Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplements to support research by Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentors at NIMHD-Funded Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI)
Notice Number:
NOT-MD-23-016

Key Dates

Release Date:

July 19, 2023

First Available Due Date:
August 31, 2023
Expiration Date:
September 01, 2023

Related Announcements

  • October 9, 2020  - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional). See NOFO PA-20-272.

Issued by

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)

Purpose

This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) invites applications for administrative supplements from NIMHD-funded Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) awardees to support unanticipated costs on Center research projects led by scientists who have demonstrated compelling commitments to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the biomedical sciences.

Background

NIMHD's Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program supports specialized research centers in institutions that offer doctoral degrees in the health professions or health-related sciences and have an historical and current commitment to educating students underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. RCMIs play an important role in supporting scientific research, particularly on diseases or conditions that disproportionately impact racial/ethnic minorities and other U.S. populations that experience health disparities. These institutions are uniquely positioned to engage racial and ethnic minority populations in research and in the translation of research advances into culturally competent, measurable and sustained improvements in health outcomes. Each RCMI U54 Center includes specific aims to support the development of highly talented undergraduate, pre-doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty, and other early-stage investigators in basic biomedical, behavioral, and/or clinical sciences.

The biomedical research enterprise includes a range of research, including basic science, behavioral and social science, and clinical research and will be described hereafter as biomedical research. Excellent mentorship and superior training are critical to developing exceptional future scientists and building a diverse scientific workforce in the U.S.  Mentoring can be defined as “a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support” (NASEM, 2019). Mentorship provides psychosocial and career support, self-efficacy, and science identity; it is also culturally responsive (NASEM, 2019). However, these efforts may not always be appropriately recognized or well compensated. As such, the intent of this NOSI is to provide support to those mentors who have dedicated their time and effort and made significant contributions to DEIA to further their personal research activities within the RCMI award. Funds can be used for cost increases that are associated with achieving certain research objectives  within the original scope of the peer reviewed and approved project and  the costs  were unforeseen when the new or renewal application or grant progress report for non-competing continuation support was submitted.

Description of circumstances for which administrative supplements are available.

Application and Submission Information

To be eligible for an Administrative Supplement under this NOSI, the parent RCMI U54 award must:

Applications for this initiative must be submitted using the following opportunity or its subsequent reissued equivalent.

  • PA-20-272 - Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-20-272 must be followed, with the following additions:

  • Application Due Date(s): August 31, 2023, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
  • For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-MD-23-016 ” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
  • To be eligible, the parent award must be active when the supplement application is submitted (i.e., within five years of the start date of the originally reviewed and approved project period of the existing parent RCMI’s U54 competitive segment and have sufficient time left to complete the studies proposed within this active  time period .
  • The supplement proposed must be within the scope of the peer reviewed and approved parent RCMI project, including competitive revisions.
  • Research Strategy: The Research Strategy section of the application is limited to 6 pages. And at minimum it should include a summary of the funded parent award. There should also be an explanation of how the additional funds support the PD/PI research program within the scope of the parent award to conduct minority health or health disparities research and the  significance of supplement's  innovation and  approach. 
  • DEIA Statement: The application must include a DEIA statement from the PD/PI (1-page maximum). The DEIA Statement should include a description of the individual’s demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. 
  • Project Period: Requests may be for up to one year of support within the active time period described above.
  • Budget: Should not exceed $250,000 in direct costs , not including consortium F&A costs.
  •   

Applications not responsive to this NOSI:

Projects supplement awards that are not eligible under this NOSI.

  • Projects that are not within the scope of the peer reviewed and approved parent RCMI project, including competitive revisions. 
  • Proposals that are not being used to meet increased costs that were unforeseen when the new or renewal application or grant progress report for non-competing continuation support was submitted.
  • Applications lacking a DEIA Statement will not be reviewed.

Applications not responsive to these terms will be withdrawn for this NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Scientific Contact Name

Rina Das, PhD.
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Telephone: 301-496-3996
Email: dasr2@mail.nih.gov

Nathan Stinson, Jr., PhD, MD, MPH
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Telephone: 301-594-8704
Email: stinsonn@mail.nih.gov

Pamela A Tamez
OD - Office of the Director, NIH

 
E-mail: pamela.tamez@nih.gov

Fiscal/Grants Management Contact

Priscilla Grant, JD
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Telephone: 301-594-8412
Email: pg38h@nih.gov