NCRR SHARED INSTRUMENTATION GRANT (SIG) PROGRAM RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2003 PA Number: PAR-04-029 (This PAR has been reissued, see PAR-05-028) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov) COMPONENT OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION: National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov) CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER 93.389 APPLICATION RECIEPT DATE: March 19, 2004 EXPIRATION DATE: March 20, 2004 THIS PAR CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION o Purpose of this PAR o Research Objectives o Mechanism of Support o Eligible Institutions o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators o Where to Send Inquiries o Submitting an Application o Supplementary Instructions o Peer Review Process o Review Criteria o Award Criteria o Required Federal Citations PURPOSE The purpose of this Program Announcement (PAR) is to continue the competitive National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program initiated in Fiscal Year 1982. Results of the most recent study, The National Survey of Academic Research Instruments and Instrumentation, published in 1997 identified bioanalytical equipment of the type provided through this Program as the top most priority. The objective of the program is to make available to institutions expensive research instruments that can only be justified on a shared-use basis and for which meritorious research projects are described. The SIG Program provides a cost-effective mechanism for groups of NIH-supported investigators to obtain commercially-available, technologically sophisticated equipment costing more than $100,000. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This program is designed to provide for the acquisition or updating of expensive shared-use instrumentation not generally available through other NIH mechanisms, such as the regular research project, program project, or center grant programs. Proposals for research on advancing the design or for the development of new instrumentation will not be considered. Types of instrumentation supported include, but are not limited to, nuclear magnetic resonance systems, electron and confocal microscopes, mass spectrometers, protein and DNA sequencers, biosensors, x-ray diffractometers and cell sorters. Support will not be provided for general purpose equipment or purely instructional equipment, personal computers, personal workstations, printers, and Ethernet interfaces. Proposals for "stand alone" computer systems will only be considered if the instrument is solely dedicated to the research needs of a broad community of NIH-supported investigators. For purpose of eligibility, a major user group of three or more investigators must be identified. A minimum of three major users must be Principal Investigators on NIH peer reviewed research grants at the time of the application and award. For purposes of this program, research grants are defined as those grants awarded with the following activity codes: P01, R01, U01, R35, and R37. The application should also show a clear need for the instrumentation by projects supported by multiple NIH peer review research grants (including, but not limited to those listed above) and demonstrate that these projects will require at least 75 percent of the total usage of the instrument. Major users can be individual researchers, or a group of investigators within the same department or from several departments at the applicant institution. NIH extramural awardees from other nearby institutions may also be included. If the major user group does not require total usage of the instrument, access to the instrument should be made available to other users upon the advice of the internal advisory committee (see below). These users need not be NIH awardees, but priority should be given to NIH-supported scientists engaged in biomedical/behavioral research. To promote cost effectiveness, to encourage optimal sharing among individual investigators, research groups and departments, and to foster a collaborative multidisciplinary environment, the instrument should be integrated into a central core facility, whenever possible. Each applicant institution must propose a Principal Investigator who can assume administrative/scientific oversight responsibility for the instrumentation requested. This person need not be an NIH grantee. An internal advisory committee must be named to assist the Principal Investigator in administering the grant and overseeing the responsibility for the instrument. The membership of this committee should be broadly based and include members without a conflict of interest who can resolve disputes if they arise. The Principal Investigator and the advisory committee are responsible for the development of guidelines for: o Maximum utilization of the instrument, including time allocation. o A detailed plan for the day-to-day management of the instrument. o A financial plan for the long term operation and maintenance of the instrument during the post award period. During the post award period, the Principal Investigator will also be responsible for obtaining appropriate no-cost extensions of the project period if needed. Ninety days following the end of the project period, a final progress report is required that describes the instrument purchased, and a list of all users and description of the value of the instrument to the investigators and to the institution as a whole. The Principal Investigator and the advisory committee are also responsible for the relocation of the instrument within the institution if the major user group is significantly altered. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This (PAR) will use the SIG mechanism (S10). SIG provides support for expensive state-of-the-art instrumentation utilized in both basic and clinical research. Applications are limited to instruments that cost at least $100,000 per instrument or integrated instrument system. The maximum award is $500,000. Since the nature and scope of the instruments that may be requested will vary, it is anticipated that the size of an award will vary also. Awards will be made for the direct costs only. The institution must meet those costs (not covered in the normal purchase price) required to place the instrumentation in operational order as well as the maintenance, support personnel, and service costs associated with maximum utilization of the instrument. There is no upper limit on the cost of the instrument, but the maximum award is $500,000. Grants will be awarded for a period of one year and are not renewable. Supplemental applications will not be accepted. The program does not provide facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or support for construction or alterations and renovations. Cost sharing is not required. If the amount of funds requested does not cover the total cost of the instrument, the application should describe the proposed source(s) of funding for the balance of the cost of the instrument. Documentation of the availability of the remainder of funding, signed by an appropriate institutional official, must be presented to NCRR prior to issuance of award. Applicants proposing purchase of an instrument that the institution is planning to lease prior to award are urged to consult with their institutional sponsored projects office regarding applicable NIH policy prior to executing the leasing agreement. If the leasing agreement was executed more than one year prior to submission of the SIG application, the applicant must provide strong justification for the requested Federal funds. Further, the instrument must be considered state-of-the-art at the time of submission of the SIG application. Award adjustments may be necessary. Execution of a purchase order or agreement, making a down payment or other formal commitment to purchase the equipment prior to award must be in compliance with NIH policy regarding pre-award cost authority [see NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev.3/01), Allowability of Costs/Activities, Preaward (Preagreement) Costs, page 96]. Non-compliance with this policy automatically eliminates an applicant from eligibility for an award. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS You may submit an application if your institution has any of the following characteristics: o Non-profit organizations o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, and hospitals. o Domestic institutions/organization Under the general research support authority of Section 301(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, Shared Instrumentation Grant awards are made to public and non-profit domestic institutions only. These institutions include health professional schools, other academic institutions, hospitals, health departments, and research organizations. Note that Federal institutions, foreign institutions, and for-profit institutions are not eligible to apply. A Federal institution is defined by the NIH as a Cabinet-level department or independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal Government or any component organization of such a department or agency. To be eligible to apply, three or more NIH funded investigators (Principal Investigators of active P01, R01, U01, R35 or R37 research grants) who will be users of the requested instrument must be identified. Applications will be accepted that request a single, commercially-available instrument or integrated instrument system which costs at least $100,000. There is no restriction on the number of applications an institution can submit to the SIG program each year provided the applications request different types of equipment. However, if two or more applications are submitted for similar equipment (for example, two 600 MHz NMR spectrometers) from the same institution, documentation from a high level institutional official must be provided stating that this is not an unintended duplication, but part of a campus wide institutional plan. An application requesting more than one type of instrumentation (for example, a mass spectrometer and a confocal microscope) will not be considered responsive to this PAR and will be returned. INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution 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. WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES We encourage inquiries concerning this PAR and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into two areas: scientific/research, and financial or grants management issues: o Direct your questions about programmatic or scientific issues to: Marjorie A. Tingle, Ph.D. Shared Instrumentation Grant Program National Center for Research Resources 6701 Democracy Blvd, Bldg 1, Room 958 MSC 4874 Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 (courier service 20817) Telephone: (301) 301-435-0772 Fax: (301) 480-3659 Email: SIG@mail.nih.gov o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to: Ms. Jenelle D. Wiggins Office of Grants Management National Center for Research Resources 6701 Democracy Blvd. Bldg 1, Room 1038 MSC 4874 Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 (courier service 20817) Telephone: (301) 435-0843 Fax: (301) 480-3777 Email: JanelleW@mail.nih.gov SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). Applications must have a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The DUNS number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/. The DUNS number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form. 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. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS: Follow the PHS 398 instructions with the following special instructions below. Do not use the format for Modular or Just-in-Time applications. Other Support pages are required (see below). This requirement supercedes the instructions for the Other Support pages in the PHS 398. 1. Form Page 1 (Face Page) Item 1. Name the type of instrument requested. Item 2. Check the box marked YES and enter the number and title of this PAR. Item 4. Not applicable Item 5. Not applicable Item 6. The dates should be 04/01/05 through 03/31/06. Items 7A and 7B, 8A and 8B. Use these blocks to give the total amount requested from NCRR for this instrument or system. The direct costs and total costs for the budget period and project period must be the same. 2. Form Page 2. Complete the abstract as directed. Under Key Personnel, give the data on the Principal Investigator and the major user group as required. 3. Form Page 3. Complete. Insert page number(s) for user and accessory table(s) (see Research Projects) Form page 4. Describe the instrument requested including manufacturer and model number. Use a continuation page(s) as necessary. The model chosen should be justified by comparing its performance with other available instruments where appropriate. Specific features and any accessories should be justified, both in this section and in the description of research projects. Provide a detailed budget breakdown of the main equipment and accessories requested including tax and import duties, if applicable. An itemized quote from a vendor should be included. If a project involves a potential biohazard, funds for accessory containment equipment for the instrument or instrument system may be included in the requested budget. Form page 5. Budget Estimates for All Years. Not applicable; do not complete. Modular Budget Format Page. Not applicable Biographical Sketch Format Page. In addition to the personnel listed on page 2, include a biographical sketch of the person(s) who will be in charge of maintenance and operation of the instrument and a brief statement of the qualifications of the individual(s). Resources Format Page. Not applicable Checklist Form Page. Check all that apply. Personal Data Form Page. Complete Other Support Format Page. Provide the requested information for each major user. Personnel Report Format Page. Not applicable Targeted/Planned Enrollment Format Page. Not applicable Enrollment Format Page. Not applicable Research Plan If this is a revised application, note the special instructions on page 15 in the PHS 398 instructions regarding completion of this section of the application. Do not include what would normally be in Items a-d of the Research Plan but provide information relative to the points identified under criteria for review including: Justification of Need Describe the instrument requested. Inventory similar instruments existing at the applicant institution, neighboring research institutions, or otherwise accessible; describe why they are unavailable or inappropriate for the proposed research. Provide a clear justification why new or updated equipment, including accessories, is needed. Include specific documentation on the current usage and downtime of existing instruments and a realistic estimate of the projected usage for the requested instrument. Be specific and quantitative. Research Projects Give a brief description of the major users projects. Since the projects have been previously peer reviewed, the project descriptions should be concise and focus on the benefit of the instrument to the research objectives of each user. Sufficient technical detail (preliminary data and/or supplemental information) should be included within the research plan to evaluate whether the instrument is appropriate, would be effectively employed, and would provide advantages over other methods. The need for special features and accessories must be justified. If possible, each user should highlight those publications that demonstrate the user's expertise in using the requested instrumentation. If the number of projects is large and broadly diversified, select out a smaller representative group. Use a table to list the names of the users, brief titles of the projects, the NIH grant numbers and the estimated percentage of use. Make a separate table to indicate the user’s needs for the requested accessories. List the page number of each table under Table of Contents (Form Page 3). For minor users, only include a very brief (one-paragraph) summary of the research related to the need for the instruments. The combined project descriptions of the user groups should not exceed 25 pages. Technical Expertise Describe the technical expertise present at the institution to set up, run and maintain the instrument. Specify who will operate the instrument and train new users. Organizational / Management Plan Describe the organizational plan to administer the grant. Include how the instrument will be utilized, how requests are made, how time will be allocated among major and minor users and plans for attracting new users. List the names and titles of the members of the local advisory committee to oversee instrument use. Indicate the role and responsibility of the advisory committee in developing and implementing policies and procedures to assure equitable use of the instrument. Submit a specific financial plan for long-term operation and maintenance of the instrument. Explain how the costs to place the instrument in operational order as well as the maintenance, support personnel, and service costs associated with effective use of the instrument will be met. Institutional Commitment Describe the institutional infrastructure available to support the instrumentation. Provide documentation (e.g., separate letters signed by appropriate institutional officials) specifically describing the required institutional commitment (in dollars) in support of the proposed plan. Overall Benefit Explain how the instrument will impact NIH funded research and contribute to the institution’s long- range biomedical research goals. SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and four 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) Also submit one copy to: Marjorie A. Tingle, Ph.D Program Director NCRR Shared Instrumentation Grant Program 6701 Democracy Blvd, Bldg. 1 Room 958-MSC 4874 Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) Do not send applications for different instruments in the same package. APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received by March 19, 2004. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in response to this PAR 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 substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include all Introduction addressing the previous critique. Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an application, applicants are generally notified of the review and funding assignment within 8 weeks. PEER REVIEW PROCESS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and responsiveness by the NCRR. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to the PAR will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by specially convened initial review groups of the CSR in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will: o Undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be discussed and assigned a priority score o Receive a written critique o Receive a second level review by the National Advisory Research Resources Council (NARRC). REVIEW CRITERIA o Justification of Need: Is the need for the instrument clearly and adequately justified? Is the equipment essential and appropriate? o Technical Expertise: Does the institution have the technical expertise to make effective use of the requested equipment? How well qualified are the participating investigators to operate and maintain the instrument, conduct the projects, and evaluate the research results? How will new users be trained? o Research Projects: Will research with the requested instrument advance the knowledge and understanding of the proposed projects? How would the research project of each major user be enhanced? o Administration: Is the plan for the management and maintenance of the requested instrument appropriate? Is the membership of the advisory committee broadly based to oversee the use of the instrument for a wide range of biomedical investigators? How will research time be allocated among the projects? Are the sharing arrangements equitable? Is the financial plan for long-term operation and maintenance of the instrument reasonable? o Institutional Commitment: What is the evidence of institutional commitment for continued support of the utilization and maintenance of the instrument? Is there appropriate documentation (letters from institutional officials)? o Overall Benefit: Will the instrument requested benefit the overall research community and have a significant impact on NIH-funded research? RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHELDULE Applications must be received by March 19, 2004. Approximately half of the applications will be reviewed at the September 2004 NARRC meeting and the remainder at the NARRC meeting in January 2005. Funding decisions on all applications received for the March 19, 2004, deadline will not be made until the program receives an appropriation for FY 2005. The Council date will not affect the likelihood of funding. AWARD CRITERIA In making funding decisions, the NCRR will give consideration to ensure program balance among various types of instruments supported and geographic distribution of awards. o Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review o Availability of funds o Relevance to program priorities REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 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. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2010 at http://www.healthypeople.gov. AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS: This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.93.371, Biomedical Technology. Awards will be made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under NIH grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm 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.


Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices



NIH Office of Extramural Research Logo
  Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Home Page Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
  USA.gov - Government Made Easy
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®



Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files.