and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Title: Understanding the Effects of Emerging Cellular, Molecular, and Genomic Technologies on Cancer Health Care Delivery (R21)
Announcement Type
New.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Two steps are required for on time submission:
1) The application must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission/receipt date (see Key Dates below).
2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the Commons.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-281
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.399, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: 3/27/2006
Opening Date: May 2, 2006 (Earliest date an application may be submitted
to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable.
Application Submission
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
for details.
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS.
Peer Review Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Council Review Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation
Date): Not Applicable.
Expiration Date: March
2, 2009. (Now Expired October 6, 2008 per PA-09-005)
(now May 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093)
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable.
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits exploratory/developmental (R21) grant applications from applicant organizations that propose to conduct health services research that addresses the utilization of cellular, molecular, and genetic or genomic (CMG) technologies in cancer care. The studies will assess CMG technologies in relation to: quality of care; organizational barriers and change factors in utilization; cost and cost-effectiveness; disparities in access and efficacy; monitoring of cross-sectional patterns of care and time trends; impacts on existing standards of care; and influences on cancer outcomes, such as incidence, progression, mortality, survival, and quality of life. This FOA specifically encourages research on commercially available CMG clinical tools already in use, as well as experimental tools in the later stages of development and/or in the regulatory approval pipeline. This FOA also encourages interdisciplinary collaborations between health services researchers and those in the clinical and/or translational sciences.
Table of Contents
Part I Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission, Review, and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter
of Intent
B. Electronic Transmission
of an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award
Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations
Part II - Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Purpose
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to invite applications for health services research addressing utilization of cellular, molecular, and genetic or genomic (CMG) technologies in cancer care. The studies will assess CMG technologies in relation to: quality of care; organizational barriers and change factors in utilization; cost and cost-effectiveness; disparities in access and efficacy; monitoring of cross-sectional patterns of care and time trends; impact on existing standards of care, and; influence on cancer outcomes such as incidence, progression, mortality, survival, and quality of life. This funding opportunity specifically encourages research on commercially available CMG clinical tools already in use, as well as experimental tools in the later stages of development and/or in the regulatory approval pipeline. The clinical tools in scope for this initiative should be directly applicable to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, or treatment. They should also be: 1) targeted to specific DNA or RNA sequences, or other specific biological molecules or pathways, or; 2) generally related to discoveries in genomics, proteomics, or similar fields of broad scope.
Background Information
To date, cancer research in the emerging field of molecular medicine has primarily focused on the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets, and the development of innovative biotechnologies to improve cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. With many of these biotechnologies still in experimental phases, minimal attention has been paid to their likely and measured effects on health care delivery. Faced with a rapidly expanding developmental pipeline, the applied cancer research community has recently begun to address, on a limited scale, the organizational and cost implications of integrating CMG technologies into clinical care. This funding opportunity aims to stimulate and support research to improve understanding of access, quality, and costs associated with utilization of CMG technologies across the cancer care continuum.
Predictive genetic tests for inherited cancer risk provide a sentinel model for understanding the diffusion of emerging CMG technologies and their impact on health care delivery and cancer outcomes. Genetic tests to predict inherited breast/ovarian cancer risk became commercially available soon after the discovery of BRCA 1 and 2 mutations. The advent of predictive tests has enabled clinical researchers to evaluate efficacy of testing and follow-up interventions to reduce risk in patients with BRCA mutations. Concurrent behavioral research has assessed the psychosocial implications for patients and families. Yet, research addressing health care system and cost factors that affect utilization of predictive tests for inherited breast/ovarian, colon, and other cancers remains limited.
The diffusion of commercially available predictive genetic tests and other CMG clinical tools will most likely be driven by multiple factors. These factors may include the experiences of early adopters, competing demands on providers and other organizational barriers, payer acceptance, and market forces (competition among health care organizations and consumer demand). As these technologies become more broadly and frequently used, it is important to establish an empirical foundation for understanding the diffusion process and the effects on delivery systems, using a range of health services and outcomes research methodologies.
Objectives of this research program
The Institute of Medicine has defined Health Services Research as a multidisciplinary field of inquiry, both basic and applied, that examines the use, costs, quality, accessibility, delivery, organization and financing, and outcomes of health care services to increase knowledge and understanding of the structure, processes, and effects of health care services for individuals and populations. An important component involves tracking emerging health care interventions and assessing their impact on individuals and populations.
The National Cancer Institute supports a broad program of applied cancer research (see http://appliedresearch.cancer.gov/), which encompasses the fields of health services, economics, and outcomes research. Using both descriptive and analytic methods, the research evaluates intermediate and final endpoints such as survival; health-related quality of life; economic burden; patient experience; patterns of care; organizational change factors; cost benefit and cost effectiveness; patterns of and reasons for population disparities in access and quality of care, and; trends in populations at risk of or having cancer. The research spans the continuum of care; that is, cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and recurrence, and end of life. All such areas contribute to a fuller understanding of the burden of cancer and the degree to which that burden is changing.
With the steady increase in the number and diversity of emerging CMG technologies that are commercially available or in the developmental pipeline, a systematic approach is needed to evaluate their utilization, distribution, and impact on cancer care delivery. By engaging both the fields of molecular medicine and applied cancer research, an interdisciplinary knowledge base can be created to help reduce the burden of cancer for patients, their families, institutions, and communities. Interdisciplinary collaborations between health services researchers and those in the clinical and/or translational sciences are therefore encouraged.
Examples of CMG technologies across the cancer continuum that could be considered relevant to this PA include, but are not limited to:
Appropriate research topics may include, but are not limited to:
1) patterns of care related to uptake of emerging CMG technologies and changes over time;
2) differences in uptakes of emerging CMG technologies by health care system, within the U.S. and internationally (e.g., existence of local, national, and global health disparities in access to or use of these technologies);
3) variances in reliability, clinical utility, and acceptability of emerging CMG technologies in community-based practice settings (e.g., effectiveness of interventions in community care differs from efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials);
4) cost-effectiveness of CMG technologies (e.g., for example, variance of cost effectiveness and cost utility in subgroups by genetic susceptibility, molecular characteristics of tumors, and/or combinations of genetic/molecular/behavioral/environmental risk factors);
5) influences of emerging CMG technologies on cancer incidence, mortality, progression, survival, and quality of life;
6) effects of emerging CMG technologies on the delivery and cost of traditional technologies, assuming additive and/or substitutive models;
7) influences of coverage, regulation, market forces, industry marketing, and/or other environmental forces on the uptake and diffusion of emerging CMG technologies into cancer care delivery;
8) types and impacts of system barriers on effective implementation of emerging CMG technologies in cancer health care delivery and organizational changes needed to effectively incorporate them;
9) evolutions of standards of care and clinical practice guidelines relating to the uses of emerging CMG technologies;
10) uptakes and successes of implementations and appropriate usages of new CMG technologies (e.g., neither over nor underused);
11) patterns and determinants of acceptability of emerging CMG technologies to patients, providers, and other stakeholders; and
12) new or modified methodologies, including modeling, to study the diffusion and impacts of emerging CMG technologies in cancer care delivery.
The above-mentioned and other relevant research topics may be addressed within the context of a broad range of study designs.
Importance of the Chosen NIH Grant Mechanism
The evolution and vitality of the biomedical sciences require a constant infusion of new ideas, techniques, and points of view. These may differ substantially from current thinking or practice and may not yet be supported by substantial preliminary data. By using the R21 mechanism, the NIH seeks to foster the introduction of novel scientific ideas, model systems, tools, agents, targets, and technologies that have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research.
The R21 mechanism is intended to encourage new exploratory and developmental research projects. For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research. Another example could include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
Applications for R21 awards should describe projects distinct from those supported through the traditional R01 mechanism. For example, long-term projects, or projects designed to increase knowledge in a well-established area, will not be considered for R21 awards. Applications submitted under this mechanism should be exploratory and novel. These studies should break new ground or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations for policies related to this announcement.
This FOA utilizes the NIH exploratory/developmental (R21) grant mechanism and runs in parallel with another FOA of identical scientific scope, PA-06-280, which solicits NIH R01 grant applications.
1. Mechanism of Support
This FOA will use the NIH Exploratory/Developmental
Research Grant (R21) award mechanism. As an applicant,
you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the
proposed project.
This FOA uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular budget formats (see the Modular Applications and Awards section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs), use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5.4, Modular Budget Component, of the Application Guide).
Exploratory/developmental grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) applications will not be accepted. Up to two resubmissions (formerly revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed exploratory/developmental grant application may be submitted. See NOT-OD-03-041, May 7, 2003.
2. Funds Available
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application
to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award
will also vary. Although the financial plans of the Institutes and Centers
(ICs) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity
are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient
number of meritorious applications.
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 2 years. Although the size of award may vary with the scope of research proposed, it is expected that applications will stay within the budgetary guidelines for an exploratory/developmental project; direct costs are limited to $275,000 over an R21 2-year period, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year. Applicants may request direct costs in $25,000 modules, up to the total direct costs limitation of $275,000 for the combined two-year award period. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this Program Announcement funding opportunity.
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation. See NOT-OD-05-004, November 2, 2004.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit an application(s) if your organization
has any of the following characteristics:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills,
knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the
Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her
organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented
racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always
encouraged to apply for NIH support.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Not applicable.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424
(R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms
for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/
and follow the directions provided on that Web site.
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PD/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started.
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.
Several of the steps of the registration process could take 4 weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.
1. Request Application Information
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application
forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: Only the forms package directly
attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other
SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although
some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one
FOA.
For further assistance, contact GrantsInfo; Telephone:
301-710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (MS Word or PDF).
The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission on the front page of Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:
Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
R&R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form
Note: While both budget components are included in the SF424 (R&R) forms package, the NIH R21 uses ONLY the PHS 398 Modular Budget. (Do not use the detailed Research & Related Budget.)
Foreign Organizations
Several special provisions apply to applications submitted
by foreign organizations:
Proposed research should provide
a unique research opportunity not available in the United States.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for details.
3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start
Dates
Opening Date: May 2, 2006 (earliest date an application may be submitted
to Grants.gov).
Letter of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable
Application Submission
Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
Peer Review Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s) http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is not required for this funding opportunity.
3.B. Electronic Transmission of an
Application to the NIH
To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access
this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow
steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER
APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
3.C. Application Processing
Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must
be successfully received by Grants.gov
no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization) on the application
submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application
is not submitted by the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed
in the review process or not reviewed.
Upon receipt, applications will
be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research Administration
(eRA) process for validation. Both the PD/PI and the SO for the organization
must verify the submission via Commons
within 2 business days of notification of the NIH validation.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness
by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not
be reviewed.
There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications
from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment
of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
4. Intergovernmental
Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
Pre-Award Costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its
own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures
to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project,
and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval.
If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee
must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is
required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning
date of the initial budget period of a new award.
The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation
of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either
to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award
is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the
pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award
costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must
not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the
approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project.
See the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
6. Other Submission Requirements
The NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons
User ID in the PROFILE Project Director/Principal Investigator section,
Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Profile component. The applicant organization must include its DUNS number
in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match
the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional
information, see Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission on
the front page of Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Renewal (formerly competing continuation or Type 2 ) applications are not permitted.
Application Characteristics
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) application are to be followed, with the following requirements for R21 applications:
Note: While each section of the Research Plan needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
Specific Instructions for Modular Grant applications.
Applications requesting direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium F&A costs), must be submitted in a modular budget format using the Modular Budget Component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and Instructions Guide (see specifically Section 5.4). The modular budget format simplifies the preparation of the budget in these applications by limiting the level of budgetary detail. Applicants request direct costs in $25,000 modules.
Plan for Sharing Research Data
Not applicable.
Sharing Research Resources
NIH policy requires that grant
awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research
purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication
(see the NIH Grants Policy Statement
at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_ii_5.htm#availofrr
and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan
for sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will
be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any
related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding
organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness
of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review
of each Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section
VI.3., Reporting.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications submitted for this funding opportunity
will be assigned to the ICs on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines.
Appropriate scientific review groups convened in accordance
with the standard NIH peer review procedures (http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm)
will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications
will:
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The NIH R21 exploratory/developmental grant is a mechanism for supporting novel scientific ideas or new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or the status of health-related research. Because the Research Plan is limited to 15 pages, an exploratory/developmental grant application need not have extensive background material or preliminary information as one might normally expect in an R01 application. Accordingly, reviewers will focus their evaluation on the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or understanding. Reviewers will place less emphasis on methodological details and certain indicators traditionally used in evaluating the scientific merit of R01 applications, including supportive preliminary data. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or, when available, from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required for R21 applications; however, they may be included if available.
The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.
Note that an application does not
need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific
impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an investigator
may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative
but is essential to move a field forward.
Significance: Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of
the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice
be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts, methods,
technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive
this field?
Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods,
and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate
to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem
areas and consider alternative tactics?
Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: Does the
project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative
hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project
develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies
for this area?
Investigators: Are the investigators appropriately trained and well suited
to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience
level of the PD/PI and other researchers? Does the investigative team bring
complementary and integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?
Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will
be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies
benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations,
or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional
support?
2.A. Additional Review Criteria
In addition to the above criteria,
the following items will continue to be considered in the determination of
scientific merit and the priority score:
Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk:
The involvement of human subjects and protections from research risk relating
to their participation in the proposed research will be assessed. See item
6 of the Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The
adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic
groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals
of the research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention
of subjects will also be evaluated. See item 7 of the Research Plan component
of the SF424 (R&R).
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If
vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the five items described
under item 11 of the Research Plan component of the SF 424 (R&R) will
be assessed.
Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially
hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed
protection is adequate.
2.B. Additional Review Considerations
Budget and Period of Support: The reasonableness of the proposed budget
and the appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to
the proposed research may be assessed by the reviewers. Is the effort listed
for the PD/PI appropriate for the work proposed? Is each budget category realistic
and justified in terms of the aims and methods?
2.C. Sharing Research Data
Not applicable.
2.D. Sharing Research Resources
NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients
make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to
qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (see
the NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_ii_5.htm#availofrr
and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan
for sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will
be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
Program staff will be responsible for the administrative
review of the plan for sharing research resources.
The adequacy of the resources sharing
plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff
of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications.
The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the
administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590), See Section VI.3.,
Reporting.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not Applicable.
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able
to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA
Commons.
If the application is under consideration
for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the
applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants
Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart
A: General.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award
(NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the
grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative
and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via
email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.
Selection of an application for award is not an authorization
to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at
the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered
allowable pre-award costs. See Section IV.5., Funding
Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include
the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award,
see the NIH Grants
Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart
A: General and Part II:
Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions
for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities.
3.
Reporting
Awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required
in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
We encourage your inquiries concerning
this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from
potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research,
peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
Louise Wideroff, Ph.D.
Applied Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN Room 4005, MSC 7344
Bethesda, MD 20892-7344 (for U.S. Postal Service express
or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 435-6823
FAX: (301) 435-3710
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Not applicable.
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Crystal Wolfrey
Office of Grants Administration
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, EPS Room 243, MSC 7150
Bethesda, MD 20892-7150 (for U.S. Postal Service express
or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 496-8634
FAX: (301) 496-8601
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use
of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that applications
and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with reference to
the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against these risks,
the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others, and the
importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); and efficacy, effectiveness, and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment
of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical
trials involving interventions that entail potential risks to the participants
( NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts,
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Access to Research Data through the Freedom of
Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are: (1) first
produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds;
and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an
action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed
through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope
of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity
in a public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage
the distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application
should include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and
include information about this in the budget justification section of the
application. In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed
consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential
for wider use of data collected under this award.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model organisms
for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time, the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors
to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy
Statement. Beginning October 1, 2004, all investigators submitting an
NIH application or contract proposal are expected to include in the application/proposal
a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model
organism research resources generated using NIH funding or state why such
sharing is restricted or not possible. This will permit other researchers
to benefit from the resources developed with public funding. The inclusion
of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a cost threshold in any
year and is expected to be included in all applications where the development
of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members
of minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators
proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion
of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new
OMB standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical
trials consistent with the SF424 (R&R) application; and updated roles
and responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a)
all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description
of plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b) investigators
must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses, as appropriate,
by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals
under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted
or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not
to include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human
subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion
of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human Subject
Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of
human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key personnel.
The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs
can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp
and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this
information will be returned without review.
NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to
the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov)
at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript
upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole
or in part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined
as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications
from the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts
resulting from: 1) currently funded NIH research projects; or 2) previously
supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or
after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant
and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts,
Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to
peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in
whole or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book
chapters, editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting
from non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.
For more information about the Policy or the submission
process, please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/
and view the Policy or other Resources and Tools, including the Authors' Manual.
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually
Identifiable Health Information," the "Privacy Rule," on August
14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection
of individually identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced
by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of
the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR
website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides
information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and
a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information
on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review,
funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research
contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must
be self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified
in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide
information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation
to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity
may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving
the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People
2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA
is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/
and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization
of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC
241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts
74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles,
and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking
in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood
development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the
PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American
people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan repayment
from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a
research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility,
and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important component of
NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers by
providing the means for developing a research career unfettered by the burden
of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for eligibility
and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged. The periods
of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP recipient with
the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must commit at
least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40-hour week)
for 2 years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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