and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of
Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Human Genome
Research Institute (NHGRI), (http://www.genome.gov)
Title: Technology Development for the Comprehensive Determination
of Functional Elements in Eukaryotic Genomes (R01)
Announcement Type
This is a reissuance of RFA-HG-04-001,
which was previously released January 6, 2004, and is now being issued as two
RFAs, this one for the R01 grant mechanism and a second one for the R21 grant
mechanism (RFA-HG-07-028).
Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-HG-07-029
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.172
Key Dates
Release Date: August
4, 2006
Letters of Intent
Receipt Date(s): October 30, 2006
Application Receipt
Date(s): November
28, 2006
Peer Review Date(s): March 2007
Council Review Date(s): May 21-22, 2007
Earliest Anticipated
Start Date(s): June
1, 2007
Additional Information
To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: November 29, 2006
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
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 and Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of
Intent
B. Sending an Application to
the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review
Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award
Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
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 FOA is to solicit applications to develop new and improved technologies for the efficient, comprehensive and high-throughput identification and validation of all types of sequence-based functional elements in eukaryotic genomes. This FOA will use the R01 grant mechanism and is being issued in conjunction with an FOA of identical scientific scope, RFA-HG-07-028, that solicits applications under the Exploratory/Developmental (R21) grant mechanism. This technology development effort is a continuing component of the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) Project, which has the long-term goal of identifying all of the functional elements in the human genome (http://www.genome.gov/ENCODE).
Background
In April 2003, the sequence of the human genome was essentially completed. For the scientific community to make the best use of that fundamental information resource, the identity and precise location of all sequence-based functional elements in the genome must be determined. While many of the protein-coding sequences are already known, many others remain to be identified. Beyond open reading frames, most other sequence-based functional elements, such as non-protein-coding genes, transcriptional regulatory elements and determinants of chromosome structure and function, remain largely unknown. A comprehensive encyclopedia of all of these features is needed to fully utilize the sequence of the human genome to better understand human biology, to predict potential disease risks, and to stimulate the development of new therapies and other interventions for preventing and treating disease.
Among the primary reasons for the success of the Human Genome Project have been the development and use of high-throughput strategies for data generation along with the placement of the data immediately in the public domain. Most of the sequence data, the underlying maps and the sequence assemblies were generated through the use of large-scale automated processes. Over the past few years, methods such as sequence analysis of whole genomes, DNA microarray technology and mass spectrometry have been used as high-throughput approaches for additional types of genomic analyses, such as determining the parameters of gene expression and of the location of gene products by the thousands at a time instead of individually. High-throughput methods to determine the location of cis-regulatory elements and, to a lesser extent, other sequence elements, have more recently been developed. However, at present, there is no single approach or compilation of approaches that can accurately and efficiently identify every sequence feature in genomic DNA.
To address this need, in 2003 the NHGRI initiated the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project, the goal of which is to comprehensively identify sequence-based functional elements in the human genome sequence. The ENCODE Project started with two components. The first was a pilot in which available methods for the identification of functional sequence elements were to be tested and compared in a defined one percent (30 Mb) of human genomic DNA. The projects that composed this pilot have used established technologies for the comprehensive identification of coding sequences, transcriptional units, transcriptional control elements, chromatin modifications and certain chromosomal features such as origins of replication and DNase hypersensitive sites. The second component of the ENCODE Project addressed the need for new or better technologies to identify these and other sequence-encoded functional elements on a genome-wide scale. (For a list of current participants in ENCODE, see http://www.genome.gov/12513391)
The pilot project has been successful in bringing together disparate groups to work together in a highly collaborative and synergistic consortium. The ENCODE Consortium participants have developed and agreed to abide by a common data release policy that requires rapid data release, and they are developing common quantitative data standards for each technology being employed in the pilot project. Consortium members are generating data using common cell lines, and where relevant, using a common set of DNA binding factors, and all data are being made available in appropriate public databases (http://www.genome.gov/encode/#4). Five analysis groups within the Consortium have focused on different aspects of the project to assemble and analyze data that have been generated. These analyses, which will be published within the next year, are revealing interesting scientific discoveries as well as enabling NHGRI to identify strengths and gaps in our knowledge about how these approaches could be scaled to analyze the complete human genome.
These accomplishments have let NHGRI to continue to pursue the goal of the ENCODE Project to interpret genomic sequence information. As the initial phase of the ENCODE Project will be completed in September 2007, a new FOA will be issued to solicit applications for research projects to continue the ENCODE-based analysis of the human genome sequence. The continuation will include efforts that propose to scale, to the entire human genome, those methods that have been demonstrated to identify sequence-based functional elements efficiently, comprehensively, cost-effectively, and in a reasonable time frame, as well as efforts that propose to continue to analyze the current ENCODE target regions in new and interesting ways. In parallel, NHGRI is also implementing an ENCODE-based analysis of the genome sequences of selected model organisms. This effort is termed modENCODE, and it will be funded in Spring 2007 through grants submitted in response to RFA-HG-06-006. The modENCODE Project will exploit the experimental advantages of working with the genome(s) of one (or more) well-studied model organism(s) both to identify sequence-based functional elements and to promote an understanding of the functional elements on the basis of experiments that might not be possible to do for those working with the human genome.
The second component of the ENCODE Project, which has supported the development of new or improved methods for finding sequence-based functional elements, has also progressed well. New and improved methods are being developed to more precisely define gene structures, including their boundaries, to map DNA-binding sites, to localize sites of DNA methylation, to identify areas of chromatin that are accessible to chemical cleavage and to map chromosomal regions that interact in vivo. Some of these have been developed to the point where they are now being applied to the full set of ENCODE regions.
Despite this progress, NHGRI recognizes the continued need for novel, efficient and cost-effective ways to discover and verify functional elements on a genomic scale. This RFA (HG-07-029), which will support R01 research, as well as its companion FOA (RFA-HG-07-028) which will support R21 Exploratory/Developmental grants, are reissuances of the two previous technology development FOAs (RFA-HG-03-004 and RFA-HG-04-001), which addressed the development of technologies to identify poorly characterized or previously unknown elements. In addition to continued interest in such technologies, NHGRI is also interested in the development of methods to identify functional elements in repetitive sequences, and to validate the identity of functional elements using methods that are independent of the primary mode of detection. The goal of these FOAs is to develop a new generation of methods to define functional elements in genomes of both human and model organisms. Thus, NHGRI will support the development of new approaches to identify sequence-based functional elements in the genomes of model organisms even if such methods are not directly applicable to identifying features in the human genome.
Research Scope
At full scale, the ENCODE Project will apply a set of high-throughput assays to scan the entire human genome for all types of sequence-encoded functional elements. However, many types of functional elements cannot currently be studied at such large scale, or even at smaller scale, because of the lack of effective, practical high-throughput methods. The purpose of this FOA is to continue to stimulate the development of novel technologies and expand the available tool box of methods that will comprehensively identify sequence-based functional elements in eukaryotic genomes in a high-throughput manner. The FOA seeks applications for research projects to develop efficient technologies (both experimental and computational) for, but not limited to, the following areas:
To address the challenge of developing a comprehensive catalog of functional elements, which will include those active in different cell types, methods that use a small sample size, enabling work on individual cell types, will also be needed. In addition, new, high-throughput methods are needed to validate, through the use of completely independent means of data ascertainment, the functional elements being identified by existing high-throughput methods.
These few examples are illustrative and should not be considered to be limiting in any way. Novel and innovative technologies to achieve high-throughput, large-scale analyses (i.e., applicable to an entire genome) of any type of sequence-encoded functional elements or to increase throughput of validation assays are sought.
The "process" of technology development can be considered to span a spectrum of stages. Initially, it involves the development of an entirely new methodology (or the significant improvement of an existing methodology) to the point of proof of principle. The method must then be reduced to practice. For such a new method to have a significant impact for genomic studies, it also must be shown that it can be used efficiently on a large-scale, or genomic, basis, which may require a further round of technology development effort. This RFA is intended to solicit applications that address any of these phases of technology development, with an emphasis on the development of completely novel techniques for identifying sequence-based functional elements, especially heretofore uncharacterized elements, rather than on the incremental improvement of existing methods.
Although the long-term goal of the ENCODE Project is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the human genome sequence, and the long-term goal of the modENCODE Project is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the genomic sequence of one or more selected model organisms, this FOA is open to projects that employ any eukaryotic organism. Technology development in other organisms can aid in the identification of functional elements in two ways. The technologies may be applicable to the human, or another, genome, or may provide biological insights into functional elements that could not be determined from experiments in the human. The applicability of the proposed technology to an organism other than the one that is the focus of the research proposal is not a requirement of this FOA. However, applicants should address the issue of the generality of application of the technology, if appropriate.
An important feature of any newly-developed technology will be the ease with which it can be exported into other laboratories, or in other ways made readily accessible to investigators. The issue of access, or technology transfer, should be specifically discussed in the grant application.
The development of computational methods for the study of genomic function is encouraged under this solicitation. However, computational methods that incrementally improve on current technologies are not being sought. Any software developed under this FOA should be freely available to other biomedical researchers in the non-profit sector.
Since the technologies to be developed under this FOA are specifically intended for whole genome analysis, applications proposing to analyze a particular gene, gene product or non-coding functional element will not be considered to be responsive.
As the work funded under this FOA progresses, the principal investigators will be encouraged to interact with other participants in the other components of the ENCODE or modENCODE Projects. If work supported under this FOA results in the generation of data pertaining to the complete set of target regions of the ENCODE or modENCODE Projects, the principal investigator may be invited to join the ENCODE or modENCODE Consortiums (see http://www.genome.gov/10005107 for a description of the ENCODE Consortium). Among other requirements, this would involve sharing of the data with the members of the relevant Consortium, as participation involves concurrence with a specific data release policy (see http://www.genome.gov/12513440 for a detailed description of that policy). Applicants to RFA-HG-07-029 may wish to address their approach to data release in their proposal.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal
Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
Section
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This funding opportunity
will use the R01 award mechanism(s).
As an applicant, you
will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed
project.
This funding opportunity
uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular as well as the non-modular
budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).
Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each
year of $250,000 or less, use the modular budget format described in the PHS
398 application instructions. Otherwise follow the instructions for non-modular
research grant applications.
2. Funds Available
The NHGRI intends to commit
approximately $2
million dollars in FY 2007 to fund 6-10 new and/or competing
continuation grants in response to this FOA (RFA-HG-07-029) and its companion RFA-HG-07-028. An applicant may request a
project period of up to 3 years and a budget for direct costs up to $350,000 dollars per year. The earliest anticipated start
date for awards is June 1, 2007.
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.
Section
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit (an)
application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics:
1.B.
Eligible Individuals
Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed research is invited to work with their 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.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
The most current Grants Policy Statement can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Applicants may
submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically
distinct.
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 on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box
must be checked.
Foreign Organizations
Several special provisions apply to applications
submitted by foreign organizations:
Proposed research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.
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(s): October 30,
2006
Application
Receipt Date(s): November 28,
2006
Peer Review Date(s): March 2007
Council Review
Date(s): May 21-22, 2007
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date(s): June 1, 2007
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
at the beginning of this document.
The letter of intent
should be sent to:
Elise Feingold, PhD
Program Director, Genome Analysis
Division of Extramural Research
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Suite 4076, MSC 9305
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 (U.S Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 496-7531
FAX:
(301) 480-2770
Email: [email protected]
3.B.
Sending an Application to the NIH
Applications must be
prepared using the research grant applications 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:
Rudy Pozzatti, PhD
Scientific Review Administrator
Scientific Review Branch
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Ste. 4076, MSC 9306
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 (U.S Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 402-0838
FAX: (301) 435-1580
Email: [email protected]
Using the RFA Label: The RFA label available in
the PHS 398 application instructions must be affixed to the bottom of the face
page of the application. Type the RFA number on the label. Failure to use this
label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may
not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA title
and number must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and
the YES box must be marked. The RFA label is also available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/labels.pdf.
3.C. Application
Processing
Applications must be received on or before the
application receipt date(s) described above (Section IV.3.A.).
If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the
applicant without review. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for
completeness by the CSR and responsiveness by the NHGRI. Incomplete and 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 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
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 competing continuation award if
such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and 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 competing continuation 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
Specific
Instructions for Modular Grant applications.
Applications requesting
up to $250,000 per year in direct costs must be submitted in a modular budget format.
The modular budget format simplifies the preparation of the budget in these
applications by limiting the level of budgetary detail. Applicants request
direct costs in $25,000 modules. Section C of the research grant application
instructions for the PHS 398 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html includes step-by-step guidance for preparing modular budgets. Applicants must
use the currently approved version of the PHS 398. Additional information on
modular budgets is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
Plan for Sharing Research
Data
The precise content of
the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being collected and how
the investigator is planning to share the data. Applicants who are planning to
share data may wish to describe briefly the expected schedule for data sharing,
the format of the final dataset, the documentation to be provided, whether or
not any analytic tools also will be provided, whether or not a data-sharing
agreement will be required and, if so, a brief description of such an agreement
(including the criteria for deciding who can receive the data and whether or
not any conditions will be placed on their use), and the mode of data sharing
(e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a disk or posting data on their
institutional or personal website, through a data archive or enclave).
Investigators choosing to share under their own auspices may wish to enter into
a data-sharing agreement. References to data sharing may also be appropriate in
other sections of the application.
The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the
rationale for not sharing research data may be assessed by the reviewers.
However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the
determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
Sharing Research
Resources
NIH policy requires that
grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for
research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community
after publication (NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for
sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be
shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any
related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding
organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The
effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the
administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm).
See Section VI.3. Reporting.
Any software developed under
this RFA should be freely available to other biomedical researchers in the
non-profit sector.
Section
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria
described below will be considered in the review process.
The following will be
considered in making funding decisions:
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that are
complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NHGRI in accordance with the review
criteria stated below.
As part of the initial
merit review, all applications will:
The
goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological
systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. 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 high 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? Does the application address the
goals and objectives outlined in the RFA?
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
technical approach have the potential to be applied efficiently and
cost-effectively at large scale?
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? Does the project develop new
methods or technologies to reduce costs or increase quality or throughput?
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)?
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
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 priority score:
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 E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form
398).
Care and
Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to
be used in the project, the five items described under Section F of the PHS
Form 398 research grant application instructions 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. Sharing Research Data
Data Sharing Plan: The reasonableness of the
data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data may be
assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data
sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
The funding organization will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing
policy. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing.
2.D.
Sharing Research Resources
NIH policy requires that
grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for
research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community
after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_ii_5.htm#availofrr and
http://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide_final.html). Investigators responding to
this funding opportunity should include a sharing research resources plan
addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing
is not possible.
Program staff will be
responsible for the administrative review of the plan for sharing research
resources.
The adequacy of the
resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding
organization when making recommendations about funding applications. Program
staff may negotiate modifications of the data and resource sharing plans with
the awardee before recommending funding of an application. The final version of
the data and resource sharing plans negotiated by both will become a condition
of the award of the grant. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be
evaluated as part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3. Reporting.
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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).
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
There will be terms and
conditions on awards pertaining to data and resources release policies (where
applicable) that have been agreed upon by the applicants and the program staff.
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).
3. Reporting
Awardees will be
required to submit the PHS Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590
annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm)
and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Section
VII. Agency Contacts
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:
Elise Feingold, PhD or Peter
Good, PhD
Program Directors
Division of Extramural Research
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Ste. 4076, MSC 9305
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 (U.S Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 496-7531
FAX: (301) 480-2770
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Rudy Pozzatti, PhD
Scientific Review Administrator
Scientific Review Branch
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Ste. 4076, MSC 9306
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 (U.S Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 402-0838
FAX: (301) 435-1580
Email: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Cheryl Chick
Grants Management Officer
Division of Extramural Research
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Ste. 4076, MSC 9306
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305 (U.S Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Telephone: (301) 435-7858
FAX: ( 301) 402-1951
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).
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.
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.
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:
NIH-funded investigators
are requested to submit to the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov) at PubMed Central
(PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript upon acceptance
for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or in part with
direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as the final
version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from
the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that
authors submit manuscripts resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research
projects or 2) previously supported NIH research projects if they are accepted
for publication on or after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies
to all research grant and career development award mechanisms, cooperative
agreements, contracts, Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein
National Research Service Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies.
The Policy applies to peer-reviewed, original research publications that have
been supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not
apply to book chapters, editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings.
Publications resulting from non-NIH-supported research projects should not be
submitted.
For more information
about the Policy or the submission process please visit the NIH Public Access
Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/ and
view the Policy or other Resources and Tools including the Authors' Manual (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_Manual.htm).
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 PA 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 or Health Systems Agency review. 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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