and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department
of Health and Human Services
Participating
Organizations
National Institutes of Health
(NIH) (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of
Participating Organizations
National Institute of Nursing
Research (NINR) (http://www.ninr.nih.gov)
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/)
National Institute of General Medical
Sciences (NIGMS) (http://www.nigms.nih.gov)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (http://www.niddk.nih.gov)
(NIDDK not participating as of 11/9/2006, per NOT-DK-06-021)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) (http://www.nci.nih.gov)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
Title: Biobehavioral Methods to Improve Outcomes Research (R21)
Announcement Type
This
is a reissue of PA-05-142, which was
previously released July 20, 2005, and now is
divided into separate Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for R21 and R01 funding
mechanisms.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this 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-07-008
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number(s)
93.361, 93.859, 93.173, 93.393, 93.848
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: October 13, 2006
Opening Date: December 1, 2006 (Earliest date an application may be
submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not Applicable
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, 2008 (now September 8, 2008 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 (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits grant applications from applicant organizations that propose to foster biobehavioral research and develop innovative research designs, methods of measurement, and data analysis techniques. Designs and methods that examine the impact of biologic and behavioral variables on individuals health outcomes and quality of life are encouraged. Scientists are encouraged to increase the interface of biobehavioral research and clinical practice in existing core and exploratory centers and training programs by sharing findings and designing collaborative research projects. Ideally, interdisciplinary researchers should overcome differences in perspectives, incentives, and methods by going beyond usual collaborations to engage others to solve problems creatively and efficiently.
Background
Public Health Need
Biobehavioral science deals with links between biological, psychosocial, and behavioral factors and health (Pellmar, 2002). Maintaining positive health outcomes over time and across a variety of populations and settings requires understanding interactions among biological, behavioral, and social risk factors as well as other variables that influence behavior. Some barriers to biobehavioral research are related to carrying out biobehavioral research along the natural history of an illness, limitations in existing methodologies to assess the biological impact of behavior or the impact of behavior on biology, and lack of valid and reliable biobehavioral methods to assess outcomes.
The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) held an invitational two-day working group meeting on July 15-16, 2004, with behavioral, biological, and immunological science experts to examine current knowledge of biobehavioral research and to provide recommendations for further research. The focus was on biobehavioral methods of measurement and analysis with interdisciplinary/ biobehavioral approaches. This FOA complements NINR s current initiatives of methodology and measurement development in the behavioral and social sciences (PA-02-072), bioengineering nanotechnology initiative (PA-02-125), and supplements to promote reentry into biomedical and behavioral research careers (PA-04-126). It will provide a stimulus for expanding new biobehavioral research.
This area of opportunity will solicit interdisciplinary collaborative research that employs a multidimensional approach to biobehavioral research.
Summary of Research Needs
There are many facilitators and barriers to research using biobehavioral approaches. Some of the barriers are related to the nature of diseases with small patient populations and some represent broader concerns associated with carrying out biobehavioral research with patients along the natural history of an illness.
A diverse array of investigator-initiated projects, solicited through this FOA, could effectively broaden the knowledge base on biobehavioral studies within the Roadmap themes (New Pathways to Discovery; Research Teams of the Future, such as interdisciplinary, high-risk, and public-private partnerships; and Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise). Most clinical trials to date have been short-term and underpowered; the results have been hard to interpret, and endpoints often have been inadequate, preventing robust conclusions. The greatest impact is expected to derive from small, focused, mechanistic studies that can provide a high-caliber evidence base for rational management of patients. Such studies should be designed by multidisciplinary teams of investigators including but not limited to nurses, physicians, psychologists, statisticians, bioengineers, and other disciplines. Researchers must go beyond usual collaborations to engage others to solve problems creatively and efficiently.
Other topics of interest include novel technologies, imaging probes, or instrumentation including broader chemical diversity, assay flexibility, more sensitive noninvasive imaging, metabolomic/metabonomic approaches, extension of robotics, and supercomputing networks to expand biobehavioral approaches.
Utilizing nanotechnology that may herald a new paradigm for investigating behavioral/biological interfaces, predicting and preventing diseases, and personalizing therapies to improve and maximize health is needed. Nanotechnology may be cross linked to other health care disciplines to provide a quantitative measurement of biological processes.
Research is needed to develop methods to assess the impact of behaviors of key players (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, other healthcare providers, counselors, patients, testing laboratories, reimbursement providers) in the health care system, that determine whether and how principles of pharmacogenetics are incorporated into treatment decisions. Aspects of this include whether genetic testing is offered, interpretation of pharmacogenetic tests, selection of drug choices offered, and the economics of treatment, in order to maximize efficacy, minimize toxicity, and speed up the desired therapeutic outcomes.
Gene and protein chip studies; other genetic markers to complement behavioral assessments also are needed.
Appropriate designs for studies in humans would address: statistical power; effect size of the intervention; appropriate homogeneity or heterogeneity of patient populations for testing hypotheses; treatment fidelity methods, potential confounding factors; time course of treatment; drop-out rates; treatment compliance methodology; and intermediate measurements and surrogate endpoints relevant to biobehavioral research, including biological, clinical, and behavioral responses to specific interventions.
Suitable topics for research include, but are not limited to, the following:
Applications suitable for primary assignment to the NIGMS would focus upon bi-directional interactions between biobehavioral factors and the physiological response to physical injury including traumatic burn, or peri-operative injury. Also encouraged are studies on the interactions between biobehavioral factors and response to anesthesia and perioperative analgesia, projects on disease processes occurring as common complications following injury or surgical intervention that are found within intensive care units (such as sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiple organ failure), and research related to wound healing and tissue repair following injury. Research topics also include the impact of allostasis and allostatic load on the physiological response to injury, as well as how the response to injury and treatment interventions affects biobehavioral functioning.
The NCI would like to encourage methodological and technological innovation among biobehavioral studies that use cancer as the disease paradigm and seek to improve clinical outcome (e.g., quality of life, symptom management, disease progression). Research using innovative methods to study the interface between behavioral factors (e.g., stress, affect, coping), tumor biology (e.g., angiogenesis, T-cell regulation, inflammation, viral oncogenesis) and other biological mechanisms (e.g., apoptosis, DNA repair), and cancer control are appropriate.
See
Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
Section
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This FOA will use the NIH
Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) award
mechanism.
The applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information 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 a U.S. organization and 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 Modular Budget Component, of the Application Guide).
All foreign applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the Research & Related Budget component found in the application package for this FOA. See NOT-OD-06-096, August 23, 2006.
Exploratory/developmental grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) applications will not be accepted. Up to two resubmissions (formerly revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed exploratory/developmental grant application may be submitted. See NOT-OD-03-041, May 7, 2003.
2. Funds Available
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from
application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of
each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the Institutes and
Centers (ICs) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding
opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of
a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 2 years. Although the size of award may vary with the scope of research proposed, it is expected that applications will stay within the budgetary guidelines for an exploratory/developmental project; direct costs are limited to $275,000 over an R21 two-year period, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
F&A costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation. See NOT-OD-05-004, November 2, 2004.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills,
knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the
Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her
organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with
disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
2. Cost Sharing or
Matching
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility
Criteria
Applicants may submit more than one application, provided
each application is scientifically distinct.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To download a SF424 (R&R) 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 eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.
Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/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: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
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.
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 s/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application has several 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 includes the data in the following components:
Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover
component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget (required for
U.S. applicants)
Research & Related
Budget (required for foreign applicants)
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover
Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form
Foreign Organizations (Non-domestic
(non-U.S.) Entity)
NIH policies concerning grants to foreign
(non-U.S.) organizations can be found in the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.
Applications from foreign organizations must:
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: December 1, 2006 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not Applicable.
Application
Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.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
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.
Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on their application status 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 (limited to one page) addressing the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
4.
Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5.
Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and
conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award Costs are allowable. A grantee may, at
its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures
to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and
would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If
specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must
obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required
for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the
initial budget period of a new award.
The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a
competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make
the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made
for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award
costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs
result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not
impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the
approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project.
See the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
6. Other Submission
Requirements
PD/PI
Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
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 Registration FAQs Important Tips -- Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Organizational DUNS
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 Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
PHS398 Research Plan Component Sections
While each section of the Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component 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.
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating "Just-in-Time" information concepts, and with the following requirements for R21 applications:
Appendix Materials
R21 Appendix materials should be limited, as is consistent with the exploratory nature of the R21 mechanism. The following materials may be included in the Appendix.
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the PHS398 Research Plan component. An application that does not observe these limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Foreign Applications (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)
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 Web site,
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.
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.
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
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://cms.csr.nih.gov/ResourcesforApplicants/) will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications
will:
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The NIH R21 exploratory/developmental grant is a mechanism for supporting novel scientific ideas or new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or the status of health-related research. Because the PHS398 Research Plan component is limited to 15 pages, an exploratory/developmental grant application need not have extensive background material or preliminary information as one might normally expect in an R01 application. Accordingly, reviewers will focus their evaluation on the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or understanding. Reviewers will place less emphasis on methodological details and certain indicators traditionally used in evaluating the scientific merit of R01 applications, including supportive preliminary data. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or, when available, from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required for R21 applications; however, they may be included if available.
The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.
Note that an application does not
need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major
scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an
investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not
innovative but is essential to move a field forward.
Significance: Does this study address an important problem? If the aims
of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical
practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts,
methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that
drive this field?
Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods,
and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and
appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge
potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: Does
the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an
innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the
project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or
technologies for this area?
Investigators: Are the PDs/PIs appropriately trained and well suited to
carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level
of the PDs/PIs 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
Human Subjects Sections of the PHS398 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 the Human Subjects Sections of the PHS398
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
adequacy of the plans for care and use of vertebrate animals to be used in the
project will be assessed. See the Other Research Plan Sections of the PHS398
Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
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. The priority score should
not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.
Applications from Foreign Organizations: Whether the project presents 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 will be assessed.
Resubmission Applications
(formerly revised/amended applications): In addition to the above
criteria, the following criteria will be applied to resubmission applications:
Are the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group
adequate? Are the improvements in the resubmission application appropriate?
2.C.
Sharing Research Data
Data Sharing Plan: 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.
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 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.
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 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/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:
NINR
Dr. Karen Huss
Program Director
Research Training Contact, Office of
Extramural Programs
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Institutes of Health
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Room 710, MSC 4870
Bethesda, MD 20892-4870
Telephone: (301) 594-5970
Fax: (301) 480-8260
Email: HussK@mail.nih.gov
OBSSR
Dr. Deborah Olster
Senior Advisor
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
National Institutes of Health
1 Center Drive, Room 256
Bethesda, MD 20892-2248
Telephone:
(301) 451-4286
Fax:
(301) 402-1150
E-mail: OlsterD@od.nih.gov
NIGMS
Dr. Scott Somers
Division of Pharmacology, Physiology,
and Biological Chemistry
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institutes of Health
45 Center Drive, Rm. 2As.43C
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-3827
Fax: (301) 480-2802
E-mail: Somerss@nigms.nih.gov
NIDDK
Dr. Sanford Garfield
Senior Advisor
Biometry and Behavioral Research
Division of
Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (DDEMD)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institutes of Health
2 Democracy Plaza, Room 685
Bethesda, MD 20892-5460
Telephone: (301) 594-8803
Fax: (301) 480-6271
E-mail: garfields@mail.nih.gov
NCI
Dr. Paige A. McDonald
Program Director, Basic and
Biobehavioral Research Branch
Behavioral Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and
Population Sciences
National
Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7363
Executive Plaza North, Room 4062
Bethesda, MD 20892-7363
Rockville, MD 20852 for Fed Ex
Telephone: (301) 435-5037
Fax: (301) 435-7547
E-mail: Mcdonalp@mail.nih.gov
NIDCD
Dr. Christopher Platt
Program Director, Balance/Vestibular
Sciences
National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders
National Institutes of Health
6120 Executive Blvd., Suite 400
Bethesda, MD 20892-7180
Phone: (301) 496-1804
Fax: (301) 402-6251
E-mail: plattc@nidcd.nih.gov
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Not Applicable
3. Financial or Grants
Management Contacts:
NINR
Mr. Brian Albertini
Office of
Grants and Contracts Management
National Institute of Nursing Research
National
Institutes of Health
6701
Democracy Boulevard, Room 710
One Democracy Plaza
Bethesda, MD 20892-4870 (courier use 20817)
Telephone:
(301) 594-6869
Fax: (301) 402-4502
Email: AlbertiB@mail.nih.gov
NIGMS
Ms. Antoinette
K. Holland
Grants
Management Branch
Division of
Extramural Activities
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National
Institutes of Health
Bldg. 45, Rm.
2AS43C
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone:
(301) 594-5132
Fax: (301)
480-2554
Email: hollanda@nigms.nih.gov
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies (Phase
I); efficacy studies (Phase II); 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 Web
site (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. 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
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