CANCER EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
Release Date: December 22, 1999 (see replacement PAR-03-093)
PA NUMBER: PAR-00-033
National Cancer Institute
This Program Announcement (PA) replaces PAR-94-004, which was published in
NIH Guide, Vol. 22, No. 37, October 15, 1993.
PURPOSE
The Cancer Education Grant Program (CEGP) of the National Cancer Institute is
a flexible, curriculum-driven program aimed at developing and sustaining
innovative educational approaches that ultimately will have an impact on
reducing cancer incidence, mortality and morbidity, as well as on improving
the quality of life of cancer patients. The CEGP invites investigator-
initiated R25 Grant applications that pursue a wide range of objectives from
short courses, national forums, seminars, and/or hands-on workshops designed
to educate scientists, health care professionals and the lay community; to
the design, development and evaluation of new curricula of special
significance to cancer in educational institutions; to structured short-term
didactic and research experiences designed to motivate high school; college;
and medical, dental and other health professional students to pursue careers
in cancer research; to the development and evaluation of new educational
methods and tools directed at different audiences with the intent of having
an impact on reducing cancer incidence and mortality. The R25 can also be
used to fund symposia and support rapidly evolving areas (e.g., courses in
innovative screening).
Education Grants (i.e., R25s) can focus on education activities before,
during and after the completion of a doctoral level degree (e.g., Ph.D.,
M.D., D.P.H., D.D.S., and D.N.S.) as long as they address a need that is not
fulfilled adequately by any other grant mechanism available at the National
Institutes of Health and are dedicated to areas of particular concern to the
National Cancer Institute. The CEGP encourages innovative uses of the R25
grant to explore educational approaches that will help promote progress in
preventing and curing cancer.
This PA will be active for two years.
HEALTH PEOPLE 2000
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a
PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This Program
Announcement (PA), Cancer Education Grant Program, is related to the
priority area of cancer education and community based programs. Potential
applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at
http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Any not-for-profit or for-profit organization engaged in health-related
education, research, or training and located in the United States, its
possessions, or territories may apply for a CEGP. If a foreign institution
wishes to apply, it must first receive a formal waiver of the above
requirement in writing from the NCI. Racial/ethnic minority individuals,
women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal
investigators.
The R25 grant may not be used to conduct traditional biomedical research or
as a training grant. Applicants who submit a research proposal that should be
reviewed and funded like all other research grants (e.g., R01s, P01s) rather
than as education grants (e.g., R25) will have their applications returned.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
The mechanism of support for the Cancer Education Grant is the R25 grant
mechanism. R25 Education grants are not typical research instruments but do
involve experiments in education that require an evaluation plan in order to
determine the degree of success or failure.
Applicants may request up to five years of support in single grant period in
order to develop or maintain a specific education program. Short-term
studies limited to five years or less with no plans for renewal are
encouraged. Long-term programs, however, may receive continued support in
additional increments of five years or less. In every case, however, the
maximum duration will be recommended by peer reviewers.
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are payable at the rate of 8
percent of total modified direct costs. The 8 percent F&A cost rate will
also apply to all subcontracts on R25 awards.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Cancer Education Grant Program was reorganized in 1993 to provide
institutions a wide range of opportunities to develop and sustain unique,
innovative curriculum-driven programs that focus on various cancer education
activities as opposed to the conduct of biomedical research. The development
of more refined, more effective education methods and tools for biomedical
scientists, health care professionals, for students and the lay community are
essential components of the overall objective of the National Cancer
Institute to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. The R25 grant often
involves new educational or curriculum approaches that are subject to
evaluation to determine their success or failure. The NCI supports the R25
so that better education methods and tools can be developed that focus on
advancing our understanding of cancer, early detection, diagnosis,
prevention and treatment strategies in order to reduce cancer incidence and
mortality.
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN STUDIES INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
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 biomedical and
behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and
compelling rationale and justification are provided that inclusion is
appropriate 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 494B of Public Law 103-43)
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical
Research which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994
(FR 59 14408-14513), and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23,
No. 11, March 18, 1994. It is also available electronically at the URL
address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html
Investigators may also obtain a copy of the policy from the program staff or
contact person listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide
additional relevant information concerning the policy.
INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
It is the policy of the NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of
21) must be included in all human subjects research conducted or supported by
NIH, unless there are clear and compelling scientific and ethical reasons not
to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications
submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998.
All investigators proposed studies involving human subjects should read the
NIH Policy and Guidelines on Inclusion of Children as Participants in
Research Involving Human Subjects that was published in the NIH GUIDE FOR
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, March 6, 1998 and is available at the following URL
address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html
LETTER OF INTENT
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes a
descriptive title of the proposed education program; the name, address, and
telephone number of the Principal Investigator; and the number and title of
the PA in response to which this application may be submitted. Although a
letter of intent in not required, is not binding, and does not enter in the
review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows
NCI staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflict of
interest in the review. The letter of intent should be sent approximately
five weeks prior to the date of submission to the program individual listed
under INQUIRIES.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications are to be submitted using the PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) application
kit and will be accepted by the on the regular receipt dates for new and
revised applications as listed in the 398 form. The R25 allows for a wide
range of approaches and topics but applicants are expected to generally
follow the instructions and Table of Contents provided in the 398 application
kit with respect to the organization of the application. These application
kits are available on the NIH website (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm
), at most institutional offices of sponsored research or from the Division
of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Phone (301) 435-0714, Fax: (301) 480-
525, e-mail: [email protected].
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within
specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH
solicitation, internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide
information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation
to view the Internet sites. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may
be compromised when they directly access an Internet site (see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-004.html).
Because of the wide spectrum of possible ways to use the R25, all applicants
are urged to contact NCI program staff before preparing an application (see
INQUIRIES).
All applications when completing the Face Page (or Page AA) of the Form PHS
398 must check YES on line 2 and write in the number and title of this PA.
The original and three copies of the application must be submitted to the
Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH to the following address:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-MSC 7710
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710
Bethesda, Maryland 20817 (for express/courier service)
To expedite the review process, which will be conducted by the NCI, two
additional copies should be sent to:
MS. Toby Friedberg
Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 8062, MSC 8239
Bethesda, MD 20892-8239
Rockville, MD 20852 (express/courier service)
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
The NCI requires a special section titled Evaluation Plan that clearly
denotes how the proposed education program will be evaluated for success or
failure based on its purpose and objectives. One of the evaluation criteria
should focus on the degree of portability that the proposed program may have
to other cancer programs. The NCI encourages the development of web
versions of courses supported through the R25 grant mechanism.
In general, allowable costs must be consistent with PHS policy and
recommended by peer reviewers. These costs include but are not limited to
the following: supplies, personnel costs, student compensation (when
appropriate), consultant costs, equipment, travel, subcontractual costs,
other expenses and other student costs (when appropriate). Faculty members
participating in the design and implementation of the education program can
request, with proper justification, the percent of their time devoted to
curriculum design and specialized organization, coordinating, and
implementation activities which are essential to achieving the goals of their
proposed education plan.
R25 grants many not be used to conduct traditional biomedical research or as
training grants.
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
Upon receipt applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and
adherence to all special requirements by the NCI. Incomplete and/or non-
responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further
consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to the PA will
be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review
group convened by the NCI in accordance with the review criteria stated
below. As part of the initial merit review, a process may be used by the
initial review group in which applications receive a written critique and
undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest
scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications under review,
will be discussed assigned a priority score, and receive a second level
review by the National Cancer Advisory Board.
The review criteria that will be applied to the application are described
below:
1. Novelty and significance of the education program to cancer research
and/or to the reduction of cancer incidence, mortality and morbidity and to
the improvement of quality of life. Development of web versions of courses
supported through the R25 grants, as well as symposia to support rapidly
evolving areas (e.g. courses in innovative screening) are of major interest
to the NCI.
2. Quality of the program leader (principal investigator) in terms of past
track record of achievement and experience to provide direction, coordination
and administration of the Education Program.
3. Quality of the key personnel and/or faculty that will participate in the
Program
4. The overall quality and adequacy of the design of the Program to achieve
its short-term and long-term objectives.
5. Adequacy of the required Evaluation Plan to assess the effectiveness of
the Program in achieving its objectives, and the degree of portability of the
proposed program may have to other cancer programs.
6. Evidence of institutional commitment and plans to continue the Program
after the period of grant support ends when the program involves curricula
development aimed at strengthening the educational capability of the
institution (e.g., a new curriculum for researchers or health care
professionals in training) or when the Program consists of educational
activities directed toward the lay community and/or health care professionals
in the community (e.g., outreach efforts of cancer centers).
7. When appropriate, adequacy of plans to diffuse or disseminate knowledge
learned from the program to the biomedical research and/or health care
community through appropriate
publication in professional periodicals and journals, presentations at
national meetings, etc.
8. When appropriate, adequacy of proposed means for protecting human
subjects against hazardous or unethical procedures and for protecting the
privacy of human subjects.
9. When appropriate, adequacy of plans to include both genders and
minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the goals of the education
project and plans for recruitment and retention of subjects; adequacy of
plans for including children as appropriate for the goals of the education
project. The applicant can also provide justification for exclusion of
genders, minorities and children.
10. Appropriateness of the budget and duration of the support needed to
achieve stated goals and objectives. A recommendation of less than 5 years
should reflect the peer reviewers judgement that the institution should
accept responsibility for the program at an earlier time. Within the overall
budget review, evaluate faculty salary requests for specialized tasks, e.g.,
administrative and coordinating activities necessary for complex multi-
disciplinary or multi-institutional programs, or curriculum design and
implementation activities. These types of faculty activities should be
distinguished from traditional preceptor-student type activities which are
not allowable costs; preceptor-student relations are to be considered part of
regular academic/professional duties.
The initial review group will also examine: the appropriateness of proposed
project budget and duration; the adequacy of plans to include both genders
and minorities and their subgroups, and children as appropriate for the
scientific goals of the research and plans for the recruitment and retention
of subjects; the provisions for the protection of human and animal subjects;
and the safety of the research environment
In addition to the above mentioned review criteria, additional criteria
apply to proposed education programs that involves short-term experiences.
11. The following review criteria apply specifically to any proposed
education program that involves short-term experiences in a research
environment:
- quality of the proposed short-term education program including the
commitment of the participating faculty, the program design, the availability
of research support, and the educational environment.
- access to candidates for short-term experiences and the ability to recruit
high quality individuals from the applicant institution or other schools.
- characteristics of the education program that might be expected to persuade
short-term participants to consider cancer research careers.
- success in attracting students back for repeated short-term appointments
- success in recruiting under-represented minorities.
- plan to follow former participants and to assess the effect of such a
program on their research careers.
AWARD CRITERIA
Applications recommended by the National Cancer Advisory Board will compete
for available funds with all other scored applications submitted in response
to this program announcement. The following will be considered in making
funding decisions: quality of the proposed project as determined by peer
review, availability of funds and program priority.
INQUIRIES
Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify issues or questions
from potential applicants is welcome. You may consult the NCI website about
its Cancer Education Activities.
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
Dr. Brian W. Kimes
Office of Centers, Training and Resources
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 7011, MSC 8346
Bethesda, MD 20892-7390
FAX: (301) 402-4472
Email: [email protected]
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
Ms. Catherine Blount
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
Executive Plaza South, Room 243
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-3179
FAX: (301) 496-8601
Email: [email protected]
Direct inquiries regarding review issues to:
Ms. Toby Friedberg
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 8062, MSC 8239
Bethesda, MD 20892-8239
Rockville, MD 20852 (express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 496-3428
Fax: (301) 402-0275
Email: [email protected]
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance,
Number 93.398, Cancer Research Manpower. Awards are made under authorization
of the Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42
USC 241 and 284) and administered under NIH grants policies and Federal
Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. This program is not
subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372
or Health Systems Agency review.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-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.
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