EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov).
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (http://www.nida.nih.gov).
Title: Health Services Research on Practice Improvement Utilizing Community Treatment Programs within the National Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) (R03)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PA-03-011,
which was previously released October 17, 2002, and now is divided into separate
FOAs for RO1, R03, and R21 funding mechanisms.
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.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-497
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.279
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 26, 2006
Opening Date: September 2, 2006 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not
required.
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications
be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time
(of the applicant institution/organization).
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 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
Additional Information To Be Available Date (URL Activation
Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: September 2, 2009 (now September 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093)
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
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. Submitting an Application Electronically 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
This funding opportunity announcement replaces in its entirety PA-03-011, Health Services Research in the CTN.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) seeks to maximize return on its investment in the National Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) by making more extensive use of the CTN’s research infrastructure and existing data sets to conduct new health services research. NIDA encourages researchers to use the CTN as a platform for new research to (a) understand and facilitate practice improvement processes, including dissemination, adoption, and implementation of evidence-based treatment strategies; and (b) develop or refine research tools including study designs, measurement instruments, and data analytic methods to facilitate higher quality health services research on practice improvement in drug abuse treatment.
Eligible applicants include researchers not currently involved with the CTN as well as those who already are part of the CTN.
Background
Health services research often requires collaboration across multiple study sites, particularly when interventions and analyses are planned at the group or organizational level. In order to test critical hypotheses about subpopulations (based for example on age, sex, race/ethnicity, population density, etc.), variations in moderating and mediating effects on outcomes, or other services research questions (e.g., provider characteristics, goodness of fit between intervention and client, effects of implementation styles, unexpected outcomes, etc.) large samples are necessary and can be achieved by conducting multi-site studies. The CTN is well suited to such studies and remains a rich resource for the pursuit of answers to key health services research questions.
The goals and structure of the CTN make it an ideal platform for supporting health services research. NIDA established the CTN in 1999 with the mission to improve the quality of drug abuse treatment throughout the country using science as the vehicle. The CTN provides an enterprise in which NIDA, treatment researchers, and community-based service providers cooperatively develop, validate, refine, and deliver new treatment options to patients in community-level clinical practice. This unique partnership between community treatment providers and academic research leaders aims to achieve the following objectives:
Strong partnerships and bi-directional collaboration between researchers and practitioners are essential and defining characteristics of the CTN. Through these partnerships and collaborations, the CTN seeks to accelerate both the pace of research that is most relevant to drug abuse treatment practice and the implementation of research outcomes in community treatment settings. The CTN currently consists of 17 Nodes. Each node comprises a Regional Research and Training Center (RRTC) in collaboration with five to ten Community Treatment Programs (CTPs). (See http://www.drugabuse.gov/CTN/Index.htm for further details on the Nodes, RRTCs, and CTPs as well as on more specific information on the CTN trials currently underway.) Taken together, the CTN CTPs and RRTCs represent a rich pool of potential study sites with an established history of involvement in clinical trials and implementation of evidence-based practices. Furthermore, data sets from completed CTN trials are publicly available for secondary analyses, and additional data sets will become available as more trials are finished.
Current CTN Nodes are located in California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington. Contact information for the RRTC and the CTPs of each Node can be found on the CTN website (http://www.drugabuse.gov/CTN/Index.htm).
Data from six completed CTN trials are currently available via a link on the CTN website homepage. (http://www.nida.nih.gov/CTN/Data.html.) Interested investigators will be able to download de-identified data from the trials as well as detailed data codebooks and descriptions of the trial protocols and procedures. Data from additional CTN trials will become available as each trial is completed.
Research Objectives
NIDA encourages researchers to utilize the Community Treatment Programs and/or Regional Research and Training Centers established by the CTN as a platform for new health services research studies to (a) understand and facilitate practice improvement processes, including dissemination, adoption, and implementation of evidence-based treatment strategies; and (b) develop or refine research tools including study designs, measurement instruments, and data analytic methods to facilitate higher quality health services research on practice improvement in drug abuse treatment. Conducting this type of research using the CTN as a platform realizes goals for services research set forth in the report of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Health Services Research (www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/despr/HSRReport.pdf). This report calls for an integration of services research intervention testing conducted by the CTN. Proposed platform studies will be supported by sources outside of the CTN although such studies may be closely or distally related to an ongoing or previous CTN project. Additionally, other interested investigators may propose studies ancillary to ongoing CTN trials, that is, studies that are more directly linked to the conduct of a specific trial. Potential applicants for ancillary studies must secure the agreement and cooperation of the trial’s Lead Investigator prior to submitting an application to NIDA.
Specific Research Areas of Interest
There are multiple aspects to practice improvement for drug abuse treatment. In community settings, adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices is a complex multidirectional process of continuous practice enhancement that involves interaction among multiple individual-, organizational-, and contextual-level factors. Key components of the practice improvement process include:
Implementation research in the field of drug abuse treatment has generally not fully considered the complexity of the practice improvement process. Implementation research to date has focused largely on the second of these key components the source of evidence-based practices and has implicitly adopted the view of practice improvement as a one-time linear transfer of innovation from researchers and developers to providers. Research thus far has mostly neglected the extent to which practice improvement may begin with and be mitigated by providers. For example, treatment providers may be motivated to address specific shortcomings in their current practices or to improve the overall efficiency or effectiveness of their interventions. They may also be concerned with adapting their practices to increase their financial compensation, particularly in a health care management setting or reimbursement environment, or to respond to other pragmatic goals. Likewise, little is known about how and when the process begins with administrators and policymakers, who may promote the use of particular practices for a variety of reasons (e.g., improving general level of effectiveness, expanding populations served, reducing costs or increasing financial gains, adopting interventions that can be implemented by staff with lower levels of training or with reduced resources, etc.). Research has also under-addressed the role of monitoring and feedback systems, the use of feedback information for self-assessment and refinement, and the sociopolitical context in which practice improvement takes place. Knowledge about the economics of practice improvement in community settings is crucial for provider organizations, funders, and policymakers alike. Yet, research on the resources needed to support practice improvement, viable financing mechanisms, and the cost-effectiveness of various practice improvement efforts is meager.
Appropriate and fundable research under this FOA falls into the following two areas:
Systems-Level Factors and Practice Improvement. Systems level factors such as organizational, management, staffing, and financial arrangements affect the accessibility, quality, cost, outcomes, and delivery of drug abuse services. For example, inconsistent management and high rates of staff turnover can impede service delivery and practice improvement efforts. Similarly, innovations in financing policy and practice are a key component of the drive to improve services, given that practice is largely determined by complex reimbursement schemes involving state, local, and third party payers. Moreover, all of these systems include interrelated multi-level factors, suggesting that innovative changes may have direct as well as indirect effects on services. Because practice improvement has occurred largely without systematic examination, however, the optimal process for ongoing innovation and implementation of evidence-based practices remains unknown.
The following topics are illustrative of those that might be proposed:
Research Methods and Instruments. Research on methods and instruments involves the development, refinement, and validation of new tools for examining how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, management practices, health technologies, and personal beliefs and behaviors affect the demand for and delivery of drug abuse treatment and related services. Areas of research interest include the following:
See Section VIII, Other Information
- Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will use the NIH Small Research Grant (R03) award mechanism. The applicant 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. All applications submitted in response to this FOA must use the modular budget format. 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).
Competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) applications will not be accepted for the R03 grant mechanism. Small grant support may not be used for thesis or dissertation research. Up to two resubmissions (formerly revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed small grant application may be submitted. See NOT-OD-05-046, April 29, 2005.
For specific information about the R03 programs, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm.
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 Institutes and Centers (ICs) 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.
A project period of up to two years and a budget for direct costs of up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each). Commensurate Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are allowed.
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 as the Project Director/Principal
Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her 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
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
PARTICIPATION OF CTN INVESTIGATORS
Most research projects proposed under this FOA, whether ancillary or platform studies, will require participation, collaboration, cooperation, or other support by CTN investigators or community treatment program staff or patients. Although the CTN has created a research infrastructure of CTPs and RRTCs that will support studies such as those encouraged here, some prospective studies involving sites affiliated with the CTN may not be feasible given the mission, goals, and timetables of the CTN cooperative agreement program or of specific ongoing trials. Thus, it is incumbent on the Principal Investigator of proposed research to contact NIDA CCTN staff and/or CTN grantee personnel (i.e., RRTC PIs and CTP directors) early in the application development process, to submit documentation of support from CTN entities that would be affected, and to obtain written approval for access to any required data that has not yet reached the public domain.
Explicit approval by NIDA CCTN staff and by the CTN Executive Committee is required for ancillary studies affiliated with an ongoing CTN trial. CTN policies on ancillary and platform studies utilizing the CTN infrastructure can be found at http://www.nida.nih.gov/CTN or by contacting CCTN staff listed in this announcement. Other information about the CTN, including contact information for RRTC PIs and CTPs, is available at http://www.nida.nih.gov/CTN/index.htm.
Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To download an Application Package and SF424 (R&R) 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 NIH eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organization/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started
Grants.gov
Customer Support
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Business Hours: M-F 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Email [email protected]
2) Organization/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
eRA Commons Help Desk
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Business hours M-F 7:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Email [email protected]
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 four 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 Modular
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s)
Form
Note: While both budget components are included in the SF424 (R&R) forms package, the NIH R03 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 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
Opening Date: September 2, 2006 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov).
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not required.
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: 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 the funding
opportunity.
3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically 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.
Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any errors have been addressed, and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two business days to view the application image.
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 that 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.
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (MS Word or PDF) are to be followed, with the following requirements for R03 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.
Applications for studies that are ancillary to ongoing CTN trials must document the approval of the NIDA CCTN Director and CTN Executive Committee as well as the cooperation of the Lead Investigator(s) of the affected trial(s). (Refer to the CTN website at http://www.nida.nih.gov/CTN/Research.html for details on ongoing CTN trials and their Lead Investigators.)
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
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
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.
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 (Update: Enhanced review criteria have been issued for the evaluation of research applications received for potential FY2010 funding and thereafter - see NOT-OD-09-025).
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 R03 small grant is a mechanism for supporting discrete, well-defined projects that realistically can be completed in two years and that require limited levels of funding. Because the research plan is restricted to 10 pages, a small grant application will not have the same level of detail or extensive discussion found in an R01 application. Accordingly, reviewers should evaluate the conceptual framework and general approach to the problem, placing 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 from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required, particularly in applications proposing pilot or feasibility studies.
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 comments, 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. The scientific review group will address and consider each of these criteria in assigning the application's 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 scientific health 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 SF424 (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 percent 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 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
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 funding organization 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: 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 R03 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.
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
When multiple years are involved, 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:
Health Services Research:
Richard A. Denisco, MD, MPH
Division of Epidemiology, Services
and Prevention Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 5185, MSC 9589
Bethesda, MD 20892-9589
Telephone: (301) 443-6504
Fax: 301-443-6815
Email: [email protected]
Center for the Clinical Trials Network (CCTN):
Harold I Perl, PhD
Center for the Clinical Trials
Network
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 3127
Bethesda, MD 20892-9557
Telephone: 301/443-9982
Fax: 301/443-2317
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Not applicable.
3. Financial or Grants Management
Contacts:
Edith Davis
Grants Management Specialist
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS
6101 Executive Boulevard, Room 270, MSC 8403
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
FAX: (301) 594-6849
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 (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); 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 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). 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.
HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Policy for the National Institute on Drug
Abuse: Researchers funded by NIDA who are conducting research in community
outreach settings, clinical, hospital settings, or clinical laboratories and
have ongoing contact with clients at risk for HIV infection, are strongly
encouraged to provide HIV risk reduction education and counseling. HIV counseling
should include offering HIV testing available on-site or by referral to other
HIV testing service for persons at risk for HIV infection including injecting
drug users, crack cocaine users, and sexually active drug users and their
sexual partners. For more information see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-01-001.html.
National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse Recommended Guidelines for the Administration of Drugs to Human Subjects: The National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse recognizes the importance of research involving the administration of drugs to human subjects and has developed guidelines relevant to such research. Potential applicants are encouraged to obtain and review these recommendations of Council before submitting an application that will administer compounds to human subjects. The guidelines are available on NIDA's Home Page at www.nida.nih.gov under the Funding, or may be obtained by calling (301) 443-2755.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within
specified page limitations. For publications listed in the appendix and/or
Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly
accessible on-line journal articles. Unless otherwise specified in this
solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide
any other information necessary for 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 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 two years to the research.
For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
| ||||||
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
||||||
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health® |