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 Center for Research Resources (NCRR), (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/)
Title: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase III: Transitional Centers [P30]
Announcement Type
New
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-RR-09-005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.389
Key Dates
Release Date: April 30, 2009
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: Not Applicable.
Application Receipt
Date: September 22, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): January/February 2010
Council Review Date: May
2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2010
Expiration Date: September
23, 2009
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, Review and Anticipated
Start Dates
1.
Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application
to the NIH
C. Application Processing
D. Application
Assignment
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
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
Background
The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program at the National Center for Research Resources of the NIH has endeavored to stimulate research at institutions that traditionally have not received significant levels of competitive research funding from the NIH. The IDeA Program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research by enhancing the competitiveness for research funding of institutions located in states in which the aggregate success rate for grant applications to the NIH historically has been low. The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program launched in fiscal year 2000 in IDeA-eligible states seeks to augment and strengthen institutional biomedical research capacity. This is accomplished by expanding and developing biomedical faculty research capability and enhancing research infrastructure, including the establishment of core facilities needed to carry out the objectives of a multidisciplinary, collaborative program.
COBRE support consists of two sequential five-year phases. Phase I focuses on developing research infrastructure and providing junior investigators with formal mentoring and research project funding to help them acquire preliminary data and successfully compete for independent research grant support. Phase II is intended to strengthen the center through further improvements in research infrastructure and continuing development and support of a critical mass of investigators with shared scientific interests. After ten years of COBRE support, the centers are expected to be able to compete successfully for other sources of research funding, such as program project or center grants from other NIH Institutes and Centers. The objectives of this FOA (COBRE phase III), are to (1) provide support for maintaining COBRE research cores developed during phases I and II that are essential for the continuing conduct of basic, clinical, translational research, and/or community based research at the institution, and (2) sustain a collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment by providing support for research pilot projects and mentoring and training components.
Program
In addition to providing core services to meet the needs of center research activities, the COBRE Transitional Center support should encourage and facilitate collaborative research supported by the IDeA program and other research programs at the applicant institution and, where applicable, at consortium sites. The center will provide support to:
Funds cannot be used at collaborative institutions in non-IDeA states. However, funds may be used in other IDeA and non-IDeA states for fee-for-service activities that include activities such as learning new techniques, sample and data analysis, workshops etc. It is the responsibility of the PI to define an effective partnership and collaboration. Funds cannot be used for alteration and renovation.
Overall plan: Accomplishments during the past ten years of support and how requested cores will sustain the center must be described. Each application must describe an overall strategic plan to identify the significant scientific opportunities that the center intends to pursue in the next five years. A summary of the proposed research of the center participants and the anticipated scientific and core facility needs of each individual project must be included in the Research Plan narrative as needed to describe the programs, but also summarized in a table. Applications must describe an administrative core with detailed plans for coordinating and facilitating research and training activities that are to be supported by the COBRE cores.
Administrative core: The administrative core should be led by the PI of the center. The components of the core should identify a program coordinator, an internal steering committee consisting of the core directors and other faculty to provide ongoing assessment and evaluation of the progress of the center, and an external advisory committee (EAC) consisting of 3-4 members to provide external review of progress and assure collaboration and/or partnership between investigators within an institution, and among institutions in a state and regionally. The administrative core should provide a clear plan as to how the Administrative Core intends to implement and accomplish these functions, including,
Although the COBRE transitional center awards do not require non-Federal matching funds, applications must include clear evidence of institutional commitment. The level of institutional commitment may vary across applicant institutions depending on the availability of institutional resources. At a minimum, a letter of support from a senior institutional official (e.g., President or Dean) must outline the commitment of resources and facilities to support the core center. A strategic plan as to how the cores can be sustained beyond the requested period of grant support must be provided.
Qualifications and Responsibilities of the PI: The PI must be an established biomedical or behavioral research scientist with demonstrated administrative leadership skills. The PI is responsible for overall direction and development of the center to support collaborative research efforts within and across institutions. The PI will resolve disputes arising in the priority of usage of the core facilities and will be responsible for final budget decisions with the assistance of the program coordinator. Multiple PIs are not allowed. The PI should devote at least 1.2 person months to this effort. A maximum of 2.4 person months effort may be supported.
Qualifications and Responsibilities of Program Coordinator: The program coordinator will provide day-to-day operational and administrative oversight of the core facilities, help core directors set work priorities, and coordinate recommendations for major purchases of supplies, equipment upgrades, technical support staff, and other budget issues with the core directors and the PI. The program coordinator should have a broad knowledge of core resources and their management and application to the projects supported by the Center. He/She should have the ability to assist the PI to oversee, coordinate and support the Center’s research efforts. The program coordinator may devote up to 2.4 person months to this effort.
Qualifications and Responsibilities of Core Directors: The core director must be a scientist with expertise in the specific area of service that the core provides. The core director will be responsible for meeting with research investigators, determining which research projects are qualified to use the core, and set priorities for core usage. The core director also should provide guidance or training to investigators in the complex core techniques and methodologies to ensure that the core facilities are appropriately used. Core directors are responsible for maintaining state-of-the-art techniques and for recommending updated and/or replacement equipment, as needed, to the Program Coordinator and PI. Each Core Director may devote up to 1.2 person months to the cores.
Research core facilities: The applicant must demonstrate that each core proposed for support will serve the scientific needs of biomedical research projects; how each core will benefit investigators and users; and how the Cores serve and/or improve the research infrastructure of the institution. Each core description should indicate the qualifications of personnel selected to manage the core facility and/or plans to recruit personnel to operate the core, if needed. Furthermore, the PI should indicate any institutional commitment to support and maintain the proposed facilities. The applicant should describe the operating procedures of each core, how state-of-the-art techniques will be maintained, how quality control will be managed, how disputes concerning core usage will be resolved, and how research investigators will be trained in the capabilities of the core and the techniques required best served by the core.
Sharing research resources among IDeA programs is strongly encouraged. Applicants should seek to utilize existing equipment and instrumentation supported by COBRE or IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) awards. A table summarizing the existing core equipment must be included in the application. Requests that appear to be duplicative of existing equipment or instrumentation, including computational facilities and related bioinformatics resources, must be appropriately justified. Core facilities supported through this FOA must not duplicate currently available facilities at the institution.
It is expected that investigators outside of the applicant’s institution that utilize the core will provide service fees to the core. The service fees will offset some of the costs for the specific service provided. Waivers of the fee-for-service charge may be granted by the PI in appropriately justified instances.
Research pilot project program: Applicants may request support for a pilot project program that 1) allows researchers to generate preliminary data for submission of grant applications; 2) develops new technologies; or 3) achieves other goals, as defined by the PI that will better position the institution to conduct basic and clinical research. The proposed pilot project(s) must not overlap with the ongoing funded project(s). Research plans for the individual research projects should not be included in the application. Up to $250,000 annually can be used to support the pilot project program. If such a program is proposed, the description of the pilot project program should include:
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for
policies related to this announcement.
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This funding opportunity will use the NIH center core grant (P30) award mechanism(s).
The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)
will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed
project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts. It also uses non-modular budget formats described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
2. Funds Available
The NCRR intends to commit approximately $14 million to support this activity,
contingent upon the availability of funds. An applicant must request
a project period of five years and may request direct costs up to, but no
more than, $750,000 per year.
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research
will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the
size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial
plans of the IC(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to
this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds
and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Facilities and administrative costs requested by
consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation,
see NOT-OD-05-004.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligibility is restricted to institutions awarded a COBRE grant in response to NIH Notice RR-04-008, (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-RR-04-008.html). The following types of organizations/institutions are eligible to apply:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require
cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Number of Applications. Institutions
may submit only one application per COBRE center in response to this FOA.
Resubmission. Resubmission applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Renewals. Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application
Information
The PHS 398 application instructions are available
at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in
an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version
of the PHS 398. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301)
710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY
301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be prepared using the most current
PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms. Applications
must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the
universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements.
The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or through
the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/.
The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the
PHS 398 form.
The title and number of this funding opportunity must be typed in item (box)
2 only of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be
checked.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be received on or before the receipt
date described below (Section IV.3.A). Submission
times N/A.
3.A. Receipt,
Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: Not
Applicable.
Application Receipt Date: September
22, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): January/February
2010.
Council Review Date: May
2010.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2010
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Not Applicable.
3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH
Applications must be prepared using the forms found
in the PHS 398 instructions for preparing a research grant application.
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
checklist, and three signed photocopies in one package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express
or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Personal deliveries of applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).
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:
Steven Birken, PhD
Office of Review
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Room 1078
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Bethesda, MD 20817-4874 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 435-0815
FAX: (301) 480-3660
E-mail: [email protected]
3.C. Application Processing
Applications must be received on or before the application receipt date) described
above (Section IV.3.A.). If an application is
received after that date, the application may be delayed in the review process
or not reviewed. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for
completeness by the CSR and for responsiveness by the reviewing Institute
Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application. That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.
Information on the status of an application should be checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement. The Grants Policy Statement can be found at NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at
its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures
to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project,
and 2) would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior
approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval,
the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior
approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before
the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new 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
An application for a Center Core award must include the following:
Administrative core:
Research cores:
Research pilot project program:
Applicants should follow the order of content described in the PHS 398 document instructions and indicated on the Table of Contents page; a customized Table of Contents page may be included to indicate the start pages for major sections of the application. With respect to specific sections, the Budget section should begin with the summary or composite budget for the center, followed by the individual budgets for cores, consortia and contractual arrangements. Do not separate the individual core budgets into each core section. All Biographical Sketches should be grouped together with the PI's biographical sketch presented first followed by all other biographical sketches in alphabetical order. Each biographical sketch is limited to no more than four pages, using the NIH format. If not specifically cited in the PHS 398 document instructions, no page limit is in place for any other section. However, applicants are strongly urged to be succinct. Do not separate the biographical sketches into each core section. Consecutively number the pages throughout the application. Do not include unnumbered pages and do not use suffixes, such as 5a, 5b, etc. Adhere to NIH format described in the PHS 398 instructions for font, line spacing and margins.
Application Organization:
Appendix Materials
Appendices are not allowed for this FOA.
NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value of, and advance research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this must be explained in Resource Sharing section of the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Not Applicable
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Regardless of the amount requested, all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated are expected to include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. See Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further information see Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be
considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that are complete and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for
scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NCRR and in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/),
using the review criteria stated below.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The mission of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Overall Impact. Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following five core review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Core Review Criteria. Reviewers will consider each of the five review criteria below in the determination of scientific and technical 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?
Do the proposed cores align with the overall strategic plan to identify the significant research opportunities that the center intends to pursue over the next five years? Do the core resources and facilities serve the scientific needs of the research projects? For requests of new core facilities: is the request well justified in terms of the need for the core?
Investigator(s). Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Does the PI have the ability to provide scientific and administrative leadership and direction? Has the PI shown effective leadership and judgment in the selection of research cores? Are these cores related to, and consistent with, the overall goals of the center? Has the PI presented a plan to develop and maintain core laboratories as state-of-the-art through the selection of an appropriate Program Coordinator and Core Directors?
Does the program coordinator have knowledge of core resources and their application to the projects supported by the Center? Has he/she demonstrated an ability to oversee and coordinate research activities?
Do the core laboratory directors have the scientific and technical experience to manage their core facility? Has he/she demonstrated expertise in the core technologies by specific training and/or publications using such methods and equipment? Has he/she demonstrated the capability to work with many investigators across departments and institutions? Are the personnel who manage the core facilities as well as the technical staff well qualified?
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 administrative core adequate to coordinate and facilitate the research, mentoring, and training supported by the COBRE cores? Are there adequate plans describing the routine daily operation of the core facility and the quality control methods for the facility? Are plans adequate to ensure adequate methods for resolution of disputes of core usage and for methods to maintain the core as a state-of-the art facility? Are plans adequate to prioritize and evaluate requests for replacement or upgrade of core equipment? Are there adequate plans for training of research investigators and their staff in the techniques appropriate for optimal use of the core facility? Is the plan adequate to identify the program coordinator, internal steering committee, and external advisory committee (EAC) and other faculty to provide ongoing assessment and evaluation of the operations of the cores?
Pilot Project Program: Is there an adequate institutional plan and procedures to solicit proposals, prioritize the projects, and to review their methodology and research performance?
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?
Has the PI obtained institutional commitments sufficient to ensure that the resources and facilities required to sustain the cores are present?
Additional Review Criteria. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Additional Review Considerations. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.
Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
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 (http://grants.nih/gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm); 2) Sharing Model Organisms (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html); and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-088.html).
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not applicable.
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review of the application is completed,
the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique)
via the eRA Commons.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General.
A formal notification in the
form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant
organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing
document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved,
the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component
to the grantee business official (designated in item 12 on the Application
Face Page). If a grantee is not email enabled, a hard copy of the NoA
will be mailed to the business official.
Selection of an application for award is not an
authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of
the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only
to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section
IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include
the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award,
see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH
Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
3. Reporting
Awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation
Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as
required in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.
We encourage your inquiries concerning
this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions
from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research,
peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
Yanping Liu, MD,
PhD.
Division of Research Infrastructure
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Room 930
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Telephone: (301) 451-4217
FAX: (301) 480-3770
E-mail: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Office of Review
National
Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Bethesda, MD 20817-4874 (for express/courier
service)
Telephone: (301) 435-0811
FAX: (301) 480-3660
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Gavin Wilkom, M.I.M.
Office of Grants Management
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 435-0964
FAX: 301-480-3777
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and
Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that applications
and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with reference
to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against these risks,
the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others, and the
importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment
of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site
clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks to the
participants (NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants
and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking
$500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include
a plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their institutions,
on issues related to institutional policies and local IRB rules, as well
as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy
Rule. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan but will not factor
the plan into the determination of the scientific merit or the priority
score.
Policy for Genome-Wide Association Studies
(GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing
genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors
that influence health and disease through a centralized GWAS data repository.
For the purposes of this policy, a genome-wide association study is defined
as any study of genetic variation across the entire human genome that
is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such
as blood pressure or weight), or the presence or absence of a disease
or condition. All applications, regardless of the amount requested, proposing
a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission
of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an
appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible.
Data repository management (submission and access) is governed by the
Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide
Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088.
For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Access to Research Data through
the Freedom of Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first
produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal
funds and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support
of an action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may
be accessed through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the
basic scope of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity
in a public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage
the distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application
should include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and
include information about this in the budget justification section of the
application. In addition, applicants should think about how to structure
informed consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the
potential for wider use of data collected under this award.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model organisms
for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors
to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the application/proposal
a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model
organism research resources generated using NIH funding or state why such
sharing is restricted or not possible. This will permit other researchers
to benefit from the resources developed with public funding. The inclusion
of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a cost threshold in any
year and is expected to be included in all applications where the development
of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical
Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members
of minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the
health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results
from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).
All investigators proposing clinical research should read the
"NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in
Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new
OMB standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III
clinical trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles
and responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that:
a) all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description
of plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by
sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable;
and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research,
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical
reasons not to include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human
subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion
of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human
Subject Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection
of human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs
can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and
at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in
the application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC
line(s) to be used in the proposed research.
NIH Public Access Policy Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html) investigators must submit or have submitted for them their
final, peer-reviewed manuscripts that arise from NIH funds and are accepted
for publication as of April 7, 2008 to PubMed
Central (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/),
to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after publication.
As of May 27, 2008, investigators must include the PubMed Central reference
number when citing an article in NIH applications, proposals, and progress
reports that fall under the policy, and was authored or co-authored by the
investigator or arose from the investigator’s NIH award. For
more information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
Standards for Privacy of Individually
Identifiable Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
issued final modification to the
"Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information",
the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a
federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable
health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office
for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation
of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution.
The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/)
provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation
Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information
on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review,
funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and
research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within
specified page limitations. For publications listed in the appendix and/or
Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly accessible
on-line journal articles. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation,
Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide any other information
necessary for the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view
the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity
may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy
People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.
This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants
may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements
of Executive Order 12372. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections
301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and
284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and
other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The
NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients
to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco
products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994,
prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of
a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health
care, or early childhood development services are provided to children.
This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical
and mental health of the American people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan
repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment
to pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception,
infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important
component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of
researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered
by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required
for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged.
The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP
recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees
must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based
on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further information,
please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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