Full Text HL-94-015 VASCULAR DISEASE ACADEMIC AWARD NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 24, June 24, 1994 RFA: HL-94-015 P.T. 34 Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: November 30, 1994 Application Receipt Date: January 12, 1995 PURPOSE The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health announces the fourth national competition for Vascular Disease Academic Awards. These awards have the dual purpose of encouraging the development and/or improving the quality of the clinical, educational, and research programs in vascular disease and of encouraging the professional development of the awardee so that he or she can serve as the focal point for multidisciplinary interactions in the field of vascular medicine. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This Request for Applications (RFA), Vascular Disease Academic Award, is related to the priority areas of heart disease and stroke and chronic disabling diseases. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202 783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Each School of Medicine or Osteopathy in the United States and its possessions or territories is eligible to compete for a nonrenewable Vascular Disease Academic Award for a project period that does not exceed five years. An individual institution may submit one application only for a given receipt date. Institutions that have already received a Vascular Disease Academic Award may not apply for a further award. A candidate for an award must: o hold the M.D. or D.O. degree or the equivalent; o be a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence at the time of application; MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The mechanism of support for this program is the Academic/Teacher Award (K07). An applicant for a systemic or pulmonary vascular disease award may request up to $100,000 direct costs in the first year and an applicant for a combined systemic and pulmonary vascular award may request up to $125,000, with no more than a four percent increase in each additional year. For the purpose of this award, vascular medicine is defined as the clinical discipline that has as its objectives: (1) clinical characterization, (2) pathogenesis, (3) diagnosis, (4) treatment, and (5) prevention of systemic and/or pulmonary vascular disease. To be responsive to this RFA, an application must provide for a program in systemic or pulmonary vascular disease or a combined program in both systemic and pulmonary vascular disease. A systemic vascular program should include cerebral, coronary, aortic, renal, peripheral and lymphatic circulations and address such disorders as atherosclerosis, lipid metabolic disorders, hypertension, lymphedema, thrombosis, vasculitis, and vasospastic disorders. A pulmonary vascular disease program should include primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary vasculitis and pulmonary thromboembolism. Combined programs must include major time commitments of investigators from both the systemic vascular and pulmonary vascular areas. The institution must: o sponsor a candidate with sufficient clinical training, research, and teaching experience in one or more aspects of vascular medicine to develop and implement a successful vascular disease program and who has a career interest in vascular disease including improvement of educational and research programs; o provide evidence of commitment by the administration, by the Dean of the School of Medicine or Osteopathy, and by appropriate departmental and divisional chairpersons to facilitate implementation of the proposed program and to continue the vascular disease program subsequent to the award period; o provide facilities that will allow for quality patient care, rigorous vascular research, and education; o identify the educational resources (patients, staff, material) necessary to implement the proposed program; o provide the awardee with time to acquire the educational skills necessary for personal development as a teacher, and for the development of the vascular medicine curriculum; o present plans to develop or improve the vascular disease educational programs within the institution. It would be important to the development of the Vascular Disease Program that the following areas and related programs be present or planned at the institution: o strong basic and clinical research in areas relevant to vascular biology and medicine to provide better understanding of mechanisms operative in patients with vascular disease; o clinical research on how best to improve the detection and management of the high-risk patient and to prevent vascular disease; o active participation in national protocol studies in order to provide the most advanced treatment as an option for patients with vascular disease and its complications; o established core facilities that provide safe and effective monitoring for patients on new types of treatment. Such facilities could be regional or national resources; o incorporation of the concepts of this award into an ongoing fellowship training program that would facilitate rotations of trainees in other relevant areas of vascular disease; and o programs to deal with the logistic, economic, social, and behavioral aspects of vascular medicine. Qualifications of the candidate should include a research background and significant current research in some facet of vascular medicine. The applicant should have an academic appointment at a level (i.e., associate professor or higher) that will enable him/her to exert a meaningful influence on the coordination of the multidisciplinary field involved in vascular disease within the institution. The candidate should also be able to provide: (a) clinical consultation and primary care to patients with a broad variety of vascular disease, (b) leadership and guidance in education and research, and (c) modern teaching approaches to the various aspects of vascular medicine. Women and minority applicants are encouraged to apply. A candidate for an award must: o have sufficient clinical training and research experience in vascular disease to be effective in developing and actively implementing a high-quality comprehensive program in vascular medicine; o present a program for improving the curriculum in the grantee institution that will emphasize the clinical application of important vascular medicine concepts and will involve students, house staff, and fellows in the practice of these concepts; o establish an advisory committee for the program composed of appropriate individuals at the institution and associated hospitals; o commit a minimum of 25 percent of his/her effort to developing, improving, and implementing a vascular disease program although a 50 percent commitment is encouraged; NOTE: Although awardees are encouraged to devote 50 percent effort to developing, improving, and implementing a vascular disease program, it is recognized that some individuals with appropriate credentials may not be able to commit 50 percent effort. Based on adequate justification, which should include significant time commitment to research in the area of vascular disease, prospective awardees may propose to commit less than 50 percent of their time to this award. In no case will applications proposing less than 25 percent effort be considered responsive to this RFA; o where necessary, specify a program for enhancing his/her educational skills essential to developing or improving the vascular medicine curriculum; o delineate his/her particular plans for and commitments to research in vascular disease; o detail a plan for the evaluation of the program and agree to present an annual status report based on this evaluation; o agree to meet annually with other recipients of Vascular Disease Academic Awards to exchange ideas, methods, and program strategies. FUNDS AVAILABLE The number and types of new awards made each year will depend on the availability of funds, program balance, and the scientific merit of the applications received. Subject to the availability of necessary funds and consonant with the objectives of the Vascular Disease Academic Award, the NHLBI will provide funds annually for not more than five awards for a project period of up to five years. The total amount of funds available for the first year of support will be $675,000. Awards will be limited to one for each eligible school and are not renewable. The NHLBI anticipates offering the Vascular Disease Academic Award for five competitions. This RFA is the fourth solicitation. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background This Academic Award was initiated to expedite rapid and effective application of new developments in diagnosis and management of the individual patient with vascular disease. The purpose of this Academic Award is to provide financial support for individuals, in conjunction with their institutions, to develop and implement approaches to the coordinated care of patients with vascular disease, who require a variety of expert consultation. In conjunction with this program, it is also expected that complementary educational and research programs will be developed or are already in place. An ideal program in vascular disease should include, but is not limited to, the following characteristics: o an integrated faculty and staff with interests and functions related to both the basic and clinical aspects of vascular disease as an interdepartmental program with common goals and standardized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches; o a coordinated clinical approach to the management of patients with vascular disease; o an effective multidisciplinary curriculum in basic and clinical aspects of vascular disease in medical and nursing schools; o a training program utilizing the latest diagnostic, management, and prevention approaches to vascular disease, for residents and fellows; o an out-reach program from the tertiary center to the practicing physician in all communities to enhance referrals and provide optimal care; o a sound educational basis for promising young clinicians and scientists so they may later participate in advanced research training in the field of vascular disease; o an existing mechanism for implementing clinical research protocols and applying new approaches for diagnosis and management of vascular disease; and o an institutional environment that facilitates the exchange of information and educational evaluation techniques concerning anew diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive measures in vascular disease. The objectives of this Vascular Disease Academic Award are therefore: 1. To stimulate the development and coordination of clinical, educational, and research programs in Schools of Medicine or Osteopathy directed toward enhancement of diagnostic and therapeutic skills in the clinical management of patients with a wide variety of vascular diseases; 2. To promote, where appropriate, professional development of the awardee so that he/she can serve as the focal point for multidisciplinary interactions promoting effectiveness in clinical care, teaching, and research in the field of vascular medicine; and 3. To enable the grantee institution to continue clinical, educational, and research programs in vascular medicine after the award is concluded. A variety of approaches will be needed to achieve these objectives. Effective approaches will vary with the needs of each institution and might include: o coordination of faculty and staff to integrate both the basic and clinical aspects of vascular disease into an interdisciplinary program with improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and common educational and research goals; o organization of an interdepartmental vascular consultation service and outpatient clinic for initial and follow-up evaluation of patients with vascular disease; o development and application of prophylactic approaches to patients with vascular disease and its complications; o upgrading of laboratory support systems by the institution to provide the latest in diagnosis and management of patients with vascular disease; o provision of formal and informal postgraduate education including seminars in vascular disease; o establishment of out-reach programs from the tertiary center to the practicing physician in communities of all sizes; o establishment of a "hotline" information center for both physicians and patients who have questions about vascular disease; o integrated training of research fellows, house staff, nurses, and support staff in modern aspects of vascular medicine; and o provision of short-term (e.g., summer or part-time) research experiences in ongoing basic and clinical research programs in areas related to vascular diseases. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS The Award may provide funds for: o Salary for the awardee - not to exceed $62,500 plus fringe benefits for 50 percent effort; levels of effort at less than 50 percent, to a minimum acceptable for this Award of 25 percent, should be accompanied by a commensurate level of reduction in the salary request. Salary requests must not exceed actual institutional salary rates. o The awardee may devote up to a total of 100 percent effort as an Academic Awardee and as principal or participating investigator on any other NIH-supported grant(s) or contract(s) and may receive remuneration from such grant(s) or contract(s) accordingly. An example of an investigator who receives the Academic Award at a level of effort of 25 percent, who wishes to devote 60 percent of effort to Federally-sponsored research, and whose institutional salary is $130,000 is the following: Academic Award 25 percent effort $ 31,250 Other Federally supported grants and contracts 60 percent effort $ 75,000 Total salary from Federal sources $106,250 (Based on the current ceiling of $125,000: $125,000 x 0.6) Salary contribution from grantee's institution $ 23,750 Total salary $130,000 o part-time salaries - may be allowable for support of staff, e.g., physicians who are co-investigators, educational consultants with expertise in curriculum development or evaluation strategies, physician assistants, or nurse coordinators. Salaries for a limited number of students to augment their vascular disease learning experiences during the summer or an elective quarter of the academic year may be allowed. This might include, for example, support for a student to participate in a research program focused on some aspect of vascular disease; o travel - to enable the awardee to develop clinical and educational skills and to meet with other awardees to exchange ideas; o supplies - necessary to conduct the proposed program; o equipment - it is expected that equipment will be available to the candidate and is not normally allowed for this award; o consultant fees - for a limited number of experts in the area of vascular disease, medical education, or program evaluation; and o fringe benefits and applicable indirect costs as described in "Instructions for Preparing Applications." Awards are not to include funds for research fellowships. Applicants are advised to consult NHLBI staff listed below during the preparation of the application. STUDY POPULATIONS INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations) which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some new provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research", which have been published in the Federal Register of March 9, 1994 (F 59 11151), and reprinted in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS of March 18, 1994, Volume 23, Number 11. Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from the program staff or contact persons listed below. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by November 30, 1994, a letter of intent, countersigned by the applicant's Department Chairman, Dean of the School of Medicine or Osteopathy, and Director of the Hospital(s). It should include a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application may be submitted. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, it assists the NHLBI staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is to be sent to: C. James Scheirer, Ph.D. Division of Extramural Affairs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Westwood Building, Room 557 Bethesda, MD 20892 APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications for the Vascular Disease Academic Award must be received by January 12, 1995, by the National Institutes of Health for review by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council on June 1-2, 1995. The requested start date for funding should be July 1, 1995. Applications are to be submitted on the research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91). The form is available in an applicant institution's office of sponsored research and from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westwood Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/710-0267. Specific instructions for preparing an Academic Award application are available from the individuals listed under INQUIRIES. The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for the review. In addition, "RFA: HL-94-015 Vascular Disease Academic Award" must be typed on Line 2a of the face page of the application form and the "YES" box must be marked. Applicants are expected to conform to the 25 page limit as directed in the application kit (PHS 398). Appendices containing supporting materials may be submitted with the application, but may not be used to circumvent this requirement. Exceptions to this page limit must be explicitly granted by the scientific review administrator. Send or deliver an original completed application and three signed, exact photocopies to: Division of Research Grants Westwood Building, Room 240 National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD 20892** At the same time, applicants must also send two additional copies of the application to Dr. James Scheirer at the address listed under LETTER OF INTENT. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by NIH staff for completeness and for responsiveness by the NHLBI. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. If NHLBI staff find that the application is not responsive to the RFA, it will be returned without further consideration. 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 the NHLBI in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, a process (triage) may be used by the initial review group in which applications will be determined to be competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit relative to other applications received in response to the RFA. Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be assigned a priority score, and will also receive a second level of review by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. Applications determined to be non-competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the principal investigator and the official signing for the applicant organization will be promptly notified. The review criteria for a Vascular Disease Academic Award will include assessment of both the sponsoring institution and the candidate and will be based on the Eligibility Requirements and Research Objectives as outlined in this RFA. It is anticipated that no applicant interviews will be held. AWARD CRITERIA The anticipated award date is July 1, 1995. Awards will be made according to priority score, availability of funds, and programmatic priorities. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify and issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Special supplemental instructions for preparation of Academic Award applications can be obtained by contacting one of the individuals indicated below. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Carol H. Letendre, Ph.D. Division of Blood Diseases and Resources National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Federal Building, Room 516 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-8966 David M. Robinson, Ph.D. Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Federal Building, Room 416 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-5656 Carol E. Vreim, Ph.D. Division of Lung Diseases National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Westwood Building, Room 6A16 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 594-7430 Questions regarding fiscal matters may be addressed to: Mrs. Marie A. Willett Division of Extramural Affairs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Westwood Building, Room 4A12 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 594-7434 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.838. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 2241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. .
Return to NIH Guide Main Index
Office of Extramural Research (OER) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
||||||||
Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files. |