Part I Overview Information

Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), (http://www.niaid.nih.gov)

Title: Partnerships for Development of Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Eukaryotic Parasites (SBIR [R43/R44])

Announcement Type
New

Request for Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-AI-09-029

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).

IMPORTANT: A registration process in Grants.gov and eRA Commons is necessary before submission. Applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.856

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 31, 2009
Opening Date:  October 9, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): October 9, 2009
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).
Application Due Date(s): November 9, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): March, 2010
Council Review Date(s): May, 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): June, 2010
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable.
Expiration Date:November 10, 2009

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

• Purpose. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to conduct translational research leading to development of therapeutic and diagnostic technologies for drug-resistant bacteria and eukaryotic parasites.
• Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the SBIR (R43/R44) grant mechanisms for Phase I, Phase II and Fast-Track applications and runs in parallel with an FOA of identical scientific scope, RFA-AI-09-026, which invites applications under the R01 research project grant mechanism.
• Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The estimated amount of funds available for support of 5 projects awarded as a result of this announcement is $3 million in total costs for fiscal year 2010. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
• Budget and Project Period. For this FOA, for Phase I applications and the Phase I portion of the Fast-Track application, applicants may request a budget of up to $500,000 total costs per year and a project period of up to two years. For Phase II applications and the Phase II portion of Fast-Track applications, applicants may request a budget of up to $1 million total costs per year and a project period of up to three years.
• Eligible Institutions/Organizations: Only United States SBCs are eligible to submit SBIR applications. A SBC is one that, on the date of award for both Phase I and Phase II funding agreements, meets ALL of the criteria as described in Section III.  
• Eligible Project Directors/Principal Investigators: Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their 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. On an SBIR application, the PD/PI must have his/her primary employment (more than 50%) with the SBC at the time of award and for the duration of the project.
• Number of PDs/PIs. More than one PD/PI, (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs), may be designated on the application.
• Number of Applications: Applicant SBCs may submit only one application.
• Resubmissions. Resubmission applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
• Renewals. Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
• Special Application Requirements. See Section IV.6 (Other Submission Requirements and Information) for special application requirements.
• Special Date(s). This FOA uses non-standard due dates. See Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates.
• Application Materials: See Section IV.1 for application materials. The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide for this FOA is located at these Web sites:
  • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_SBIR_STTR_Ver2.doc  (MS Word)
  • http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_SBIR_STTR_Ver2.pdf  (PDF)
• General Information: For general information on SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission, see these Web sites:
  • SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm
  • General information on Electronic Submission of Grant Applications: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/
• Hearing Impaired: Telecommunications for the hearing impaired is available at: TTY 301-451-5936.

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
    A. Additional Review Criteria
    B. Additional Review Considerations
    C. Resource Sharing Plan
 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. NIAID SBIR/STTR Program Information Contact(s)
 3. Peer Review Contact(s)
 4. 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 of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports extramural research focused on understanding, controlling and preventing diseases caused by infectious agents. In response to potential threats presented by bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases, the NIAID Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) has established research programs to facilitate development of countermeasures for select pathogens and toxins.

Through this FOA, the NIAID invites translational research applications for projects that will lead to development of newer therapeutics or medical diagnostics for drug-resistant NIAID Category A, B or C bacteria and eukaryotic parasites. Additionally, applications are invited for development of diagnostics or broad-spectrum therapeutics against non-listed bacteria and eukaryotic parasites for which naturally-occurring drug resistance is a significant and/or rapidly growing clinical problem. Research may include, but is not limited to: discovery and early development of new or improved antimicrobial agents, including small molecule inhibitors, antibodies, and peptides; discovery and early development of new or improved therapeutics; target identification and/or validation; development of broad-spectrum drugs and/or drugs targeting novel mechanisms; development of broad spectrum platforms and/or production technologies; optimization of products; process development; preclinical evaluation; scale-up; and production of quantities sufficient for preclinical regulatory requirements. Applications that include collaborations between researchers from different disciplines and/or with industry are strongly encouraged.

The NIAID recognizes that the inherent nature and demands of the product development process may require complex grants with interdependent specific aims. Furthermore, some aspects of the product development process (e.g., Good Laboratory Practice [GLP] or current Good Manufacturing Practice [cGMP] production) are inherently not innovative. Recognizing that product development is often an iterative and sequential process, and that steps early in the process may not be successful and may need to be modified or reworked, NIAID staff will be actively involved in evaluating the milestones of awardees and determining whether continued investment in the development is warranted.

NOTE: While clinical development strategies may be included within an overall product development plan, this FOA will NOT support clinical trials; applications requesting support for clinical trials will be deemed unresponsive to this FOA and will not be reviewed. Utilization of human derived material in pre-clinical studies in support of compliance with regulatory requirements is permitted.

NOTE: This FOA will NOT support research on environmental or workplace detection technologies or targets. Diagnostics applications must focus on detection and identification of NIAID Category A, B or C priority pathogens or toxins in human clinical samples.

Partnerships

A key component of this initiative is the formation of collaborative partnerships between researchers from different disciplines. This FOA is designed to promote partnerships between small businesses and a variety of research and development (R&D) collaborators including, but not limited to, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), academic laboratories, and/or strategic partners (e.g., pharma and biotech organizations). While partnerships are strongly encouraged, they are not required.

Phase II applications and Fast-Track applications submitted to this FOA must include a Product Development Plan (PDP) as an appendix. The PDP will define the general goals of the project, intended use/indication of the proposed therapeutic or diagnostic, and biodefense/public health gap the product is intended to fill. Additionally, the PDP will detail the stage-specific product development activities that will be performed during the project period and outline plans for further development after completion of the SBIR funding.

Background

The NIH and other agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) support development of countermeasures to protect the public from bioterrorist threats and emerging infectious diseases. The biological agents deemed to pose the greatest threat are prioritized in the NIAID Category A, B and C priority pathogens and toxins list (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/research/CatA.htm). The initial NIAID Strategic Plan for Biodefense Research (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/PDF/strategic_plan.htm) was published in 2002 and followed by research agendas for Category A agents (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/PDF/biotresearchagenda.htm) and Category B and C agents (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/PDF/categorybandc.htm). In 2007, the DHHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) published an Implementation Plan (http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/barda/phemce/enterprise/strategy/index.html), outlining strategies for identifying medical countermeasure requirements and establishing priorities for their research, development and acquisition.

NIAID recently published an updated Strategic Plan for Biodefense Research (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/PDF/biosp2007.pdf) that is consistent with the DHHS PHEMCE Implementation Plan and related components of the national biodefense strategy. The updated plan continues to focus on translation of basic research to product development, but with an emphasis shift from the current one bug-one drug approach towards a more flexible, broad spectrum approach. This approach is centered on development of countermeasures that are effective against multiple pathogens or toxins, development of technologies that can be widely applied to improve classes of products, and developing platforms that can reduce the time and cost of creating new products. The broad spectrum approach recognizes the expanding range of biological threats and the limited resources available to address each individual threat.

Research Goals and Objectives

Development of therapeutics and diagnostics for drug-resistant bacteria and eukaryotic parasites is a high priority. Current antimicrobial drugs remain constrained to a limited number of mechanistic classes, and rapid diagnostics, capable of quickly identifying both the infectious agent and its drug susceptibilities, are lacking. This initiative will support collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that seek to develop new therapeutics and/or diagnostics for select drug-resistant pathogens. Projects that characterize novel therapeutic or diagnostic targets are encouraged provided they focus on product discovery and include downstream product development steps. Research on broad-spectrum therapeutics, truly novel drug classes, or platformed diagnostics is particularly encouraged.

Therapeutic and/or diagnostic projects may focus on one or more drug-resistant NIAID Category A, B or C bacteria or eukaryotic parasite. Additionally, diagnostic and/or broad-spectrum therapeutic projects may focus on one or more non-listed bacterial pathogen or eukaryotic parasite for which naturally-occurring drug-resistance is a significant and/or rapidly growing clinical problem, particularly if limited therapeutic options are available. Examples of such non-listed pathogens include Clostridium difficile, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., Neisseria gonorrhea, Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Giardia lamblia.

The research should be original, innovative, and based on scientifically sound concepts and technologies. Multidisciplinary team efforts are responsive. Research utilizing state-of-the-art metabolomic technologies, including genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, are encouraged. The research is not required to result in a final product but must advance toward a defined therapeutic or diagnostic for use in patient care or a tertiary care hospital clinical laboratory, respectively.

Therapeutics for Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Parasites

This initiative will support discovery and/or development of new or improved antimicrobial agents, including small molecule inhibitors, therapeutic antibodies, and peptides. Projects focused on development of broad-spectrum drugs and/or drugs targeting novel mechanisms are encouraged. Projects can also focus on the development of secondary treatments used together with primary treatments for the primary purpose of assisting and enhancing the process, also called adjunctive therapeutics. Such approaches need not be geared to a specific pathogen, but rather should directly target known mechanisms of resistance in order to extend the clinical utility of existing antimicrobials. Projects may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following areas:

• Study of natural products, screening, and identification of compounds for antimicrobial and ant parasitic activities. Exploration of the use of active components of natural products as potential drug sources for development;
• Studying molecular design, synthesis (if possible) and in vitro analysis to develop a "mature" lead compound;
• Characterization of lead compound(s): including studies for medicinal chemistry, molecular modeling including improved antimicrobial activity, efficacy and toxicity in in vitro or in vivo models to optimize candidate compounds for preclinical studies;
• Discovery and characterization of novel antimicrobial peptides, lectins, or immune modulators with broadly protective or pathogen-specific potential;
• Performing preliminary pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses on lead compounds including lead optimization;
• Determination of drug interactions in host molecular processes;
• Identification of gene-products or targets for effective blocking of microbial metabolism;
• Identification and validation of new antimicrobial targets focused on host-directed components that enable infection;
• Optimization of delivery platforms for antimicrobial candidates and various combinations/formulations;
• Development of delivery systems for antimicrobials and accessing their effectiveness, such as transdermal, oral, or nasal delivery;
• Methods to modify existing antimicrobials to improve half-life in vivo, microbial clearance rates, or tissue accessibility; or to decrease adverse side effects of administration;
• Pre-clinical testing for safety and stimulatory capacity in animals;
• Optimization of dose, dosing interval, and route of delivery in pre-clinical evaluation or/ in animal models; and
• Research utilizing genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatics for target identification.

Diagnostics for Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Parasites:

This initiative will support development of rapid point-of-care diagnostics to quickly identify pathogens and their resistance profiles. Eligible pathogens are described above. Diagnostics are needed to identify infectious agents or toxins in clinical samples (swabs, sputum, blood, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, stool, etc.) from individuals at multiple stages of infection. Multiplexed diagnostics, as well as those able to provide diagnostic information on potential early, non specific symptoms are particularly encouraged. Medical diagnostics that use platforms to simultaneously detect multiple pathogens and their drug sensitivities in clinical specimens and to rapidly distinguish whether an individual is infected by a biological threat agent or a common infection with similar, generalized symptoms are of high priority. It is anticipated that the medical diagnostics developed through this initiative will aid healthcare providers in diagnosing individuals exposed to and/or infected with aforesaid pathogens and will be developed with the eventual and ultimate goal of obtaining FDA-clearance. However this need not be the final result of the proposed research project period.

Medical diagnostics will ideally be:

• Rapid: Proposed diagnostic tests will significantly shorten time to diagnosis, including shortened sample processing time;
• Sensitive: Sensitivity must be equivalent to or exceed sensitivity of FDA-cleared tests for proposed pathogen(s) and/or their toxins. If no FDA-cleared test is available for the pathogen and/or their toxin, sensitivity must be equivalent to or exceed sensitivity of FDA-cleared tests for similar pathogen(s) and/or their toxins;
• Specific: Specificity must be equivalent to or exceed specificity of FDA-cleared tests for proposed pathogen(s) and/or their toxins. If no FDA-cleared test is available for the pathogen and/or their toxin, specificity must be equivalent to or exceed sensitivity of FDA-cleared tests for similar and/or their toxins;
• Easy to use: The final medical diagnostic should be an integrated, closed sample-to-answer system with automated data analyses and output and requires minimal operator training and expertise;
• Random Access: Instrument should allow samples to be run as needed;
• Cost-effective;
• Adaptable: Capable of integrating new diagnostic tests for pathogens and/or toxins as required.

Applications for applied research for medical diagnostics including both technology and development of tests to detect the aforesaid pathogens are invited. Projects may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following areas:

• Use of nanotechnology, microfluidic-based systems or any other novel or innovative system to process large numbers of patient samples;
• Portable and convenient technologies capable of discerning the causative agent(s) of infection with common pathological symptom within first 24 hours of admission/report;
• Integrated sample-to-answer technologies for rapid, multiplexed antigen or other analyte detection using novel and improved sample processing and detection methods and reagents;
• Integrated sample-to-answer technologies capable of high throughput multiplex screening using analytes or signature biomarkers to identify human immune or other physiological response to infection;
• Integrated sample-to-answer technologies that utilize multiple methods of parallel measurements for detection in the same platform, such as detecting nucleic acids, proteins and other targets from multiple agents in the same assay;
• Technologies capable of resolving engineered or otherwise acquired genetic traits in microorganisms, such as patterns of microbial resistance or enhanced virulence;
• Methods capable of high throughput, robotics, automated data output and analyses;
• In vivo imaging methods and development of contrast reagents for visualization of pathogens or host immune responses in vivo;
• Diagnostic development utilizing genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatics for target identification; and
• Tests for use on human samples may consider benchmarks required for FDA approval (http://www.fda.gov/cber/devices.htm).

NOTE: This program will NOT support research on the development of environmental detection devices or their deployment. As such, applications for the development of environmental detection devices and/or their deployment will be deemed unresponsive and will not be reviewed.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information

1. Mechanism(s) of Support

This funding opportunity will use the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR [R44] grant mechanisms. Applications may be submitted for support as Phase II or Fast-Track grants as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.

Small business concerns that have received a Phase I SBIR grant may apply for Phase II funding of that project. The Phase II must be a logical extension of the Phase I research but not necessarily as a Phase I project supported in response to this funding opportunity. SBIR Phase II applications will compete with all SBIR applications and will be reviewed according to the customary peer review procedures.

SBIR Phase II Competing Renewal applications are not permitted under this FOA.

The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.  

This funding opportunity uses Just-in-Time information concepts. The modular budget format is not accepted for SBIR grant applications. Applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Budget component found in the application package attached to this FOA in Grants.gov/Apply.

2. Funds Available

The estimated amount of funds available for support of 5 projects awarded as a result of this announcement is $3 million for fiscal year 2010. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

.For this FOA, for Phase I applications and the Phase I portion of the Fast-Track application, applicants may request a budget of up to $500,000 total costs per year and a project period of up to two years. For Phase II applications and the Phase II portion of Fast-Track applications, applicants may request a budget of up to $1 million total costs per year and a project period of up to three years.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit SBIR applications. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award of SBIR Phase I and Phase II, meets all of the following criteria:

1. Is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States or which makes a significant contribution to the United States economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor;

2. Is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust or cooperative, except that where the form is a joint venture, there can be no more than 49 percent participation by foreign business entities in the joint venture;

3. Is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, or it must be a for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by another for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, except in the case of a joint venture, where each entity to the venture must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States; and;

4. Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.

SBCs must also meet the other regulatory requirements found in 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Business concerns, other than investment companies licensed, or state development companies qualifying under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. 661, et seq., are affiliates of one another when either directly or indirectly, (a) one concern controls or has the power to control the other; or (b) a third-party/parties controls or has the power to control both.

Control can be exercised through common ownership, common management, and contractual relationships. The term "affiliates" is defined in greater detail in 13 C.F.R. 121.3-2(a). The term "number of employees" is defined in 13 C.F.R. 121.3-2(t).

Business concerns include, but are not limited to, any individual (sole proprietorship), partnership, corporation, joint venture, association, or cooperative. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Small Business Administration Office of Size Standards (http://sba.gov/size).

One of the circumstances that would lead to a finding that an organization is controlling or has the power to control another organization involves sharing common office space and/or employees and/or other facilities (e.g., laboratory space). Access to special facilities or equipment in another organization is permitted (as in cases where the awardee organization has entered into a subcontractual agreement with another organization for a specific, limited portion of the research project). However, research space occupied by an SBIR awardee organization must be space that is available to and under the control of the SBIR awardee for the conduct of its portion of the proposed project.

Title 13 CFR 121.3 also states that control or the power to control exists when key employees of one concern organize a new concern ... and serve as its officers, directors, principal stockholders, and/or key employees, and one concern is furnishing or will furnish the other concern with subcontracts, financial or technical assistance, and/or other facilities, whether for a fee or otherwise. Where there is indication of sharing of common employees, a determination will be made on a case-by-case basis of whether such sharing constitutes control or the power to control.

For purposes of the SBIR program, personnel obtained through a Professional Employer Organization or other similar personnel leasing company may be considered employees of the awardee. This is consistent with SBA’s size regulations, 13 CFR 121.106 Small Business Size Regulations.

Note regarding affiliation arising under stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to merge: In determining size, SBA considers stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to merge (including agreements in principle) to have a present effect on the power to control a concern. SBA treats such options, convertible securities, and agreements as though the rights granted have been exercised. See http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2005/janqtr/pdf/13cfr121.103.pdf.

All SBIR grant applications will be examined with the above eligibility considerations in mind. If it appears that an applicant organization does not meet the eligibility requirements, NIH will request a size determination by the SBA. If eligibility is unclear, NIH will not make an SBIR award until the SBA provides a determination.

Note: An applicant organization that has been determined previously by SBA to be other than small for a size standard of not more than 500 employees or for purposes of the SBIR/STTR program, must be recertified by the SBA prior to any future SBIR/STTR awards.

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 grant 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. 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.

As defined in 42 CFR 52, the PD/PI is the single individual designated by the grantee in the grant application who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the project. When the proposed PD/PI clearly does not have sufficient qualifications to assume this role, the application is not likely to receive a favorable evaluation.

Under the SBIR program, for both Phase I and Phase II, the primary employment of the PD/PI must be with the small business concern at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. For projects with multiple PD/PIs, at least one must meet the primary employment requirement. That individual will serve as the Contact PD/PI. Primary employment means that more than one half of the PD/PI’s time is spent in the employ of the small business concern. Primary employment with a small business concern precludes full-time employment at another organization. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur. Such deviations must be approved in writing by the grants management officer after consultation with the NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator.

If the application has the likelihood for funding, the awarding component will require documentation to verify the eligibility of the Contact PD/PI, if at the time of submission of the application, the Contact PD/PI is a less-than-full-time employee of the small business concern, is concurrently employed by another organization, or gives the appearance of being concurrently employed by another organization, whether for a paid or unpaid position.

If the Contact PD/PI is employed or appears to be employed by an organization other than the applicant organization in a capacity such as Research Fellow, Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Clinical Professor, Clinical Research Professor, or Associate, a letter must be provided by each employing organization confirming that, if an SBIR grant is awarded to the applicant small business concern, the Contact PD/PI is or will become a less-than-half-time employee of such organization and will remain so for the duration of the SBIR project. If the Contact PD/PI is employed by a university, such a letter must be provided by the Dean's office or equivalent; for other organizations, the letter must be signed by a corporate official.

All current employment and all other appointments of the Contact PD/PI must be identified in his or her Biographical Sketch required as part of the application. Be certain that correct beginning and ending dates are indicated for each employment record listed.

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

Resubmissions: Applicants are not permitted to submit a resubmission application in response to this FOA.

Renewals: SBIR Phase II Competing Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.

Number of Applications: Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. The NIH will accept as many "different" applications as the applicant organization chooses. However, the NIH will not accept similar grant applications with essentially the same research focus from the same applicant organization. This includes derivative or multiple applications that propose to develop a single product, process, or service that, with non-substantive modifications, can be applied to a variety of purposes. Applicants may not simultaneously submit identical/essentially identical applications under both this SBIR funding opportunity and any other HHS FOA, including the current SBIR and STTR Parent FOAs.

Likewise, identical or essentially identical grant applications submitted by different organizations will not be accepted. Applicant organizations should ascertain and assure that the materials they are submitting on behalf of the principal investigator are the original work of the principal investigator and have not been used elsewhere in the preparation and submission of a similar grant application. Applications to the NIH are grouped by scientific discipline for review by individual Scientific Review Groups and not by disease or disease state. The reviewers can thus easily identify multiple grant applications for essentially the same project. In these cases, application processing may be delayed or the application(s) may be returned to the applicant without review. 

It is unlawful to enter into contracts or grants requiring essentially equivalent work or effort. Essentially equivalent work or effort occurs when (1) substantially the same research is proposed for funding in more than one contract proposal or grant application submitted to the same Federal agency; (2) substantially the same research is submitted to two or more different Federal agencies for review and funding consideration; or (3) a specific research objective and the research design for accomplishing an objective are the same or closely related in two or more proposals or awards, regardless of the funding source. If there is any question concerning essentially equivalent work or effort, it must be disclosed to the soliciting agency or agencies before award.

Only one Phase II award may be made for a single SBIR/STTR project.

You may submit a Phase II application either before or after expiration of the Phase I budget period, unless you elect to submit a Phase I and Phase II application concurrently under the Fast-Track procedure. To maintain eligibility to seek Phase II support, a Phase I grantee organization should submit a Phase II application within the first six receipt dates following the expiration of the Phase I budget period.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR 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.

A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:

• Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp) and
• eRA Commons (http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm)

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 SBC can submit an electronic application, as follows:

1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Registered

• Your organization will need to obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) as part of the Grants.gov registration process.
• If your organization does not have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN), allow for extra time. A valid TIN or EIN is necessary for CCR registration.
• The CCR also validates the EIN against Internal Revenue Service records, a step that will take an additional one to two business days.
• Direct questions regarding Grants.gov registration to:
  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 support@grants.gov

2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons

• To find out if an organization is already Commons-registered, see the "List of Grantee Organizations Registered in NIH eRA Commons.
• Direct questions regarding the Commons registration to:
  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 commons@od.nih.gov

3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.

• The individual(s) designated as PD/PIs on the application must also be registered in the NIH eRA Commons and be assigned the PD/PI role in the eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application. It is not necessary for PDs/PIs to register with Grants.gov.
• Each PD/PI must hold a PD/PI account in the Commons. Applicants should not share a Commons account for both an Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) role and a PD/PI role; however, if they have both a PD/PI role and an Internet Assisted Review (IAR) role, both roles should exist under one Commons account.
• When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, all PDs/PIs at the applicant organization must be affiliated with that organization. When PDs/PIs are located at another institution, only the contact PI (the PI named on the SF424 (R&R) Cover component) must be affiliated with the applicant small business concern; other PD/PIs need not be affiliated with the applicant organization, but must be affiliated with their own organization to be able to access the Commons.
• This registration/affiliation must be done by the AOR/SO or their designee who is already registered in the Commons.

To affiliate the PD/PI with the applicant small business concern:

1.    PD/PI gives Commons user ID and email address to the administrator of the applicant organization/institution. (The email address must be the one that is contained in the Personal Profile for the PD/PI.)

2.    Administrator logs into the Commons. (The administrator can be the Signing Official, Administrative Official, or the Accounts Administrator.)

3.    Administrator selects "Administration" tab and then "Accounts" tab.

4.    Administrator selects "Create Affiliation" tab.

5.    Administrator enters the Commons User ID and Email address into the appropriate fields and clicks "Submit."

Both the PD/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take four (4) weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations. 

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide for this FOA using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or 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 301-710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Prepare all SBIR applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.

The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR 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). Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.

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 has several components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in 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
Research & Related Budget
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
SBIR/STTR Information

Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form

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 in item 15 of 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.

All projects proposing Multiple PDs/PIs will be required to include a new section describing the leadership plan approach for the proposed project.

Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, a new section of the research plan, entitled Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan [Section 14 of the Research Plan Component in the SF424 (R&R)], 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).

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A. for details.

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date:  October, 9, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): October 9, 2009
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).
Application Due Date(s): November 9, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): March, 2010
Council Review Date(s): May, 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): June, 2010

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed research.
• Name, address, and telephone number of the PD(s)/PI(s).
• Names of other key personnel.
• Participating institutions.
• Number and title of this funding opportunity.

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 IC 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 sent to:

Dr. Lynn Rust
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 3120, MSC-7616
6700B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7616
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 402-3938
Fax: (301) 480-2408
Email: lrust@niaid.nih.gov

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/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow Steps 1-4.

Note:  Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

3.C. Application Processing

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 submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any 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 application image to determine if any further action is necessary.

• If everything is acceptable, no further action is necessary. The application will automatically move forward to the Division of Receipt and Referral in the Center for Scientific Review for processing after two weekdays, excluding Federal holidays.
• Prior to the submission deadline, the AOR/SO can Reject the assembled application and submit a changed/corrected application within the two-day viewing window. This option should be used if it is determined that some part of the application was lost or did not transfer correctly during the submission process, the AOR/SO will have the option to Reject the application and submit a Changed/Corrected application. In these cases, please contact the eRA Help Desk to ensure that the issues are addressed and corrected. Once rejected, applicants should follow the instructions for correcting errors in Section 2.12, including the requirement for cover letters on late applications. The Reject feature should also be used if you determine that warnings are applicable to your application and need to be addressed now. Remember, warnings do not stop further application processing. If an application submission results in warnings (but no errors), it will automatically move forward after two business days if no action is taken. Some warnings may need to be addressed later in the process.
• If the two-day window falls after the submission deadline, the AOR/SO will have the option to Reject the application if, due to an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue, the application does not correctly reflect the submitted application package (e.g., some part of the application was lost or didn t transfer correctly during the submission process). The AOR/SO should first contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk to confirm the system error, document the issue, and determine the best course of action. NIH will not penalize the applicant for an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue.
• If the AOR/SO chooses to Reject the image after the submission deadline for a reason other than an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system failure, a changed/corrected application still can be submitted but it will be subject to the NIH late policy guidelines and may not be accepted. The reason for this delay should be explained in the cover letter attachment.
• Both the AOR/SO and PD/PI will receive e-mail notifications when the application is rejected or the application automatically moves forward in the process after two days.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and responsiveness by the NIAID. Incomplete and non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR receives the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR and the PD/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 their application status in the Commons.

The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application using the standard NIH, CDC, and FDA SBIR submission dates of April 5, August 5, and December 5 (or May 1, September 1, and January 2 for NIH AIDS and AIDS-related SBIR applications). That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.

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 or renewal award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and 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 or renewal 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 the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements

1. Milestones and Timeline

Applicants must provide Milestones and a Timeline in the Specific Aims Sections as specified in Part I: Instructions for Preparing and Submitting an Application. Include the following:

• A clear description of all interim objectives (research and/or developmental milestones) to be achieved during the course of the project. Applicants also must identify any impediments that could require a revision in the work plan or milestones with a discussion of alternative approaches.
• Detailed quantitative criteria by which milestone achievement will be assessed.
• A detailed timeline for the anticipated attainment of each milestone and the overall goal(s).

2. Product Development Plan

Phase II and Fast-Track applicants must include a Product Development Plan in the appendix. The Product Development Plan must include:

• A statement of the intended use/indication of the proposed product and biodefense/public health gap the product is intended to fill.
• A statement of the value of the project, including lay description of key technology objectives, innovation, and advantages compared to competing products, technologies, or services.
• A clear description of the goal(s) of the project, including one (or more) intermediate products (tools), final product(s) or stage(s) of product development to be completed during the award period. A specific product profile that is defined by licensing indication is not requested.
• Patent status or other protection of project intellectual property.

Additionally, the Product Development Plan must include descriptions pertaining to early-stage and/or mid-stage-specific product development activities, as applicable, detailed below. Applications for projects that span early-stage and mid-stage should include the relevant information requested for both activities.

Early-Stage Product Development Projects

For the purpose of this FOA, early-stage is defined as all activities leading to and including lead candidate identification (vaccines, therapeutics, or adjuvants) or identification of clinical diagnostic targets and development of assays to detect these targets or initial development of diagnostic platform technology (diagnostics).

Product Development Plans for early-stage projects should include:

• A detailed description of the qualitative and quantitative criteria and data elements to be used to assess the scientific merit of feasibility or proceeding to the next stage of development.
• A description of the distinct stages/activities that are gates for Go/No Go decisions for advancing to the next stage.

Mid-Stage Product Development Projects

For the purpose of this FOA, mid-stage is defined as all activities beyond lead candidate identification (e.g. safety evaluation, stability testing, manufacturing, development, etc.), diagnostic assay development, or initial development of diagnostic platform technology.

Product Development Plans for mid-stage vaccine, therapeutic or adjuvant projects should summarize:

• The performance specifications and features the product should have in order to provide immunological and/or therapeutic benefit.
• A description of the candidate product or lead series as it is currently configured.
• A description and developmental status of the assays for product release and characterization, including activity and efficacy.
• Data to support the characterization and selection of the candidate product for further development. Specifically, a summary of data that demonstrates efficacy in appropriate animal models and assays against one or more of the selected pathogens is required. This includes: a detailed description of the assays and animal models, the choice of pathogen challenge, strain and route, and a rationale for the choice of animal model, pathogen challenge, strain and route, as well as for the outcome/endpoints selected; documentation that the animal infection experiments were performed under well-controlled experimental conditions.
• Discussions with FDA, if any, which are relevant to development activities for the candidate product.

Product Development Plans for mid-stage diagnostics projects should summarize:

• The performance specifications the product (diagnostic assay, method, technology, etc.) should have to demonstrate it is equivalent or superior to the gold standard for identifying the proposed pathogen(s) and/or toxin(s), including clinical sensitivity in appropriate human samples, clinical specificity in appropriate human samples, analytical sensitivity (limit of detection), analytical reactivity (pathogen strains detected for each pathogen), analytical specificity (cross-reactivity), and analytical reproducibility (test replicates at different pathogen concentrations, different sites). If no FDA-cleared test is available for the pathogen(s) and/or toxin(s), the specifications should be equivalent to or exceed performance specifications of FDA-cleared tests for similar types of pathogen(s) and/or toxin(s).
• Data to support the usefulness of the candidate product for selection for further development, including an assessment of the present capacity of the diagnostic method, technology or assay to meet the performance specifications.
• Discussions with FDA, if any, which are relevant to development activities for the candidate product.

NOTE: Phase II and Fast-Track applications lacking a free-standing and detailed Product Development Plan will be deemed unresponsive and will not be reviewed.

3. Physical and/or Facility Security

All applicants must address issues related to physical or facility security and biocontainment and biosafety (http://www.cdc.gov/OD/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/bmbl5toc.htm) pertinent to the specific pathogens of interest in an add-on section entitled Biosafety and Biocontainment (may not exceed 1 page) in the application. Guidelines for Institutional Biosafety Committees are available at: http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/IBC/IBCindexpg.htm. The Biosafety and Biocontainment section should be included in the Research Plan.

PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)

The NIH requires each 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.

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

Page limitations of the PHS398 Research Plan component must be followed as outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. While each section of the Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. 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.   

All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating "Just-in-Time" information concepts, with the following requirements.

SBIR Phase I applications:

• Although preliminary data are not required, they may be included.
• Items 2-5 of the Research Pan component may not exceed 15 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts.
• The Biographical Sketch is limited to a maximum of 4 pages for each senior/key person (This includes the table at the top of the first page.)
• There is no further limitation on the total number of pages for the entire Phase I application; however, applicants are encouraged to be succinct.

SBIR Phase II applications:

• Items 2-5 of the Research Plan component may not exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts.
• The Biographical Sketch is limited to a maximum of four (4) pages for each senior/key person. (This includes the table at the top of the first page.)
• The Phase II application must present a Commercialization Plan (maximum 15 pages) that addresses specific points as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the SBIR/STTR Information component.
• There is no further limitation on the total number of pages for the entire Phase II application; however, applicants are encouraged to be succinct.
• The Phase II application must present a product development plan, as described in this FOA.

SBIR Fast-Track applications:

• The NIH Fast-Track application is a single application consisting of Phase I and Phase II activities. See Section 1.3.2., Fast-Track Applications, of the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
• The Phase I portion of a Fast-Track must specify clear, measurable goals (milestones) that should be achieved prior to initiating Phase II work.
• The Fast-Track application must present a Commercialization Plan (maximum 15 pages) that addresses specific points as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
• The Phase II application must present a product development plan, as described in this FOA.
• Items 2-5 of the Research Plan component may not exceed 25 pages. That is, the combined Phase I and Phase II plans for Fast-Track applications (for Items 2-5) must be contained within the 25-page limitation.

Warning: Please be sure that you observe the total cost, project period, and page number limitations specified above for this FOA. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be rejected if it does not comply with these requirements.

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). In addition, see section IV.6 of this FOA.

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process. Phase I SBIR/STTR Appendix materials are not permitted unless specifically requested by NIH.

For this FOA, the Product Development Plan is to be included as an appendix in all Phase II and Fast-Track applications.

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, for example, human subjects concerns, the Small Business Act provisions, etc., this must 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: Regardless of the amount requested, investigators are expected to include a brief 1-paragraph description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data-sharing is not possible. Applicants are encouraged to discuss data-sharing plans with their NIH program contact (see Data-Sharing Policy or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-032.html.)

(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 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/.)

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

Applications that are complete and responsive to this FOA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NIAID and 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:

• Undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed and assigned an impact/priority score;
• Receive a written critique; and
• Receive a second level of review by National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Disease Council.

Applications submitted in response to this FOA 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:

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

Enhanced Review Criteria

The mission of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.  As part of this mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system. 

All SBIR Applications

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 core review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed). 

Core 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 proposed project have commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service? 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? Is this project likely to significantly advance the development of a therapeutic or diagnostic against one or more of the specific biologic threat agents identified in this initiative? If the aims of the application are achieved, are important biomedical agents or products likely to result? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods 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, 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? Do the regulatory personnel possess the appropriate expertise to guide cGMP manufacture and/or related processes (if applicable)?

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. Does the research proposed in each project leverage multi-disciplinary involvement to accelerate therapeutics, immunotherapeutics, and diagnostics product development, many aspects of which may not be inherently innovative? In addition, does the approach represent the best use of current or emerging technologies and appropriate collaborations to achieve the research objectives?

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? Are the defined objectives/milestones appropriate and feasible? Is the proposed product development plan feasible and appropriate for future product development?

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?

Phase II Applications

In addition to the above review criteria:

1. How well did the applicant demonstrate progress toward meeting the Phase I objectives, demonstrating feasibility, and providing a solid foundation for the proposed Phase II activity?

2. Did the applicant submit a concise Commercialization Plan that adequately addresses the specific areas described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the SBIR/STTR Information component?

3. Is the proposed product development plan feasible and appropriate for future product development?

4. Does the project carry a high degree of commercial potential, as described in the Commercialization Plan?

Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track Application Review Criteria

For Phase I/Phase II Fast Track applications, the following criteria also will be applied:

1. Does the Phase I application specify clear, appropriate, measurable goals (milestones) that should be achieved prior to initiating Phase II?

2. Did the applicant submit a concise Commercialization Plan that adequately addresses the specific areas described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the SBIR/STTR Information component?

3. To what extent was the applicant able to obtain letters of interest, additional funding commitments, and/or resources from the private sector or non-SBIR/STTR funding sources that would enhance the likelihood for commercialization?

4. Is the proposed product development plan feasible and appropriate for future product development?

5. Does the project carry a high degree of commercial potential, as described in the Commercialization Plan?

Phase I and Phase II Fast-Track applications that satisfy all of the review criteria will receive single ratings for the overall impact score and each of the core review criteria.

For Fast-Track applications, the Phase II portion may not be funded until a Phase I final report and other documents necessary for continuation have been received and assessed by program staff that the Phase I milestones have been successfully achieved. Items 2-5 of the Research Plan may not exceed 25 pages. That is, the combined Phase I and Phase II plans for a Fast-Track application (for Items 2-5) must be contained within the 25-page limitation.

2.A. 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.

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.

2.B. 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.

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.

Select Agent Research. Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans.  Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable:

• Data Sharing Plan. [http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm]
• Sharing Model Organisms. [http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html]
• Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). [http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-088.html]

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 his or her 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.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before Fast-Track applications, the Phase II portion may not be funded until a Phase I final report and other documents necessary for continuation have been received and assessed by program staff that the Phase I milestones have been successfully achieved ore 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.     

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.

For Fast-Track applications, the Phase II portion may not be funded until a Phase I final report and other documents necessary for continuation have been received and assessed by program staff that the Phase I milestones have been successfully achieved.   

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

NIH requires that SBIR/STTR grantees submit the following reports within 90 days of the end of the grant budget period unless the grantee is under an extension.

Financial Status Report (OMB 269, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html)

Final Progress Report

Final Invention Statement and Certification (HHS 568)

Annual Invention Utilization Reports

Final Cash Transaction Report (PSC 272, http://www.dpm.psc.gov/Reports.aspx)

Phase II Data Collection Requirement for Government Tech-Net Database  (http://technet.sba.gov)

Failure to submit timely final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards with the same principal investigator.

For details about each specific required report, see the section on Award Guidelines, Reporting Requirements, and Other Considerations, in the SF 424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:

1. Scientific/Research Contacts:

Dr. Michael Schaefer
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 5003, MSC-6604
6610 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-6604
Telephone: (301) 451-3758
Fax: (301) 480-1263
E-Mail: mschaefer@niaid.nih.gov

NIAID SBIR/STTR Program Information:

Dr. Gregory Milman
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 2030, MSC-7610
6700B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7610
Telephone: (301) 496-8666
Fax: (301) 402-0369
E-Mail: gmilman@niaid.nih.gov

3. Peer Review Contacts:

Dr. Lynn Rust
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 3120, MSC-7616
6700B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7616
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 402-3938
Fax: (301) 480-2408
Email: lrust@niaid.nih.gov

4. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:

Michael Wright
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 2118, MSC-7614
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817-7614
Telephone: (301) 451-2688
Fax: (301) 493-0597
Email: mawright@niaid.nih.gov

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. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the scientific merit or the priority score.

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-02-005.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/.