Key Dates

Related Announcements

RFA-RM-22-001 - Limited Competition: Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity at Minority Serving Institutions (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)

PAR-22-044 - NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PAR-22-041 - NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PAR-22-042 - NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 Clinical Trial Required)

PAR-22-060 - Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Issued by

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

Purpose

Effective immediately, NIH is updating and implementing HHS language on the Non-Discrimination Legal Requirements for Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance, to comply with 2 CFR Part 200.300 and to ensure that NIH is promoting equity in its grant awards.

Therefore, NIH is updating its Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOAs) and terms and conditions of award as follows:

Funding Opportunity Announcements: The updated language below applies to all active NIH FOAs, and FOAs issued on or after the date of this Notice.

Section VI 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Should the applicant organization successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy). This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. See https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.

• Recipients of FFA must ensure that their programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. For guidance on meeting your legal obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to your programs or activities by limited English proficient individuals. See https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov.

• For information on an institution’s specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities, including reasonable modifications and making services accessible to them, see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.

• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html.

• For guidance on administering your program in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws, see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/index.html.

Terms and Conditions of Award: The following term and condition of award applies to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements issued on or after the date of this notice. The NIH Grants Policy Statement will be updated at the time of its next publication to incorporate this term and condition into Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

Recipients must administer projects in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy). This includes taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency and providing programs that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. See https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.

• Recipients must take reasonable steps to ensure that projects provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency. For guidance on meeting the legal obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to the recipient’s programs or activities by limited English proficient individuals, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov.

• For information on the recipient’s specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities, including providing program access, reasonable modifications, and taking appropriate steps to provide effective communication , see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.

• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html.

• For guidance on administering projects in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws, see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/index.html.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA)
Division of Grants Policy
[email protected]