and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Fogarty International Center (FIC) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
Limited Competition: The Medical Education Partnership Initiative Linked Awards (MEPI) (R25) |
Activity Code |
R25 Education Projects |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices |
None |
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
RFA-TW-11-004 |
Companion FOA |
None |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.989, 93.173, 93.242, 93.853, 93.279 |
FOA Purpose |
This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), supported by funds from the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), invites applications from foreign Institutions in Sub-Saharan African countries who are a part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative Network of institutions (http://www.fic.nih.gov/Grants/Search/Pages/Awards-Program-MEPI.aspx) to develop research capacity and research education opportunities in priority health areas related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS. These opportunities are intended to strengthen medical education systems in the countries in which they exist, and build clinical and research capacity in priority health areas related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS. As defined by the original MEPI FOA, Linked awards support non-communicable diseases and priority health areas related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS. These awards are linked to the Programmatic awards that support PEPFAR priority areas.
Awards will focus on scaling up clinical and research education and will be supported under the mandate of the NIH Institute(s) and Center(s) who fund the awards. |
Posted Date |
December 12, 2011 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
January 10, 2012 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
January 10, 2012 |
Application Due Date(s) |
February 10, 2012 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not Applicable |
Scientific Merit Review |
June/July 2012 |
Advisory Council Review |
August 2012 |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
September 2012 |
Expiration Date |
February 11, 2012 |
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
This FOA encourages applications from organizations that propose creative and innovative research education programs in the mission area(s) of the NIH. The NIH Research Education (R25) grant mechanism is designed to support the development of creative and innovative research education programs for the development of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical researchers, or for public education and outreach on health-related research to a variety of audiences. Although research education grants are not typical research instruments, they do involve experiments in education and/or dissemination of research knowledge that require an evaluation plan in order to determine their effectiveness. As such, each application must include a plan to evaluate the activities proposed (see Section IV, Evaluation Plan). For some types of projects, a plan for disseminating results may also be appropriate and may be required as well (see Section IV, Dissemination Plan).
The proposed research education program may complement 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 R25 is not a substitute for an institutional research training program (T32) and can not be used to circumvent or supplement Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanisms.
The Fogarty International Center (FIC) supports and conducts Global Health research training and research across the spectrum of health sciences in the U.S. and abroad. FIC, the international component of the NIH, addresses Global Health challenges through innovative and collaborative research and research training programs, and supports and advances the NIH mission through international partnerships. FIC also supports an extensive network of programs to build HIV/AIDS research capacity in low and middle income countries, including many countries in Africa.
The NIH Common Fund (Roadmap) encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs. These new programs are funded through the Common Fund, and managed by the NIH Office of the Director in partnership with the various NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices. Common Fund programs are designed to pursue major opportunities and gaps in biomedical research that no single NIH Institute could tackle alone, but that the agency as a whole can address to make the biggest impact possible on the progress of medical research This particular RFA the NIH Common Fund is jointly supporting in collaboration with NHGRI’s H3Africa on genomic related programs. Additional information about the NIH Common Fund can be found at http://commonfund.nih.gov.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) conducts and supports communication research in 7 scientific program areas: hearing, voice, speech, language, balance/vestibular, taste and smell. The mission of the NIDCD is to reduce the burden of communicative disorders and improve public health.
Normal hearing ability is central to development of effective verbal expression. NIDCD is especially interested in MEPI applications that strengthen medical, nursing and other professional education for newborn screening of hearing ability and early identification of voice, speech, and language delay. Disorders of voice, speech and language occur in isolation (e.g. stuttering) or may occur within the context of a hearing impairment. Communication disorders occur throughout the lifespan and may result from injury, neurologic condition (stroke), head and neck cancer, or coexist with congenital physical conditions (e.g. cleft lip/palate) or mental conditions (autism). Applications which address prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of hearing, voice, speech and language are especially solicited. Innovative applications with demonstrated synergy between ministries of health and education and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are highly desirable. MEPI applications relevant to SSA in all 7 NIDCD scientific programs will be considered.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) supports research and research training across a broad range of disciplines as they relate to licit and illicit substance abuse and addiction, and ensures the rapid and effective dissemination and use of the results of that research to significantly improve prevention and treatment and inform policy. As part of these efforts, NIDA is dedicated to improving medical education in substance abuse and addiction to accomplish the following: deepen physician understanding of the science of addiction, identify patient substance abuse to avert addiction or refer to treatment, and improve pain management and prescribing practices to prevent prescription drug abuse. In addition, NIDA supports a broad range of research to diminish the spread of HIV among drug abusers and their partners (including drug abuse treatment as HIV prevention), and to minimize the associated health and social consequences of the disease.
The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.
The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to reduce the burden of neurological disease a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world. NINDS encourages collaborative applications with the goals of identifying effective prevention, diagnostic or treatment strategies aimed at relieving the burden of neurological conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Areas of study must be relevant to a public health concern in SSA and be of interest to the NINDS.
The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) provides direct support to thirteen African institutions in twelve countries working in partnership with other university-based medical schools to strengthen and build the clinical and research capacity of institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. While most of the current global heath investments in Africa justifiably focus on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, investments in other priority health areas (e.g., genetics research, mental health) and chronic non-communicable diseases will be critical to supporting health systems strengthening and reducing levels of morbidity and premature mortality throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The NIH Director has identified global health as an area of significant promise for furthering major advances that can play a significant role in the development of prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics that can reduce the burdens of illness and disability around the world.
In support of this interest in global health, the participating Institutes and Centers of the NIH will support additional meritorious linked awards, which will help to build research capacity and research education opportunities in other priority health areas and chronic non-communicable diseases of importance to the applicant’s country related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS; some of these diseases may also be important for HIV/AIDS co-morbidities (e.g. neurological disorders).
The award applications must be submitted by applicant institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa that are already part of the MEPI network of 31 African institutions, which include the partner institutions of the thirteen institutions directly supported by MEPI. The awardsmust address priority health areas beyond any award the institution has already been funded for under MEPI.
The MEPI approach acknowledges that local health issues in Africa are complex, cross national borders, and have biomedical, social/political, technological, legal/regulatory, and economic dimensions that frequently require novel and integrated solutions. The MEPI programmatic awards support medical education partnerships that assist universities in responding to a growing demand by their faculty and students for more training and more varied pathways to address critical local clinical and research needs. Participating medical schools within these institutions have developed multidisciplinary models that incorporate various health services disciplines and their respective schools to include Nursing, Public Health, Arts and Sciences, Social Sciences, Health Economics, Computer Science, Dentistry, and others. These multidisciplinary models provide the expertise necessary to address pressing health concerns in the country, as well as provide career pathways into health research for students in these disciplines.
Building on the objectives of the MEPI programmatic awards, the Linked awards provide additional funding to selected institutions in the MEPI network to support research capacity building and research education in other priority health areas and chronic non-communicable diseases related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS. The priority health areas and chronic non-communicable diseases being considered for this Linked award opportunity may vary in scope and can include a focus on building capacity in:
These awards may be used to support existing or new partnerships that will contribute to health systems strengthening and the use of research to improve treatment, identify preventative measures, and groom future generations of scientists who can ultimately improve the health outcomes related to these areas in the applicant’s community and country. Specifically, applicants should propose to:
1) Substantially increase the expertise of faculty and students in chronic non-communicable diseases and/or other health priorities related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS which significantly impact morbidity and premature mortality in the applicant’s community and country.
2) Strengthen the implementation and sustainability of education and research education related to chronic non-communicable diseases, co-morbidities between infectious and non-communicable diseases, and/or the integration of infectious and non-communicable disease management at the applicant’s institution and/or consortium.
3) Strengthen faculty contributions and student participation in medical education and locally driven research for chronic non-communicable diseases, as well as other priority, locally relevant health issues to include sex and gender factors in health and disease, and encourage creative and innovative teaching, mentoring, and research education models to support addressing these priorities.
The models developed through MEPI work to address identified gaps in the quality of medical education, support innovative medical education models, and build or enhance local health services and biomedical research capacity. The initiative provides faculty and students with an environment that challenges them to try novel approaches and seek out unfamiliar or emerging technologies and complementary expertise to incorporate into innovative solutions that have the capacity to be transformative and sustainable.
Examples of models to be considered for funding may include, but are not limited to:
Multi-Institutional Research Education Program Regional education programs involving Sub-Saharan Africa and international institutions that would include students, residents, fellows, and faculty members from local institutions and communities as well as those from other Sub-Saharan African countries. It is expected that successful programs would foster a cadre of experts, capable of providing educational research to others while aiding in the institutions efforts to sustain research. Activities may include, but are not limited to, multi-year research education linked to existing MEPI programs, in-country educational workshops that may involve faculty from other partner institutions or from the U.S., and short-term educational opportunities in other countries or the U.S. Support may also be requested to recruit U.S.-trained Sub-Saharan Africa specialists serving as faculty in an African institution within the MEPI Network.
Multidisciplinary Research Education Program Education programs intended to address educational needs that span multiple chronic non-communicable diseases are encouraged. Relevant projects could address a broad range of locally-driven health education and clinical needs.
Research Education Program Research education programs with multiple program elements would also be of interest. Proposed programs should place an emphasis on creating opportunities for students and faculty to participate in locally-driven research projects. Research Education Program elements could include health research methodology, clinical and community-based epidemiological research skills, and the adaptation of methods and tools to local conditions, research ethics, and the preparation of scientific manuscripts and grant applications. Support may also be requested for the travel of MEPI investigators from Sub-Saharan African countries to attend international meetings and to present research results.
Developmental Activities - Collaborations with rural institutions to develop smaller-scaled activities that would build initial capacity for research or research education in a priority health area, not currently addressed at the applicant or partner institution, are highly encouraged. Development activities may include improving local research and data collection infrastructure, strengthening translation and cross-cultural validation of research assessment tools, developing short- or long-term courses in a new area for students at the institution, or linking students to ongoing research projects at other institutions with broader expertise.
Genomics and Environmental Research and Training: Applicants proposing a genomics or environmental research education project should expect to participate actively in the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium (H3AC); see www.h3africa.org). The goal of H3Africa is to build research capacity in Africa in areas of genomics and environmental studies. Participation in the H3AC will strengthen and enrich the research education and outputs of the MEPI participants (e.g., scientific publications and research grant applications). Participation in the H3AC will include attendance at annual network meetings, so applicants should set aside funds for travel. There will be one H3Africa Research Network meeting in Africa 2012 and two in each remaining year, including one in the UK in 2013.
H3Africa is supported by the NIH Director's Common Fund in partnership with the UK Wellcome Trust. The Common Fund will provide support to institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa that are already part of the MEPI network of 31 African institutions, for research education projects that build on their current MEPI award to address genetic and environmental determinants of disease. In accordance with H3AC, the Common Fund will support building genomics and environmental research capacity that relates to any disease or condition. It would be acceptable, at the investigator’s discretion, to include a component within the research education application concerning the societal implications of the proposed genomics/environmental research education project.
Applicants are encouraged to consider developing partnerships across the range of the NIH mission areas supported by NIH extramural programs (http://www.nih.gov/icd/index.html) in building new areas of expertise related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS. These partnerships could include, for example, linkages with the NIH funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) (http://www.ctsaweb.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showHome), Comprehensive Cancer Centers (http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/index.html), NHLBI Collaborating Centers of Excellence (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/globalhealth/), and many others.
The application must include the participation of at least one partner outside of the applicant institution. These awards may be used to support existing partnerships, or develop new partnerships with institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the U.S., or beyond. If the application proposes a new partnership, the application must include a planning phase during the first year of the award. Partnerships should contribute to the probability of success of applicants in meeting the objectives of this FOA, as well as provide support for capacity building efforts and contribute to addressing applicants technical assistance needs (e.g. supporting capacity building efforts in administration, management, financing, education, and/or research) and should provide a benefit for all participants. All applications must explain why the particular partnerships were chosen, how they add value to the proposed program, and why these partners have the potential to successfully develop a program together. Applicants and their partners should be committed to sharing resources and curricula using modern information technology. Where this initiative will be integrated with other ongoing initiatives at the institution(s) or in the country (e.g. Global Fund, Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, Doris Duke, Millennium Villages, and others), explain the relationship of the projects, the proposed value added if this grant is awarded, and how duplication will be minimized and synergies enhanced. Address how the proposed activities might be catalytic and lead to a sustained opportunity at the institution(s) and within the country.
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 |
This initiative is supported by Institutes and Centers (ICs) of the NIH who have signed on to support the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI). The amount of funding and the number of awards will rely on the interests of the participating institutes and centers, and is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The participating NIH institutes and the NIH Common Fund intend to commit a total of $2,750,000 to support up to 8-10 awards in FY 2012. The following NIH components intend to commit the following amounts in FY 2012: NIDCD will commit $250,000 NIMH will commit$250,000 NINDS will commit$750,000 NIDA will commit $250,000 NIH Common Fund will commit $1.25 million Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations. |
Award Budget |
The Linked award application budget may not exceed $250,000 direct costs per year per award. |
Award Project Period |
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement may not exceed 3 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 |
Participants may be paid if specifically required for the
proposed research education program and sufficiently justified. 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.
All Program Director(s)/Principal
Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) must also work with their institutional officials
to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account
is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date.
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.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply, however, African higher education institutions currently
participating in the MEPI network (both direct recipients and African consortium
members) are the only eligible Non-domestic Entities that can apply..
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not restricted. However, they must be partnered with a PD/PI in the MEPI network as long as
they are African higher education institutions currently participating in the
MEPI network to beeligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, however, African higher
education institutions currently participating in the MEPI network (both direct
recipients and African consortium members) are the only Foreign components that
can apply.
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 Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) must also work
with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure
their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account
of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant
organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at
least 4-6 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 Program Director(s)/Principal
Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from 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 PD(s)/PI(s), visit the Multiple
Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) Policy and submission details in
the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R)
Application Guide.
The PD(s)/PI(s) should be 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
program. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be expected to monitor and assess the program and
submit all documents and reports as required.
Individuals listed as Key Personnel from the MEPI parent or consortium
institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa are eligible to apply as PD(s)/PI(s). The
contact PD(s)/PI(s) for the parent MEPI Grant is not required to maintain the
role of contact PD(s)/PI(s) for this application. The contact PD(s)/PI(s) for
this application, however, must be from the African institution applying.
More than one PD(s)/PI(s) (i.e., multiple PD(s)/PI(s)), may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD(s)/PI(s) model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD(s)/PI(s) on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered in the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PD(s)/PI(s) or multiple PD(s)/PI(s) is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PD(s)/PI(s) will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. When considering the multiple PD(s)/PI(s) option, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD(s)/PI(s) leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PD(s)/PI(s) will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PD(s)/PI(s) on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD(s)/PI(s) is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PD(s)/PI(s), please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
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
The Linked awards will be funded and administered by the participating NIH Institute(s) and Center(s)..
Each institution may submit applications in differing scientific and technical areas as long as these are not areas currently funded through previous MEPI awards at the institution. Applicant institutions may participate in consortia through applications submitted by other institutions as long as the programs are scientifically and programmatically distinct.
Describe any barriers to the implementation of the proposed plan (administrative or other) and how these might be overcome.
Applicants must also establish a plan to participate in site visits from the U.S. government and grantee network meetings as necessary.
Developing country collaboration
Consortia members must include participation of at least one partner which may be new or existing collaborating institutions and organizations from the U.S. In addition partners may be from other countries that add value to the overall project.
Pre-requisite activities in Global Health
Institutions are eligible to apply if they can demonstrate that the applicant institution is involved in a minimum of five active global health (to include PEPFAR-funded) grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or awards from the U.S. government (USG) (e.g. CDC, DOD, HRSA, NIH, USAID, and others) or non - USG funders (e.g. Wellcome Trust, Doris Duke, Gates Foundation, and others) involving low and middle income countries. At least two awards must be research or research education grants, cooperative agreements, or research contracts in Global Health areas important to the public health concerns of the applicant’s country; at least one of these awards must be from the NIH. These awards must be active on the application due date of February 10, 2012 for this Funding Opportunity Announcement. The institution may be the direct recipient of the award or may be the foreign component/subcontract on an award to another institution or be a listed collaborating site for an existing FIC research training or other capacity building award.
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.
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.
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Myat Htoo Razak, MBBS, MPH, PhD
Fogarty International Center
Division of International Training and Research
Building 31, Room B2C39
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: (301) 402-6112
Fax: (301) 402-0779
Email: [email protected]
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 submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
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. .
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modification:
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(s)/Principal Investigator(s), Program Faculty/Staff, Program Participants, Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research, and Evaluation Plan.
Applications must be written and submitted including a Research Strategy that adheres to the page limitation of 25 pages (See: http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/page_limits.html). The application should also include the following components within the 25 page limit:
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. Applicants should describe how the faculty from different Schools, Departments, and Institutions (where applicable) will communicate and coordinate their efforts on this program.
Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe arrangements for administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) 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. The Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) must be from institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa that are already part of the MEPI network.
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.
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.
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.
Renewal (Type 2) applications must, in addition, describe changes in formal
instruction over the past project period and plans for the future that address
any weaknesses in the current instruction plan. All participating faculty who
served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders
during the past project period must be named in the application.
Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research may
be delayed or not accepted for review. The background, rationale and more
detail about instruction in the responsible conduct of research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019.
If such instruction is not appropriate for the proposed research education
program, then the PD(s)/PI(s) 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.
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Applications must contain a monitoring and evaluation plan for the institution’s award and activities supported by this FOA; a logic framework model for the M&E plan is required. Applications should include goals, objectives, and metrics and take into account the need for an annual evaluation. Applications should discuss how the project will be assessed and how each applicant will define, identify, and determine impact and implement modifications to improve program impact.
As part of the Monitoring and Evaluation plan, applicants should include detail in table format on the expected outcomes and targets, particularly those which can be quantitatively measured such as the number of students or faculty benefiting, courses offered, fellowships, mentored research education, among others, expected for each year of the project. Monitoring and evaluation activities should generate sufficient information to assess the project’s sustainability and specifically whether the project’s initiation will have a strong likelihood of being continued and supported by the country’s Ministries of Health and Education and other institutions in the country or region as appropriate.
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
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Foreign (non-US) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
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. (See: NOT-OD-11-090, Guidance for International Applicants Blocked from Registration Websites, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-11-090.html.)
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(s)/PI(s) 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(s)/PI(s) 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.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
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? How does the program provide new research education opportunities, new research education models, and new resources for multidisciplinary research on the health concerns of the local community and country at the institution(s) related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS? How will collaborations with existing programs in the country or region be included so as not to duplicate but to coordinate efforts? How will the program be transformative and sustainable for the participating schools and institutions?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers appropriately trained and well suited to the proposed research education program? Is the PD(s)/PI(s) 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? If Early Stage Investigator or New Investigator, or in the early stages of an independent career, does the PD(s)/PI(s) have appropriate experience to lead the program? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD(s)/PI(s), do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program leadership to ensure the program's objectives?
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, or 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. How does the program propose innovative ways to integrate research education and research across disease and health areas to address strengthening the health system as a whole?
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
and/or dissemination 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?
If the program 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?
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)?
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
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Resubmissions
Not Applicable
Renewals
Not Applicable
Revisions
.Not Applicable
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.
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
Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review , in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. 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 Fogarty International Center Advisory Board and by the Advisory Councils of co-funding NIH ICs . The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
After the peer review of the application is completed, the
PD(s)/PI(s) will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written
critique) via the eRA Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee’s business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS,
CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
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.
The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) and financial statements 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, 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 the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
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 from databases and from participants themselves. Participants 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.
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]
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process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
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Email: [email protected]
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registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
Myat Htoo Razak, MBBS, MPH, PhD
Fogarty International Center
Division of International Training and Research
Building 31, Room B2C39
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: (301) 402-6112
Fax: (301) 402-0779
Email: [email protected]
Steve Gust, Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Blvd.
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 443-6480
Fax: (301) 443-9127
[email protected]
Jane L. Peterson, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute
5635 Fishers Lane, Suite 4076, MSC 9305
Bethesda, MD 20892-9305
Telephone: (301) 496 7531
Fax: (301) 480 2770
Email: [email protected]
Lana Shekim, Ph.D.
Director, Voice & Speech Programs
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders
6120 Executive Blvd, Suite 400-C
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301)-496-5061
FAX: (301)-402-6251
E-mail: [email protected]
Pamela Y. Collins, MD, MPH
Director, Office for Research on Disparities & Global
Mental Health
Director, Office of Rural Mental Health Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 8125
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301-443-2847
email: [email protected]
Yuan Liu, PhD
Chief, Office of International Activities
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
NSC, 6001 Executive Blvd. Room 2187
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523 (Regular Mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (Express Mail)
Phone: (301) 496-0012
Fax: (301) 480-1080
Email: [email protected]
Hilary D. Sigmon, Ph.D., R.N.
CSR/FIC Review Coordinator
Scientific Review Officer
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health, DHHS
Room 3190 (new room number); 6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7852
301-357-9236
301-480-2241 (Fax)
[email protected]
Ms. Rhea Hubbard
Grants Management Specialist
Fogarty International Center
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, Room B2C29
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: (301) 496-5710
FAX: (301) 594-1211
Email: [email protected]
Victoria Bishton
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
5635 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 451-7928
Email: [email protected]
Pam Fleming
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Blvd, MSC 9560
Bethesda, MD 20890
Telephone: 301-443-6710
Fax: 301-594-6849
Email: [email protected]
Christopher
Myers
Chief, Grants Management Branch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders
Executive Plaza South, Room 400B
6120 Executive Blvd., MSC 7180
Bethesda, MD 20892-7180
Telephone: 301-435-0713
FAX: 301-451-5365
Email: [email protected]
Joy R. Knipple
Supervisory Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 6131
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: 301-443-8811
FAX: 301-480-1956
Email: [email protected]
Tijuanna E. DeCoster, MPA
Chief Grants Management Officer
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Suite 3290, MSC 9537
Bethesda, MD 20892-9537 (Regular Mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (Express Mail)
Telephone: 301-496-9231
FAX: 301-402-0219
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, 307 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241, 284 and 287 (b)) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
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