SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR CLINICIANS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 29, August 14, 1992



PA AVAILABLE:  PA-92-98



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Alcohol/Alcoholism 

  Drugs/Drug Abuse 

  Mental Disorders 

  Clinical Medicine, General 



National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

National Institute on Drug Abuse

National Institute of Mental Health



Application Receipt Dates:  February 1, June 1, October 1



THE PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT (PA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.  POTENTIAL

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

BELOW.



PURPOSE



The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National

Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute of Mental Health

provide Scientist Development Awards for Clinicians to eligible

applicants early in their careers who need additional supervised

research experience to develop into independent scientists.  These

awards are intended to make it possible for investigators to engage in

alcohol, drug abuse, and/or mental health related research on a

full-time, long-term basis, and to stimulate recipient institutions to

maintain and expand existing research programs or to establish new ones

for studies in these areas.



Each funding component has different program goals and initiatives;

therefore, potential applicants must contact the appropriate Institute

office, listed below, prior to preparing an application to obtain the

full Program Announcement (PA) and current information with regard to

the Scientist Development Award.



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 PA,

Scientist Development Award For Clinicians, is related to the priority

areas of mental health and disorders and alcohol and other drugs.

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



Eligible applicant institutions include public and private, non-profit

and for-profit organizations and institutions engaged in alcohol, drug

abuse, and/or mental health research that are located in the United

States or its territories and possessions.  These institutions apply on

behalf of a qualified candidate who holds an earned doctorate.  Women

and minority candidates in particular are encouraged to apply.



An individual who has been a Principal Investigator on a Public Health

Service (PHS) research grant or who has had equivalent research support

is not eligible for this award.  Recipients of PHS Small Grant Awards

are an exception to this restriction and are eligible to apply.

Persons who hold a position with firm salary support for full time

research, or those with endowed chairs, are not eligible.



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



The mechanism of support is the Scientist Development Award for

Clinicians (K20), which is intended for persons trained primarily as

clinicians who show great promise for becoming researchers, but need

supervised research experience to develop into independent

investigators.



The essential elements of the K20 are the qualifications and potential

of the candidate, an individualized, well thought-out career

development and research plan, a dedicated, capable preceptor, and

commitment on the part of the applicant institution to the development

of the candidate. Documentation concerning each of these essential

elements must be included in the K20 application.



The candidate must be a citizen or noncitizen national of the United

States, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for

permanent residence and must possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card

(Form I-151 or I-551) at the time of an award.  The candidate must have

had no more than three years of research training or experience in the

aggregate and must have had at least two years of postdoctoral clinical

training or experience by the time the award is made.



Period of Support:  The K20 is limited to a single period of five

years.



Salary Support:  The salary proposed must be consistent with the

established salary structure for full-time, 12-month appointments at

the grantee institution.  The funding components' contribution to

salary support is geared to the institution's base as follows:  up to

$45,000 - 100 percent of institutional base; $45,001 to $60,000 -

$45,000; $60,001 and over - 75 percent of institutional base, up to

$75,000.  The grantee institution may supplement the contribution of

the funding component up to a level consistent with the institution's

salary scale.  Fringe benefits are paid out of grant funds in the same

proportion as the salary contribution.



Allowance for Support Costs:  In addition to salary support, funds up

to $50,000 in the aggregate may be requested for each year to support

research and/or career development activities.  Applicants may request

up to eight percent of direct costs for indirect costs.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES



The NIAAA, NIDA, and NIMH provide an integrated Scientist Development

Award Program that is made up of three types of awards:  the Scientist

Development Awards (K20, K21), the Research Scientist Development Award

(K02), and the Research Scientist Award (K05).  Together they provide

a continuum of support for scientists at several stages of their

careers.  The K20 is designed for beginning individuals trained as

clinicians showing great promise as researchers but requiring further

supervised research experience to become outstanding independent

investigators.



The K20 candidate should address a program of research relevant to the

mission of the funding component.  The trajectory of the candidate's

development as a research scientist is of paramount importance in this

program, and the intent is to assist a person with great potential to

become an outstanding scientist, fully able to function as an

independent investigator.  An individual who holds a K20 grant is

expected to apply for a small grant award, a First Independent Research

Support and Transition (FIRST) award, a traditional research grant, or

any other appropriate grant, providing that eligibility criteria for

the other award(s) and terms and conditions of the K20 are met.



SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS



Individuals must devote full-time (at least 80 percent) to career

development activities, supervised research, developing skill in

research methods, or other research-related activities relevant to

their career goals.  Providing health care is acceptable only when it

is necessary to maintain and enhance skills required for the conduct of

research.  Remuneration for clinical practice, consultation, or work

related to the awardee's research program must be assigned to the

grantee institution and may not be retained by the awardee.



Use of PHS Research or Training Grant Funds Freed by a K20: Funds

budgeted in PHS-supported research or training grants for the salaries

or fringe benefits of individuals, but freed as a result of a K20

award, may not be rebudgeted.  Questions regarding leaves of absence,

change of institution, or transfer of award should be addressed to

appropriate staff of the PHS funding component.



Concurrent Application:  The candidate for a K20 may not concurrently

apply for any other PHS grant, nor may there be another application

pending funding.



STUDY POPULATIONS



SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL

RESEARCH STUDY POPULATIONS



Applications that involve human subjects are required to include

minorities and both genders in study populations.  This policy applies

to all research involving human subjects and human materials, and

applies to males and females of all ages.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Prospective applicants are advised to contact the relevant contact (see

INQUIRIES) for a copy of the complete PA and for information regarding

preapplication consultation and the application process.  The research

grant application kit form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91), is to be used in

applying for the K20.  These forms are available from institutional

offices of sponsored research or their equivalent and from the offices

listed under INQUIRIES.



Special instructions prepared for the K20 are included in the complete

PA.  The title and number of this PA, Scientist Development Award for

Clinicians (PA-92-98), must be typed in Item 2a on the face page of the

application form.  Applications will be accepted on February 1, June 1,

and October 1.  Applications received after these receipt dates are

subject to assignment to the next cycle or may be returned to the

applicant, if so requested by the applicant.



An original and five copies of the completed and signed application are

to be submitted to:



Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892**



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Review procedures of K20 applications will be the customary system of

dual review:  evaluation for scientific and technical merit by an

initial review group of the appropriate funding component consisting

primarily of non-government scientific experts, followed by evaluation

for policy and program relevance by the appropriate National Advisory

Council.  Only applications recommended for approval by the Council

will be considered for funding.  Applications will be reviewed for the

candidate's potential to develop into a productive alcohol, drug abuse,

and/or mental health researcher.  Reviewers will consider:  (1) the

qualifications of the candidate including the suitability of the

candidate relative to the eligibility criteria and purposes of the K20;

(2) the soundness of the proposed career development plan; (3) the

preceptor and institutional environment including the institution's

commitment to the candidate's career; (4) the nature and

scientific/technical merit of the research plan; and (5) the

appropriateness of the budget.  Detailed review criteria are listed in

the full PA.



AWARD CRITERIA



The responsibility for award decision resides solely with authorized

program staff of the funding components.  The following criteria will

be used in making award decisions:  (1) overall merit of the

application; (2) relevance of the application to the research

priorities of the awarding component and program balance; and (3)

availability of funds.



INQUIRIES



The full PA, which includes the Special Instructions for preparing K20

Applications, up-to-date policy guidelines, and the application forms,

may be obtained from any of the following offices:



National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

OSAP National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

P.O. Box 2345

Rockville, MD  20847-2345

Telephone:  (301) 468-2600 or 1-(800)-729-6686



National Institute on Drug Abuse

Grants Management Branch

5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-54

Rockville, MD  20857

Telephone:  (301) 443-6710



National Institute of Mental Health

Grants Awards and Operations Section

Grants Management Branch

5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-05

Rockville, MD  20857

Telephone:  (301) 443-4414



Inquiries regarding grants management may be directed to the National

Institute of Mental Health address given immediately above.



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

No. 93.271, 93.277, 93.281.  Awards will be made under the authority of

Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.

241) and administered in accordance with the PHS grants policy

statement revised October 1990.  This program is not subject to the

intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or

Health Systems Agency review.



.

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