ACADEMIC RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT AWARD

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 2, January 15, 1993



PA NUMBER:  PA-93-36



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Biomedical Research, Multidiscipl 

  Behavioral/Social Studies/Service 

  Grants Administration/Policy+ 



National Institutes of Health



Application Receipt Date:  June 18, 1993



PURPOSE



The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is making a special effort to

stimulate research in educational institutions that provide

baccalaureate training for a significant number of the Nation's

research scientists, but that historically have not been major

recipients of NIH support.  Since FY 1985, Congressional

appropriations for the NIH have included funds for this initiative,

the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program.



The AREA funds are intended to support new research projects or

expand ongoing research activities proposed by faculty members of

eligible institutions in areas related to the health sciences.

Applications received in June 1992 for AREA grants to be awarded this

year (FY 1993) have been reviewed for scientific merit and program

relevance.  Approximately $13 million will be available for the NIH

AREA program in FY 1993.  As a result, about 130 AREA grants will be

made from the applications received June 1992.  Since it is

anticipated that additional funds will be available next year, the

NIH is inviting grant applications at this time for AREA grants to be

awarded competitively in FY 1994.



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS



Applicant Institutions



o  All domestic health professional schools and other academic

institutions offering baccalaureate or advanced degrees in the

sciences related to health are eligible, EXCEPT those that have

received research grants and/or cooperative agreements from the NIH

(including the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

[NIAAA], the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], and the

National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH]) totaling more than $2

million per year (direct and indirect costs) in four or more years

during the period from FY 1986 through FY 1992.



o  For purposes of eligibility for the AREA program, "research grants

and cooperative agreements" include the following activity codes

ONLY:



K01, K02, K04, K05, K06, K08, K11, K12, K14, K15, K16, K20, K21, P01,

P40, P41, P42, P50, P60, R01, R03, R10, R21, R22, R23, R24, R29, R35,

R37, R55, U01, U10, U24, U41, U42, and U54.



o  "Health professional schools" (schools of medicine, dentistry,

osteopathy, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, public health,

optometry, allied health, and podiatry) means an accredited public or

non-profit private school in a State that provides training leading

to a degree granted by that school, for example, a doctor of

medicine, a doctor of dentistry, or equivalent degree.  The term

"accredited" means a school or program that is accredited by a

recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary

of Education.



o  "Other academic institutions" means, as a SINGLE eligible

component, all other schools, departments, colleges and free-standing

institutes of the institution except the health professional schools.



o  Several applications proposing different research projects may be

submitted by an applicant institution.



Proposed Principal Investigators:



o  Must not have active research grant support (including an AREA)

from the NIH (including the NIAAA, the NIDA, and the NIMH) at the

time of award of an AREA grant.



o  May not submit a regular NIH research grant application for

essentially the same project as a pending AREA application.



o  Are expected to conduct the majority of their research at their

own institution, although limited access to special facilities or

equipment at another institution is permitted.



o  May not be awarded more than one AREA grant at a time nor be

awarded a second AREA grant to continue the research initiated under

the first AREA grant.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Applications for the AREA program will be accepted under the

application submission procedures of the Division of Research Grants

(DRG), NIH.  The research grant application form PHS 398, (rev.

9/91), is to be used in applying for an AREA grant.



Applicants must obtain the AREA Program Guidelines containing

supplemental instructions for AREA applications from the Office of

Grants Inquiries, DRG, NIH (see address below).  These instructions

must be followed in preparing an application.



AREA grants are awarded on a competitive basis.  Applicants may

request support for up to $75,000 for direct costs (plus applicable

indirect costs) for a period not to exceed 36 months.  No more than

$35,000 may be requested for direct costs for any one year.  Although

this award is non-renewable, it will enable qualified individual

scientists within the eligible institutions to receive support for

feasibility studies, pilot studies, and other small-scale research

projects preparatory to seeking more

substantial funding from the NIH research grant programs.



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Applications for the AREA program will be subjected to the standard

peer review process involving two sequential levels of review.  The

first level of review is performed by initial review groups composed

primarily of non-Federal scientists selected for their competence in

particular scientific fields.  The second level of review is made by

the National Advisory Council or Board of the NIH awarding component

to which the grant application has been assigned by the DRG.  These

groups are composed of both scientific and lay representatives who

are chosen for their expertise, interest, or activity in matters

related to the mission of the individual awarding component.  Council

or Board recommendations are based on both scientific merit and

relevance to awarding component program goals.  In general, the NIH

may award a grant only if the corresponding application has been

recommended for funding by both levels of review.



AWARD CRITERIA



Funding decisions will be based on the proposed research project's

scientific merit and relevance to NIH programs and the institution's

contribution to the undergraduate preparation of doctoral-level

health professionals.  Among projects of essentially equivalent

scientific merit and program relevance, preference will be given to

those submitted by institutions that have granted baccalaureate

degrees to 25 or more individuals who have obtained academic or

professional doctoral degrees in the health related sciences during

the period 1983-1992.  Scientists working in eligible minority and

women's educational institutions are encouraged to participate in

this program.  Since a primary purpose of the AREA program is to

furnish support to those undergraduate institutions that provide

student training in the sciences, principal investigators are

encouraged to include the participation of students in the proposed

Research Plan to the extent practicable.



INQUIRIES



Supplemental instructions/application forms



Those individuals and institutions meeting the eligibility

requirements may contact the office named below to receive the AREA

Program Guidelines and/or form PHS 398 application packages.



Academic Research Enhancement Award

Office of Grants Inquiries

Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 449

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7441



Questions regarding eligibility, policies, procedures, and other

administrative aspects of the NIH AREA program should be referred

FIRST to the office of sponsored programs at the institution.  Issues

that remain AFTER consultation with the institutional office of

sponsored programs and that are NOT ADDRESSED in the AREA Program

Guidelines may be addressed to:



Research Training and Special Programs Office

Office of Extramural Research

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room 5B44

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-1968

FAX:  (301) 496-0166



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance, No. 93.390.  Grants will be awarded under authority of

the Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 78-

410, as amended; 42 USC 241) and administered in accordance with the

PHS Grants Policy Statement and Federal Regulations at 42 CFR Parts

52 and 74.



.

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