EXPIRED
INSTITUTIONAL MENTORED RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR NEUROINFORMATICS RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2002 PA NUMBER: PAR-03-034 (This PAR, requesting applications for the HBP, will not be reissued after it expires, see NOT-MH-05-014) EXPIRATION DATE: September 23, 2005 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/) National Institute on Aging (NIA) (http://www.nia.nih.gov/) National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov/) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) (http://www.nidr.nih.gov/) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/) National Science Foundation (NSF) (http://www.nsf.gov/) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (http://www.energy.gov/) Letter of Intent Receipt Dates: One month prior to receipt date Application Receipt Dates: January 21 May 21 September 22, 2003 January 21 May 21 September 22, 2004 January 21 May 20 September 22, 2005 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 Letter of Intent o Submitting an Application o Peer Review Process o Review Criteria o Award Criteria o Required Federal Citations PURPOSE OF THIS PA This PA replaces PAR-99-136 The purpose of this program announcement (PA) is to encourage and support the development of applications from U.S. educational institutions for Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards (K12). These awards are intended to provide funding for departments of institutions of higher education to foster the career development of individuals with interdisciplinary expertise bridging the fields of neuroscience and behavioral science research with that in informatics. This institutional career development program is offered to provide excellence in neuroscience informatics (neuroinformatics) research competency. It is intended to provide career development opportunities for appointees to become leaders in neuroinformatics research in the development of new web based databases, knowledge management systems, and analytical tools to allow sharing of data for all domains of neuroscience research. It also is intended to train candidates to subsequently serve as mentors in the training of future generations of technologically advanced neuroscientists. Under this Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, up to four candidates may be selected and appointed to this program by the Principle Investigator at the grantee institutions. It is expected that the research experiences of the candidates selected for support under this award should resemble those supported by the individual Mentored Research Scientist Development Award http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-00-019.html. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This award aims to develop an appropriate environment where recently trained neuroscientists or computer scientists can be cross-trained in these two disciplines. Appointees to the mentored program are expected to enter into a well-structured, phased developmental program that includes a designated period of didactic training, followed by a period of supervised research. It is expected that at the end of this career development period, individuals will successfully transition into positions as fully independent investigators in the field of neuroinformatics research. This award aims to develop a close and extended working relationship between the appointee(s) and mentor(s) (one or more highly qualified neuroscientists and informaticians) working in neuroscience research or closely relevant fields using informatics techniques. The relationship should optimize the opportunity for establishing ample interdisciplinary communications and training. As a result of this experience, the appointees should develop the capacity to continue to apply the knowledge and research methods of their neuroinformatics training to relevant neuroscience research problems. The Human Brain Project (HBP) is a broadly based Federal research initiative, which is sponsored by sixteen Federal organizations from four Federal agencies and coordinated by the NIMH through the activities of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee of the Human Brain Project (FICC-HBP). The HBP initiative encourages and supports interdisciplinary neuroinformatics research, which will lead to new web-based neuroscience databases, knowledge management capabilities, and analytical tools to allow sharing of data for neuroscience research. For a detailed description on the research objectives of the FICC-HBP sponsored Human Brain Project/Neuroinformatics Initiative, refer to this program's homepage (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neuroinformatics/index.cfm), and PAR-03-035, The Human Brain Project (Neuroinformatics): Phase I & II (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-035.html) MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This PA will use the NIH Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K12) award mechanism. As an applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. This program is organized and supported by several Agencies and NIH Institutes. Grant awards will normally be for a five-year period. Up to four appointee positions may be requested. Individual appointees may be supported for up to five years; appointments are not renewable. The duration of the appointment depends upon the number of years of prior research experience and the need for additional experiences to achieve independence. Institutions with a K12 Award may recruit and select appointees into their programs on a local or national basis. In all aspects, the K12 Awards are intended to provide support for the development of research scientists in the same manner and under the same conditions as the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award K01 (PA-00-019); (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-00-019.html). It is the intent of this program to support both basic and physician researchers. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS Only U.S. educational institutions may apply You may submit an application if your institution has any of the following characteristics: o For-profit or non-profit organizations o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories o Units of State and local governments o Domestic The applicant institution must have adequate numbers of highly trained faculty in scientific areas relevant to neuroinformatics and the capability to provide guidance to individuals, who wish to work at the interface of neuroscience research with informatics, computer, communications or engineering sciences in the development of research independence. The environment should be one that fosters interactions between basic and/or clinical neuroscientists with informatics scientists. INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to organize and lead the proposed interdisciplinary training program is invited to work with their institution and appropriate staff, representing the multidisciplinary K12 goals, to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply for NIH programs. The Principal Investigator, who will serve as the Program Director, also should be experienced in the design and management of programs for developing investigators, and should be able to demonstrate a superior record of preparation of neuroscientists or Informaticians for independent research careers. The applicant should be an established researcher in informatics or neuroscience. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS PROGRAM DIRECTOR: The proposed Program Director should possess the scientific expertise, leadership, and administrative capabilities required to coordinate and supervise an interdisciplinary program at the interface between neuroscience and informatics research, and be willing to develop a career development program of the scope described within this program announcement. The Program Director should also be experienced in the design and management of programs for developing investigators, and should be able to demonstrate a superior record of preparation of neuroscientists or informaticians for independent research careers. In addition, a committee with representatives from appropriate sciences departments of both of these major bridging fields should be established to help advise the Program Director and assure that the appointees meets the expected background and requirements for selection into the program. MENTOR(S): For the appointees to receive training under a single mentor, the mentor must have extensive, well-demonstrated experience in both informatics and neuroscience. If the mentor has exclusive experience related to one of these fields only, a co-mentor possessing the requisite reciprocal complementary experience must be selected by mutual agreement among the two co-mentors and the appointee(s). The mentor(s) will sponsor and oversee the proposed career development, and will ensure that the appointee(s) receives the proper experience for developing an independent career in neuroinformatics research. The mentor(s) is (are) expected to collaborate on the appointee's research project. In addition, the appointee may conduct collaborative research with other scientists, subject to the approval of their mentor(s). Where feasible, women, minorities and individuals with disabilities should be involved as mentors. APPOINTEES: Individuals are to be recruited from the research disciplines of informatics or neuroscience, with the primary objective of providing career development in the reciprocal area. As such, appointees must hold a Ph.D. or an M.D. degree, or an equivalent professional degree in any of the disciplines: (1) of basic or clinical neuroscience and/or behavioral science research; or (2) of a non-biological, quantitative discipline such as informatics and/or computational research (including computer sciences, mathematics, physics, engineering, or any closely related sciences). In exceptional cases, individuals who do not have doctoral degrees, but have significant research experience and expertise may be eligible. The appointee must demonstrate a commitment to pursue a career in neuroinformatics research following completion of the award. Individuals at all career levels may be appointed. Appointees selected for this program award must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident. Non-citizen nationals, although not U.S. citizens, owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. They are usually born in lands that are not states, but are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Individuals, who are or have been former principal investigators on NIH research projects (R01), FIRST Awards (R29), subprojects of program project (P01) or center grants (P50), or the equivalent, are not eligible for appointment under this program. Appointees may not concurrently hold any other PHS award that duplicates the provisions of this award. Appointees to the K12 program are encouraged to apply for independent research grant support, exclusive of salary during the period of support under this award. Appointees with fewer than 3 years of support under this award will remain eligible to compete for individual career development awards. Relevant career award announcements can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdev/intro.html. The maximum duration of support for a candidate under either the K12 program alone, or under combined Institutional career awards cannot exceed 5 years. Tenure-track faculty are eligible for appointment if they can demonstrate that they can spend a substantial portion of their professional effort (at a minimum 75 percent) in research and career- development related activities, and if the proposed program has the potential of accomplishing the goals of this Neuroinformatics K12 Program. It is strongly suggested that candidates initiate their own research grant application for independent support prior to the last year of the K12 award in order to ensure the continuation of their research program following the termination of the K12 award. An appointee selection advisory committee, with representatives from appropriate sciences departments of major bridging fields of neuroscience and computer science should be established to advise the Program Director and assure that the appointees meet the expected background and requirements for selection into the program. Allowable Costs Appointee's Salary: It is expected that the appointee will devote full-time (100%) to career development and research activities. However, up to 15 percent of the appointee's time may be used for activities, such as teaching, research-related activities or advising on research, which make use of the awardees own discipline as a special contribution of this Neuroinformatics Career Development Program to relevant interdisciplinary research programs of the sponsoring institution. In the case of tenure-track faculty, the appointee must be willing to spend a substantial amount (a minimum of 75 percent) of their professional effort in research and career development activities related to the interface between neuroscience and neuroinformatics research and analyses, and the goals of the K12 program. This award mechanism will provide salary and fringe benefits for the K award appointee. The salary limits are not uniform throughout the NIH and are determined independently by each component of the NIH. Therefore, prospective appointees should contact the NIH component to which the application is targeted to ascertain the maximum contribution to the appointee's salary. The total salary requested must be based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment. It must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the institution and with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. If full-time, 12-month salaries are not currently paid to comparable staff members, the salary proposed must be appropriately related to the existing salary structure. Salary will be commensurate with the level of effort (minimum of 75% of full-time salary). The institution may supplement the contribution from this grant up to a level that is consistent with the institution's salary scale; however, supplementation may not be from Federal funds unless specifically authorized by the Federal program from which such funds are derived. In no case may DHHS funds be used for salary supplementation. Institutional supplementation of salary must not require extra duties or responsibilities that would interfere with the purpose of the K12 award. Research Development Support: Each appointee will be allowed up to $20,000 per year for the following expenses: (a) tuition, including fees, and books essential for specific identified training courses during the first two years on a course-by course basis related to the career development program; (b) research expenses, such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel; (c) travel to research meetings or training and the Annual Spring Human Brain Project Meeting; (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time which are essential to the proposed research program. Requests for research support must be well justified in the application. Funds to support travel to the two-day Annual Spring Human Brain Project Meeting of Agencies and Grantees in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area should be included in the budget for the principal investigator and other relevant individuals supported under this program announcement. In addition, funds should also be requested for the participation of the PI at the annual meeting of Principal Investigators Ancillary Personnel Support: Salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative support, etc., is not allowed. Facilities and Administrative Costs: These costs will be reimbursed at eight percent of modified total direct costs, or at the actual indirect cost rate, whichever is less. EVALUATION: In carrying out its stewardship of human resources related programs, the sponsoring agency may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program. Accordingly, recipients may be contacted both for annual progress reports as well as for periodic updates after the completion of this award on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants and contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program. Such reports should also include such specific information for any new appointees onto the awarded grant. A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required upon either termination of an award or relinquishment of an award in a change of institution situation. OTHER INCOME: Appointees may retain royalties and fees for activities such as scholarly writing, service on advisory groups, or honoraria from other institutions for lectures or seminars, and fees resulting from clinical practice, professional consultation or other comparable activities, provided these activities remain incidental, are not required by the research and research-related activities of this award, and provided that the retention of such pay is consistent with the policies and practices of the grantee institution. Fees from any other types of income must be assigned to the grantee institution for disposition by any of the following methods: The funds may be expended by the grantee institution in accordance with the various FICC-HBP agencies and organization policies on supplementation of career award salaries and to provide fringe benefits in proportion to such supplementation. Such salary supplementation and fringe benefit payments must be within the established policies of the grantee institution. The funds may be used for health-related research purposes. The funds may be paid to miscellaneous receipts of the U.S. Treasury. Checks must be made payable to the Department of Health and Human Services, NIH and forwarded to the Director, Division of Financial Management, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Checks must identify the relevant award account and reason for the payment. Usually, funds budgeted in this neuroinformatics supported research or research training grant for the salaries or fringe benefits of individuals, but freed as a result of a career award, may not be rebudgeted. The awarding component will give consideration to approval for the use of released funds only under unusual circumstances. Any proposed retention of funds released, as a result of a career award must receive prior written approval of the Sponsoring agency. SPECIAL LEAVE: Leave to another institution, including a foreign laboratory, may be permitted if directly related to the purpose of the award. Only local, institutional approval is required if such leave does not exceed three months. For longer periods, prior written approval of the sponsoring organization is required. To obtain prior approval, the appointee must submit a letter to the sponsoring organization describing the plan, countersigned by his or her department head and the appropriate institutional official. A copy of a letter or other evidence from the institution where the leave is to be taken must be submitted to assure that satisfactory arrangements have been made. Support from the career award will continue during such leave, not to exceed one year. Leave without award support may not exceed 12 months. Such leave requires the prior written approval of the sponsoring organization and will be granted only in unusual situations. Support from other sources is permissible during the period of leave. Such leave does not reduce the total number of months of program support for which an individual is eligible. Parental leave will be granted consistent with the policies of the relevant sponsoring organizations and the grantee institution. Under unusual and pressing circumstances, an appointee may submit a written request to the awarding component, requesting a reduction in professional effort below 75 percent. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis during the award period. In no case, will it be permissible to work at a rate of less than 50 percent effort. The nature of the circumstances requiring reduced effort might include medical conditions, disability, or pressing personal or family situations such as child or elder care. Permission to reduce the level of effort will not be approved to accommodate other sources of funding, job opportunities, clinical practice, or clinical training. In each situation, the grantee institution must submit documentation supporting the need for reduced effort along with assurance of a continuing commitment to the scientific development of the awardee. Further, the appointee must submit assurance of his or her intention to return to full-time professional effort (at least 75 percent) as soon as possible. During the period of reduced effort, the salary and other costs supported by the award will be reduced accordingly. TERMINATION OR CHANGE OF INSTITUTION: When a grantee institution plans to terminate an award, the funding organizations must be notified in writing at the earliest possible time, so that appropriate instructions can be given for termination. If the principal investigator is moving to another eligible institution of higher education, no relocation costs will be allowed and career award support may be continued provided: o A new career award application is submitted from the new eligible institution of higher education; o All conditions of the award are met at the new institution including the presence of a qualified mentor; o The period of support requested is no more than the time remaining within the existing award period; o The new application is submitted far enough in advance of the requested effective date to allow the necessary time for review; and o There is no negative impact upon appointees in the program The sponsoring organization may require a review by an initial review group and/or the National Advisory Councils of each of the specific sponsoring FICC-HBP organizations. Alternatively, program staff and the Directors Office within the various specific FICC-HBP funding organizations, depending upon the particular circumstances may carry out review. The Director(s) of the specific FICC-HBP sponsoring organizations and agencies may discontinue an award upon determination that the purpose or terms of the award are not being fulfilled. In the event that an award is terminated, these relevant Directors shall collectively notify the grantee institution and career award recipient in writing of this determination, the reason thereof, the effective date, and the right to appeal the decision. 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 three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues. Representatives from each of the participating agencies, institutes and center can be contacted for further information or clarification. o General programmatic inquiries regarding the Human Brain Project should be directed to: Stephen H. Koslow, Ph.D. Chair, FICC-HBP Office on Neuroinformatics National Institute of Mental Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6167, MSC 9613 Bethesda, MD 20892-9613 Telephone: (301) 443-1815 FAX: (301) 443-1867 Email: koz@helix.nih.gov A current list of Agency Contacts may be found at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neuroinformatics/agencycontacts.cfm o Questions regarding scientific/research issues related to participating ICs may be directed to these individuals: National Institute of Mental Health Michael D. Hirsch, Ph.D. Deputy Director, Office on Neuroinformatics 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6167, MSC 9613 Bethesda, MD 20892-9613 Telephone: (301) 443-1815 FAX: (301) 443-1867 Email: mhirsch@helix.nih.gov National Institute on Aging Molly V. Wagster, Ph.D. Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 3C307, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 Telephone: (301) 496-9350 FAX: (301) 496-1494 Email: wagsterm@nia.nih.gov National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Lisa Freund, Ph.D. Director, Research Programs in Developmental Psychobiology and Neuroscience Human Learning and Behavior Branch Center for Research for Mothers and Children 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 4B05, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Telephone: (301) 435-6879 FAX: (301) 480-7773 Email: freundl@mail.nih.gov National Institute on Drug Abuse Thomas Aigner, Ph.D. Division of Basic Research 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 4282, MSC 9555 Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 Telephone: (301) 443-6975 FAX: (301) 594-6043 Email: taigner@nida.nih.gov National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research Eleni Kousvelari, DDS, D.Sc. Chief, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Physiology and Biotechnology Branch Division of Basic and Translational Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 4AN-18A, MSC 6402 Bethesda, MD 20892-6402 Telephone: (301) 594-2427 FAX: (301) 480-8318 Email: kousvelari@de45.nidr.nih.gov National Aeronautics and Space Administration Marc Shepanek, Ph.D. 300 E Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20546 Telephone: (202) 358-2201 FAX: (202) 358-4168 Email: mshepane@hq.nasa.gov National Science Foundation Soo-Siang Lim, Ph.D. or Diane Witt, Ph.D. Behavioral Neuroscience and Neuroendocrinology Program Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 685S Arlington, VA 22230 Telephone: (703) 292-8423 FAX: (703) 292-9153 Email: slim@nsf.gov Email: dwitt@nsf.gov U.S. Department of Energy Dean Cole, Ph.D. Office of Biological and Environmental Research Medical Science Division SC-73/Germantown Building 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20585-1290 Telephone: (301) 903-3268 FAX: (301) 903-0567 Email: dean.cole@science.doe.gov o Direct your questions about peer review issues to: Peter M. Lyster, Ph.D. Scientific Review Administrator Center for Scientific Review 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5218, MSC 7850 Bethesda, MD 20892-7850 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) Telephone: (301) 435 1256 FAX: (301) 480 2241 (fax) Email: lysterp@mail.nih.gov o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to: National Institute of Mental Health Joy R. Knipple Grants Management Branch 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6131, MSC 9605 Bethesda, MD 20892-9605 Telephone: (301) 443-8811 FAX: (301) 443-6885 Email: jk173r@mail.nih.gov National Institute on Aging Linda Whipp Grants and Contracts Management Office 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2N212, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 Telephone: (301) 496-1472 FAX: (301) 402-3672 Email: whippl@nia.nih.gov National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Douglas E. Shawver Grants Management Branch 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8A17F, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Telephone: (301) 435-6999 FAX: (301) 402-0915 Email: shawverd@mail.nih.gov National Institute on Drug Abuse Gary Fleming, J.D., M.A. Chief, Grants Management Officer Grants Management Branch 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3131, MSC 9541 Bethesda, MD 20892-9541 Telephone: (301) 443-6710 FAX: (301) 594-6849 Email: gf6s@nih.gov National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Bonnie Smith Division of Extramural Research 45 Center Drive, Room 4AN-44 MSC 6402 Bethesda, MD 20892-6402 Telephone: (301) 594-4800 FAX: (301) 480-8301 Email: bonnie.smith@nih.gov LETTER OF INTENT It is recommended that applicants contact the appropriate program official(s) listed under INQUIRIES and submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: o Descriptive title of the proposed research o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator o Names of other key personnel o Participating institutions o Number and title of this PA Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. Each letter of intent will be distributed to all of the sponsoring agencies, institutes and center. The letter of intent is to be submitted to Dr. Stephen H. Koslow at the address listed above, by the receipt dates listed in the heading of this PA. 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 format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES: Applications submitted in response to this program announcement will be accepted on the application receipt dates listed in the heading of this program announcement. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATIONS REQUESTING $500,000 OR MORE PER YEAR: Applications requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year must include a cover letter identifying the NIH staff member within one of NIH institutes or centers who has agreed to accept assignment of the application. Applicants requesting more than $500,000 must carry out the following steps: 1) Contact the Institute/Center (IC) program staff at least 6 weeks before submitting the application, i.e., as you are developing plans for the study; 2) Obtain agreement from the IC staff that the IC will accept your application for consideration for award; and 3) Identify, in a cover letter sent with the application, the staff member and IC who agreed to accept assignment of the application. This policy applies to all investigator-initiated new (type 1), competing continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended or revised version of these grant application types. Additional information on this policy is available in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, October 19, 2001 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-004.html. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS: To identify the application as a response to this PA, check "Yes" on item 2, and the title and number of the PA must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form. Follow the PHS 398 instructions for "Preparing Your Application," inclusive of format specifications, page limitations, and content requirements. Note that, in accordance with the standard PHS 398 SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, sections "a-d" of the Research Plan are limited to 25 pages total. In response to this PA, include the following information where indicated in these instructions: Research Plan Preliminary Data: Part "c" of the Research Plan section should be retitled "Preliminary Data and Activities" and included if applicable. This section should contain information on steps that have led to the proposed Education Project. Future competitive continuations should include a section entitled "Progress Report." Education Plan: Part "d" of the Research Plan should be retitled "Education Program Plan" and should contain material organized under the following subheadings, as appropriate to the specific project: Program Director. Describe the qualifications of the program director, demonstrating: o Scientific, leadership and administrative qualifications to coordinate and supervise a career development program in neuroinformatics research. o Commitment to the development of neuroinformatics research. o Evidence of a superior record in the design and management of programs that prepare neuroscientists or informaticians for independent research careers. Mentor(s): Describe the qualifications of the mentor(s): o To address specific neuroscience research questions utilizing a neuroinformatics approach. o To provide the appointee(s) with appropriate didactic and interdisciplinary research training experience for developing a future independent career in neuroinformatics research. o Where more than one mentor is involved, provide information on how they will collaborate on the appointees research projects. Appointees: o Describe the pool of potential appointees, including information about the types of prior research training. Also, describe the criteria to be used by an advisory committee for the selection of the appointments to the K12 Award. Describe the composition of the selection committee and the criteria to be used for selection of the members of this committee. o Describe plans to recruit appointees from racial or ethnic groups that are currently underrepresented in biomedical research. o Describe the types of interdisciplinary neuroinformatics research experiences available to the appointees. Program Direction: o Summarize the immediate and long-term objectives of the program, explaining how the program and the K12 award will contribute to their attainment. o Describe arrangements for the organization and administration of the program. Career Development Plan: o Describe the plans for prospective appointees. Considering the program goals and the likely goals of prospective appointees, describe a plan to provide the necessary basic science background and research experiences considering the expected range of prior research training in the applicant pool. For example, appointees with little previous research experience may require a phased developmental period in which the first year or two of support under this program award are comprised largely of didactic training in the basic sciences. For these appointees, a second phase would be an intensive, supervised research experience to complete the five-year developmental program. More experienced appointees may benefit from moving immediately to a mentored research environment, and a shorter period of support under this program award. o The application should contain a description of how the career development plan will be tailored to the needs of the prospective appointees. Instructions in the responsible conduct of research: Applications must include plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and duration of instruction; and the amount and nature of faculty participation. No award will be made if an application lacks this component. Environment and Institutional Commitment: Provide information establishing the commitment and support by the applicant institution, the program director, and the mentors to provide developmental experiences that lead to independence in an interdisciplinary program in neuroinformatics research. Collaborator's Statement: Include information about any collaborators, including their research qualifications. The application must also include information describing the nature and extent of collaboration that will occur during the proposed award period under the approval of the mentor(s). Non-competitive Continuations: These reports must include a detailed evaluative account of the career outcomes of all appointees supported by this grant. The reports should include employment history, publications, support from research grants and contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information demonstrating that this program award is meeting the objectives of the FICC-HBP sponsored Program and the specific awarding organizations of the grant. Competing Continuation Applications: In addition to the information reported in the non-competitive renewals, the applicant should include a general progress report that highlights achievements under this award since the last competitive review. Also list changes, if any, in professional staffing since the last competitive review. 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 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) APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received by the receipt dates listed in the heading of this PA. 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. PEER REVIEW PROCESS Applications submitted for this PA will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines. A special scientific review group convened in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures (http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm) will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will: o Receive a written critique o 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 and assigned a priority score o Receive a second level review by the appropriate national advisory council or board 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 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. Your application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, you may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward. (1) SIGNIFICANCE: Does your study address an important problem? If the aims of your application are achieved, how do they advance scientific knowledge? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field? (2) APPROACH: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Do you acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? (3) INNOVATION: Does your project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does your project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies? (4) INVESTIGATOR: Are you appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to your experience level as the principal investigator and to that of other researchers (if any)? (5) ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which your work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support? ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA: In addition to the above criteria, your application will also be reviewed with respect to the following: PROTECTIONS: The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals, or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project proposed in the application. INCLUSION: The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria included in the section on Federal Citations, below) DATA SHARING: The adequacy of the proposed plan to share data. BUDGET: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research. OTHER REVIEW CRITERIA: These review criteria will be applied, as relevant, to the evaluation of the following key components of the application: Program Director: o The strength of the program director's research program at the interface of neuroscience and informatics research and other related scientific disciplines; o The program director's experience in managing research training or career development programs, and success in preparing investigators for independent interdisciplinary research careers representative of the interface between neuroscience and informatics research (or another closely related informatics discipline). Appointees(s): o Plans for recruiting and selecting high quality appointees (including minorities, women and individuals with disabilities), with a commitment to research and the potential to develop as an independent researcher; and o For competitive renewal applications: the career successes of appointees that have received support and completed their mentorship under this award. Career Development Plan: o Likelihood that the career development plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the appointees; o Likelihood that the career development program of the appointees will result in preparing investigators who will contribute to the goals of the Human Brain Project; Appropriateness of the content, the phasing, and the proposed duration of the career development plan for achieving scientific independence for the prospective appointees; o Consistency of the career development plan with prospective appointees career goals; and o Quality of the training for the responsible conduct of research. Research Opportunities and Mentors: o Availability of research opportunities appropriate to the purpose of this program; o Commitment of proposed mentors to the requisite interdisciplinary training in neuroinformatics; and o Previous experience of the mentors in fostering the development of researchers. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review o Availability of funds o Relevance to program priorities POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT The FICC-HBP committee maintains a Human Brain Project/Neuroinformatics web site in order to provide the public and scientists with the most recent activities of this program. (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neuroinformatics/index.cfm). Each funded grant application will be listed and briefly described (provided by the principal investigator), and hotlinks provided to connect interested parties directly to the HBP grantees' web site. The grantees' web page to which the hotlink connects should indicate the program support from the Human Brain Project, the individual supporting Agencies/Institutes and the Logo. The individual web sites of grantees are expected to contain complete and accurate information on the activities of their funded Human Brain Project, and to be maintained by the principal investigator to ensure that it contains the most current information on the project, as well as the availability of new resources or capabilities created via this mechanism. The Human Brain Project web site also contains a listing of all publications, software, hardware, and patents that have resulted from this funding. The principal investigator shall provide, at a minimum, to the coordinating Human Brain Project Office an updated listing of these results, electronically in cold fusion, at least two times per year. This list should contain appropriate hot links to allow individuals to find either the source document and/or additional directly relevant information. Grantees are expected to participate in the Annual Spring Human Brain Project Meetings of Agencies and Grantees and the annual Principal Investigator Meeting. These meetings will promote communications among different groups of HBP investigators, who are involved in research, curricula development, and career development and/or other cross-training activities in neuroinformatics. All publications and meeting abstracts etc. resulting from HBP funding should give appropriate citation to the Human Brain Project and the funding Institutes and Agencies. 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 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: 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. HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS: Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/stem_cells.htm and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html. Only research using lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (see http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the official NIH identifier(s)for the line(s)to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without review. 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 Nos. 93.281 (NIMH), 93.866 (NIA), 93.865 (NICHD), 93.279 (NIDA), 93.121 (NIDCR), 47.074 (NSF), and 81.049 (DOE), 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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