EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (HIRN-CHIB) (UC4) |
Activity Code |
UC4 High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure - Cooperative Agreement Programs |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
RFA-DK-13-016 |
Companion Funding Opportunity |
RFA-DK-13-013, U01 Research Project Cooperative Agreements |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.847 |
Funding Opportunity Purpose |
This FOA invites new applications to participate in the Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (CHIB) that will support the development of a human islet microphysiological system or niche (a system that combines cells, cytoarchitecture, matrix, physical factors, secreted factors, etc.). CHIB will be part of the Human Islet Research Network (HIRN). |
Posted Date |
September 26, 2013 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
January 27, 2014 |
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) |
January 27, 2014 |
Application Due Date(s) |
February 27, 2014, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
June/July, 2014 |
Advisory Council Review |
October, 2014 |
Earliest Start Date |
December 2014 |
Expiration Date |
February 28, 2014 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
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
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) requests applications for a new research consortium, the Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (CHIB) that will support the development of a human islet microphysiological system or niche (a system that combines cells, cytoarchitecture, matrix, physical factors, secreted factors, etc.). Biomimetics, the study of the formation, structure and function of biological systems, will facilitate the assembly of an in vitro system that closely mimics a functional human islet, by integrating stem cell biology, islet cell biology and tissue engineering. CHIB will be part of a collaborative research framework, the Human Islet Research Network (HIRN) that will include four research consortia, and an Administrative HUB composed of a Bioinformatics Center and a Coordinating Center. HIRN's overall mission will be to support innovative and collaborative translational research to understand how human beta cells are lost in T1D, and to find innovative strategies to protect and replace functional beta cell mass in humans. In order to maximize scientific exchange and accelerate research in that field, it is expected that all information, data, biomaterials, models, protocols, reagents, resources and methods developed by CHIB investigators will be shared not only within CHIB, but with other HIRN investigators, and with the research community.
The NIDDK Human Islet Research Network (HIRN)
Starting in 2014, and through a series of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), NIDDK will establish a new team science program, the Human Islet Research Network (HIRN), to help organize and support collaborative translational research related to the loss of functional beta cell mass in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). HIRN will be jointly supported by NIDDK and the Type 1 Diabetes special funding program, and its overall mission will be to better understand how human beta cells are lost in T1D, and to find innovative strategies to protect or replace functional beta cell mass in diabetic patients. This program will be configured as a modular network of small research consortia, each defined by a specific set of research priorities. The network structure will help to facilitate interactions between small communities of investigators organized around common biological and/or technological challenges, with the overall goal of developing innovative strategies for the treatment, prevention and monitoring of T1D.
HIRN will be initiated through issuance of six related funding opportunity announcements, and will use a Cooperative Agreement funding mechanism. Two complementary initiatives will provide the administrative structure needed to support HIRN activities through the creation of an Administrative Hub (HIRN-AH) composed of a Coordinating Center (HIRN-CC; RFA-DK-13-013) and a Bioinformatics Center (HIRN-BC; RFA-DK-13-014). Four independent research initiatives will invite four founding consortia, each supporting investigator-initiated projects in the following areas: Targeting and Regeneration (CTAR; RFA-DK-13-015), Human Islet Biomimetics (CHIB; RFA-DK-13-016), Modeling Autoimmune Interactions (CMAI; RFA-DK-13-017) and Beta Cell Death and Survival (CBDS; RFA-DK-13-018).
All HIRN research initiatives will put a strong emphasis on human disease biology, the use of human cells and tissues, and the development of reagents, tools and disease-modeling platforms that can help further our understanding of the human disease process, or lead to innovative treatment strategies for patients with severely depleted beta cell mass. Beyond the set of six founding FOAs issued in 2014, it is anticipated that future HIRN initiatives will be issued in the future years, contingent on availability of funds, to support the evolution of the program over time, and in response to emerging scientific and technological advances.
Consortium on Human Islet Biomimetics (HIRN-CHIB)
Investigators have made great strides in recent years in generating human pancreatic progenitors in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells. The transplantation of human pancreatic progenitor cells derived from hESCs/iPSCs into a variety of NOD-SCID mouse models can lead to the formation of islet-like tissues containing beta cells with characteristics that are nearly identical to native human beta cells. However, these transplantation studies have limitations; they are slow and costly, and they may not predict responses in humans, accurately. The efficient generation of fully functional, appropriately, glucose-responsive insulin secreting beta-like cells, in vitro, remains elusive. One reason for the lack of success may be that the microenvironment of the islet is critical to the maturation and maintenance of human beta cells, in vitro. While at least one human beta cell line has been generated and human endodermal progenitor lines capable of differentiation into insulin-producing cells have been reported, these cells are difficult to grow under conventional 2D culture conditions. To date, maintenance of a mature adult human beta cell phenotype for long periods of time, in culture, has not been achieved using cells derived from human cadaveric islets. The use of human cell sources grown on an appropriately engineered platform that recapitulates the microenvironment of the islet, might support the maturation of islet cells, and better mimic the complex structure and physiology of a human islet, features that are likely critical for pancreatic beta cell health, in vitro.
The derivation of a bioengineered human islet that can mimic many of the features of a functional pancreatic islet, in conjunction with sensitive, quantitative assays of adult islet function, is the grand challenge of this initiative. Applications should address two major challenges in the field: 1) Derivation of an engineered platform that supports the maturation of islet-like structures from human pancreatic progenitor cells or 2) Maintenance of a mature and functional adult human beta cell phenotype for long periods of time in culture. Applications unresponsive to this FOA are those developing 3D tissues for transplantation, engineering non-human tissue models or developing simple 2D or 3D models that do not go significantly beyond those currently available and in use. Evidence of success in developing a human biomimetic system for at least one other organ/tissue is required.
If successful, human islet biomimetic systems could be used for 1) mechanistic studies of human beta cell maturation, replication, reprogramming, failure and survival, 2) the development of cell-based, in vitro models of human diabetes, including MODY, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and 3) testing efficacy and toxicity of new therapeutics for diabetes. Once a human islet biomimetic system is created, the next challenge will be to develop an integrated microsystem platform that can incorporate several different modular biomimetic systems. These integrated microsystems should recapitulate the complex physiology and biology of the human body including vascularization and innervation, as well as hormonal, humoral and immunological signaling, actively being pursued by awardees from RFA-RM-11-022 Integrated Microphysiological Systems for Drug Efficacy and Toxicity Testing in Human Health and Disease (UH2/UH3) , and RFA-RM-12-001 Stem/Progenitor Cell-Derived Human Micro-organs and -tissues (U18).
Applicants are invited to participate in a coordinated research effort focused on human islet biology. Work will combine advances in beta cell biology, and stem cell biology, with the technological opportunities in tissue engineering related to materials science, microfabrication, and microfluidics technologies that have led to the generation of microdevices that support aspects of functional, living organs.
Applications should be multidisciplinary and propose teams with expertise in human stem cell biology, beta cell biology, diabetes, microfluidics, and microengineering. Several components will need to be considered in assembling a team, including the choice of an appropriate human cellular source. The human cellular source should be renewable; however, some of the initial development could use a non-renewable source such as cadaveric human islets. Applications should include the fabrication of the microengineered device, and well as the development of assays for assessing beta cell maturation and function, in vitro.
Research of interest includes the areas described above and the examples listed below. These are examples only and are not intended to be limiting.
All methods, reagents, resources, biomaterials (including cells or cell lines), protocols, data and models developed by CHIB investigators are expected to be made available to the research community. Because the individual UC4 projects will be coordinated through CHIB, the timeline and processes for sharing within CHIB and with the community at large will be established by the CHIB NIDDK Project Scientist or the CHIB PD(s)/PI(s). All participants will be expected to adhere to these policies as a term of the award, consistent with achieving the goals of the program. Policy documents for CHIB will be accessible on the HIRN website.
MEETINGS OF CHIB AND HIRN
Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) of CHIB must participate in an initial in-person HIRN meeting soon after awards are made, in the annual HIRN Investigator Scientific Retreat, as well as in CHIB teleconference meetings to be held at least biannually thereafter. All participants will be obligated to abide by the policies adopted by the majority vote of the CHIB Steering Committee. In the application, research project budget requests must include costs for the PD/PI and up to two other members of the individual project to attend both the initial in-person HIRN meeting and the annual HIRN Investigator's Scientific Retreat. The annual HIRN Investigator Scientific Retreat will last 2-3 days. All CHIB teleconferences will be organized and administered by the HIRN CC to coordinate the research projects to be conducted by the research grantees. Note that the CC will support costs of all CHIB and HIRN-related meetings except for costs for research project investigators to travel and attend the meetings.
Funding Instrument |
Cooperative Agreement: A support mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities. |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
NIDDK intends to commit $9 million to fund 2-4 awards in FY 2014. |
Award Budget |
Application budgets are limited to $1.2 million per year in direct costs. This limit is inclusive of any direct and F&A costs associated with consortium or subcontract arrangements. |
Award Project Period |
The maximum project period is five 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
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.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization’s eRA Commons account. 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.
NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:
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, 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:
The letter of intent, preferably electronically, should be sent to:
Francisco Calvo, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Room 752, MSC 5452
Bethesda, MD 20892-5450
Telephone: 301-480-8897
Email: [email protected]
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
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.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.The Biographical Sketch must include a Personal Statement that addresses experience that makes the investigator particularly well-suited for their role. For this FOA, this statement must address past collaborative interactions leading to research progress as evidence of the ability to participate in a consortium with shared and collaborative research projects and objectives.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
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:
The applications sought in this FOA will propose to develop an in vitro microsystem that could be used for understanding human beta cell maturation, replication, reprogramming, failure, and survival, the development of cell-based models of human diabetes, and testing the efficacy and toxicity of new therapeutics for diabetes. To fully assess the potential of the applicant to address the research questions, additional submission requirements and information are requested to be included in the application.
Research Strategy: The application should include clear milestones and expected deliverables or outcomes relevant to the goals of this FOA for each year of the project. The Research Strategy section of the Research Plan is should include clear benchmarks or milestones of progress that will be reviewed by NIH as part of the non-competing award process.
The guiding principle of milestone-driven research is to remain focused on a well-defined goal, thus achieving that goal with greatest efficiency. The use of milestones provides clear indicators of a project's continued success or emergent difficulties. Milestones are different from specific aims. The milestones must provide objective and quantitative outcomes by which to justify advancing the project. The application must include a strong rationale for the choice of cell source, microsystem parameters, functional readouts, and quantitative go/no-go decisions to be made by those involved in the project, based upon accepted practices in the specific field. Once an application is funded, the milestones will be used to evaluate progress as part of the non-competing award process.
The Research Strategy sections should also include sections succinctly addressing: 1) How the islet biomimetic developed during the UC4 period will contribute to the overall goals of HIRN, and 2) Plans for regular meetings of CHIB involving key personnel and/or other appropriate researchers involved in the project.
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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:
NIH policy expects that grant recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication.
Applicants should discuss the following:
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.
Since these awards will be issued with a 5-year budget and project period from the same fiscal year, the grantee will not have any authority for an automatic extension nor will one be permitted with NIH prior approval. Funds will not be available for expenditure beyond September 30th of the 5th fiscal year after the period of availability. Thus, extensions of the budget/project period will not be allowed.
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.
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 by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by NIDDK, 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-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.
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(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? Do PD(s)/PI(s) provide evidence of experience working productively in collaborative environments? Do PD(s)/PI(s) provide documented evidence of experience sharing data and reagents with the research community?
Innovation
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Approach
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses
well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success
presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the
strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of
human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members
of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms
of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
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.
Collaborative Research Opportunities:
Does the project present an opportunity for research that would be enhanced by consortium interaction, collaboration and expertise?
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 Guidelines
for the Review of Human Subjects.
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 Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.
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
Not Applicable
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 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 NIDDK, 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:
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 Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council (NDDKAC). 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, SAM
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.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable OMB administrative guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other HHS PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement UC4, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and the NIH as defined below.
The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:
NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:
Areas of Joint Responsibility include:
Through the Awardee(s) and NIH staff, CHIB will cooperatively develop and implement processes to submit information and data to the HIRN-AH, determine criteria and processes for quality control of information and data to be posted for the research community, refine scientific objectives, and implement research advances to facilitate the goals of the study, consistent with NIH policies and achieving the goals of the program as described in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
There will be an initial face-to-face meeting of HIRN and a minimum of 2 CHIB meetings (teleconferences or face-to face meetings) annually. One of these bi-annual meetings could be combined with the annual HIRN Investigator Scientific Retreat. Awardee(s), the CHIB Project Scientist, and the CHIB Program Official are expected to attend these meetings. A team will be established through this program to enable multiple, but coordinated, approaches to advance this area of research. If a single award is made, then CHIB will be governed by the PI and the NIH Project Scientist.
Steering Committee
If multiple UC4s are funded, then CHIB Awardees agree to the governance of the study through a Steering Committee.
HIRN Trans-Network Committee (HIRN-TNC)
The HIRN-TNC will consist of: the PI/PD of the HIRN CC, the PI/PD of the HIRN BC, and the Steering Committee Chairs and Project Scientists of the HIRN scientific topic consortia (CHIB, CTAR, CMAI, and CBDS); the TNC is not a governing body and does not cast votes.
Expert Scientific Panel (ESP)
An independent panel of 2-5 External Experts will be appointed by the NIDDK and meet by teleconference with the CHIB Project Scientist and the CHIB Project Officer at least once a year. The CHIB-ESP will be updated on progress and give feedback to the CHIB PI/PD, Steering Committee and NIH on adjustments and future directions for the CHIB research projects(s). On an annual basis, and following input from the ESP members, NIDDK staff will appoint an ESP Chair who will be required to attend the annual HIRN Investigator Scientific Retreat, to participate in the CHIB Steering Committee meetings as ex-officio, and to serve as the CHIB-ESP representative to the larger HIRN-ESP that will also meet once a year. The CHIB-ESP Chair will be tasked with relaying the CHIB Steering Committee recommendations for new Opportunity Funds Initiatives to the HIRN ESP. All CHIB-ESP members will also be invited to listen as ex-officio to CHIB Steering Committee meetings. Members of CHIB-ESP may be asked, on an ad hoc basis, in the peer review of applications for new research applications that request opportunity pool funds. The HIRN-CC will support costs for teleconferences between the ESP and the CHIB Steering Committee, will arrange CHIB-ESP and HIRN-ESP teleconferences, maintain a record of minutes, and support costs for the CHIB-ESP chair to participate in the annual HIRN Investigator Scientific Retreat.
Dispute Resolution
Disagreements that may arise in scientific/technical matter or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between award recipients and the NIDDK may be brought to arbitration after first attempting to resolve the issue through the Steering Committee or its subcommittees, as appropriate. An Arbitration Panel composed of three members will be convened. It will have three members: a designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual awardee. This special dispute resolution procedures in no way affect the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action in accordance with PHS regulations at 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D, and HHS regulations at 45 CFR Part 16.
Progress reports for multi-year funded awards are due annually on or before the anniversary of the budget/project period start date of award. The reporting period for multi-year funded award progress report is the calendar year preceding the anniversary date of the award. Information on the content of the progress report and instructions on how to submit the report are posted at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/myf.htm.
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 Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding 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)
Web ticketing system: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonshelp
TTY: 301-451-5939
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)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
Sheryl M. Sato, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-8811
Email: [email protected]
Francisco O. Calvo, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone 301-594-8897
Email: [email protected]
Craig E. Bagdon, MPA
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-2115
Email: [email protected]
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.
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