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NOT-OD-21-052 - Reminder – Requesting Extensions for Early Career Scientists Whose Career Trajectories Have Been Significantly Impacted by COVID-19

Issued by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Purpose

NIH released NOT-OD-21-052 which provided general guidance for early career scientists affected by COVID-19 to request funded extensions. This notice is being released to inform the community that NINDS will consider requests for funded extensions of Career Development (K) awards held by clinician-scientists whose clinical research depends upon recruitment of human subjects, and for which subject recruitment was significantly delayed due to COVID-19 or a similarly insurmountable delay.

Background

In 2021, NINDS provided funded extensions to clinician-scientist K awardees who were significantly delayed due to COVID-19. For some of those doing clinical research that required recruitment of human subjects, the inability to recruit due to COVID-19 continues to present an insurmountable obstacle to completion of projects within the 5-year timeline of the K award. To facilitate completion of the research projects proposed for these awards, NINDS will consider requests for administrative supplements to extend the K award for an additional year.

Eligibility and Extension Criteria

Applicants must be clinician-scientists who have an active NINDS K01, K08 or K23 awards and are in the final year of their award between November, 2022 and October, 2023. Research projects eligible for extension include only those that require the recruitment of human subjects for completion of the project, and which could not be completed due to the inability to recruit adequate numbers of subjects due to COVID-19 or that suffered similarly insurmountable delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NINDS will consider requests for funded extensions of 4-12 months, based on need, for individuals who fit these criteria. Requests must be clearly justified and include a clear explanation of the delay experienced and the research progress accomplished during the period of delay. Requests must also describe the expectation for research progress and timeline for R01 submission, if they are provided an extension for the duration of time requested. Funded extensions will be for salary support only and not for additional resources or research expenses. Individuals who have substantially met recruitment goals adequate to apply for continued funding by an NIH research project grant (RPG) will not be considered for an extension.

K08 and K23 recipients with an unobligated balance equivalent to 1 year or more of funding are not eligible for this extension. In addition, K award recipients who have successfully competed as a PD/PI for a research project grant (RPG) with direct costs of ≥ $100,000 per year are not eligible for this extension.

Application and Submission Information

Currently funded NINDS K08 and K23 recipients impacted by COVID-19 seeking funded extensions must apply using the following opportunity announcement:

• 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: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 1, 2023
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with their NINDS Program Director prior to submission and to notify both their NINDS Program Director and the NINDS Director of Training and Workforce Development when the request has been submitted to facilitate efficient processing of the request.

Requests must include the following:

• Explanation of Delay: Provide a description (maximum length 1 page) of the delay experienced due to COVID-19. This should include an explanation of the proposed subject enrollment number in the original application and a detailed explanation of the delay experienced, including the timeline of enrollment from the start date of the award to the onset of COVID-19 (approximately February 2020), and the enrollment achieved between the onset of COVID-19 restrictions to the present.
• Research Plan: Provide a description (maximum length 3 pages) of the proposed research/activities during the extension, which must remain within the scope of the parent award. Include a description of the anticipated accomplishments required for an NIH R01 application, a timeline for achieving these accomplishments, and the plan for submission of an NIH R01 application (or equivalent award) based on the K award project.
• Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development: Provide a letter of support (maximum length 2 pages) from the applicant’s Department Chair, co-signed by the primary mentor and applicant, that describes the nature of the research interruption and the support for research accomplishmentprovided during the period of the delay. The letter of support should also confirm continued institutional commitment to the K award recipient for the remainder of the K award period and the duration of the funded extension, including a description of any additional funds provided by the institution to support the work proposed. This letter should also reaffirm the commitment to a full 75% protected time for research by the K awardee during the extended period, with a precise explanation of the candidate’s non-research responsibilities with respect to effort during this period.
• R&R Budget Form: Provide a budget and budget justification, including an estimate of funds remaining on the award at the end of the current budget period and a description of why the remaining funds cannot be used to cover the requested extension.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Stephen Korn, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Training and Workforce Development
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email: korns@ninds.nih.gov