Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports extramural research focused on understanding, controlling and preventing diseases caused by virtually all infectious agents. In response to the threat presented by increasing antibacterial resistance, the NIAID Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) has established research programs to facilitate development of therapeutics for certain pathogens. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to invite research applications for projects focused on preclinical development of candidate therapeutics that target host-encoded functions required for infection, replication, virulence, proliferation and/or pathogenesis of select bacterial pathogens. For the purpose of this FOA, candidate therapeutic is defined as a product, or a collection of optimized products (e.g. lead candidate series), for which proof-of-concept data have been obtained, and preclinical development is defined as all activities beyond candidate therapeutic identification through IND-enabling activities required for initiation of Phase I clinical trials.

Antibacterial resistance is a global public health crisis. The combined impact of increasing resistance to current antibiotics and the limited pace of new antibiotic development threatens years of progress in fighting life-threatening bacterial infections and has led to increased morbidity, mortality and rising healthcare costs. Development of resistance is a natural outcome to treatment with therapeutics that directly kill or inhibit growth of targeted bacterial pathogens. Under this selective pressure, resistant bacteria have a significant advantage for expansion and dissemination, leading to the evolution of multi-drug resistant pathogens for which there are extremely limited or no treatment options.

Recent advances in understanding of host-pathogen interactions has led to the concept of therapeutic approaches that target host-encoded functions required for infection, replication, virulence, proliferation and/or pathogenesis. Such host-targeted therapeutics have the potential to transform treatment of patients infected with resistant bacteria and reduce the spread of resistance. Additionally, host-targeted therapeutics offer the potential to deliver activity against a broad-spectrum of pathogens.

The objective of this FOA is to support milestone-driven projects focused on advancement of candidate host-targeted therapeutics through the product development pathway. These milestones include standard IND-enabling activities required for therapeutic products, such as medicinal chemistry, structure/activity relationships, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) production of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), identification of an acceptable drug product formulation, successful execution of GMP toxicology studies, completion of proof-of-concept efficacy studies in appropriate models of disease, and preparation of IND and design of future clinical plans. This initiative focuses on the development of novel therapeutics that target host-encoded functions required for infection, replication, virulence, proliferation and/or pathogenesis of bacterial pathogens for which drug resistance poses a significant public health concern. Responsive applications must target at least one bacterial pathogen listed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013 report (http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf). Projects focused on drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis are limited to development and/or evaluation of therapeutic entities that are not currently licensed for another indication (repurposed drugs).

This initiative will support preclinical development of a single candidate therapeutic or lead candidate series. For projects initiating with a lead series, down-selection to a single lead candidate must be accomplished within the first two years of the project period. Of particular importance for novel host-targeted therapeutics is consideration of the most appropriate clinical and regulatory path to product registration and potential hurdles such as demonstration of pathogen susceptibility and therapeutic efficacy using non-standard in vitro assays and in vivo disease models, as well as potential toxicity issues. Participation of industrial laboratories is expected to facilitate appropriate and validated product development activities. Proposed projects are not required to result in a "final" product, nor is it necessary to propose completion of the product development process up to the point of readiness for clinical trials or validation within the time frame of the project. Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) are strongly encouraged to obtain expertise in the areas of product development planning and target product profile development in general, and regulatory matters in particular. Expertise needed to fulfill project objectives may be retained as defined effort or may be included as periodic consultation on specific issues.

Therapeutics of interest include small molecules or biopharmaceuticals, such as monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acids, or peptides to be used as monotherapy or in combination, or as adjunctive therapy, with other drugs. Therapeutic candidates that act primarily by stimulating the host immune response through direct regulation of interferon expression are excluded. Examples of host-targeted approaches to be supported by this initiative include, but are not limited to:

• Reducing/eliminating the availability/activity of host molecules (proteins/enzymes, carbohydrates, lipids, fatty acids, nucleic acids, etc.) critical for pathogen infection or replication.
• Inhibition of host functions required for pathogen virulence or pathogenicity.
• Modulation of host immune response to combat infection and/or reduce disease pathology.
• Novel approaches that exploit the immunomodulatory functions of host defensins.
• Modulation of host metabolism to reduce availability of nutrients/metabolites critical to pathogen survival.

All projects submitted to this FOA must demonstrate substantive investment by at least one industry participant. For the purpose of this FOA, "industry" is defined as a large or small, domestic or foreign, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, bioengineering, or chemical company, or a related non-profit entity with an established track record in product development. Substantive investment" is defined as a significant commitment of one or more resources to the project including, but not limited to: product development support/guidance, personnel, in kind contributions of materials and/or reagents (i.e. chemical libraries, innovative biotechnology platforms, scale up of CGMP chemical synthesis or production, etc.), provision of animal or other laboratory models for evaluation, subcontracts, data management resources, regulatory support, or alterations/renovations of facilities or provision of equipment to address biohazard concerns. The PD(s)/PI(s) of the project may be affiliated with either industry or an academic organization; however, if the PD(s)/PI(s) is from academia, an industrial partner must be identified in the application. PD(s)/PI(s) are strongly encouraged to obtain expertise in the areas of product development planning and target product profile development in general, and regulatory matters in particular. There is no requirement for an academic participant on applications submitted by industrial organizations.

NOTE: Refer to Section IV. Application and Submission Information for specific requirements for the PHS 398 Research Plan, and Other Project Information (for example, a Product Development Strategy Attachment).

Applications including the following will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:

• Projects focused on development of antiviral, antifungal, or antiparasitic agents.
• Projects lacking appropriate proof-of-concept data supporting the target candidate therapeutic or lead series.
• Projects from academic institutes that lack substantive investment by at least one industry participant.
• Projects focused on development of a therapeutic that acts primarily by stimulating the host immune response to infection through direct regulation of interferon expression.
• Projects focused on repurposing a licensed drug as a therapeutic for Mycobacterium spp.
• Clinical trials (all phases).
• Projects on AIDS or HIV.

In addition, applications lacking the required Product Development Strategy attachment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

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.

Higher Education Institutions

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

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

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

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

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

For-Profit Organizations

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

Governments

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

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions)

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant Organizations

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

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

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

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

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

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

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

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

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

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

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

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

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.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

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

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Susana Mendez, DVM, Ph.D.
Telephone: 240-669-5077
Email: [email protected]

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following additional requirements:

• The Product Development Strategy is limited to 12 pages.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

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

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

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

Other Attachments: Applicants are required to include a Product Development Strategy that includes both a Milestones and Timeline and a Product Development Plan section. The Product Development Strategy attachment must be in pdf format with a filename of Product_Development_Strategy.pdf. Applications lacking a required component of the Product Development Strategy section will be deemed incomplete and will not be reviewed.

The overall Product Development Strategy, made up of the "Milestone and Timeline" and the "Product Development Plan sections," is limited to 12 pages. (Note: Applicants should not add additional attachments to circumvent page limits.)

Milestones and Timeline: Applicants are required to provide detailed project performance and timeline objectives in a section entitled Milestones and Timeline. This section must be no more than 5 pages and must include:

• 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 schedule or timeline for the anticipated attainment of each milestone and the overall goal(s).

Product Development Plan: Applicants are required to provide detailed development plans in a section entitled Product Development Plan . This section must be no more than 7 pages and must include:

• A statement of the intended use/indication of the proposed product and 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 final product profile that is intended for licensing indication is not requested.

Additionally, the Product Development Plan must include descriptions pertaining to preclinical product development activities pertaining to the product proposed. For the purpose of this FOA, preclinical is defined as all activities beyond lead candidate identification. Product Development Plans for therapeutics 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 that support the characterization and selection of the candidate product for further development.
• Discussions with FDA, if any, which are relevant to development activities for the candidate product/technology.

When appropriate, and as part of the Product Development Plan, applicants should document compliance with guidelines that govern GLP, as defined by 21 CRF (58), and CGMP, as defined by 21 CRF (211), manufacturing and/or IND/IDE enabling studies that will be performed under the project award as they would be applicable to eventual product licensure in the U.S. Applications for projects involving CGMP manufacture should ensure inclusion of appropriate personnel to provide regulatory guidance before, during and after manufacture.

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

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

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

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

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

Research Strategy: Applications must address the following:

• Describe how the project will significantly advance the development of a host-targeted therapeutic against one or more of the specified bacterial agents.
• Provide and describe pre-established proof-of-concept data in support of the single candidate therapeutic or lead candidate series to be developed, and plans to progress the candidate through preclinical development.
• For projects initiating with a lead series, clearly detail the process and timeline for down-selection to a single lead candidate within the first two years of the project period.
• Describe the most appropriate clinical and regulatory path to product registration, including addressing potential hurdles such as demonstration of pathogen susceptibility and therapeutic efficacy using non-standard in vitro assays and in vivo disease models, as well as potential toxicity issues.

Industry Participation: For applications from academic institutions, identify the industrial partner(s) and describe the organization's participation and investment in the project. All applications submitted by academic institutions must demonstrate substantive investment and participation in the project by at least one industry participant. There is no reciprocal requirement for applicants from industrial organizations to include an academic partner.

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

• All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Data Sharing Plan.

Appendix: Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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

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

Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Guidelines for Applicants Experiencing System Issues.

Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

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

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? 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 host-targeted therapeutic against one or more of the specified bacterial agents?

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? 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? Will the proposed industrial participation enhance the development of the project?

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

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?

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Does the Product Development Strategy adequately address the specific Research Goals and Objectives described in the FOA? Are the Milestones and Timelines proposed to achieve the goals of the project appropriate and feasible? Is the proposed Product Development Plan feasible and appropriate for proposed and future product development? Is the Plan consistent with achieving the goals of this program?

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

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

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

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

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.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.

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

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genomic Wide Association Studies (GWAS) /Genomic Data Sharing Plan.

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

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

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

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

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

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

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. 

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.  This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General  and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

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

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html
Email: [email protected]

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
Email: [email protected]

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

Michael R. Schaefer, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-627-3364
Email: [email protected]

Susana Mendez, DVM, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-5077
Email: [email protected]

Julia Shriner
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-2972
Email: [email protected]

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