QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL POPULATIONS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 33, September 11, 1992



RFA AVAILABLE:  CA/NR-92-27



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Public Health 

  Social Psychology 

  Demography 

  Psychometrics 

  Clinical Medicine, General 



National Cancer Institute

National Center for Nursing Research



Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  October 23, 1992

Application Receipt Date:  January 19, 1993



THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.  POTENTIAL

APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN INQUIRIES,

BELOW.



PURPOSE



The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Nursing

Research (NCNR) invite investigator-initiated grant applications (R01s)

to develop methods for assessing health-related quality of life (QOL)

or specific QOL dimensions in cancer patients from diverse

sociocultural backgrounds.



HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000



The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health

promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"

a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This RFA,

Quality of Life Assessment in Special Populations, is related to the

priority area of cancer.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of

"Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or

Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent

of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325,

telephone 202-783-3238.



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS



Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign,  for-profit and

non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities,

colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local

governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal Government.

Applications from minority individuals and women are encouraged.



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) individual

research grant (R01).  The applicant has sole responsibility for

planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project.  Total

project period for applications submitted in response to this RFA must

not exceed three years.



This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Future unsolicited competitive

continuation applications will compete with all other

investigator-initiated research grant applications and be reviewed

according to the customary NIH peer review procedures.



FUNDS AVAILABLE



Total costs of $1,600,000 per year for three years will be committed to

specifically fund applications submitted in response to this RFA.  It

is anticipated that five to six awards will be made.  This funding

level is dependent upon the receipt of a sufficient number of

applications of high scientific merit.  Although this program is

provided for in the financial plans of the NCI and the NCNR, the awards

pursuant to this RFA are also contingent upon the availability of funds

for this purpose.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES



This RFA fosters development of methods for assessing health-related

QOL in cancer patients from diverse sociocultural backgrounds.

Objectives include:  (1) development or adaptation of existing methods

for use in culturally diverse populations; (2) validation of methods in

the target population; and (3) pilot testing of methods in a clinical

trial in the target population.



For this RFA, special populations include Hispanic Americans, Black

Americans, low socioeconomic status groups, and persons with low

literacy skills.  Other smaller minority or ethnic groups such as

Native Americans, may be considered under defined circumstances.

Potential applicants are advised to contact NCI or NCRR program staff

if there are any questions regarding the consideration of a particular

research population.



Methods must focus on global health-related QOL or specific domains or

aspects of QOL, such as functional status, physical symptoms,

psychological function, and social function.  Methods should evaluate

within-person change over time.  When feasible, adaptation of existing

methodology for use in special populations is preferred.



General acceptability of the QOL assessment method must be evaluated in

patients from the target population. Psychometric validation must

include demonstration of reproducibility, construct validity, and

responsiveness. Applicability must be demonstrated by pilot testing in

a clinical research project.



STUDY POPULATIONS



For projects involving clinical research, the NIH requires applicants

to give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in

study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the

study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for

this exclusion must be provided.  Applications without documentation

will not be accepted for review.



LETTER OF INTENT



Each prospective applicant is asked to submit, by October 23, 1992, a

letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed

research, the name, address, telephone/FAX numbers of the Principal

Investigator, the names of other key personnel and participating

institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which

the application is being submitted.



Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does

not enter into the review of a subsequent application, it contains

information that is helpful in planning for the review.  It allows NCI

and NCNR staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid

possible conflict of interest in the review.  The letter of intent is

to be sent to the Program Director named in INQUIRIES.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Applications must be received by January 19, 1993.  Application form

PHS 398 and information about application procedures may be obtained

from the NCI Program Director named in INQUIRIES.



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Applications that are competitive and responsive to the RFA will be

evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer

review group according to specific review criteria.  A second level of

review will consider special needs and research priorities of the NCI

and the NCNR.



INQUIRIES



Written and telephone requests for the RFA and the opportunity to

clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants are welcome.

Direct requests for the RFA and inquiries regarding programmatic issues

to:



Susan G. Nayfield, M.D., M.Sc.

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza North, Suite 300

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-8541



Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Mrs. Eileen M. Natoli

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza South, Suite 242

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7800



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

No. 93.399, Cancer Control Research, and 93.361, Nursing Research.

Awards are made under the authorization of the Public Health Service

Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law

99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies

and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74.  This program is

not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive

Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.



.

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