and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
This Program Announcement expires on January 11, 2005, unless reissued. MARC UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT TRAINING IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH (U-STAR) PROGRAM Release Date: December 6, 2001 PA NUMBER: PAR-02-033 (Reissued as PAR-07-337) National Institute of General Medical Sciences Application Receipt Dates: January 10 and May 10 PURPOSE This Program Announcement (PAR) replaces PAR-99-150, which was published in the NIH Guide, August 19, 1999. The Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Branch of the Division of Minority Opportunity in Research (MORE) of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) seeks to increase the number of underrepresented minority researchers in biomedical research. For the purposes of this announcement, biomedical research includes such areas as cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, genetics, etc., and behavioral research as well as the more quantitative areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer sciences, necessary to analyze biological phenomena. The MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) program supports institutional training grants for underrepresented minority junior and senior honors students in any of the above cited science areas to improve their preparation for graduate training in the biomedical/behavioral sciences. In addition, MARC U-STAR grants provide as an allowable cost support to improve the research training environment for MARC trainees and pre-MARC students (freshmen and sophomores) and science faculty development at MARC- supported institutions. Currently, progress in many sub-disciplines in the biological sciences (e.g., structural biology, bioinformatics, modeling of complex systems, population genetics, and evolution) is dependent on the use of information and methodologies from diverse disciplines of science such as mathematics, biophysics, computer science and engineering. Thus, the MARC U- STAR program specifically encourages the development of pedagogical tools for incorporating quantitative concepts, computational skills, and principles of modeling complex biological phenomena in pre-MARC and MARC student science curricula. To this end, the MARC U-STAR program will also provide funds for the development of needed course materials for the curricular changes proposed, as well as for faculty training required for introducing the use of such materials in the different science courses. 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 Program Announcement, MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) Program, is related to one or more of these priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Institutional Only domestic, non-profit, private or public institutions that offer the baccalaureate degree and in which undergraduate student enrollments are drawn substantially from ethnic minority groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including mathematics, may apply. For purposes of this announcement, underrepresented minority students are individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group that has been determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in biomedical research. Nationally, individuals who have been found to be underrepresented in biomedical research include, but are not limited to: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and citizens of the US Pacific Islands. The training program director at the applicant institution will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to receive National Research Service Award (NRSA) support and for the overall direction of the program. Only one grant per eligible institution will be awarded. Student Undergraduate junior and senior honor students majoring in the sciences with an expressed interest in a career in biomedical research and intentions to pursue graduate education leading to a Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D. or other combined professional degree/Ph.D. are eligible to participate in the MARC U-STAR program. The individuals to be trained under a MARC U-STAR program must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of the appointment. Students with labor permits are not eligible for participation in the MARC U-STAR program. The period of appointment to the MARC U-STAR program is two years at the junior/senior level. U-STAR programs should be designed for 24 months of student participation. Appointments of less than nine months are discouraged and require prior approval from the MARC Branch staff. Although freshmen/sophomore traineeships are not allowed, MARC U-STAR applications may include pre-MARC student development activities designed to increase student retention and improve the academic preparedness of students in the freshman/sophomore years, and/or to identify and prepare students for appointment as MARC trainees. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This PA will use the Institutional National Institutes of Health (NIH) NRSA T34 award mechanism. The responsibility for planning, direction, execution and evaluation of the proposed project lies solely with the applicant institution. The maximum initial grant period is five years, with opportunity for competing renewal at the end of that period assuming this PA is reissued. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Responsible Conduct of Research Applicants must describe in detail plans for teaching responsible conduct in biomedical research to all trainees (mandatory attendance). The plans must provide detailed information on the course format and content, credentials of the teaching faculty, materials and methods used for the training, trainee attendance, and frequency of instruction. Applications without plans for instruction in the responsible conduct or research will be considered incomplete and may be returned to the applicant without review. Although NIH does not establish specific curricula or formal requirements, U-STAR programs are encouraged strongly to consider instruction in the following areas: conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects, and data management. Within the context of training in scientific integrity it is also beneficial to discuss the mutual responsibilities of the institution and the students supported by this program. During peer review the plans will be judged acceptable or unacceptable separately from the overall merit of the training program. The judgment will be based on the appropriateness of the topics, format, participation of the faculty, and the frequency and duration of instruction to the level and type of training being provided. The plan will be discussed after the overall determination of merit, so that the quality of the plan will not be a factor in the determination of the priority score. Regardless of the priority score, applications with unacceptable plans will not be funded until the applicant provides a revised, acceptable plan. Professional staff within the NIGMS will judge the acceptability of the revised plan. The PROGRESS REPORT of competing renewals must include information on the type of instruction provided, dates of the training, materials used, teaching faculty, names of trainees who took the training, and frequency of the training. This is mandatory for all U-STAR grant applicants. Reporting Requirements The Application for Continuation of a Grant (PHS 2590, 5/2001 rev.) must be submitted to, and be approved by, NIH to noncompetitively fund each additional budget period within a previously approved project period. (Reference: NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/index.htm.) The annual progress report must explain how the proposed program objectives are being fulfilled, describe the major accomplishments of the U-STAR program, and provide the results of the ongoing program evaluation. In addition, the progress report should: 1) list the trainees supported, 2) list those trainees who participated in extramural research experiences, 3) describe the enrichment and/or development activities provided and the target students who participated in them, 4) list the MARC trainees who graduated, 5) list separately former MARC trainees who are enrolled/accepted in Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., M.S., M.D. programs, and 6) list former MARC trainees who are in post-baccalaureate programs and those who are working as teachers. TRAINING OBJECTIVES The MARC U-STAR program objectives have been established to address the current deficiency of and the anticipated crisis regarding the paucity of minority students earning degrees in biomedical sciences, including mathematics and computer science. These objectives are to: 1) Increase the number of competitively trained underrepresented minority students who enroll in programs leading to the Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D. or any other combined professional degree/Ph.D. 2) Strengthen the science course curriculum and research training environment at minority serving institutions. The MARC Branch recognizes that there are differences in institutional environments and institutional missions. Therefore, each institution is encouraged to design a research training program that reflects its mission, physical and personnel resources, and student population and that provides evidence of the benefits of the U-STAR program on the recruitment, retention, graduation rates, and career outcomes of its science students. In addition and more importantly, institutions are expected to set their own MARC program goals and measurable objectives and describe the procedures and baseline data that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed research training activities (see below). Because of the interdisciplinary nature of current biomedical and behavioral research, the inclusion of honors underrepresented minority students from the various science departments (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, mathematics, computer science, environmental science, etc.) is strongly encouraged and expected. The MARC curriculum to be offered to the MARC U-STAR trainees and pre-MARC students must include contemporary knowledge in the different scientific fields as well as a solid foundation of the quantitative sciences. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH 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 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 AMENDMENT "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on October 9, 2001 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html), a complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm. The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical research, updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB standards, clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398, and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable, and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences. INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects" research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1), competitive renewal (Type 2) and supplemental (Type 3) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. 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 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. Investigators may also obtain copies of these policies from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. 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 proposals for research involving human subjects. This policy announcement is found in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement dated June 5, 2000, at the following website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html. URLS IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access to an Internet site. PUBLIC 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 public 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 PA 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. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001) at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html must be used in applying for these grants. This version of the PHS 398 is available in an interactive, searchable format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 301/710-0267, Email: [email protected]. Modular and Just-in-Time procedures do not apply to MARC U-STAR applications. Applicants planning to submit a new (type 1) MARC U-STAR application, competing continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended/revised version of the preceding grant application types requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year are advised that he or she must contact NIGMS program staff before submitting the application, i.e. as plans for the training grant application are being developed. Add 6 weeks in advance for greater than $500,000. Furthermore, the applicant must obtain agreement from NIGMS program staff that the institute will accept the application for consideration for award. Finally, the applicant must identify, in a cover letter sent with the application, the staff member of NIGMS who agreed to accept assignment of the application. Applicants should request additional instructions for new and competing MARC-U STAR applications by calling (301) 594-3900, or writing to the MARC Branch Office, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 45 Center Drive MSC-6200, Natcher Building, Room 2AS.37, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6200. The additional instructions contain information and suggestions on the format and content of applications. The title, MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) Program, and number of this PA must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three photocopies of the signed application in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW National Institutes of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-MSC 7710 Bethesda, MD 20872-7710 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application and appendix materials must be sent to: Chief Office of Scientific Review National Institute of General Medical Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 1AS.13, MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Application receipt dates are January 10 and May 10 for funding on June 1 of the following year. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS All MARC U-STAR training grant applications are expected to present the institutional program"s measurable goals and objectives, criteria for trainee recruitment and selection, a detailed explanation of the training program and its anticipated benefits to minority undergraduate science students, and procedures for evaluation of the quality and success of the training effort. The application should also provide information on the qualifications of the proposed faculty participants, including their experience as teachers, mentors and/or their current research programs and support, depending of their role in the proposed program. Applicants must also describe their program plans to provide instruction in the responsible conduct of scientific research (see Special Requirements above). Allowable Costs The requested budget may include costs for stipends, tuition, and fees for trainees, limited travel for trainees and faculty, and salary support for faculty involved in MARC/pre-MARC training activities and curriculum improvement activities. In addition, funds may be provided for activities required to accomplish curricular improvements aimed at introducing quantitative concepts into biological/behavioral sciences, for the development of course materials for the quantitatively-oriented curriculum, for an information technology specialist (up to $40,000/year in direct costs), for program evaluation, and for the faculty training required for introducing the use of such materials in the different science courses. Funds for trainee-related costs such as supplies and equipment essential for teaching laboratory courses and for research training or faculty costs for enhancing their teaching/pedagogical skills may be requested with strong justification. Stipend: The MARC U-STAR award provides an annual stipend of $9,732 to help defray the costs of the trainee"s living expenses. It is not provided as a condition of employment with either the Federal Government or the awardee institution. No departure from the established NRSA stipend schedule may be negotiated by the institution with the trainee. Stipend Supplementation: An institution is permitted to provide funds to a MARC trainee in addition to the stipend paid by the NIH. Such additional amounts may be in the form of augmented stipends (supplementation) or compensation for services. Supplementation, when provided, must not obligate the fellow in any way. However, no Federal funds may be used for supplementation. Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation for services interfere with, detract from, or prolong the fellow"s approved NRSA training program. Concurrent Awards: A MARC traineeship may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored traineeship or a similar training award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA. However, an individual may accept concurrent educational benefits from the Department of Veterans" Affairs (e.g., G.I. Bill) and Federal loans. Tuition and Fees: Self-only or family medical insurance, for the individual in training, are allowable trainee costs as well as other institutional fees if such charges are required of all persons in a similar training status at the institution, without regard to their source of support. Travel: Trainee travel, including attendance at scientific meetings that the institution determines is necessary to the individual"s research training, is an allowable expense. Faculty travel is also allowable when directly related to the research training of MARC students, however, a strong justification must be provided in the application. In addition, support for trainee travel to a summer research training experience away from the applicant institution is permitted. No foreign travel is allowed. Training-Related Expenses: Research training supplies up to $1,500 per student may be requested. Funds may also be requested for small equipment if it is essential for the training of the pre-MARC and/or MARC students. These expenses must be clearly explained and strongly justified. Faculty-Related Costs: MARC faculty-related costs to attend workshops or to take courses to enhance their pedagogical and laboratory skills may be requested if these activities are intended to improve the science curriculum or the research training environment at the institution. Administration and Evaluation Costs: Administration costs related to a program director"s percent time and effort, and costs for a program assistant may be requested. Costs related to an institution"s evaluation of its MARC program also may be requested. Student Development Activities: Costs related to pre-MARC student development activities to aid freshmen and sophomores may be requested and should be strongly justified. However, the MARC U-STAR program will NOT provide tuition, stipends, and student travel for freshmen and sophomores. Funds provided for pre-MARC student development activities MAY NOT in any circumstance be used to compensate freshman and sophomore students in any form. Curriculum Enhancement Activities: Costs related to the development of pedagogical tools/course materials such as the incorporation of quantitative concepts, computational skills, and principles of modeling complex biological phenomena in the pre-MARC and MARC student science curriculum may be requested and must be clearly explained and justified. Funds may be requested also for faculty training in the use of new teaching tools/development of materials to enhance the science curriculum (see salary support below). Salary Support: Faculty members who are directly involved in on-campus laboratory research training experiences of MARC trainees may request percent effort if this responsibility is not part of their routine academic position duties. Maximum allowable limits for on-campus research preceptors are 8% percent per MARC trainee, up to a maximum of 15% for more than one trainee. Percent effort for faculty training required for the proposed curricular improvements may also be requested with strong justification. Salary support for an information technology specialist (up to $40,000/year) who will assist faculty with the use of new Internet based/long distance teaching technologies and/or with training of students in the use of these technologies may be requested. All salaries requested must be strongly justified. The MARC U- STAR program will NOT provide research support or research salary for faculty research. Facilities and Administration Allowance: A facilities and administration (indirect cost) allowance based on eight percent of total allowable direct costs will be provided. Total allowable direct costs exclude tuition and equipment. Tax Liability Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code applies to the tax treatment of all scholarships and fellowships. Under that section, non-degree candidates are required to report all stipends, and any monies paid on their behalf for course tuition and fees required for attendance as gross income. Degree candidates may exclude from gross income (for tax purposes) any amounts used for tuition and related expenses such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction at a qualified educational institution. The taxability of stipends, however, in no way alters the relationship between NRSA trainees and institutions. NRSA stipends are not considered salaries. In addition, trainees supported under the NRSA are not considered to be in an employee-employer relationship with the NIH or the awardee institution. It must be emphasized that the interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the Internal Revenue Service and the courts. PHS takes no position on what the status may be for a particular taxpayer, and it does not have the authority to dispense tax advice. Individuals should consult their local IRS office about the applicability of the law to their situations and for information on the proper steps to be taken regarding their tax obligations. PHS 398 Narrative In the BACKGROUND and SIGNIFICANCE section of the narrative, applicants should describe the institution and define the nature and extent of underrepresented minority student participation in the biomedical sciences at the institution. Applicants should also explain the rationale for having a MARC U-STAR program and what that program is expected to accomplish. This discussion should present the institutional vision of the program, its overall goals and objectives, and its value added/anticipated institutional impact on academic preparedness and research training of students in the sciences. Institutional data to be provided for the past five years as part of the institutional setting should include, but not be limited to: 1) total number of underrepresented minority students in the participating science departments, 2) number of underrepresented minority honors students in the participating departments, 3) number of underrepresented minority honors junior/senior students, 4) number underrepresented minority students graduating per year, 5) number of underrepresented minority students who enroll in Ph.D. programs, 6) number of underrepresented students enrolled in professional degree programs, and 7) number of underrepresented minority students in post-baccalaureate programs. If an applicant institution has had previous support for a MARC undergraduate training program, under a section entitled PROGRESS REPORT the applicant should address the coherence and success of that program in sending competitively trained students on to graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. or combined professional degree/Ph.D. In addition, the applicant should provide in tabular form: 1) the current status of all past and/or current trainees, and 2) the number of trainees supported per year, number of trainees graduating per year, number of trainees enrolled in Ph.D. programs, M.D./Ph.D. programs, professional schools, working as teachers and in post-baccalaureate programs. The progress report of applicants with U-STAR programs should also describe the results of the program evaluation indicating which goals and objectives were achieved and which activities were identified as most effective. Under a separate heading, GOALS AND SPECIFIC MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES, applicants should clearly state the goals and specific measurable objectives of the institution"s proposed program and explain the rationale for their selection. In addition, for each specific measurable objective, applicants should provide baseline data as well as anticipated indicators of success that will demonstrate whether the proposed program activities are achieving the expected results. In a section labeled TRAINING ACTIVITIES, applicants should describe their proposed MARC U-STAR program in detail by explaining the choice of activities that will allow the fulfillment of their institutional goals and specific objectives. This discussion should include, but not be limited to, an explanation of how their proposed pre-MARC/MARC U-STAR program activities will: 1) better prepare students academically for graduate school and increase the flow of their MARC trainee graduates to Ph.D. programs, and 2) significantly strengthen the institution"s capability for retaining, training, and graduating students with a bachelor"s degree in the sciences. In addition, the applicant should provide in this section: 1) a description of how students will be selected, 2) credentials of faculty involved in teaching/curricular activities and/or on-campus research experiences, if applicable, and 3) a description of the specific arrangements for any extramural research training experiences for MARC trainees. Letters of support from the extramural sites proposed should be included at the end of the narrative section of the application. Applicants requesting funds for freshmen/sophomore student development or curriculum improvement activities should include these in sections labeled PRE-MARC or CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT PLAN. These sections should include but not be limited to: 1) the rationale for the specific goals and objectives for such activities, 2) an explanation of why such activities are appropriate for the overall goals of the institution"s MARC U-STAR program, 3) an explanation of who the participating faculty/target student population will be, 4) a description of the proposed curricular and/or pre-MARC activities as well as of the teaching materials/methods to be developed/used for those, 5) the rationale for the selection of faculty to be trained in the use of innovative curricular improvements, if applicable, and an explanation of the nature of the faculty training and of the impact of this training on the overall institutional research training environment, and 6) an explanation of how the effectiveness of each one of the activities will be assessed. Applicant institutions with other programs for supporting minority student development and research training, such as a Minority Biomedical Research Support grant, Bridges to the Future grants, NRSA training grants, National Science Foundation grants or Howard Hughes Medical Institute grants, should define the relationship between those programs and the MARC U-STAR program. The application should clearly delineate the manner in which MARC U-STAR trainees will interact with the programs supported by these other sources. Under a separate heading, EVALUATION, the applicant should describe the institution"s plans for assessing its proposed program, the kind of questions that will be addressed by the evaluation instruments, and the methods that will be used for analyzing the data. This evaluation plan should include metrics, with each component linked to a specific goal and measurable objective of the institution"s training program. Tracking of student participants in the institution"s program must extend to determining the careers/postgraduate school outcomes of the MARC U-STAR trainees. In this regard, an institution"s track record under the former MARC Honors Undergraduate Research Training program, while important, is to be considered a baseline from which the institution now proposes to grow towards its MARC U- STAR stated specific measurable goals and objectives. Under RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH PLAN, every MARC U-STAR application should explain in detail the kind of the responsible conduct of research training that the MARC trainees will receive. The explanation should include names and credentials of the trainers, frequency of the training, list of topics to be covered, and format and materials to be used (see Special Requirements above). REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and responsiveness by the NIGMS. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the NIGMS in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique, and receive a second level review by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Advisory Council. Review Criteria o Reasonableness and merit of the program goals and measurable objectives of the proposed pre-MARC and MARC training activities, and/or the innovative curricular enhancement activities. o Record of the MARC/pre-MARC undergraduate training program in retaining and graduating underrepresented minority students with bachelor degrees in the sciences. o Past training record of the MARC undergraduate student training program as determined by the success of former trainees in being accepted/enrolled in Ph.D. degree-granting programs and eventually graduating with Ph.D. degrees or combined professional degree/Ph.D. o Rationale for the procedures to be used to select the targeted student population and evidence of an adequate student pool. o Quality of the proposed on-campus and/or off-campus research experiences. o Quality and experience of the training faculty as teachers, mentors, and/or investigators, depending on their roles in the proposed program. o Institutional training environment, including evidence of institutional commitment. If on-campus research experiences are proposed, the adequacy and availability of research resources and the research environment. o Quality and merit of the faculty training activities if proposed as part of the quantitative enhancement of the science curriculum and credentials of the faculty selected to participate in those activities. o Merit and reasonableness of the proposed evaluation plan to assess the program"s activities. o Credentials of the Program Director and quality of the program administration. In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following: o The adequacy and appropriateness of the plan for training in responsible conduct of research. o The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed activities. o The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by any activity proposed in the application. AWARD CRITERIA Award decisions will be based on the merit of the application, the applicant"s ability to meet the goals and objectives of this PA, and an acceptable plan for the training in responsible conduct of research. Awards are made only to institutions with financial management systems and management capabilities that are acceptable under NIH policy. Awards will be administered under the NIH Grants Policy Statement. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this PA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcomed. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Adolphus P. Toliver, Ph.D. Chief, MARC Program Branch Division of Minority Opportunities in Research National Institute of General Medical Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 2AS.37, MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-3900 FAX: (301) 480-2753 Email: [email protected] Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Antoinette Holland Grants Management Officer National Institute of General Medical Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 2AN.50B, MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-5132 FAX: (301) 480-3423 Email: [email protected] AUTHORITY AND REGULATION This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, Medical Library Assistance, 13.879. Grants will be awarded under the authority of the Public Health Service Act, Sections 472 and 487 (42 USC 286b- 3) and administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations, most specifically at 42 CFR Parts 52 and 66 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to review by a Health Systems Agency nor to the requirements of OMB Circular A-95. 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 PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
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