and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Research Resource for Systematic Reviews of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinical Trials (R24) |
Activity Code |
R24 Resource-Related Research Projects |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
RFA-AT-12-001 |
Companion FOA |
None |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.213 |
FOA Purpose |
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, seeks to support a research resource consisting of a database of primary reports of the full spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) controlled clinical trials. This resource will facilitate the conduct of high quality systematic reviews and when possible meta-analyses of published reports of clinical trials of CAM treatments and interventions. The review of all published controlled clinical trials on a given topic and summary of the results in a systematic and unbiased manner provide a current best evidence for health care practitioners, patients, health care policy and research administration. In addition, the application must describe how the investigators will ensure access and availability of the resource to the broader scientific community and provide editorial, methodological and technical support to those utilizing the resource for systematic reviews. Applications will be considered non-responsive if they do not include plans for development and/or maintenance of a research resource consisting of a CAM clinical trial database; and conduct of a minimum of two to three systematic reviews per year and when possible meta-analyses. |
Posted Date |
August 9, 2011 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
October 17, 2011 |
Application Due Date(s) |
November 15, 2011 |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
March 2012 |
Advisory Council Review |
May 2012 |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
July 2012 |
Expiration Date |
November 16, 2011 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 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. While some links are provided, 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 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
One of the major challenges in interpreting clinical research data and utilizing the data in clinical practice, health policy, or research program decisionmaking is the assimilation of results of studies by distinct groups of researchers, especially when methods or outcomes differ across studies.
This is particularly important when primary findings of individual studies differ.
In 1992, an international group of scientists launched a process to systematically and objectively evaluate and update existing evidence, with a goal of facilitating health practice and health policy decisionmaking. These scientists also conceived a means for timely dissemination of the existing evidence for the practice of medicine. This Systematic Review methodology consists of a painstaking process of searching all the published peer-reviewed research literature, defining inclusion criteria to identify the most appropriate studies, summarizing the study results in a systematic and unbiased manner, and disseminating the findings in a manuscript format describing the methods and summary results of the systematic analysis. Such manuscripts are usually published by medical journals or specialized review groups. The review of all controlled clinical trials published in the literature on a given topic and summarizing the results in a systematic and unbiased manner provide a current best evidence that may help guide health care practitioners, patients, health care policy and research administration. The field of complementary and alternative medicine has benefited greatly from the publication of numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Purpose of Proposed Initiative
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, seeks to support a research resource consisting of a database of primary reports of the full spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) controlled clinical trials. This resource will facilitate the conduct of high quality systematic reviews and when possible meta-analyses on published reports of CAM treatments and interventions, using widely accepted, standard methodology.
The application must describe how the investigators will develop and maintain such a database, conduct at least two to three systematic reviews per year of clinically important topics, and support the utilization of the database by independent investigators who will carry out additional systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Applications will be considered non-responsive if they do not include plans for development and/or maintenance of a research resource consisting of a CAM controlled clinical trials database; plans to ensure access and availability of the resource to the scientific community; and conduct of a minimum of two to three systematic reviews per year and when possible meta-analyses.
All applications must describe how the following required objectives will be met:
Additional objectives that may be addressed include but are not limited to those listed below:
Applications to this funding opportunity must provide a description of the methods to be used in generating systematic reviews; the expertise of the team in conducting systematic reviews; and the processes by which groups of outstanding content experts from relevant fields of clinical practice, clinical trials, and systematic review methodology will be identified and involved. The team should describe their knowledge of challenges in designing controlled trials of CAM interventions (such as non-pharmacological interventions, choices of clinically relevant controls, use of individualized treatment plans, etc).
Applications that do not provide a plan for ensuring access and availability of the resource to the wider community consistent with program goals will be considered not responsive to this FOA. In addition, applications that do not include a plan for transition to self-sustainable funding will be considered not responsive to this FOA.
Funding Instrument |
Grant |
Application Types Allowed |
New |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. NCCAM intends to commit up to $600,000 in FY 2012. |
Award Budget |
Application budgets are limited to $600,000 total costs per year, but need to reflect actual needs of the proposed project. |
Award Project Period |
Scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum period is 5 years. |
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
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For-Profit Organizations
Governments
Other
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 must complete the following registrations as described in the PHS398 Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.
All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (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.
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 PHS398 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.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.
Applicants are required to prepare applications according to the current PHS 398 application forms in accordance with the PHS 398 Application Guide.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide, 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.
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:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Wendy Weber, ND, PhD, MPH
Program Officer
Division of Extramural Research
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-402-1272
Email: weberwj@mail.nih.gov
Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research
grant application forms and instructions for preparing a research grant application.
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
checklist, and three signed photocopies in one package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
At the time of submission, two additional paper copies of
the application and all copies of the appendix files must be sent to:
Dale L. Birkle Dreer, PhD
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
Division of Extramural Activities
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-451-6570
Email: birkled@mail.nih.gov
All page limitations described in the PHS398 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
All instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Resource Sharing Plan
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies; GWAS) as provided in the PHS398 Application Guide, with the following modifications:
Appendix
Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix (please note all format requirements) as described in the PHS398 Application Guide
Foreign (non-US) Institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the PHS398 Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates.
Information on the process of receipt and determining if
your application is considered on-time is described in detail in the PHS398
Application Guide.
Applicants may track the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration.
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 received on or before the due dates in Part I. Overview Information. If an
application is received after that date, it will not be reviewed.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for
completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by NCCAM.s,
NIH. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be
reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
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/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 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.
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? Does the investigative team have the appropriate expertise and ongoing record of accomplishments in conducting systematic reviews and developing and maintaining a registry of controlled clinical trials from research published in the scientific literature? Does the team include - or have adequate plans for including individuals with understanding of the research challenges involved in clinical trials of CAM interventions? Are the leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation
Does the application propose to use state of the art methodology for maintaining a clinical trial registry and conducting systematic reviews?
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?
Is there a clear approach described for the development or maintenance of a CAM
controlled clinical trials database and have the investigators provided a plan
to ensure access and outreach regarding the availability of the database? Have
the investigators described a plan for prioritizing and conducting systematic
reviews that will be conducted by the team?
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?
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/priority score, 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. For
additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to
the Human
Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
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. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Vertebrate Animals
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.
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.
Resubmissions
Not Applicable
Renewals
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.
Revisions
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/priority score.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Select 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: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the NCCAM, in accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will be assigned to the NCCAM and 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 NCCAMl Advisory Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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 the DUNS, CCR
Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants 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.
Not Applicable.
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) 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.
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov
eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov
Wendy Weber, ND, PhD, MPH
Program Officer
Division of Extramural Research
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-402-1272
Email: weberwj@mail.nih.gov
Dale L. Birkle Dreer, PhD
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
Division of Extramural Activities
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-451-6570
Email: birkled@mail.nih.gov
George A. Tucker, MBA, CGMS
Director, Office of Grants Management
Division of Extramural Activities
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 401
Bethesda, MD 20892 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-594-9102
Email: tuckerg@mail.nih.gov
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
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.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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