and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
INITIATIVE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS: BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE Release Date: May 21, 2002 (Replaces March 4, 2002 version) PA NUMBER: PAR-02-084 (Reissued as PAR-07-039) April 14, 2006 (NOT-GM-06-109) - See this notice for Extension of the Expiration Date for the Bridges to the Future Program Announcements EXPIRATION DATE: May 21, 2006 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTES AND CENTERS (ICs): National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/) This is a re-issuance of PAR-02-084, which originally was published in the NIH Guide on March 4, 2002. Two review criteria, pool size and administration, were inadvertently omitted. This announcement contains all review criteria and clarifies the reporting requirements. THIS PA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION o Purpose of the PA o Research Objectives o Mechanism(s) of Support o Eligible Institutions o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators o Special Requirements o Where to Send Inquiries o Submitting an Application o Review Criteria o Award Criteria o Required Federal Citations PURPOSE OF THIS PA The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health (NIH), reannounce opportunities to apply for funding for the Bridges to the Future Program. The mission of the Bridges to the Future Program, established in 1992, is to make available to the biomedical science research enterprise and to the nation the intellectual talents of an increasing number of underrepresented minority students. Bridges to the Future accomplishes this mission by supporting programs that facilitate the transition of students from associate- to baccalaureate-degree granting institutions and from masters- to doctoral-degree granting institutions. Bridges to the Future promotes effective inter-institutional partnerships to improve the quality and quantity of underrepresented minority students being trained as the next generation of scientists. This PA solicits new and renewal applications for a partnership initiative involving institutions awarding the associate degree and institutions awarding the baccalaureate degree. A separate PA, Initiative for Minority Students: Bridges to the Doctorate, describes an initiative targeting the transition from masters to doctoral programs. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Many underrepresented minority students enter community colleges or associate- degree granting institutions to gain new skills. Recent data show that more than half of the underrepresented minority college students in the United States are enrolled in institutions granting associate degrees. Many of these students have the desire and potential to pursue careers as research scientists. Their needs should be addressed through efforts to improve their skills, provide challenging curricula and outstanding mentoring, and provide active research experiences, guidance, advice, and financial support. The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program supports partnerships between institutions offering terminal associate degrees and institutions offering baccalaureate programs in areas related to biomedicine. Bridges to the Baccalaureate aims to increase the number of underrepresented minority biomedical research scientists. The program seeks to improve the ability of educational institutions to train and graduate promising underrepresented minority students in the biomedical sciences, including the relevant behavioral, physical, and quantitative sciences. We anticipate that this goal can best be accomplished by the development of partnerships that support and facilitate the transition of underrepresented minority students to a baccalaureate program -- a key step in their educational careers. Bridges grants are institutional and must reflect the plans and priorities of the participating institutions as well as the collective plans and priorities of the partnerships. Collaborative agreements should be designed to best fit the needs and situations of the institutions involved. The challenge for the participating partners is to create a partnership program, or to enhance an existing program, that will focus attention and adequate resources on the institution(s) granting associate degrees and enhance the academic competitiveness of its (their) science graduates. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This PA will use the NIH institutional education project (R25) grant award mechanism. Applicants are solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. The total project period designated in your application may not exceed 3 years. Your requested direct costs cannot exceed $600,000 for the 3-year period. The NIH will pay facilities and administrative (F&A) costs at 8% of the direct costs, minus appropriate exclusions, or actual F&A costs, whichever is less. You must provide a budget for each year. This PA uses just-in-time concepts. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS You may submit (an) application(s) if your institution has any of the following characteristics: o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals and laboratories o Domestic institution INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS Any individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their institutions 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 programs. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS An institution may be involved as a partner in more than one Bridges program, but can be the APPLICANT institution for only one program. Institutions submitting their own applications may participate in programs with other applicant institutions as long as these interactions are consistent with the institutions" resources and plans. Institutions that submit applications in response to this PA may submit separate applications for support for a Bridges to the Doctorate grant PAR-02- 083 if they meet the eligibility requirements. Each proposed Bridges program must consist of a partnership between at least two institutions. One must be an institution that offers the associate degree as the only undergraduate degree in the sciences within the participating departments AND has a significant enrollment of underrepresented minorities. Another partner must be a college or university offering the baccalaureate degree in areas relevant to the biomedical sciences. Applications may involve a consortium of several institutions and may include several institutions within a single State system. One participating institution must be designated as the applicant institution. This institution must name the program director and submit the application. The institution should be experienced in, and have the infrastructure for, managing grants. Each participating institution must name one individual as its program coordinator. Institutions offering both associate and baccalaureate degrees may not use funds from the Bridges program for graduates of their own associate degree programs to enter their own baccalaureate programs, even if a student is moving to another department, school, or college. The program seeks to promote and enhance partnerships BETWEEN institutions. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY: Programs developed under this initiative must specifically target underrepresented minority students majoring in the sciences, including the natural, physical, and behavioral sciences, information sciences, and mathematics. For purposes of this PA, 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 or behavioral research nationally. Historically, individuals who are underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research include, but are not limited to, U.S. citizens who are African American, Hispanic American, Native American, and native to the U.S. Pacific Islands. In your application, you should describe the criteria for selection and retention of student participants and for selection of participating faculty. The proposed program must address the needs and requirements of the underrepresented minority students enrolled in the associate-degree program. Activities that may be supported include, but are not limited to, the following: o Enriching the curriculum at the 2-year institution o Enabling the students from the 2-year institution to take courses and/or participate in seminar programs at the baccalaureate institution o Developing courses at the 2-year college to be taught jointly by faculty of both institutions o Developing visiting lectureships at the 2-year college for science faculty from the baccalaureate institution o Guaranteeing acceptance as juniors into the participating baccalaureate program(s) for students who participate successfully in the enhancement program o Offering academic counseling (e.g., guidance on course selection, tracking, assistance for students who express an interest or show a special aptitude for science) o Establishing a mentoring program with faculty at the baccalaureate institution o Providing laboratory research experiences at the baccalaureate institution, other research institutions, or industrial laboratories for students enrolled at the 2-year institution (students may receive compensation for these activities) o Providing research opportunities at the baccalaureate institution for faculty from the 2-year college o Offering additional enrichment activities, such as tutoring, to enhance students" transition to the baccalaureate program. ALLOWABLE COSTS: Allowable costs and expenses include the following, as described: o Administrative costs o Salary support o Extramural consultants o Equipment (including computers) o Travel to Bridges meetings o Student travel to scientific meetings o Limited remission of tuition (see below) o Limited remuneration of students (see below) You are allowed administrative costs, to be determined, for example, by the number of students involved, the number of institutions involved, the complexity of the program, and the amount of support the institution(s) provides. You must carefully justify all costs in terms of the proposed program. Faculty may receive salary support for program planning and implementation, teaching Bridges courses, professional development, or other Bridges activities specifically described in the application. Allowable expenses for extramural consultants (e.g., evaluator, trainer, advisory group) may include plane fare, ground transportation, per diem, and consulting fees. You must present both the breakdown and justification of costs in your application. You also must justify the cost of each item of equipment in terms of the proposed program. With regard to computers, the institution(s) must retain ownership of them, and they may not be used as rewards or incentives for students" participation. Include in your budget travel funds for the program director, a grants manager from the grantee institution, and the program coordinators from the participating institutions to travel to the Bridges Program Meeting each year. Also include the costs of student travel, with per diem, to scientific meetings. Remission of students" tuition is allowable only for specific coursework and workshops necessary for student employment. You must specify in your application the courses requested for remission of tuition. Student remuneration is limited to underrepresented minorities matriculated at the partner institution(s) and may include salary/wages and/or other forms of compensation paid in lieu of wages for participation in research experiences. Expenditures for tuition remission (or other forms of compensation paid in lieu of wages) are allowable provided the following conditions are met: o The student is performing necessary work, o There is an employer-employee relationship between the student and the institution, o The total compensation is reasonable for the work performed, and o The institution provides compensation for all students under similar circumstances, regardless of the source of support for the activity. You should request salaries for students at an hourly rate based on the prevailing scale at the institution. Your proposed budget should include funds for data acquisition and data entry, each year, into the Electronic Student Tracking and Reporting system (E-STAR). E-STAR is a program developed by NIGMS to facilitate administration and evaluation of the Bridges to the Future Program. Individuals access E-STAR through the Internet and the World Wide Web. The minimum computer needs for access to E-STAR include an IBM-compatible 386 with 4 megabytes of RAM, with Microsoft Windows(tm) 3.1 and WIN32S, or a Macintosh 68020 with 4 megabytes of RAM, a 14.4 kilobytes- per-second modem, and Internet access. UNALLOWABLE COSTS: The following costs and expenses are not allowed: o Salaries and expenses for students who are not underrepresented minorities o Housing or food expenses for students, except when they are attending scientific professional meetings o Programs for non-matriculated students or their teachers o Recruitment expenses o Salary support solely for faculty mentoring o Support for faculty research o Support for student textbooks, incentives, memberships, and Internet subscriptions Students who complete the associate degree and enter the partner baccalaureate program should receive financial support, if needed, from the baccalaureate institution while they are progressing satisfactorily in their studies. The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program does not provide funds to students in the baccalaureate program. In your application, you should describe the institutional support that will be available to students who transfer. EVALUATION: Evaluation is a mandatory component of every Bridges to the Future Program. You must set specific goals and measurable objectives that will be used to develop the program and to measure progress. We recognize that minority and minority-serving institutions have diverse missions, opportunities, and environments. Therefore, the Bridges to the Future Program emphasizes improvement as defined by specific goals and measurable objectives established by applicant institutions. Each application should include the following: o A clear statement of the goals for the program and the participating institutions o A set of measurable objectives for tracking progress toward these goals o A plan for evaluating whether the objectives are met o A measure of the efficacy of specific interventions STUDENT POPULATION AND CAREER TRACKING: You must describe in your application the success of the associate-degree granting institution in training students in the sciences. Include information on the number of minority students who receive an associate degree and graduates" subsequent careers or education. You should describe a system for tracking the students, including their future careers. You should maintain data to show the impact of this program on retention rates, graduation rates, transfer rates to the next higher-degree program, and graduation rates from the next higher-degree programs. You should compare these data with those of non-minority students and minority students who did not participate in the Bridges program. UNIFIED PLAN: If an institution is involved in more than one Bridges to the Future Program, you or the institution"s program coordinator must describe how the various Bridges programs interact and are consistent with the overall goals of the program. Institutions with active or pending NIH grants for the Support for Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE), Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE), or Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) programs, or with other sources of funds, such as the National Science Foundation or the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, may apply to the Bridges program. These applicants must describe how the programs complement each other and how the students and faculty supported by each will interact. Applicants that have another, different transition program should describe that program and explain the relationship of the program to the Bridges program. CONSORTIUM AGREEMENTS: You should delineate appropriate agreements and consortium arrangements with your partner institutions consistent with your own unified institutional plan. You must include in your application the following statement, accompanied by signatures of appropriate administrative officials from EACH collaborating institution: "THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMATIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL OF EACH INSTITUTION INVOLVED IN THIS GRANT APPLICATION ARE AWARE OF THE NIH CONSORTIUM GRANT POLICY AND ARE PREPARED TO ESTABLISH THE NECESSARY INTER-INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENT(S) CONSISTENT WITH THAT POLICY." In addition, you must include letters from each institution signed by the appropriate institutional official and program coordinator and acknowledging participation in the program. Information on the NIH policy regarding consortium agreements is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_iii_5.htm#Consortium. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: You must submit a progress report annually. This report must include information on each student participant and a summary of the impact of the program. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific information on the Bridges to the Future Program, including instructions on preparing the PHS 398 form and Frequently Asked Questions, is available at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/about_nigms/more.html#special. WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES We encourage your inquiries concerning this PA and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into two areas: programmatic and financial or grants management issues: Direct your questions about programmatic issues to: Irene Eckstrand, Ph.D. Division of Minority Opportunities in Research National Institute of General Medical Sciences Building 45, Room 2AS-25K, MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-5402 FAX: (301) 480-2228 Email: eckstrai@nigms.nih.gov Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to: Antoinette Holland Division of Extramural Activities National Institute of General Medical Sciences Building 45, Room 2AN-50B MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-5132 FAX: (301) 480-3423 Email: HollandA@nigms.nih.gov SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). The PHS 398 is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive, searchable PDF format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES: The schedule for receipt of applications, review of applications, and start dates for awards is as follows: Application Receipt Date: May 14 November 14 Council Review: October May Earliest Anticipated Start Date: January July SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and five signed photocopies in one package to: Center For Scientific Review National Institutes Of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710 Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) The title and number of the program announcement must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked. APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received by or mailed before the receipt dates. The CSR will not accept any application in response to this PA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications will be assigned based on established PHS referral guidelines. Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review group convened in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. REVIEW CRITERIA The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health. In the written comments, reviewers will be asked to discuss the following aspects of your application in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals: o Significance o Approach o Innovation o Investigator o Environment o Pool Size o Administration The scientific review group will address and consider each of these criteria in assigning your application"s overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application. (1) SIGNIFICANCE: If the aims of your program are achieved, how will they advance the diversity of the scientific workforce? Is a thorough evaluation plan, including specific goals and measurable objectives, in place? (2) APPROACH: Is your application adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the program? Do you provide details and rationale for the activities that will enhance the academic preparation of your targeted population(s) of students? Do you demonstrate knowledge of current literature and practice on effective intervention strategies? Do you acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative approaches? Does your program make good use of the skills and resources at participating institutions? (3) INNOVATION: Does your program employ novel approaches or methods to recruit, retain, train, and mentor students? Does your program challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies? (4) INVESTIGATOR: Is the program director appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Does the program director have the necessary leadership skills? Do the program director and coordinators have the qualifications and experience to carry out the proposed program? (5) ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Is there evidence of institutional commitment at each institution? Is the strength of the collaborations sufficient to foster professional training of underrepresented minority students? (6) POOL SIZE: Are there sufficient numbers of underrepresented minority students in the participating science departments who are interested in additional studies in biomedical science? Is there evidence that underrepresented minority students at the participating institutions progress to higher education? (7) ADMINISTRATION: Is your proposed system for tracking program participants adequate to monitor the effectiveness of the program? Is your administrative plan, including space and other resources, adequate? AWARD CRITERIA Applications submitted in response to a PA will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o Technical merit of the applications o Geographical distribution of the participating institutions o Diversity of the underrepresented minority student participants o Relevance to program priorities o Availability of funds The NIH can make awards only to institutions that have financial management systems and management capabilities that are acceptable under NIH policy. The NIH will administer awards in accordance with the NIH Grants Policy Statement. REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 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 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 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 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: The NIH maintains a policy 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) 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 is available at 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 proposals for research involving human subjects. You will find this policy announcement in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement, dated June 5, 2000, at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html. 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. 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. 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 No. 93.960 and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under authorization of sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered under NIH grants policies described at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. 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.
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