Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Funding Opportunity Title

Global Partnerships for Social Science AIDS Research (R24)

Activity Code

R24 Resource-Related Research Projects

Announcement Type

Reissue of RFA-HD-06-007

Related Notices

None

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

RFA-HD-13-012

Companion Funding Opportunity

None

Number of Applications

See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)

93.865

Funding Opportunity Purpose

This reissued funding opportunity announcement (FOA) calls for collaborative applications between institutions in the United States, or other developed countries, and research institutions in developing countries affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The goal of this FOA is to strengthen the research infrastructure of local institutions in developing countries and provide support for a small portfolio of high impact social and/or behavioral science research on HIV/AIDS. Activities supported under this FOA should be led by local social and behavioral scientists in partnership with scientists from the United States and/or other developed countries. Research should address social and behavioral issues in the prevention, care, and/or treatment of HIV/AIDS. The research projects and enhanced research infrastructure support should be designed to foster the emergence of local scientists as recognized leaders in behavioral and social sciences research on HIV/AIDS. Allowable expenses and evaluation criteria are described in the document.

Key Dates
Posted Date

August 6, 2012

Letter of Intent Due Date

November 7, 2012

Application Due Date(s)

December 7, 2012

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Not Applicable.

Scientific Merit Review

February/March 2013

Advisory Council Review

May 2013

Earliest Start Date(s)

July 1, 2013

Expiration Date

December 8, 2012

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable.

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. While some links are provided, applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background

In 2001, the NICHD, in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and and the Fogarty International Center (FIC), initiated the Global Partnerships (RFA-HD-02-003) with the goal of strengthening social and behavioral sciences research on HIV/AIDS in African countries by supporting partnerships between African research institutions and scientists from the United States and other developed countries. Ten grants were funded, supporting research and institution-building in eight sub-Saharan countries. In response to the spreading HIV epidemic in India, China, Russia, and other countries in Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia, along with lack of solid resesarch data to inform policy, prevention, and treatment in these countries, the NICHD, in partnership with the NIMH and NIA, reissued the initiative in 2006 (RFA-HD-06-007), expanding the scope to include other countries with high HIV prevalence. Seven grants were funded in Africa, Asia and Russia.

HIV/AIDS affects entire populations with enormous and tragic consequences at the national, community, family, and individual level. AIDS-related deaths can have profound social, economic, and psychological impacts on societies. Highly productive young adults are lost. Children are orphaned and left with no sources of economic, social or psychological support. Adults, especially older adults, may be left without financial support from their children and with the additional burden of becoming caregivers for orphaned grandchildren or other relatives.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is driven primarily by behavioral and social factors. In most countries, the predominant mode of transmission is unprotected heterosexual intercourse, which can lead to an infected mother transmitting the virus to her child. In China, Russia, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, intravenous drug use is also an important mode of transmission. Women's abilities to introduce protective measures or to refuse sex with a possibly infected partner can be reduced by family systems, social norms, and lack of social and economic autonomy. In many countries, women and girls engage in high-risk sexual activities for economic reasons. Men may be prompted to engage in risky behaviors in response to ideas about appropriate masculine behaviors.

Prevention is critical for slowing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but, in many countries, implementation of effective prevention strategies remains slow and many barriers remain. In resource-poor environments, the costs of prevention programs must be weighed against the costs of providing treatment to already infected individuals. In some places, methods must be developed to address the conflict between the desire for children and the desire to protect oneself against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Lack of scientific evidence can contribute to ineffectiveness among school- and community-based sex education and HIV prevention programs. Lack of local access and gaps in provider knowledge can hinder acceptance of and adherence to available biomedical interventions, such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and treatment.

The design, implementation, and evaluation of effective, realistic, and sustainable local solutions to the HIV/AIDS epidemic depend on scientific research that uncovers the social, cultural, and behavioral patterns underlying the epidemic at the local level. Research is also needed on the societal impacts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including how the social and economic impacts, combined with the demographic changes caused by the increase in mortality rates, affect the welfare of individuals and households.  Developing and strengthening research infrastructure and capacity in the behavioral and social sciences at the local level will facilitate these research efforts.

Research Objectives

This FOA calls for the formation of partnerships between U.S. (or other developed country)  and non-U.S. scientists for the purpose of strengthening of the behavioral and social science research capability and capacity of investigator(s), research team(s), and/or institution(s) in developing countries affected by the HIV epidemic. Awards will provide a centered, focal point for such studies. 

Applications will be accepted for work in any country in Asia, Africa, Latin America or Central/Eastern Europe that reports HIV prevalence higher than 1 percent of the adult population (aged 15-49) for the country overall or in specific geographic or population areas. Successful applications will propose projects to: (1)  develop research infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of institutions and investigators to conduct HIV/AIDS social and behavioral science research; (2) study social and behavioral science questions related to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in their local environments; (3) establish and/or enhance collaborative linkages among local in-country investigators including biomedical and social/behavioral scientists, public health officials, and health care providers.

Research funded through this FOA must acknowledge and support existing efforts in the target country to develop and implement strategic plans addressing local HIV/AIDS-related challenges, including efforts at the national, regional, and/or community level. Research priorities and goals are expected to differ, depending on the country, region, and population groups that are the focus of the research proposed.

This FOA will support applications proposing to provide two components of research infrastructure: An Infrastructure Core and a Research Project Development Component. Each must enhance the local institution s capacity to engage in social and behavioral science research on HIV/AIDS. Resources provided through this FOA may not be used to offset any research infrastructure already provided by the applicant institution, although they may be used to supplement such structures if appropriately justified. Access to research infrastructure supported by this FOA may not be limited to a single research project or research team.

Infrastructure Core

For the purposes of this FOA, infrastructure development and capacity-strengthening refer to the enhancement of research resources that researchers need to pursue independent research and to compete successfully for research funding.   These resources include, but are not limited to, research administration, providing support for developing grant applications and managing grants; computing assistance, providing equipment and/or services; methodological support; training; ethics review; data storage; management information exchange; and the dissemination of findings. The behavioral and social sciences include, but are not limited to, anthropology, demography, economics, psychology, sociology and  social work.

Funds should be used to strengthen the research infrastructure of institutions and enhance the capability of local investigators to undertake rigorous behavioral and social science research on HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in local populations.  Funds are to support enhancement of the competitiveness of institutions, organizations, and scientists in future efforts to obtain other research support.  The research projects and enhanced research infrastructure support should be designed to foster the emergence of local scientists as recognized leaders in behavioral and social sciences research on HIV/AIDS. All infrastructure development and capacity-strengthening requests must demonstrably relate to the stated goals of the research program.

Research Project Development

The application must propose support for a portfolio of relevant and innovative developmental research projects (seed projects). Taken together, the proposed projects should be designed to increase the scientific scope and productivity of the center's research and researchers. The proposed projects should contribute to the knowledge base required to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic locally. Examples include, but are not limited to: seed grant programs, and support to enhance research capacity and/or the development and testing of new measures or methodology. The proposed research projects may address basic scientific questions or the application of basic knowledge to interventions. All proposed projects must address one or more aspects of behavioral, cultural, social, economic, biosocial and/or psychosocial factors in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and/or outcomes. The proposed projects should be designed to take advantage of the support provided by the Infrastructure Core and capacity-building activities, such as training in computer-assisted interviewing, survey research design and management, interpretation of data from qualitative interviews, or the conduct of focus groups. The proposed projects must be conducted under the leadership and control of local social and behavioral scientists in collaboration with and mentoring from, scientists from the partnered institution in the United States and/or other developed countries. Developmental research projects supported through this FOA should have the potential to be developed into proposals for larger-scale research projects that are competitive for funding by NIH or other funding sources.

Research Scope

Illustrative examples of research topics that might be funded through this process include but are not limited to:

Section II. Award Information
Funding Instrument

Grant

Application Types Allowed

New
Renewal

The OER Glossary and the PHS398 Application Guide provide details on these application types.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

NICHD intends to commit 1,000,000 dollars in FY 2013. The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

Award Budget

Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect actual needs of the proposed project.

Award Project Period

The total project period for an application submitted in response to this FOA may not exceed 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.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

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

Foreign Institutions

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

Required Registrations

Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the PHS398 Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.

All Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.

All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least4-6 weeks prior to the application due date.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s))

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 PD(s)/PI(s), visit the Multiple Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the PHS398 Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

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

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

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

NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.

Other Special Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applications must propose support for research and research infrastructure support in a country or countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America or Central/Eastern Europe and that report HIV prevalence higher than 1 percent of the adult population (aged 15-49) for the country overall or in specific geographic or population areas. Applications not meeting this eligibility criterion will not be reviewed.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants are required to prepare applications according to the current PHS 398 application forms in accordance with the PHS 398 Application Guide.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

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

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Susan Newcomer, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8B7G
Bethesda, MD 20852
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Telephone: 301-435-6981
Email: newcomes@mail.nih.gov

Application Submission

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application forms and instructions for preparing a research grant application. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three signed photocopies in one package to:

Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)

At the time of submission, two additional paper copies of the application and all copies of the Appendix files must be sent to:

Sherry Dupere, PhD
Director, Division of Scientific Review
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5B01, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Telephone: 301-496-3415
Email: duperes@mail.nih.gov

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the PHS398 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following modifications:

Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period

The proposed PD/PI, who may either be at a U.S. institution or at the foreign institution, must commit to spending at least 3 person-months (25 percent) effort annually on the award over the entire period of support, with a significant proportion of that effort expended in-country engaged in project implementation and oversight of the appropriate use of resources on the project. 

The Research Project Development component of the grant (seed grants) may not exceed 30 percent of the total costs. At least one half of the requested direct costs must be spent in the foreign country. This does NOT include travel to and from the U.S.

The budget must include travel for U.S. and Foreign PD(s)/PI(s) to a central location to be determined for meetings in the 03 year of the project.

Research Plan

All instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Research Strategy

Infrastructure Core (30 pages)

The application must explain how the governance, organizational, and advisory structure contribute to the probability of success for the project. The application must describe the qualifications of the PD(s)/PI(s) and other key personnel with responsibility for management, including their relevant experiences, accomplishments, and expertise. Note if the project involves collaboration with any other organization or institution. Describe the space and physical resources available.

The application should include a description of any relevant linkages that are to be developed or strengthened among the researchers and the local research infrastructure, including IRBs, extant offices of sponsored research and/or social and behavioral science researchers in other parts of the submitting institution(s). An example might be enhancement of research collaboration between medical schools and departments or schools of social and behavioral science. A detailed plan for sustaining the enhancements to be supported through this grant, preferably with a written commitment from the research institution(s) verifying their interest and capacity to maintain the enhanced social and behavioral research organization is strongly suggested.

Each application must address the following items and include a timeline and discussion of administrative integration: 

Research Project Development Component (12 Pages)

The goal of this FOA is to strengthen the capacity of social and behavioral science researchers in the institution and its affiliates to conduct locally relevant studies of HIV issues by providing necessary research infrastructure as described above. Demonstration of this increased capacity will be through the design, development, evaluation and publication of small (seed) projects funded through the center. The application must explain how these small projects will be selected for funding. While the application may, it need not outline the substance of such projects as part of this section.

The application must describe the eligibility for, and allocation of, such services as necessary to conduct small projects. This description must include: (1) priorities for allocating funds; (2) eligible applicants, (3) procedures for reviewing applications,(4) requirements for leveraging funds or preparing research applications to continue or expand the research project, (5) mentoring/monitoring arrangements (6) requirements for other support for the projects from the parent institution or other funding sources and (7) plans for dissemination of research findings through publication and/or policy briefings.

Resource Sharing Plan

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the PHS398 Application Guide, with the following modification:

Appendix

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix (please note all format requirements) as described in the PHS398 Application Guide.

Foreign Institutions

Foreign (non-US) Institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the PHS398 Application Guide.

3. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. 

Information on the process of receipt and determining if your application is considered on-time is described in detail in the PHS398 Application Guide.

Applicants may track the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.

4. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

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.

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

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be received on or before the due dates in Part I. Overview Information. If an application is received after that date, it will not be reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by the NICHD. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

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.

Overall Impact - Overall

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

Scored Review Criteria - Overall

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?

If the plans for providing research infrastructure are successful, how will the following improve: scientific knowledge, approaches, and methods of research on social and behavioral science aspects of HIV/AIDS? How will successful implementation of the proposed research infrastructure change the application of methods and perspectives of local researchers, including biomedical researchers, to new topics in the area of the health and well-being of populations?

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(s)/PI(s), do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

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?

Is the proposed Infrastructure Support Core (administration and methods) cost effective and likely to increase the productivity of researchers? Are appropriate strategies in place to assure access to core services for junior scientists and scientists working on interdisciplinary research?

For the Research Project Development, are the proposed procedures appropriate for advancing research in terms of (1) priorities for allocating funds; (2) eligible applicants; (3) procedures for reviewing applications; (4) requirements for leveraging funds or preparing research applications to continue or expand the research project; (5) size of awards; (6) length of award periods; (7) number of awards permitted to an individual researcher; (8) mentoring arrangements; (9) support for the program from the parent institution or other funding sources; and (10) procedures for developing junior researchers and fostering interdisciplinary research projects? Are the articulations between partnering organizations well specified with responsibilities appropriately allocated?

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?

What is the level of institutional commitment as indicated by the amounts and types of resources the applicant institutions have committed to the project? Does the academic and physical environment contribute to the likelihood of success through research opportunities, space, equipment, and the potential for interaction with scientists from various departments, institutions or disciplines?

Additional Review Criteria - Overall

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

Protections for Human Subjects

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

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

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children 

When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Vertebrate Animals

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

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

Not Applicable.

Renewals

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.

Has the past research infrastructure funding been cost-effective, contributed to increased productivity among center scientists, and fostered the center’s success in developing funded research projects relevant to HIV prevention? .

Revisions

Not Applicable.

Additional Review Considerations - Overall

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

Applications from Foreign Organizations

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

Select Agent Research

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

Resource Sharing Plans

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

Budget and Period of Support

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

2. Review and Selection Process

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

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

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 and will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development (NACHHD) Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD(s)/PI(s) 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.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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

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

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

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.

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  and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable.

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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

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

Section VII. Agency Contacts

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

Application Submission Contacts

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov

eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding eRA Commons registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Susan Newcomer, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6981
Email: newcomes@mail.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Sherry Dupere, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-451-3415
Email: duperes@mail.nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Bryan Clark, MBA
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6975
Email: clarkb1@mail.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

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.

Authority and Regulations

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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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices



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