Notice of Change in Receipt Date and Availability of Additional Award Mechanism for RFA-MH-12-020 - Integrating Multi-Dimensional Data to Explore Mechanisms Underlying Mental Disorders

Notice Number: NOT-MH-11-008

Key Dates
Release Date: May 20, 2011
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: June 20, 2011
Application Receipt Date: July 20, 2011
Expiration Date: July 21, 2011

Issued by
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to change the application receipt date and to also notify potential applicants of an additional award mechanism available for Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) RFA-MH-12-020 - Integrating Multi-Dimensional Data to Explore Mechanisms Underlying Mental Disorders.

The new receipt date for applications in response to this FOA is July 20, 2011. As a result, the Letter of Intent receipt date is extended to June 20, 2011.

In addition to the Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism, RFA-MH-12-020 will also accept applications using the Collaborative R01 award mechanism.

The complete funding opportunity announcement is available at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-12-020.html

In addition to the information and instructions in RFA-MH-12-020, there are specific instructions for completing a Collaborative R01 application as well as one additional review criterion that contributes to the Overall Impact Score. This information is as follows:

Specific Instructions for Collaborative R01 Applications

Multiple PDs/PIs are allowed on any single application and the policy for doing so is included in this FOA. Because the collaborative R01 mechanism already supports a team approach between groups of experts across sites and collaborating applications, the designation of multiple PDs/PIs on a single application may be less likely to apply. PDs/PIs from each linked application should NOT be designated as multiple PDs/PIs on all the applications of a collaborative set.

Application Title (required format): To allow NIH to identify a group of applications as a related set of collaborative R01s, the titles to each R01 of a set, must have the following format: a 1/N indicator + Identical title (e.g., 1/6-Multisite Comparison of Drug A vs. Drug B for Treatment of Disorder X, where the 1/6 means this is site 1 of 6 sites in the set. The other sites will be labeled 2/6, 3/6, etc.) Titles may not exceed 80 characters in length, including the tag, e.g., 1/6, at the beginning of the title.

PHS 398 Cover Letter (required): The PHS398 Cover Letter is one pdf file only. The following collaborative information is required in the Cover Letter: a listing of all the applications that are a part of the set of collaborative R01s being submitted, including for each: 1) the PD/PI(s) name(s), 2) the Title (including the tag, e.g., 1/6), and 3) the Applicant Institution. Each site should submit an identical listing.

Research and Related Other Project Information Component (required): A list of the collaborative applications as described for the Cover Letter must also be included in Item 12. Other Attachments. The information provided in this attachment MUST include a listing of all the applications that are a part of the set of collaborative R01s being submitted, including for each: 1) the PD/PI(s) name(s), 2) the Title (including the tag, e.g., 1/6), and 3) the Applicant Institution. Each site should submit an identical listing. This file should begin with a heading called Collaborative Applications. When saving the file, please name the file Collaborative_Applications as well, to ensure this section of the application is bookmarked appropriately.

PHS 398 Research Plan Component Sections (required format): The application from each site must contain an identical OVERVIEW that is included with the Specific Aims attachment.  The overview should provide an overall rationale for applying as a collaborative study; the role of each site; the approach to project management; and elements unique to any of the sites. The Overview and Specific Aims together may not exceed 1 page.

The application from each site must contain an identical RESEARCH STRATEGY (Item 3 of the Research Plan). The Research Strategy must describe those aspects of the project that are common to all sites of the collaboration. Investigators should use this section to describe the research procedures or protocol, the study population from which samples are drawn, resources, data analyses, and any other characteristics that support each site’s importance to the overall project. All variations in the research plan between sites, no matter how minor, should be highlighted with the heading "ELEMENTS UNIQUE TO THIS SITE." In this subsection PDs/PIs should describe, for example, how the research site has a unique role in the collaboration, such as data coordination, statistical analyses, etc. The Research Strategy may not exceed 12 pages.

Applications must describe a feasible mechanism for scientific integration of research procedures, overall managerial and administrative responsibilities, and cross-site comparability of training to assure reliability and quality control. The PDs/PIs may or may not wish to designate a Steering Committee or other decision making body, or identify one individual as the contact person for the group as a whole, for purposes of NIMH correspondence. Plans for ensuring access to data by all sites, analytic resources, publication and authorship rights, the possibility of public use research materials and data, or other means of distributing research materials to the wider scientific community, and a means of arbitrating disagreements on publication and other issues should be included in the application.

Any site that contracts out some portions of this work should list this fact under "ELEMENTS UNIQUE TO EACH SITE," and provide a full description of the nature, purpose and oversight of this contractual arrangement.

Additional Review Criteria for the Collaborative R01

In addition to the traditional review criteria, the following criteria will be addressed and considered in the determination of scientific merit and overall impact score.

Collaboration: Are sufficient and feasible mechanisms in place to ensure collaboration across sites to achieve scientific integration of research procedures, overall managerial and administrative responsibilities, appropriate quality control and reliability assurance, and planning for data management, analysis and reporting of results? Are there adequate plans for shared decision making among PD/PIs with regard to personnel, clinical decisions, changes in study protocol, and authorship?

All other aspects of RFA-MH-12-020 remain the same.

Inquiries

Inquiries regarding this Notice and/or the FOA may be directed to:

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Thomas Lehner, Ph.D.
Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7190, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD 20892-9643
Telephone: (301) 443-9869
Email: [email protected]

Peer Review Contact(s)

David Armstrong, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6138, MSC 9606
Bethesda, MD 20892-9606
Telephone: (301) 443-3534
FAX: (301) 443-4720
Email: [email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Victoria Carper, MPA
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6118, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-3858
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: [email protected]