EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National
Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov/)
Components of Participating Organizations
National
Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov)
Title: Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans (R01)
Announcement Type
This is a
reissue of PA-04-124,
which was previously released July 8, 2004, and is now divided into separate
FOAs for R01 (this FOA) and for R21 funding mechanisms (PA-06-405).
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-404
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.393,
93.399
Key Dates
Release Date: May
9, 2006
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable.
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s):
Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply,
please seehttp://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS.
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please seehttp://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Additional
Information To Be Available Date (URL Activation Date): Not applicable.
Expiration Date for R01 Non-AIDS Applications: November 2, 2006
Expiration Date for R01 AIDS and AIDS-Related Applications: January 3, 2007
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(s) 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. Address to Request Application
Information
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt and Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of
Intent
B. Sending 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 National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites investigator-initiated research applications on energy balance in humans. These studies will focus on research to define factors affecting energy balance and to define mechanisms influencing cancer risk, prognosis, and quality of life. These studies may range from new analyses of existing datasets to additional collection of data and biological specimens in ongoing investigations. Applicants submitting applications in response to this FOA must have previously collected measures from human subjects on two or more of the following exposures: diet, physical activity, body composition, and/or related biomarkers (e.g., blood, urine, exfoliated cells, and/or tissue samples), and they should thoroughly address sample size(s) and power issues in their applications to ensure the statistical validity of results to be obtained in the proposed studies. It is anticipated that the knowledge gained will provide additional information to better understand the relationships among energy balance, cancer risk, and cancer prognosis. Competitive supplement applications to existing NCI-funded grants as well as new R01 applications are invited.
Research Objectives
Energy balance, defined as the integrated effects of diet, physical activity, and genetics on growth and body weight over the life course, has been a recent focus for understanding the chronology of many chronic diseases. Research from many sources supports the adverse effects of obesity, physical inactivity, and poor dietary practices on cancer risk and prognosis. The recent trends in obesity rates in the United States (U.S.) population call attention to a potential for significant increases in cancer incidence. With the rise in the prevalence of obesity in the U.S., there is concern for how behaviors involving body weight, physical activity, and diet may affect the development of cancer, as well as cancer prognosis for cancer survivors.
Research in the areas of diet, cancer risk, and prognosis typically focuses on a single cancer prevention-related risk factor, such as a specific nutrient or diet pattern. However, less attention has been devoted to the combined effects of body composition, weight, physical activity, and diet on the key physiologic processes involved with cancer initiation and progression. Many research studies have collected data on several or all of these parameters, but because the initial hypotheses may not have been related to energy balance, data analyses to determine links were not conducted. Some studies have explored the clinical metabolic effect of diet, weight loss, and physical activity on certain parameters that could potentially be related to cancer, with the most extensive work on insulin resistance. However, research has been more limited and is needed in the areas of sex steroid hormones, growth factors, lipid metabolism, and immune function and inflammatory factors, such as cytokines and prostaglandins. Adverse changes in energy balance and contributory factors are considered to be a major factor underlying many of the pathways involved in cancer initiation and progression.
Epidemiologic and intervention research within human populations can provide essential self-report and objective measures about diet, anthropometry, and physical activity important in unraveling the role of energy balance in cancer risk and prognosis. These measures can be linked with analyses of biologic specimens such as blood, urine, exfoliated cells, and other tissues to study underlying metabolic and genetic etiologic mechanisms in relation to energy balance. Some of the interrelationships may include shifts in steroid hormones, insulin-like growth factors, insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, immunologic parameters, inflammatory factors, and adipose tissue products. In addition to understanding how these factors affect development of cancer, effects of differences in energy balance in cancer patients and survivors are included. Through this FOA, at least three types of additional research could be supported within existing studies to: (1) test new hypotheses with existing data; (2) perform additional assays on existing biologic specimens to examine new hypotheses; and (3) collect and analyze additional self-reports or objective measures of diet, anthropometry, physical activity, and/or biological specimens.
This FOA complements NCI’s Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) initiative http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/trec, which also focuses on enhancing the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between energy balance and carcinogenesis across the cancer continuum. TREC recently funded four research centers and a coordination center to foster collaboration among trans-disciplinary teams of scientists with the goal of accelerating progress toward reducing cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with obesity, low levels of physical activity, and poor diet. Studies funded under this FOA are smaller in scope, encouraging the exploration of new hypotheses using existing data sets in a new way, resulting in the potential to inform and influence the development of research activities in TREC. Investigators funded under this FOA will have the opportunity to attend semi-annual TREC Scientific Meetings, which will allow them to engage in possible research collaborations commensurate with common TREC research themes and goals.
The approach of these research programs is also to encourage multidisciplinary collaborations among scientists working in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, genetics, and other disciplines (such as chemistry or biochemistry) to utilize data from existing studies to study the impact of diet, physical activity, and weight on the genetic, epigenetic, genomic, proteomic, and metabolic influences of cancer biology and prevention.
This FOA invites new R01 research applications as well as competitive supplements to existing NCI-funded R01, P01, P30, or U01 grants that explore relationships between energy balance and cancer risk and prognosis by proposing new hypotheses within existing studies. The approach is also to encourage collaborations among scientists working in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, genetics, and other disciplines (e.g., chemistry or biochemistry) to utilize data from existing studies to study the impacts of diet, physical activity, and weight on the genetic, epigenetic, genomic, proteomic, and/or metabolic influences of cancer biology and prevention. Because primary measures related to cancer and energy balance are diet, physical activity, body composition (especially obesity), and related biomarkers, it is expected that the applicant will already have (and that the application will describe) access to measures on two or more of these exposures.
Examples of the types of research topics and approaches that would be responsive to this FOA include, but are not limited to:
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations for policies related to this announcement.
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This FOA will use
the NIH Research Project Grants (R01) and
Competitive Supplements to existing NCI-funded R01, P01, P30, or U01 grant awards.
Applications for competitive supplements may be submitted based on existing NCI-funded research RO1, P01, P30, and U01 grants. Applicants may apply for a supplement to a related R01, P01, P30, or U01 research award, as long as the following conditions are met:
As an applicant,
you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the
proposed project.
This funding
opportunity uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular as well as the
non-modular budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).
Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each
year of $250,000 or less, use the modular budget format described in the PHS
398 application instructions. Otherwise, follow the instructions for
non-modular research grant applications.
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 NIH IC(s) provide support for
this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon
the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious
applications.
Facilities and
administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants are not
included in the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.
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 is invited to work with their institution 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
Not applicable. Cost sharing is not required.
The most current NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Not
applicable.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1.
Address to Request Application Information
The PHS 398 application
instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version of
the PHS 398. 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
Applications must be
prepared using the most current PHS 398 research grant application instructions
and forms. Applications must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or
cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866)
705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/.
The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398
form.
The title and number of this FOA must be typed on line
2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be checked.
Foreign Organizations
Several special provisions apply to applications
submitted by foreign organizations:
Proposed research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for
details.
3.A.
Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable.
Application Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see 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. Sending an
Application to the NIH
Applications must be
prepared using the research grant application forms found in the PHS 398
instructions for preparing a research grant application. Submit a signed,
typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and five
signed photocopies in one package to:
Center for Scientific
Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (for U.S. Postal Service express
or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier delivery;
non-USPS service)
Personal deliveries of
applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).
3.C.
Application Processing
Applications must be submitted on or before the application
receipt/submission dates described above (Section IV.3.A.) and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/dates.htm.
Upon receipt
applications will be evaluated for completeness by the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not accept
any application in response to this funding opportunity 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 a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but
such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique.
Information on the status of an
application should be checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons
at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
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. The Grants Policy Statement can
be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
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 or competing continuation 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 or competing continuation 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 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Specific
Instructions for Modular Grant applications.
Applications
requesting up to $250,000 per year in direct costs must be submitted in a
modular budget format. 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. Section C of the research
grant application instructions for the PHS 398 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html includes step-by-step guidance for preparing modular budgets. Applicants must
use the currently approved version of the PHS 398. Additional information on
modular budgets is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
Specific
Instructions for Applications Requesting $500,000 (direct costs) or More per
Year.
Applicants
requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year must carry out the
following steps:
1) Contact the NIH
IC program staff at least 8 weeks before submitting the application, i.e., as
you are developing plans for the study;
2) Obtain agreement
from the IC staff that the IC will accept your application for consideration
for award; and,
3) Include a cover letter with the application that
identifies the staff member and IC that agreed to accept assignment of the
application.
This policy applies to all investigator-initiated new (type 1), competing continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended or revised version of these grant application types. Additional information on this policy is available in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, October 19, 2001 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-004.html.
Special Requirements
Travel
Investigators are strongly encouraged to participate in meetings of NCI-funded investigators supported by this PA and other energy balance initiatives. Investigators will have an opportunity to attend the semi-annual scientific meetings of the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) initiative. The semi-annual meetings of the TREC Centers investigators and other invited participants (e.g., recipients of awards for this initiative) will enable investigators working in relevant fields of research to better exchange scientific knowledge, share expertise, develop standards for studying the mechanisms involved in energy balance and cancer risk and prognosis, and identify new research opportunities.
As part of the direct costs calculations (irrespective of whether using a detailed or modular budget format), applicants should include costs for two 2-day trips per year to attend meetings that are likely to occur at sites of the funded investigators or on the East Coast [i.e., closer to the NCI].
Plan
for Sharing Research Data
The precise content of
the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being collected and how
the investigator is planning to share the data. Applicants who are planning to
share data may wish to describe briefly the expected schedule for data sharing,
the format of the final dataset, the documentation to be provided, whether or
not any analytic tools also will be provided, whether or not a data-sharing
agreement will be required and, if so, a brief description of such an agreement
(including the criteria for deciding who can receive the data and whether or
not any conditions will be placed on their use), and the mode of data sharing
(e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a disk or posting data on their
institutional or personal website, through a data archive or enclave).
Investigators choosing to share under their own auspices may wish to enter into
a data-sharing agreement. References to data sharing may also be appropriate in
other sections of the application.
Applicants requesting
more than $500,000 in direct costs in any year of the proposed research must
include a plan for sharing research data in their application. The funding
organization will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
The reasonableness of
the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be
assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data
sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
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_2003/index.htm 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, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm).
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 U.S. Public Health Service (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:
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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 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 the Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form
398).
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 the Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in
the PHS Form 398).
Care and
Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to
be used in the project, the five items described under Section F of the PHS
Form 398 research grant application instructions will be assessed.
2.B. Additional Review
Considerations
Budget: The reasonableness of the
proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed
research. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the
budget.
2.C. Sharing Research Data
The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing
research data may be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not
factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific
merit or the priority score. The funding organization will be responsible for
monitoring the data sharing policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Program staff will be responsible for the administrative review of the plan for
sharing research data.
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://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide_final.html).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing
research resources plan 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 will be considered by Program staff of the NIH IC
when making recommendations about funding applications. Program staff may
negotiate modifications of the data and resource sharing plans with the awardee
before recommending funding of an application. The final version of the data
and resource sharing plans negotiated by both will become a condition of the
award of the grant. 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.
Model
Organism Sharing Plan: If applicable, reviewers are asked to assess the sharing plan in an administrative
note. The sharing plan itself should be discussed after the application is
scored. Whether a sharing plan is reasonable can be determined by the reviewers
on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the organism, the timeline,
the applicant's decision to distribute the resource or deposit it in a
repository, and other relevant considerations. For the R21 mechanism, the
presence or adequacy of a plan should not enter into the scoring of the application.
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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).
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 (designated in item 12 on the
Application Face Page). If a grantee is not e-mail enabled, a hard copy of the NoA
will be mailed to the 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 also 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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
3. Reporting
Awardees will be
required to submit the PHS Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590,
annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm)
and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The NCI is developing a policy that will require Clinical Terms of Awards for clinical studies and trials when they are a component of the proposed research. The policy will require that studies be monitored commensurate with the degree of potential risk to study subjects and the complexity of the study. The new policy will be posted in the NIH Guide within a few weeks. All funded applicants will be expected to adhere to the new policy.
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:
Virginia
W. Hartmuller, Ph.D., R.D.
Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN Room 5102,
MSC 7324
Bethesda, MD 20892-7324 (for U.S.
Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for
express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 594-3402
Fax: (301) 402-4279
E-mail: [email protected]
Noreen M. Aziz, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Office of Cancer Survivorship
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN Room 4090,
MSC 7397
Bethesda, MD 20892-7397 (for U.S.
Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for
express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 496-0598
Fax: (301) 594-5070
E-mail: [email protected]
Sharon Ross, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Nutritional Science Research Group
Division of Cancer Prevention
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN Suite 3157, MSC 7328
Bethesda, MD 20892-7328 (for U.S.
Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for
express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 594-7547
Fax: (301) 480-3925
E-mail: [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 234,
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
E-mail: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in
Research:
Recipients of U.S.
Public Health Service (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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects
Protection:
Federal regulations
(45CFR46) 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).
Sharing Research
Data:
Investigators submitting
an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year
are expected to include a plan for data sharing or state why this is not
possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their
institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and local institutional
review board (IRB) rules, as well as local, State, and Federal laws and
regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the data
sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the
scientific merit or the priority score.
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 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004, receipt date, 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 new PHS Form 398; 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 (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_Manual.htm).
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 FOA 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 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 NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
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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