested, all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated are expected to include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. See Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (e.g., blood pressure or weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further information see Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (go to NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.)
Foreign Applications (Non-domestic [non-U.S.] Entities)
Indicate how the proposed project has specific relevance to the mission and objectives of the NIH/IC and has the potential for significantly advancing the health sciences in the United States
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review
criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
Review
Process
Applications
submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned on the basis of
established PHS referral guidelines to the ICs for funding consideration.
Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate scientific review group(s) in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/) using the review criteria stated below.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:
The R03 small grant supports discrete, well-defined projects that realistically can be completed in two years and that require limited levels of funding. Because the research project usually is limited, an R03 grant application may not contain extensive detail or discussion. Accordingly, reviewers should evaluate the conceptual framework and general approach to the problem. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required, particularly in applications proposing pilot or feasibility studies.
Overall Impact
Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following five scored review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Scored Review Criteria
Reviewers will consider each of the five review criteria below in the determination of scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Investigator(s). Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation. Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Approach. Are the overall strategy,
methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the
specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative
strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is
in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and
will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment. Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
Additional Review Criteria
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, but will not give separate scores for these items.
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.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children. When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children.
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, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/VASchecklist.pdf.
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.
Resubmission Applications. When reviewing a Resubmission application (formerly called an amended application), 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.
Renewal Applications. Renewals are not allowed for this FOA.
Revision Applications. When reviewing a Revision application (formerly called a competing supplement application), 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.
Additional Review Considerations
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Applications from Foreign Organizations. As applicable for the FOA or submitted application, reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Select Agents 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 (Not Applicable); 2) Sharing Model Organisms (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html); and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-088.html).
Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Selection Process
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
3.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not Applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1.
Award Notices
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be
able to access the Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA
Commons.
If
the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request
"just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details,
applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part
II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice
of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA
signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all
administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be
generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee
business official.
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. See Section
IV.5., Funding Restrictions.
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.
3. Reporting
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Cherry Lowman, Ph.D.
Division of Treatment and Recovery Research
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 2051, MSC-9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
{For express mail, use Rockville, MD 20852 (and omit MSC 9304)
Telephone: (301) 443-0637
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review
Contacts:
Not Applicable
3. Financial or
Grants Management Contacts:
Judy Fox
Chief, Grants Management Branch
Office of Extramural Activities
National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 3023
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
[For express mail, use Rockville, MD 20852-1705]
Phone: (301) 443-4704
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals
in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf) as mandated by the Health
Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm), and the USDA Animal
Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm) as applicable.
Human Subjects
Protection:
Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety
Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety
monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic
toxicity and dose-finding studies (Phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II);
efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should
be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring
boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving
interventions that entail potential risks to the participants ( NIH Policy for
Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing
Research Data:
Investigators
submitting an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any
single year are expected to include a plan for data sharing or state why this
is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing). Investigators should seek
guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional policies
and local institutional review board (IRB) rules, as well as local, State and
Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule.
Policy for Genome-Wide
Association Studies (GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association
studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and
disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this
policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic
variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic
associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the
presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of
the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to
provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository
is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access) is governed
by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted
Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH
Guide NOT-OD-07-088. For additional information,
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model
organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm). At the same time the NIH
recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to
subject inventions developed with Federal funding pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act
(see the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Beginning October 1, 2004,
all investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal are
expected to include in the application/proposal a description of a specific
plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources
generated using NIH funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not
possible. This will permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed
with public funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not
subject to a cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all
applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
Access to Research Data through the Freedom of
Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are: (1) first
produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds;
and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an
action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be
accessed through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope
of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm. Applicants may wish to
place data collected under this funding opportunity in a public archive, which
can provide protections for the data and manage the distribution for an
indefinite period of time. If so, the application should include a description
of the archiving plan in the study design and include information about this in
the budget justification section of the application. In addition, applicants
should think about how to structure informed consent statements and other human
subjects procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under
this award.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical
Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of
minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators
proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion
of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a complete copy of the
updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm. The amended policy
incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical research; updated racial
and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB standards; clarification
of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with the
SF424 (R&R) application; and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH
staff and the extramural community. The policy continues to require for all
NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or proposals
and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to conduct analyses, as
appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups,
including subgroups if applicable; and b) investigators must report annual
accrual and progress in conducting analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted
or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to
include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human
subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion
of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human Subject
Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of
human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for Federal funding of research on hESCs can
be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-116.html. Only research using hESC
lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be
eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov/). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research.
NIH Public Access Policy Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy, investigators
funded by the NIH must submit or have submitted for them to the National
Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), an electronic version of their final,
peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly
available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. The
NIH Public Access Policy is available at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html). For more
information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information:
The Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued final modification to the
"Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health
Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The
Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually
identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the HHS Office
for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about
applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher
and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the
Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools
on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA
Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress
monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be
found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs
in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses
(URLs) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used
for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible
on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication
that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference
in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report
Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant
application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be
repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the
number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public
Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease
prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national
activity for setting priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the
priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People
2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and
Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog
of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review
requirements of Executive Order 12372. 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. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
The PHS strongly
encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and
discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227,
the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in
some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education,
library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are
provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and
advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
Loan
Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages
applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals
who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical,
pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas.
The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the
next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research
career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is
not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications
are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing
the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees
must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a
40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please
see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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