SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AWARD

NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994



RFA AVAILABLE:  RR/OD-94-004



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Educational Instruction Programs 



National Center for Research Resources



Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 15, 1994

Application Receipt Date:  June 16, 1994



THIS IS A NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA);

IT IS ONLY AN ABSTRACT OF THE RFA.  POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MUST REQUEST

THE COMPLETE RFA, WHICH CONTAINS ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE

PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION, FROM THE CONTACT LISTED IN

"INQUIRIES," BELOW.  FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE

COMPLETE RFA MAY RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION, WHICH WILL BE

RETURNED TO THE APPLICANT WITHOUT REVIEW.



PURPOSE



The main objective of the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)

Program is to encourage active biomedical/behavioral scientists to

work in partnerships with educators and other organizations to

improve the student (K-12) and public understanding of the health

sciences.  In Fiscal Year 1991 the former Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and

Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) and the National Institutes of

Health (NIH) issued a joint RFA AD-91-01 and OD-91-01 for the Science

Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Program.  Twenty-four pilot

programs were funded under this RFA to determine the feasibility of

scientists, educators, media experts, and community leaders to work

together in partnerships to increase the scientific literacy of

Americans.



This RFA solicits applications to further develop existing model

pilot science education partnership programs aimed at improving

health-science education at the K-12 level and/or the science

literacy of the general public in human health.  The intent of this

RFA is to support finalization of such programs, their evaluation,

and the development of effective strategies for disseminating them in

a manner that will produce a significant impact on the quality of

health science education.



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,

Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), is related to all

priority areas.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy

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

People 2000" (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



Organizations with a scientific or educational mission are eligible

to submit applications.  Such groups include colleges and

universities; state and local education agencies; professional

societies; museums; research laboratories; media producers; private

foundations and industries; and other public and private

education-related organizations, for-profit and non-profit.  Foreign

institutions are not eligible.  Only programs that have demonstrated

strong cooperative efforts/partnerships between the scientific and

educational communities will be considered responsive.  Applications

to develop new model programs will not be accepted.



The existing pilot model programs in science education must have been

developed during the last five years and must possess all the

following elements to be considered responsive to this RFA:



(1) substantive scientific content in human health

(2) established and productive partnerships between educators and

scientists with demonstrated expertise in biomedical or behavioral

research

(3) well-designed program assessments and evaluations

(4) potential for significant impact on quality of health-science

education



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



This RFA will use the education projects (R25) mechanism and is a

one-time solicitation.  Applicants will be responsible for the

planning, direction, and execution of the proposed programs.  The

total project period for applications submitted in response to this

RFA may not exceed three years.  The anticipated award date is

September 30, 1994.  Because of the wide range of programs expected

to be proposed, it is anticipated that the size of an award may vary

also.



FUNDS AVAILABLE



The NIH expects that through the National Center for Research

Resources (NCRR) and the Office of Science Education Policy, Office

of the Director, NIH, $1,750,000 will be available during FY 1994 to

support this initiative, subject to the receipt of a sufficient

number of meritorious applications.  It is anticipated that

approximately ten to fifteen awards will be made.



The total project period proposed may range from one to three years.

Annual direct costs requested are expected to range from

approximately $50,000 to $250,000.  Indirect costs will be paid at

the lesser of eight percent of the modified total direct costs or the

negotiated rate of the grantee institution.  The award of grants

pursuant to this RFA is contingent upon the availability of funds for

this purpose.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES



This RFA is meant to:  (a) support the finalization of those model

pilot programs that need additional time to evolve and mature into

finished products and (b) provide funding for developing effective

strategies for the dissemination of well-tested programs so that they

can reach a larger audience and have a significant impact on

scientific literacy in the biomedical/behavioral sciences.  Only

those programs that have been subjected to evaluations for corrective

feedback should be considered for replication.  Methods to adapt such

model programs for dissemination on a regional or national scale are

desired.  Use of advanced technologies that incorporate modern

pedagogical approaches are highly encouraged (for example, technology

based curricula and interactive computer strategies for enhancing

both student and teacher learning).  Detailed dissemination plans are

required.  Leverage of NIH support to secure other sources of funding

may be warranted to insure wide-range dissemination of effective

projects.



LETTER OF INTENT



Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by April 15,1994, a

letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed

program, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal

Investigator, and the number and title of the RFA in response to

which the application may be submitted.



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

not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information

contained is helpful in planning for the review of applications.  It

allows NCRR 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 Dr. Marjorie A. Tingle at the

address listed under INQUIRIES.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Applications are to be submitted using form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91).

These forms are available in most institutional offices of sponsored

research and may be requested from the Office of Grants Information,

Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333

Westbard Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301)

710-0267.



Applicants must request the RFA, which contains essential information

for completion of the PHS 398 form.



The signed, typewritten original of the application, Checklist, and

three exact photocopies of the signed application, excluding appendix

material must be submitted to:



Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892**



At time of submission, two additional copies of the application and

five copies of all appendix material must be sent to:



Dr. Mary Ann Sestili

Office of Review

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 10A16

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 594-7902



Applications must be submitted by June 16, 1994.  Applications

submitted after this date will be returned to the applicant.



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Applications will be reviewed by Division of Research Grants (DRG)

staff for completeness and by NCRR staff to determine administrative

and programmatic responsiveness to this RFA.  Those applications

judged to be incomplete or nonresponsive will be returned to the

applicant without review.  Those applications considered complete and

responsive may be subjected to a triage review by an NCRR peer review

group to determine their scientific merit relative to the other

applications submitted in response to this RFA.



The NIH will withdraw from competition those applications judged by

the triage peer review group to be noncompetitive for award and will

so notify the applicant investigator and the institutional business

official.  Those applicants judged to be competitive for award will

be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate as

hoc review committee(s) to be convened by the Office of Review, NCRR.



The second level of review will be conducted by the National Advisory

Research Resources Council in September 1994.



AWARD CRITERIA



The following will be considered when making funding decisions: the

merit of the  application, availability of funds, program balance

among various types of projects, and geographic distribution of the

awards.  Consideration will be given to reaching minority and/or

female populations.



INQUIRIES



Written and telephone requests for the RFA and inquiries concerning

this RFA are encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or

questions from potential applicants is welcome.



Direct requests for the RFA, inquires regarding programmatic issues,

and address the letter of intent to:



Dr. Marjorie A. Tingle or Dr. Abraham Levy

Biomedical Research Support Program

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 848

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 594-7947



Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Ms. Mary V. Niemiec

Office of Grants and Contracts Management

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 849

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 594-7955



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance No. 93-922.  Awards will be made under authorization of

the Public Health Service Act, Title III, Part A (Public Law 78-410,

as amended, 42 USC 241) 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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