and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Center for Research Resources |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Research Education Program for Laboratory Animal Medicine Veterinarians (R25) |
Activity Code |
R25 Education Projects |
Announcement Type |
Reissue of RFA-RR-10-002 |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
RFA-RR-11-003 |
Companion FOA |
None |
Catalog of Federal DomesticAssistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.389 |
FOA Purpose |
This funding opportunity announcement issued by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits Research Education Grant (R25) applications to provide research education for veterinarians interested in pursuing a career in Laboratory Animal Medicine. The objective is to prepare veterinarians to be competent and proficient in the field of Laboratory Animal Medicine in support of biomedical investigations with emphasis on performing collaborative research, and development and maintenance of animal models in support of translational research activities. |
Posted Date |
April 4, 2011 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
May 9, 2011 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
Not Applicable |
Application Due Date(s) |
June 9, 2011, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
October 2011 |
Advisory Council Review |
January 2012 |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
April 2012 |
Expiration Date |
June 10, 2011 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
Veterinarians educated in Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) perform a critical role in the biomedical/behavioral research community by providing professional management and direction for research animal resources and programs. The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other NIH Institutes and Centers (IC) invest substantial resources in support of basic and translational research. Several national reports have established the need for additional veterinarians educated in laboratory animal medicine(National Needs and Priorities for Veterinarians in Biomedical Research, National Research Council, National Academies, 2004). This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to stimulate academic institutions to expand post-doctoral research education programs to increase the number of veterinarians trained in laboratory animal medicine in order to address the shortage of these specialty trained individuals serving the biomedical research community. NIH funded programs will benefit from this initiative, because of the significant investment in biomedical/translational research programs utilizing animal resources, and assurance that investigators animals are well cared for and healthy. The NIH Research Education (R25) grant mechanism is a flexible and specialized mechanism designed to foster the development of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical researchers through creative and innovative research education programs. The overall goal of this NCRR/NIH research education program is to ensure that highly trained laboratory animal medicine veterinarians will be available in adequate numbers to address the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs in the NIH mission areas.
Applicant institutions must propose a comprehensive and complete research education program . The proposed program supplements an existing program that requires at least three years in to complete and must be approved by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) at the time the application is submitted. Information on ACLAM training program requirements can be found on the following web site: http://www.aclam.org. Funds from this FOA must be used to increase the number of veterinarians at the institution, and not to support veterinarians currently enrolled in the laboratory animal medicine program. Each participant position will be funded for two years of a three year program. A participant is defined as a veterinarian who graduated from an American Veterinary Medicine Association AVMA accredited or AVMA listed school or college of veterinary medicine, who is accepted by the eligible institution to receive education in laboratory animal medicine. The program should include but is not limited to didactic and clinical components as they relate to biomedical research and research support. Participants are also expected to gain knowledge and experience in biomedical research methodology. The research required may be conducted at any time during the two year education period funded under this FOA. The intent is to prepare graduate veterinarians to become competent laboratory animal veterinarians capable of performing collaborative research and research support activities. Following completion of this program, participants are expected to have acquired knowledge and professional skills in the biology and care, disease recognition and management (diagnosis, treatment, prevention, etc.) of laboratory animals, clinical skills, use of laboratory animals in biomedical/behavioral, and translational research, animal welfare, animal model selection criteria, laws, regulations, policies, accreditation standards, ethical use of laboratory animals in research, and any additional training the institution deems appropriate for this program. Participants are also expected to acquire administrative and research skills needed to manage/direct laboratory animal research/resource programs. The education provided under this FOA must involve the laboratory animal species commonly used in biomedical/behavioral research. Methods should be incorporated within the application outlining plans for receiving such instruction and experience if diverse species are not present at the applicant institution. Under this FOA, applicant institutions may partner with other institutions to enhance the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience for the participants, resulting in an increase in the number of laboratory animal species available to the educational program. Applicants planning to use other facilities for educational activities must provide letters of agreement signed by all participating institutions. The proposed research education program may complement other, ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support.
The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) must be a veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine training and experience and be board certified by ACLAM. The qualifications and experience of the PD/PI must be adequately described in the application. The qualifications and experience of participating faculty and trainers must also be adequately described.
Funds from this program are restricted to support participants, PD/PI veterinarians, and other authorized personnel participating in this education initiative. The total direct cost per participant shall not exceed $112,000/year (includes PD/PI compensation and benefits, participant compensation up to $50,000/11 months, other support, and participant travel; participant travel may not exceed $1200/ participant. Up to $40,000/year in direct costs is authorized for compensation for participating PD/PI and other faculty serving as educators/trainers). Applicants may request 1-3 participants based upon factors such as recruitment potential, capacity, past record of providing educational opportunities or training for veterinarians in LAM, and success passing ACLAM Specialty Boards; however, NCRR/NIH will consider providing an equitable distribution of participants among eligible institutions submitting meritorious R25 applications. Funds obtained through this FOA must be used for the education of additional participants and not current participants or future participants positions currently funded with other support.
See Section VIII, Other Information - "Required Federal
Citations", for policies related to this announcement. This FOA encourages
applications from applicant organizations that propose creative and innovative
education programs in the mission area(s) of the NIH. Although research
education grants are not typical research instruments, they do involve
experiments in education of research knowledge that require an evaluation plan
in order to determine their effectiveness. A plan must be provided for program
evaluation.
The R25 is not a substitute for an institutional research training program
(T32) and cannot be used to circumvent or supplement Ruth L. Kirschstein
National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanisms.
Funding Instrument |
Grant |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Approximately $1,000,000 is available for FY2012. The total amount to be awarded under this FOA is $5,000,000 over a 5 year period pending availability of funds and receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The total number of awards for this FOA is anticipated to be 5-7. |
Award Budget |
Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect actual needs of the proposed project, and stay within the guidelines outlined in this FOA. |
Award Project Period |
Up to 5 years. |
Personnel Costs |
Individuals designing, directing, and implementing the research education program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities with students/participants are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then any costs associated with the mentoring and other interactions with students/participants are not allowable costs from grant funds). |
Participant Costs |
Participant costs must be itemized in the proposed budget. |
Other Program-Related Expenses |
Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution. |
Indirect Costs |
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. |
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.
Higher Education Institutions:
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
Governments
Other
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply. Foreign (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are Not allowed.
Institutions must have an ACLAM approved laboratory animal medicine training/education program y at the time the application is submitted to be eligible for this FOA.
All Program
Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with their
institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing
eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant
organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date.
The sponsoring institution must assure support for
the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program
includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources
that can contribute to the planned program.
Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) or other Federally
funded training programs may apply for a research education grant provided that
the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs
receiving NIH support. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed
research education program will complement ongoing research training occurring
at the applicant institution.
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations
as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply
for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following
registrations.
All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with
their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their
existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the
applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant
organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at
least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources
necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Prog Director/Principal
Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an
application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented
racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always
encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple
Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key
Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The PD/PI must be a veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine training and
experience, be board certified by ACLAM and capable of providing both
administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation
of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the
program and submit all documents and reports as required.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as preceptors/mentors. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program. Mentors must be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of the mentee s participation in this award.
Applications must describe the intended participants, and the eligibility and/or specific educational background characteristics that are essential for participation in the proposed research education program. Identify the career levels essential for participation in the planned program. Participant, as used in this FOA, refers to those graduate veterinarians receiving specialized education that is directly related to biomedical research and biomedical research resource support. It does not include education commonly associated with veterinary clinical residencies for clinical practice.
Unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to NIH, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens.
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
A letter of intent is not required.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for application submission. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) to determine which components are required.
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:
Facilities & Other Resources
Describe the educational environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and implementation of the proposed program. List all thematically related sources of support for research training and education following the format for Current and Pending Support.
Advisory Committee (Uploaded via the Other Attachments section)
A plan must be provided for the appointment of an Advisory Committee to monitor progress. Composition, responsibilities, frequency of meetings, and other relevant information should be included. Describe the composition of the Advisory Committee, identifying the role and the desired expertise of members. A plan for Advisory Committee approval and selection of participants should be included. Describe how the Advisory Committee will function in providing oversight of the development, implementation, and evaluation of recruitment strategies, the recruitment and retention of candidates, and the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the program. Note that Advisory Committee members should not be named in the application, particularly if they include individuals from outside the institution. They should also not be contacted unless the application is approved for funding.
The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the additional instructions described below:
The Research Strategy section must be used to upload the Research Education Program Plan, which must include the following components described below: Proposed Research Education Program, Institutional Environment and Commitment, Program Director/Principal Investigator, Program Faculty/Staff, Program Participants, Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan, Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research, Evaluation Plan .
Proposed Research Education Program (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
While the proposed research education program may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. When research training programs are on-going in the same department, the applicant organization should clearly describe the distinction between the intended participants in the proposed research education program and the research training supported by the training program. The information should include a description of the education and/or career levels of the planned participants.
Institutional Environment and Commitment (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe the institutional environment, reiterating the availability of facilities and educational resources (described separately under Facilities & Other Resources ), that can contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of institutional commitment to the research educational program is required. A letter of institutional commitment must be attached as part of Letters of Support. Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education program. Describe the availability of laboratory animal species commonly used in biomedical/behavioral research. Describe the methods and plans for receiving instruction and experience using diverse laboratory animal species if diverse species are not present at the applicant institution. Applicants planning to use other facilities for educational activities must provide letters of agreement signed by all participating institutions.
Program Director/Principal Investigator (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe arrangements for administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the mission of NIH, and can organize, administer, monitor, and evaluate the research education program, as well as evidence of institutional and community commitment and support for the proposed program.
Program Faculty/Staff (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating faculty; provide evidence that the participating faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of NIH. If the applicant proposes a MultiplePD/PI plan then at least one of the PD/ PI's must be an ACLAM-board certified veterinarian.
Program Participants (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Where the proposed program involves participants, provide details about the pool of expected participants, their qualifications, recruitment strategies and sources of applicant pool, etc.
Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to
promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences
research workforce. The NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce to lead
to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups; to improve
the quality of the educational and training environment; to balance and broaden
the perspective in setting research priorities; to improve the ability to
recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and
to improve the Nation's capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.
Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their
student and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of
individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral,
and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially,
culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have
inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research.
Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity
on a national or institutional basis.
The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention
of the following classes of participants:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see the report Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 2007, p. 262). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: African Americans, Hispanic Americas, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and natives of the US Pacific Islands. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
Recruitment and retention plans related to a
disadvantaged background (C1 and C2) are most applicable to high school and
perhaps to undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for
individuals beyond that level of academic achievement. Under extraordinary
circumstances the PHS may, at its discretion, consider an individual beyond the
undergraduate level to be from a disadvantaged background. Such decisions will
be made on a case-by-case basis, based on appropriate documentation.
New applications must include a description of plans to enhance recruitment of a diverse participant pool and may wish to include data in support of past accomplishments.
Applications lacking a diversity recruitment and retention plan may be delayed or not accepted for review. An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component.
Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Every participant supported by this Research Education grant must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research. All applications must include a plan to provide such instruction. The plan must address five components (format; subject matter; faculty participation; duration of instruction; and frequency of instruction) as detailed in NOT-OD-10-019.
Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research may
be delayed or not accepted for review. An award cannot be made if an
application lacks this component. The background, rationale and more detail
about instruction in the responsible conduct of research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019.
An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component. If such
instruction is not appropriate for the proposed research education program,
then the PD/PI must provide a strong justification for its exclusion.
Evaluation Plan (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
A plan must be provided for program evaluation. Benchmarks should be specified and specific plans and procedures must be described to capture, analyze and report short or long-term outcome measures that would determine the success of the research education program in achieving its objectives. Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to include plans to obtain feedback from participants to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements.
Resource Sharing Plans
Individuals
are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing
Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association
Studies (GWAS) as provided in the SF424 (R&R Application Guide), with the
following modifications:
Applications are expected to include a software dissemination plan if
support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of software is requested in
the application. There is no prescribed single license for software produced.
However, the software dissemination plan should address, as appropriate, the
following goals:
Appendix
Appendix materials will not be allowed. Applications that are submitted containing Appendix material will not be accepted for review.
Foreign (non-US) organizations may not apply.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in
advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application
corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration.
Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate
and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
Important
reminders:
All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential
field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(R&R) Application
Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI
Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an
electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional
information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115, with the following modifications:
Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.
Significance
Does the proposed research education program address an important problem or critical question in research education or other critical issues? How will implementation of the proposed program advance the objectives of the proposed program? If the aims of the education program are achieved, will they prepare veterinarians to be competent and proficient in the field of Laboratory Animal Medicine in support of biomedical investigations?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers appropriately trained and well suited to the proposed research education program? Is the PD/PI an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed research education program? Is the PD/PI a veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine training and experience, board certified by ACLAM and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed research education program? 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? Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program leadership to ensure the program's objectives? Is the PD/PI a veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine training and experience, board certified by ACLAM and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed research education program? Is the composition of the Advisory Committee appropriate and are the members' roles described? Is the plan for the approval and selection of program participants by the Advisory Committee appropriate? Does the Advisory Committee provide appropriate oversight of the development, implementation, and evaluation of recruitment strategies, the recruitment and retention of candidates, and the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the program? Are the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating faculty adequate for the program? Are the participating faculty and preceptors actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of NIH and in keeping with the objectives of this FOA? Are the expected participants qualified? Are the recruitment strategies and sources of the applicant pool sufficient to obtain qualified candidates?
Innovation
Is the proposed research education program characterized by innovation and scholarship? Does the proposed program challenge and seek to shift current research education paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Are the proposed concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies novel for this area? Does this proposed program duplicate, or overlap with, existing research education, training and/or career development activities currently supported at the applicant institution or available elsewhere? Adaptations of existing research education programs may be considered innovative under special circumstances, e.g., the addition of unique components and/or a proposal to determine portability of an existing program.
Approach
Are the overall
strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish
the specific aims of the proposed research education program? Are
potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success
presented? If the program is in the early stages of development, will the
strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be
managed? If called for, is the proposed plan for evaluation of the
education program sound and likely to provide data on the effectiveness of the
education program? Is there evidence that the program is based on sound
research concepts and educational principles? Is the approach feasible
and appropriate to achieve the stated research education goals? If the
proposed program will recruit participants, are the recruitment, retention, and
follow-up activities adequate to ensure a highly qualified and diverse
participant pool?
Environment
Will the scientific/educational environment in which the proposed research education program will be conducted contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional commitment and support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the program proposed? Will the program benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of appropriate collaboration among participating programs, departments, and institutions? If multiple sites are participating, is this adequately justified in terms of the research education experiences provided? Are adequate plans provided for coordination and communication between multiple sites (if appropriate)? Does the education environment provided adequately prepare participants for likely success in passing ACLAM certification examination based upon the number of participants successfully passing certification boards (consideration should be given to the longevity of the program when considering certification success)? Are sufficient numbers of diverse laboratory animal species available to the participants? If diverse species are not available in sufficient numbers at the applicant institution, does the applicant provide alternative plans for receiving instruction and experience using diverse laboratory animals? If applicable, are letters of agreement from other institutions included?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Vertebrate Animals
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Biohazards
Biohazards must be addressed in the application if applicable. Reviewers will assess whether biohazards exist, and if the proper protections are adequately addressed.
Resubmissions
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Renewals
Renewals are not allowed.
Revisions
Revisions are not allowed
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Recruitment & Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented groups. The review panel’s evaluation will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement.
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
Taking into account the specific characteristics of the research education program, level of participant experience, and the particular circumstances of the participants, the reviewers will address the following questions. Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g. lectures and/or real-time discussion groups? Do plans include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety? Do the plans adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? Do the plans ensure participants will receive instruction (or in the case of more senior level participants, provide instruction) for an appropriate amount of time given the length of the research education experience? Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Applications from foreign organizations are not allowed..
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), in accordance with NCRR peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Research Resources Committee. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement General.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS,
CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program. Accordingly, participants are hereby notified that they may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.
The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) and financial statements (Financial Status Report) as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are required annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. Programs that involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of research and complete a Training Diversity Report, in accordance with the PHS 2590. Additional Instructions for Preparing a Progress Report for an Institutional Research Training Grant, Including Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
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 inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Grants.gov
Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
William T. Watson, D.V.M., M.S., DACLAM
Division of Comparative Medicine
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
National Institutes of Health
Democracy 1, Room 954
6701 Democracy Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 435-0744
Fax: (301) 480-3819
Email: [email protected]
Sheri Hild, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Officer
Office of Review
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Blvd., Room 1082
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Courier service zip code 20817
301-435-0810 (direct line)
301-435-0811 (Office of Review)
301-480-3660 (fax)
(Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and
contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due
date).
Christy Leake
Office of Grants Management
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
National Institutes of Health
Democracy 1, Room 1045
6701 Democracy Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: 301-402-3777
Email:[email protected]
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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