Full Text CA-94-011 BREAST CANCER EDUCATION INITIATIVES NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 13, April 1, 1994 RFA: CA-94-011 P.T. Keywords: National Cancer Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: May 2, 1994 Application Receipt Date: June 16, 1994 PURPOSE The National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites grant applications to create new educational programs aimed at reducing the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer. These cancer education programs are intended to disseminate what is professionally known about the prevention, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer to primary care physicians, other health professionals, and the lay community with special attention to minority or underserved populations. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This Request for Applications (RFA), Breast Cancer Education Initiatives, is related to the priority area of Educational and Community-based programs. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, Cancer Centers, hospitals, Laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply. Applications from minority individuals and women are encouraged. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Support for this program will be through the NCI Education (R25) Award. This award is a flexible, curriculum-driven program aimed at developing and sustaining innovative and, possibly, unique educational approaches that ultimately will have an impact on reducing cancer incidence, mortality, and morbidity, as well as on improving the quality-of-life of cancer patients. The current guidelines for the Cancer Education Program (R25) may be obtained from the program director listed under INQUIRIES. Applicants will be responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project. The total project period for each application submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed three years. It is anticipated that the average amount of direct costs awarded per grant will range from $50,000 to $130,000 depending upon the proposed program. Indirect costs will be allowed at the rate of eight percent of total direct costs (exclusive of equipment). The earliest feasible start date for the initial award will be September 1994. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Future competitive continuation applications will compete with all other applications in the Cancer Education Grant Program (R25). However, if the NCI determines that there is a sufficient program need, a new request for competitive continuation and/or new applications will be announced. FUNDS AVAILABLE For FY 1994, $1,600,000 in total costs will be available for, it is estimated, some 15 to 20 new awards. This funding level is dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit. A greater or lesser amount of dollars and number of awards may be negotiated based on the quality of the applications and the availability of funds. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background The American Cancer Society estimates that 46,000 women will die of breast cancer or its complications in 1993 and that 182,000 new cases will be diagnosed. In the face of these statistics, the NCI is committed to basic research, translational research, and educational programs to respond to this crisis. Even though important scientific questions still remain unanswered, it is the considered belief of the NCI that public and professional educational programs dealing with breast cancer can result in better health behavior and better health care delivery, which should have a positive public health benefit. Other The purpose of this RFA, then, is to stimulate breast cancer educational programs among health professionals and the lay public. The NCI already supports a spectrum of basic and clinical research efforts in breast cancer; in addition, it has allocated significant resources to the prevention and early detection of breast cancer. What it would like to encourage by this RFA is the translation of current research findings and intervention practices into widely diffused state-of-the-art information packages on breast cancer. Since it is essential that any educational strategies to accomplish these goals rest on a knowledge base derived from the best current research findings, the NCI proposes that Cancer Centers and other organizations with appropriate breast cancer expertise collaborate with educational specialists and other professional and lay groups, particularly those with access to underserved populations, to design and implement programs to achieve the objectives noted above. Some examples of target populations for this initiative, therefore, might include: primary care physicians, health professional faculty, health professional students, women's groups, minority or underserved groups, employer-based groups, and breast cancer patients and their families. Some of the reasoning involved in the choice of these target groups is as follows. Breast cancer patients, once diagnosed, will need data, perspectives, and risk/benefit analyses to enable them to communicate with physicians and to participate with health care providers in the series of choices that must be made about their treatment and the future course of their lives. Those free of cancer may need different information in regards to cancer in general, the importance of mammograms, issues of radiation risk, and ways of overcoming a general sense of unease in the face of this disease. Health care professionals who have contact with women in a health maintenance setting or who treat breast cancer patients along with other patients in a community setting may wish to have their knowledge and skills updated or expanded in order to provide better care and comfort to women. This target population might profit from current information concerning breast cancer risk evaluation for different age populations, the formal range of current breast cancer screening guidelines, how to conduct proper physical breast examinations, and how to follow up on an abnormal physical finding or mammogram. Health professional students could be given early in their career training a comprehensive orientation to the range of breast cancer issues, especially the importance and impact of clinical trials in the nation's effort against breast cancer. The NCI feels that these types of educational programs should focus on the knowledge and attitudes of both professional and lay audiences concerning the rationale, selection criteria, and procedures for any referral to treatment and prevention clinical trials dealing with breast cancer. Minority or underserved populations have special needs in regard to breast cancer education. Breast cancer is generally diagnosed at a later stage in these groups, resulting in a higher mortality rate compared to the general population. In addition, early onset breast cancer in younger members of these distinctive populations may present special problems in the diagnosis and treatment of their disease. The costs necessary to attract and involve underserved populations may be requested and supported if appropriately justified. The NCI strongly encourages submission of applications from minority health professional schools and other organizations that have traditionally served minority communities and geographically isolated populations. These schools and organizations are invited to provide structured, state-of-the-art breast cancer educational programs to address specifically the needs of their faculty, students, and members. The proposals should, where feasible, also include educational outreach activities involving civic, fraternal, and religious groups with access to minority or underserved women. Participation, therefore, in this cancer education initiative by these appropriate institutions will help to achieve the goals of the NCI Minority Health Professional Training Initiative. The latter is intended to strengthen the oncology faculty and infrastructure of minority health professional schools through the use of a variety of research training and career development grant awards. In summary, NCI seeks to support innovative programs using educational techniques and media that are most appropriate for specific target groups. It especially encourages educational programs that include segments that offer information on and practical guidance in the use of the NCI Physician Data Query (PDQ) system, Cancer FAX databases, and the network of the Cancer Information Service (CIS). SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Applicants are requested to identify clearly in their application the following aspects of their proposed initiative: (1) the content and scope of the educational activities; (2) the specific population(s) to be educated and their availability; (3) the procedures to be used to announce these educational activities and to recruit participants; (4) the potential benefits to health professionals, the lay public, or cancer patients and their families likely to arise as the result of these educational programs; (5) the methods of evaluation of the program outcomes; and (6) the specific plans to disseminate aspects of the educational activities that prove to be effective. If several institutions are jointly involved or if several departments within an institution are cooperating in this RFA, a special, central, interdisciplinary Cancer Education Committee consisting of members from the collaborating organizations should be in place. The functions of the Committee would be to provide effective monitoring and coordination of the program. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by May 2, 1994, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed educational activity, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator/Educator, the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application may be submitted. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains allows NCI staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Robert C. Adams at the address listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research; from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/710-0267; and from the NCI Program Director listed under INQUIRIES. The RFA label available in the application form PHS 398 must be affixed to the bottom of face page of the application. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA number and title of this RFA must be typed on line 2a of the face page of the application form. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application including the Checklist and three signed, exact, clear and single-sided photocopies, in one package to: Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 Bethesda, MD 20892** At time of submission, also send two additional copies of the application to: Ms. Toby Friedberg Division of Extramural Activities National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza North, Room 636 6130 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892 Applications must be received by June 16, 1994. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned. If the application submitted in response to this RFA is substantially similar to a grant application already submitted to the NIH for review but not yet reviewed, the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the pending application or the new one. Simultaneous submission of identical applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical applications be reviewed by different review committees. An application, therefore, cannot be submitted in response to this RFA that is essentially identical to one that has already been reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Review Procedure Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed initially by the Division of Research Grants (DRG) for completeness. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications subsequently will be evaluated by NCI scientific administration staff to determine how well they meet the objectives of the program as described in this RFA. Applications that are not primarily oriented to the goals of this RFA will be judged non-responsive and will be returned. All basic research applications on breast cancer, for example, should be submitted under a regular research project mechanism or in response to another RFA. Program staff listed under INQUIRIES will be happy to address questions concerning the relevance of any proposed educational or training activity to this RFA. If the number of applications is quite large compared to the number of awards to be made, the NCI may conduct a preliminary scientific peer review (triage) to eliminate those applications that are clearly not competitive, and will notify the applicant and institutional business official of this action. Those applications judged to be both competitive and responsive will be further evaluated according to the review criteria stated below for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the Division of Extramural Activities, NCI. The second level of review by the National Cancer Advisory Board will consider the special needs of the NCI and the priorities of the National Cancer Program. Review Criteria o The overall quality of the proposed education programs. o The responsiveness of the application to the SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS section described above. o Scientific, pedagogic, and administrative qualifications and experience of the principal investigator and staff. o The availability of appropriate resources and facilities for the proposed activities. The review committee will critically examine the proposed budget and recommend an appropriate budget for each approved application. AWARD CRITERIA The anticipated date of award is September 1994. Awards will be made according to priority score, availability of funds, and programmatic priorities. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and address the letter of intent to: Dr. Robert C. Adams Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis, and Centers National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza North, Room 520 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-8580 FAX: (301) 402-4472 Direct inquiries regarding grants management issues to: Mr. Robert Hawkins Grants Administration Branch National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza South, Room 242 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-7800, ext. 213 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 93.398, Cancer Research Manpower. Awards are made under the authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A, Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285 and administered under HHS regulations and PHS grant policies. The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the american people. .
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