EXPIRED
sPart I Overview Information
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov)
Title: Limited
Competition for Data Sharing for Demographic Research Infrastructure Program
(U24)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of RFA-HD-03-032.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Key Dates
Release Date: October 2, 2008
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: November
3, 2008
Application Receipt Date: December
2, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): February/March 2009
Council Review Date: May
2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July
2009
Additional Information to Be Available Date (Url Activation
Date): Not applicable
Expiration Date: December 3, 2008
Additional
Overview Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Part I
Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility
Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and
Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt, Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1.
Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to
the NIH
C. Application Processing
D. Application Assignment
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements and Information
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review
Considerations
C. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement
Terms and Conditions of Award
1.
Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
2.
NIH Responsibilities
3.
Collaborative Responsibilities
4.
Arbitration Process
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information
- Required Federal Citations
Part II
- Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Purpose
The purpose of this limited competition is to, in a cost effective manner, advance population research by enhancing and expanding the use of existing demographic data sets while ensuring appropriate confidentiality and protection of the respondents in the data sets. Specifically, the Data Sharing for Demographic Research (DSDR) infrastructure program is intended to: (1) expand secure archiving of data and meta-data of interest to the demographic research community and by providing assistance on data archiving to the demography research community directly and by providing assistance on data archiving to data producers throughout the community; and (2) provide tools, training, and expertise that support access to and the effective use/analysis of these data by researchers in the demographic community.
This limited competition FOA will continue the Data Sharing for Demographic Research cooperative research infrastructure program established in 2003 by the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB) of the NICHD with several universities to anchor a formal demographic data sharing system. This cooperative program has been successful and cost-effective and the DBSB long range plan calls for its continuation.
Background
Demographic research relies on the analysis of large-scale, population-based data. Because of their nature and scale, demographic data are expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to collect and the resulting data sets are often complex, multi-level, and require considerable effort to ensure confidentiality and protect respondents. Data sharing practices that support broad and timely access to data substantially increase the value of the data and the cost-effectiveness of investments in data collection. These practices, widely espoused by the demographic research community, enable large numbers of researchers, including those outside the original data collection team, to use existing demographic data by to address a wide range of research questions.
The scientific and public health benefits of data sharing have multiplied with recent advances in theory, methods, and technology that have expanded opportunities to collect and link data from multiple levels of analysis, from different methodological approaches, and from diverse scientific fields. Demographic data are now routinely combined with health, geographic, behavioral, and qualitative data. Data collected by demographic researchers are the product of multiple methods and often include data sources more common to biologists, psychologists, geneticists, ethnologists, and geographers. The integration of biomarkers, video and audio transcripts, DNA materials, geographic and contextual data, and qualitative transcripts into the traditional demographic data sources of surveys and vital administrative records have created a remarkable infrastructure with enormous research potential.
Scientific and methodological advances have simultaneously increased the analytic and data dissemination challenges of demographic data. Neither metadata standards nor dissemination guidelines have been developed for data systems as complex as many of the systems that currently characterize demographic research. Methods for integrating and analyzing complex data of this type remain in a very small portion of the research community. A broader and more systematic distribution of these analytic methods will greatly increase the use of these complex data systems. In addition, such datasets often require a layered access system to protect the human subjects.
Finally, overall trends in both population research and data archiving and dissemination have resulted in increasingly cooperative and interactive approaches for preparing data for secondary use and safeguarding data and respondents. Technological change has allowed orderly and constant data sharing performed by a substantive cooperative rather than by a specialized archival unit. Additionally, research on data protection and confidentiality protection has begun to help guide standard practice. While the technical capabilities and scientific foundations of solid data sharing and archiving are available, a concerted effort is needed to translate current scientific recommendations into practical applications in order to increase acceptance within the research community by data collectors and users.
Developing appropriate training materials on the storage, dissemination, and use of demographic data for the staff, faculty, and students of population centers is equally important.
Objectives
This program supports dissemination and archiving of demographic data, especially large data sets collected with DBSB support, and provides tools, training, best practices, and support for the effective use of archived data. Specific goals include improving the accessibility of archived data sets by advantaging technology and/or the application of technology, by developing standards for data archiving, and by educating the demographic research community about archiving standards and effective tools and methods for accessing and analyzing archived data.
The program provides: 1) assistance to individual investigators in creating the technical capacity to share their data, 2) data dissemination once individual investigators cannot support data sharing activities on their own (for instance, when their grant ends), 3) a conduit to evolving technology for data sharing in other fields, and 4) leadership in creating cooperative practices among individual investigators, population research centers and the NICHD.
Scope
The DSDR program works to maintain existing working relationships with the investigators and research centers who are stakeholders involved in the creation of large scale, demographic studies. To date the DSDR has established a relationship with 23 independent entities. The DSDR program must continue to foster the cooperative data sharing and participation of all stakeholders, sustaining and building on the valuable relationships among data providers, data users, and funders that were established in the first phase of the project. This entails providing active data dissemination for datasets currently supported and transitioning these datasets to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) for permanent archiving once the demand for these datasets does not warrant active dissemination.
The DSDR program continues to provide consultation and assistance to project investigators in establishing a data sharing capability and/or to provide active data sharing dissemination for new datasets as they arise. This will entail maintaining the current system of decision-making cooperatively with NICHD and with input from the field so that available resources can be optimally allocated among competing tasks.
Successful applicants for the DSDR infrastructure program should continue to develop greater cooperation in the field and innovate in one or more of the following areas:
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for
policies related to this announcement.
Section
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This funding
opportunity will use the U24 award mechanism.
The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts. It also uses non-modular budget formats described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
This funding opportunity will use a cooperative agreement award mechanism. In the cooperative agreement mechanism, the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with the Principal Investigator, as described under the Section VI. 2. Administrative Requirements, "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award.
2. Funds Available
The estimated amount of funds available for support of one project awarded as a result of this announcement is $500,000 of direct cost support for fiscal year 2009. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
Because the nature
and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application,
it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although
the financial plans of the IC(s) provide support for this program, awards
pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of
funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Facilities and
administrative costs requested by consortium participants are not included in
the direct cost limitation see NOT-OD-05-004.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
Applications may
only be submitted from the incumbent grantee institution in the NICHD
program of Data Sharing for Demographic Research. The following
organizations/institutions are eligible to apply:
Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
More than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs), may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs grant is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PDs/PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. The NIH review criteria for approach, investigators, and environment have been modified to accommodate applications involving either a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs. When considering the multiple PD/PI option, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PDs/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This
program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Applicants
are not permitted to submit a resubmission application in response to this FOA.
Renewal applications will be permitted for this FOA.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address
to Request Application Information
The PHS 398 application
instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version of
the PHS 398. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301)
710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications
for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be
prepared using the most current PHS 398 research grant application instructions
and forms. Applications must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or
cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866)
705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/.
The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398
form.
The title and number of
this funding opportunity must be typed in item (box) 2 only of the face page of
the application form and the YES box must be checked.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be
received on or before the receipt date described below (Section IV.3.A).
Submission times N/A.
3.A. Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date: November 3, 2008
Application Receipt Date: December
2, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): February/March 2009
Council Review Date: May
2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July
2009
3.A.1.
Letter of Intent
Prospective
applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following
information:
Although a letter of
intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a
subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to
estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed
in Section IV.3.A.
The letter of intent should be sent to:
V.
Jeffery Evans Ph.D., J.D.
Director of
Intergenerational Research
Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB)
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD)
6100
Executive Boulevard
Room 8B07, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892
(for express
mail use Rockville MD 20852)
Telephone:
(301) 496-1176
FAX: (301)
496-0962
Email: [email protected]
3.B. Sending an
Application to the NIH
Applications
must be prepared using the forms found in the PHS 398 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)
Personal deliveries of applications are no longer
permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).
At
the time of submission, two additional copies of the application and all
copies of the appendix material must be sent to:
Robert
Stretch, Ph.D.
Director, Division of
Scientific Review
Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive
Boulevard, Room 5B01D, MSC 7510
Bethesda,
MD 20892
Rockville,
MD 20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301)
496-1485
Fax: (301) 402-4104
Email: [email protected]
3.C. Application
Processing
Applications must be received on or before the
application receipt date) described above (Section
IV.3.A.). If an application is received after that date, the application
may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed. Upon receipt,
applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CSR and for
responsiveness by the reviewing Institute Incomplete and/or non-responsive
applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application. That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.
Information on the status of an application should be checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards
are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other
considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The Grants Policy
Statement can be found at NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its
own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to
cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new or renewal award if such costs: 1) are
necessary to conduct the project, and 2) would be allowable under the grant, if
awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise
require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring
the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than
90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or
renewal award.
The incurrence
of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award
imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount
of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated
and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the
grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against
future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to
accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way
adversely affect the conduct of the project (see NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.)
6. Other Submission Requirements and Information
Research Plan Page Limitations
Items [2-5] in the application (Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies, and Research Design and Methods) should not exceed 25 pages.
Appendix Materials
All paper PHS 398 applications submitted must provide appendix material on CDs only. Include five identical CDs in the same package with the application. (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-031.html.)
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Resource Sharing Plan(s)NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value of, and advance research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this must be explained in Resource Sharing section of the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Not Applicable
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Not Applicable
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Not Applicable
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review
criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that are complete and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NICHD and in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/), using the review criteria stated below.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The
goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological
systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. The goals of
DBSB supported research are to advance our understanding of human population
processes, understanding the causes and consequences of population change and
enhance the general child health and human development mission of NICHD. In
their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the
following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research
will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these
criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score,
weighting them as appropriate for each application. Note that an application
does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major
scientific impact and thus deserve a meritorious priority score. For example,
an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is
not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.
Significance: Does this study address an important problem? If the
aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical
practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts,
methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that
drive this field? Based on the overall quality and scientific merit of existing
capabilities and proposed activities, how likely is the proposed program to
facilitate data sharing in population research? Will important scientific data
be more efficiently used within population research?
Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design,
methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and
appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge
potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to support the
number and variety of datasets that are considered vital to population
research?
Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example:
Does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an
innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the
project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or
technologies for this area? Will the project promote the adoption of innovative methods
of data sharing in population research?
Investigators: Are the investigators appropriately trained and well
suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the
experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers? Does the
investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project
(if applicable)? Do
the Principal Investigator and key support personnel have the capability and
credentials to direct and support the infrastructure and maintain high
standards of collaboration with the population research community? Do the
applicants demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively with individual
investigators, population research centers and the NICHD to achieve the goals
of the FOA?
Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work
will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies
benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject
populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of
institutional support? Taking into account the institutional context, does the
institution in which the infrastructure is housed and any cooperating
institutions demonstrate a sufficient level of resource commitment? Does the
academic and physical environment demonstrate the potential to foster the
interaction with scientists from the population research community and allied
fields?
2.A.
Additional Review Criteria:
In addition to the
above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the
determination of scientific merit and the rating:
Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human
subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in
the proposed research will be assessed (see the Research Plan section on Human
Subjects in the PHS 398 instructions).
Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to
include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and
subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects
will also be evaluated (see the Research Plan section on Human Subjects in the
PHS 398 instructions).
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to
be used in the project, the five points described in the Vertebrate Animals
section of the Research Plan will be assessed.
Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are
potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine
if the proposed protection is adequate.
2.B. Additional Review
Considerations
Budget: The reasonableness of the
proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed
research. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the
budget.
2.C. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
When relevant, reviewers will be instructed to comment on the reasonableness of the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed resource sharing plan(s) into the determination of scientific merit or priority score, unless noted otherwise in the FOA. Program staff within the IC will be responsible for monitoring the resource sharing.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award
Dates
Not Applicable
Section
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review
of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her
Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
If the application is under consideration for funding,
NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For
details, applicants may refer to the NIH
Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards,
Subpart A: General.
A
formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be
provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management
officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic
issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification
from the awarding component to the grantee business official (designated in
item 12 on the Application Face Page). If a grantee is not email enabled, a
hard copy of the NoA will be mailed to the business official.
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. See Also Section
IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and
cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of
the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II:
Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
The following Terms and Conditions will be incorporated into the award statement and will be provided to the Principal Investigator as well as to the appropriate institutional official, at the time of award.
2.A.
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 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.
2.
A.1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
The
Principal Investigator will have the primary responsibility
for: providing
infrastructure to the population research field as described in the proposal.
Awardees will retain
custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under
these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current
HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
2.
A.2. NIH Responsibilities
An
NIH Project Scientist will have substantial programmatic involvement that is
above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described
below. The NIH Project Scientist
will collaborate with the grantee to determine the efficient allocation of
infrastructure to optimize data sharing within the population research
community.
Additionally, an agency
program official or IC program director will be responsible for the normal
scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the
award notice.
2.A.3. Collaborative Responsibilities
NICHD will appoint an
advisory committee with six members to advise the project on setting program
goals and in making resource allocation decisions. The advisory committee
shall meet at least once each year.
Each full member
will have one vote. Awardee members of the Steering Committee will be required
to accept and implement policies approved by the Steering Committee.
2.A.4.
Arbitration Process
Any disagreements that
may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award)
between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to arbitration. 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
arbitration procedure in no way affects the awardee's right to appeal an
adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulations
42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulations 45 CFR Part 16.
3. Reporting
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 Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.
We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding
opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential
applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer
review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
V.
Jeffery Evans Ph.D., J.D.
Director of
Intergenerational Research
Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB)
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD)
6100
Executive Boulevard
Room 8B07, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892
(for express mail use Rockville MD 20852)
Telephone:
(301) 496-1176
FAX: (301)
496-0962
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Robert
Stretch, Ph.D.
Director,
Division of Scientific Review
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD)
6100
Executive Boulevard, Room 5B01D, MSC 7510
Bethesda,
MD 20892
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone:
(301) 496-1485
FAX:
(301) 402-4104
Email: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Susan
Parker
Grants Management Specialist
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive Boulevard
Room 8A17N, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:
(301) 435-7006
FAX: (301)
451-5510
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in
Research:
Recipients of
PHS support for activities involving live, vertebrate animals must comply with
PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human
Subjects Protection:
Federal
regulations (45CFR46) require that applications and proposals involving human
subjects must be evaluated with reference to the risks to the subjects, the
adequacy of protection against these risks, the potential benefits of the
research to the subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained
or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and
Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety
monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic
toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II);
efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should
be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring
boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving
interventions that entail potential risks to the participants (NIH Policy for
Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking
$500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a
plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators
should seek guidance from their institutions, on issues related to
institutional policies and local IRB rules, as well as local, State and Federal
laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the
data sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the
scientific merit or the priority score.
Policy
for Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association
studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and
disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this
policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic
variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic
associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the
presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of
the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to
provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the
repository is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access)
is governed by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or
Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088.
For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/
Access
to Research Data through the Freedom of Information Act:
The Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to provide access
to research data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) under some
circumstances. Data that are (1) first produced in a project that is supported
in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) cited publicly and officially by
a Federal agency in support of an action that has the force and effect of law
(i.e., a regulation) may be accessed through FOIA. It is important for
applicants to understand the basic scope of this amendment. NIH has provided
guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity in a
public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the
distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application should
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include
information about this in the budget justification section of the application.
In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed consent
statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential for wider
use of data collected under this award.
Sharing of Model
Organisms:
NIH is committed to
support efforts that encourage sharing of important research resources
including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to
elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the
application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and
distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH
funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will
permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public
funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a
cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications
where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women
And Minorities in Clinical Research:
It is the policy of the
NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations must be
included in all NIH-supported clinical research projects unless a clear and
compelling justification is provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate
with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This
policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public
Law 103-43). All investigators proposing clinical research should read the
"NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in
Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB
standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical
trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all
applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans
to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b)
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses,
as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of
Children as Participants in Clinical Research:
The NIH maintains a
policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included
in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are
scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.
All investigators
proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Policy
and Guidelines" on the inclusion of children as participants in research
involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required
Education on the Protection of Human Subject Participants:
NIH policy requires
education on the protection of human subject participants for all investigators
submitting NIH applications for research involving human subjects and
individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem
Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal
funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this
information will be returned without review.
NIH Public Access Policy Requirement:
In
accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html)
investigators must submit or have submitted for them their final, peer-reviewed
manuscripts that arise from NIH funds and are accepted for publication as of
April 7, 2008 to PubMed Central (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), to be made publicly
available no later than 12 months after publication. As of May 27, 2008,
investigators must include the PubMed Central reference number when citing an
article in NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports that fall under
the policy, and was authored or co-authored by the investigator or arose from
the investigator’s NIH award. For more information, see the Public
Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
Standards
for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information:
The Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to the
"Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health
Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The
Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually
identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS
Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of
the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR
website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/)
provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text
and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information
on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review,
funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and
research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH
Grant Applications or Appendices:
All
applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within
specified page limitations. For publications listed in the appendix and/or
Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide
any other information necessary for the review because reviewers are
under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution
reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an
Internet site.
Healthy
People 2010:
The Public
Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease
prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national
activity for setting priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the
priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People
2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and
Regulations: This
program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject
to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372. Awards
are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health
Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42
CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and
conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement
can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in
which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.
Loan
Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages
applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals
who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical,
pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas.
The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the
next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research
career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is
not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications
are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing
the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP
awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week
based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further
information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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