Participating Organization(s)	National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Components of Participating Organizations	National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Funding Opportunity Title	NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01)
Activity Code	K01 Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training
Announcement Type	Reissue of PAR-09-065
Related Notices	May 14, 2015 - This PA has been reissued as PAR-15-257. January 21, 2015 - Notice NOT-NS-15-011 Notice of the Extension of the Expiration Date for PAR-12-152 "NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01)" June 4, 2014 - Notice NOT-14-074 supersedes instructions in Section III.3 regarding applications that are essentially the same. November 27, 2013 (NOT-OD-14-027) - NIH to Require Use of Updated Electronic Application Forms for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2014. Forms-C applications are required for due dates on or after January 25, 2014. February 11, 2013 - See Notice NOT-NS-13-014. Notice of Correction in the Instructions for the Submission of the Eligibility Certification Letter.
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number	PAR-12-152
Companion Funding Opportunity	None
Number of Applications	See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	93.853
Funding Opportunity Purpose	The NINDS recognizes the unique and compelling need to promote diversity in participation in neuroscience research and expects these efforts to diversify the neuroscience research workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups. The purpose of the NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research is to provide junior faculty support and protected time (up to three years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in neuroscience research. The goal of the NINDS K01 is to diversify the pool of independent neuroscience research investigators and to enhance the probability of success in obtaining independent NIH or other independent research support. Individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research are eligible for support under this award if they have doctoral research degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) and are in the first 3 years of a faculty position at the time of award. NINDS support for K01 program relies equally on scientific merit and programmatic considerations. Consequently, we strongly recommend potential applicants speak with program officials at NINDS before preparing an application. NINDS will not support projects, regardless of the results of merit review, if they do not fulfill current programmatic priorities at NINDS.

Posted Date	April 3, 2012
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)	May 12, 2012
Letter of Intent Due Date	Not Applicable
Application Due Date(s)	Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
AIDS Application Due Date(s)	Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
Scientific Merit Review	Standard dates apply
Advisory Council Review	Standard dates apply
Earliest Start Date(s)	Standard dates apply
Expiration Date	New Date May 14, 2015 per issuance of PAR-15-257. (Original Expiration Date: September 8, 2015) New Date: September 8, 2015 per NOT-NS-15-011 (Previously May 8, 2015)
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, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), 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

The overall goal of the NIH Research Career Development program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. More information about Career programs may be found at the NIH Extramural Training Mechanisms website.

The purpose of the Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research is to support an intensive, supervised career development and scientific mentoring experience for promising junior investigators (defined as = 3 years of a first time tenure track or equivalent faculty position) from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research. The proposed career development experience is expected to substantially contribute to the research capabilities of the applicant, provide protected time from teaching/other duties and provide resources to hone skills in grant writing and publication of high impact research. Presently, there is an underrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in biomedical research careers. For example, in surveys conducted by the Society for Neuroscience Committee on Neuroscience Departments and Programs, diverse faculty represents only 5% of the tenure-stream neuroscience faculty (2009 Survey Report Neuroscience Departments and Programs). It is envisioned that funding support from the Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research will increase the total pool of well-trained researchers and health professionals who are competitively funded to conduct neuroscience research.

The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences 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.

The expectation is that through this sustained period of protected research time and career development exposure, awardees will be able to accelerate their independent research careers and become competitive for new research project grant (R01) funding. Mentoring is expected to be appropriate for this stage of career and should focus on enhancing tenure track (or equivalent) activities or metrics (i.e., helping the junior faculty member to navigate institutional expectations, scientific networks, and practices that are relevant to productivity and advancement at the institution). Applicants must justify the need for this award and provide a convincing case that the proposed period of support will substantially enhance their careers as independent investigators in neuroscience research. The sponsoring institution must be able to provide a signed statement establishing the eligibility of the candidate for this program. The sponsoring Institution must also be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to the development of the candidate as a productive, independent investigator by providing protected research time and space needed to perform the proposed research.

Prior to preparing an application, individuals are strongly encouraged to contact the program official listed at the end of this announcement for any questions concerning the program and pre-submission guidance. Applications for research that does not fall within the current mission interests of the NINDS will not be accepted.

Funding Instrument	Grant
Application Types Allowed	New Resubmission 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 total amount to be awarded by the NINDS and the number of awards will depend upon the quality and merit of applications received and the availability of funds.
Award Budget	Award budgets are composed of salary and other program-related expenses, as described below.
Award Project Period	The total project period may not exceed 3 years.

Salary	NIH will contribute up to $85,000 per year toward the salary of the career award recipient. The total salary requested must be based on a full-time staff appointment. The salary must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the institution and with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. The sponsoring institution may supplement the NIH salary contribution up to a level that is consistent with the institution's salary scale. However, supplementation may not be from Federal funds unless specifically authorized by the Federal program from which such funds are derived. In no case may PHS funds be used for salary supplementation. Institutional supplementation of salary must not require extra duties or responsibilities that would interfere with the purpose of the career award.
Other Program-Related Expenses	NIH will contribute up to $100,000 per year toward the research development costs of the award recipient, which must be justified and consistent with the stage of development of the candidate and the proportion of time to be spent in research or career development activities. These costs may include the following expenses: (a) tuition and fees related to career development; (b) research expenses, such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel; c) travel to research meetings or training; and (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time. Salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative assistants, etc. is not allowed. Reasonable Accommodations: As part of this award, funds may be requested to make changes or adjustments in the research setting that will make it possible for a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions associated with the project. The accommodations requested under this program must be directly related to the performance of the proposed role on the research project and must be appropriate to the disabilities of the individual. Some types of accommodations that might be provided under this award include: specialized equipment, assistive devices, and personnel such as readers, interpreters, or assistants. In all cases, the total funds for accommodations requested must be reasonable.
Indirect Costs	Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs.

NIH grant 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

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2010/nihgps_ch16.htm#_Toc271265275

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.

• Central Contractor Registration (CCR) must maintain an active registration, to be renewed at least annually
• Grants.gov
• eRA Commons

All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (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 candidate with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her mentor(s) and organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. Multiple Principal Investigators are not allowed.

) Only U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residence who have a currently valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551), or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident prior to the time of award, are eligible for this award. Non-citizen nationals, although not U.S. citizens, owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. They are usually born in lands that are not states but are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

For the purpose of this announcement, institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity within the neuroscience workforce on a national basis http://grants.nih.gov/training/faq_diversity.htm. The strength of an institution's description, commitment and justification for the appointment of an identified candidate will be judged along with all other aspects of the proposed experience (see review criteria in Section V.1.) The NINDS is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of candidates:

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 (e.g., data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27 and the most recent report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting and individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the sponsoring institution are eligible for support under this program.

B. Individuals with disabilities, which 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:

1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at HHS - Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement. For individuals from low-income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such candidates (a) have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance; or (b) have received any of the following student loans: Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program; or (c) have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.

2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.

Eligibility related to a disadvantaged background would be difficult to justify for individuals beyond the level of high school and undergraduate, and thus will be very difficult to justify for the career stages eligible under this announcement. Under extraordinary circumstances the NINDS 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.

Information must be submitted by the applicant's Institution in a letter certifying that the applicant belongs to one of the above groups. The letter should be inserted in the application immediately before the Checklist as a PDF file. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be returned if it does not comply with this requirement.

Former PD(s)/PI(s) on NIH research project (R01), program project (P01), center grants (P50), sub-projects of program project (P01), sub-projects of center grants (P50), other career development awards (K awards), or the equivalent are not eligible. Former PD(s)/PI(s) of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), Dissertation Award (R36), or SBIR/STTR (R41, R42, R43, R44) remain eligible.

Career Stage: Candidates for this award must have earned a terminal research doctoral degree or a combined clinical and research doctoral degree. Junior faculty (i.e. early stage of faculty positions within = 3 yrs of appointments) are eligible for this award and will have completed their research training. At the time of award, the institution must demonstrate that the applicant will have the academic title, space and other resources necessary to apply for research project grant (e.g., R01) level funding.

Candidates must be able to commit a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) conducting research career development activities associated with this award. The remaining 3 months (25% effort) can be divided among other research, clinical, and teaching activities only if these activities are consistent with the goals of the K01 award, i.e., the candidate's development into an independent investigator. For information regarding NIH policy on determining full-time professional effort for career awards, see NOT-OD-04-056.

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 that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. An individual may not have two or more competing NIH career development applications pending review concurrently. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Candidates may not submit research project grant (RPG) applications concurrently with the K application. K award recipients are encouraged to obtain funding from NIH or other Federal sources either as a PD/PI on a competing research grant award or cooperative agreement, or as project leader on a competing multi-project award as described in NOT-OD-08-065.

At the time of award, the candidate must have a full-time appointment at the academic institution that is the applicant institution. Candidates who have VA appointments may not consider part of the VA effort toward satisfying the full time requirement at the applicant institution. Candidates with VA appointments should contact the staff person in the relevant Institute or Center prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility. Under certain circumstances, an awardee may submit a written request to the awarding component requesting a reduction in minimum required percent effort, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Details on this policy are provided in NOT-OD-09-036.

Before submitting the application, the candidate must identify a mentor who will provide guidance for the proposed career development and research experience. The mentor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research and be committed both to the career development of the candidate and to helping navigate and plan for future promotion and/or tenure. The mentor must document the availability of sufficient research support and facilities for high-quality research at the institution. The mentor, or a member of the mentoring team, should have a successful track record of mentoring. Candidates are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research career development program. In such cases, one individual must be identified as the primary mentor who will provide guidance for the candidate’s research. The candidate must work with the mentor(s) in preparing the application.

The mentor and any co-mentors are also expected to provide an assessment of the candidate’s qualifications and potential for an independent research career. The mentor should provide informal advice to the new faculty member on aspects of teaching, research and committee work or be able to direct the new faculty member to the appropriate individuals. Salary for mentors is not allowed.

The applicant institution must have a strong, well-established record of research and career development activities and faculty qualified to serve as mentors in neuroscience research. The institution must demonstrate a commitment to the development of the candidate as a productive, independent investigator and be willing to allow the protected time needed by the candidate. The candidate, mentor(s), and institution must describe a research career development program that will maximize the use of this environment, including available facilities and resources (e.g., equipment, dedicated laboratory space, computer time, available research support, technical assistance etc.). In addition, the institution should have the resources available to conduct the proposed research at the highest level; the letter of institutional commitment should make clear that the resources needed will be available to the applicant.

The NINDS requires that applicant institutions demonstrate a commitment to providing the environment and resources needed for junior investigator applicants to pursue successful careers as independent academic researchers in neuroscience. It is expected that K01 awardees will apply for independent funding during the course of their award. Institutions sponsoring them must provide the dedicated resources and position titles required to do so.

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.

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.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Candidate’s Background (Component of Candidate Information)

• Describe the candidate's commitment to a neuroscience research career. Include a description of all the candidate's professional responsibilities in the grantee institution and elsewhere and show their relation to the proposed activities on the career award.
• escribe prior training and how it relates to the objectives and long-term career plans of the candidate.
• Describe the candidate's research efforts to this point in his/her research career, including any publications, prior research interests and experience.
• Provide evidence of the candidate's potential to develop into a successful tenure track or equivalent independent investigator.
• Include a statement that the candidate will commit at least 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) to the career development program and related career development activities.

Career Goals and Objectives (Component of Candidate Information)

• Describe a systematic plan that: (1) shows a logical progression from prior research and training experiences to the research and career development activities that will occur; (2) justifies the need for further career development to become an independent investigator; and (3) utilizes the relevant research and educational resources of the institution.

Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period (Component of Candidate Information)

• The candidate and the mentor are jointly responsible for the preparation of the career development plan. A timeline is often helpful. The candidate and sponsor may propose a mentoring team (or an Advisory Committee).
• Provide a description of the career development plan, incorporating consideration of the candidate's goals and prior experience.
• Include plans to obtain the necessary research and career development experiences to accelerate transition to independent award funding, including: activities for development and inclusion in a scientific network, strategies to increase visibility in the
• sponsor Institution / professional communities, internal faculty development programs and activities to facilitate the achievement of specifc milestones for the tenure track or equivalent process. Training in career skills, e.g., grant-writing and laboratory management, is strongly encouraged.
• Describe the professional responsibilities/activities including other research projects beyond the minimum required effort commitment to the career award. Explain how these responsibilities/activities will help ensure career progression to achieve independence as an investigator.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (Component of Candidate Information)

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research as provided in Chapter 7 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

• Applications must include a plan to obtain instruction in the responsible conduct of research.
• This section should document prior instruction in responsible conduct of research during the applicant’s current career stage (including the date of last occurrence) and propose plans to receive instruction in responsible conduct of research.
• Such plans must address five instructional components, format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction, as outlined and explained in NOT-OD-10-019.
• The plan may include career stage-appropriate, individualized instruction or independent scholarly activities that will enhance the applicant’s understanding of ethical issues related to their specific research activities and the societal impact of that research.
• The role of the sponsor/mentor in responsible conduct of research instruction must be described. Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research will be considered incomplete and may be delayed in the review process or may not be reviewed.
• The background, rationale and more detail about instruction in the responsible conduct of research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019.

Statements by Mentor, Co-mentor(s), Consultants, Contributors (Component of Statements of Support)

• The candidate must name a primary mentor (sponsor), who, together with the candidate, is responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the program. The candidate may also identify co-mentors as appropriate to the goals of the program. commit to regular meetings and formulate goals in different areas of importance for the junior faculty member.
• The mentor(s) should be recognized as an accomplished investigator in the proposed research area and have a track record of success in training individuals in postdoctoral positions who have gone on to become independent investigators. Evidence in support of this track record should be provided.
• The mentor(s) should have sufficient independent research support to cover the costs of the proposed research project in excess of the allowable costs of this award.
• Each mentor and co-mentor(s) must provide a statement of his/her areas of expertise and responsibility. Co-mentors should clearly describe how they will coordinate mentoring of the candidate. If any of the co-mentors are not located at the sponsoring institution, a statement should be provided describing the mechanism(s) and frequency of communication with the candidate, including the frequency of personal meetings.
• Describe the plans and activities to help the junior faculty navigate and plan for future promotion and/or tenure
• Signed statements must be provided by all consultants/collaborators confirming their participation in the project and describing their specific roles. Collaborators and consultants generally do not need to provide their biographical sketches. However, information should be provided clearly documenting the appropriate expertise in the proposed areas of consulting/collaboration. Collaborators/consultants are generally not directly involved in the development of the career of the candidate as an independent investigator.
• The mentor(s) must agree to provide annual evaluations of the candidate s progress as required in the annual progress report.

Description of Institutional Environment (Component of Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate)

• The sponsoring institution must document a strong, well-established research and career development program related to the candidate's area of interest, including a high-quality research environment with key faculty members and other investigators capable of productive collaboration with the candidate.
• Describe the sponsoring institution’s scientific environment including the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate.

Institutional Commitment to the Candidate’s Research Career Development (Component of Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate)

The sponsoring institution must provide a statement of commitment to the candidate's development into a productive, independent investigator and to meeting the requirements of this award. It should be clear that the institutional commitment to the candidate is not contingent upon receipt of this career award. It is anticipated that awardees will apply for independent funding during the course of their award. Institutions are asked to confer an academic title that signifies independence by the time of award.

• Institutions should consider carefully each candidates scientific background, especially the extent to which they have been engaged in prior research training. Resources in support of career development should be tailored to the individual candidate, taking into account special strengths and needs. Unique features of the environment, the resources to be provided and institutional/departmental track record in faculty mentoring should be specifically detailed.
• Provide assurances that the candidate will be able to devote a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) to the development of their research program. The remaining effort should be devoted to activities related to the development of the candidates career as an independent scientist, e.g. clinic responsibilities, teaching and administration, and/or additional research activities.
• Provide the candidate with appropriate office and laboratory space, equipment, and other resources and facilities to carry out the proposed research plan.
• Provide assurances that appropriate time and support for any proposed mentor(s) and/or other staff consistent with the career development plan will be provided.
• Describe institutional commitment and plans for continuity of support for junior faculty at the expiration of the award. Matching funds are not required. However, commitment of an appropriate level of institutional support is expected.
• Provide detailed plans for assessing and monitoring the annual progress of the junior faculty member supported through this award. Describe any additional plans for ensuring the success and retention of the junior faculty as a productive, independent investigators that can contribute to the scientific mission of the NINDS.

Research Strategy (Component of Research Plan)

• A sound research project that is consistent with the candidate s level of research development and objectives of his/her career development plan must be provided. The research description should demonstrate not only the quality of the candidate’s research thus far but also the novelty, significance, creativity and approach, as well as the ability of the candidate to carry out the proposed research.
• The application must also describe the relationship between the mentor’s research and the candidate’s proposed research plan. If more than one mentor is proposed, the respective areas of expertise and responsibility should be described.

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.

Candidates must carefully follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including the time period for when letters of reference will be accepted (letters are due by the application due date as described in the Notice). Applications lacking the appropriate required reference letters will not be reviewed. This is a separate process from submitting an application electronically. Reference letters are submitted directly through the eRA Commons Submit Referee Information link and not through Grants.gov.

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(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/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, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.

In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NINDS Referral Office by email at nindsreview.nih.gov@mail.nih.gov when the application has been submitted. Please include the FOA number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application.

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 should provide their assessment of the likelihood for the candidate to maintain a strong research program, taking into consideration the criteria below in determining the overall impact/priority score.

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.

Candidate

• Does the candidate have the potential to advance as an independent and productive researcher?
• Is the candidate's academic and research record of high quality?
• Is there evidence of the candidate's commitment to meeting the program objectives to become an independent investigator in research?
• Are the candidate's prior training and research experience appropriate for this award?

Do the letters of reference from at least three well-established scientists address the above review criteria, and do they demonstrate evidence that the candidate has a high potential for becoming an independent investigator?

Career Development Plan/ Career Goals & Objectives/ Plan to Provide Mentoring

• What is the likelihood that the plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the candidate leading to scientific independence?
• Are the content, scope, phasing, and duration of the career development plan appropriate when considered in the context of prior training/research experience and the stated training and research objectives for achieving research independence?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the candidate’s research and career development progress?
• What is the likelihood that the plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the candidate and the achievement of scientific independence in terms of successful planning, writing, and submitting of traditional grant applications?

Research Plan

• Are the proposed research question(s), design, and methodology of significant scientific and technical merit?
• Is the research plan relevant to the candidate’s research career objectives? Is it commensurate with the candidate's level of research development?
• Is the research plan appropriate as a vehicle for developing the research skills described in the career development plan? What is the usefulness of the research project as a vehicle for enhancing existing research skills as described in the career development plan?
• Is the research plan relevant to neuroscience research?
• Is there active/pending support for the proposed research project (either from mentor or institutional)?

Mentor(s), Co-Mentor(s), Consultant(s), Collaborator(s)

• Are the mentor's research qualifications in the area of the proposed research appropriate? Is there evidence of previous research productivity and peer-reviewed support?
• Do(es) the mentor(s) adequately address the candidate’s potential and his/her strengths and areas needing improvement?
• Is there adequate description of the quality and extent of the mentor s proposed role in providing guidance and advice to the candidate?
• Is the mentor’s description of the elements of the research career development activities, including professional development activities, adequate?
• Is there evidence of the mentor s, consultant s, collaborator s previous experience in fostering the development of independent investigators?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the career development awardee’s progress toward independence?
• Does the mentor(s) outline strategies to help the mentee achieve excellence and demonstrate willingness to act as an active sponsor for the junior faculty member in the department, with the dean, and with colleagues within and outside of the University?

• Is there clear commitment of the sponsoring institution to ensure that the required minimum of the candidate’s effort will be devoted directly to the research described in the application, with the remaining percent effort being devoted to an appropriate balance of research, teaching, clinical, administrative, and other responsibilities?
• Is the institutional commitment to the career development of the candidate appropriately strong?
• Are the research facilities, resources and training opportunities, including faculty, capable of productive collaboration with the candidate, adequate and appropriate?
• Is the environment for scientific and professional development of the candidate of high quality?
• Is there assurance that the institution intends the candidate to be an integral part of its overall research program?
  

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.

• Diversity Eligibility: Reviewers can comment on the strength of the description of how this particular award will promote diversity within the institution and in science nationally.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: (1) risk to subjects, (2) adequacy of protection against risks, (3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, (4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and (5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: (1) the justification for the exemption, (2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and (3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: (1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; (3) adequacy of veterinary care; (4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and (5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

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

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 circumstances of the candidate, including level of experience, the reviewers will address the following questions. Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g., lectures, coursework, 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 the role of the sponsor/mentor or other faculty involvement in the candidate’s instruction? Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., eight contact hours of instruction every four years? Plans and past record will be rated as acceptable or unacceptable, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.

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 NINDS, 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:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact/priority score.
• Will receive a written critique.

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 . Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

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.

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. More specifically, for K Awards, visit the Research Career Development ( K ) Awardees section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Although the financial plans of the NIH Institute or Center provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds.

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The Additional Instructions for Preparing Continuation Career Development Award (CDA) Progress Reports, must be followed. The Mentor’s Report must include an annual evaluation statement of the candidate’s progress.

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.

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.

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.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH will assess the program’s overall outcomes, gauge its effectiveness in enhancing diversity, and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program. Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a) continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with modifications, or (c) discontinue the program.

The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source

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: support@grants.gov

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov

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: commons@od.nih.gov

Michelle Jones-London, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Telephone: (301) 451-7966
Email: jonesmiche@ninds.nih.gov

Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9223
Email: nindsreview.nih.gov@mail.nih.gov .

Maxine Davis-Vanlue
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9231
Email: davisma@mail.nih.gov

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.