Part I Overview Information



Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organization
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov/)

Component of Participating Organization
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov/)

Title: Cancer Prevention, Control, Behavioral, and Population Sciences Career Development Award (K07)

Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PAR-04-055 which was previously released on February 3, 2004.

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

Program Announcement Number: PAR-06-381

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.398

Key Dates
Release Date: May 1, 2006
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not required
Application Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): Not applicable.
Expiration Date: January 15, 2009 per (PAR-09-078), Original Expiration Date: March 2, 2009; Changed to May 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093)

Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable.

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

Table of Contents


Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement


Section I. Funding Opportunity Description


1. Research Career Objectives

Background

Recognizing a need for training researchers in preventive oncology and the lack of multidisciplinary curricula that would be needed for this purpose, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) published in 1982 the announcement titled "Preventive Oncology Academic Award" (POAA; NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 11, No. 5, April 23, 1982). The POAA provided support for the development of institutional preventive oncology curricula focused specifically on etiologic studies and primary prevention of cancer. In 1985, the NCI made two significant changes in that award. First, the emphasis on support for institutional curriculum development was changed to support of research and career development of individuals who wanted to make a transition to cancer prevention and control research and to individuals already trained in cancer prevention and control who were not yet fully independent investigators. Second, the original focus on cancer etiology and primary cancer prevention was expanded to include all cancer prevention and control sciences and technologies from hypothesis development through demonstration.

In 1998, the National Cancer Institute completed major external reviews of its programs in cancer prevention and control sciences. The scientific experts who conducted these reviews identified the current level of support for training in cancer prevention and cancer control and the single discipline emphasis of these programs as being completely inadequate to take advantage of the new opportunities for reducing cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality. These experts recommended that the NCI increase its current level of support of education/training programs in cancer prevention and cancer control and generate new opportunities for multidisciplinary training in these disciplines of basic and clinical scientists in highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environments. Similar recommendations regarding training opportunities in cancer prevention and control have been made by other NCI advisory groups. In 1999, the NCI published a new K07 PA incorporating the recommendations made by these experts.

Objectives

The objective of this initiative is to continue NCI support for specialized didactic study and mentored research in scientific areas relevant to cancer prevention, cancer control, and behavioral and population sciences research. Individuals lacking skills in data management, statistics, epidemiology, study design, clinical trial design, hypothesis development, etc., can be provided the opportunity to participate in courses designed to overcome these deficiencies. The scope of the research and didactic training may extend from the development and experimental testing of hypotheses including chemoprevention trials, through the stage of confirming results using defined populations, to the development and demonstration of technology as applied to epidemiology, cancer prevention, cancer control, and the behavioral and population sciences as they relate to cancer. This FOA is a re-issuance of PAR-04-055 (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-055.html).

Examples of relevant disciplines and research areas for this Program Announcement (PA) include:

For the purpose of this PA, cancer control research is defined as "basic and applied research in the behavioral sciences that independently or in combination with biomedical approaches, reduces cancer risk, incidence, morbidity, and mortality across the lifespan and over the entire process of carcinogenesis from primary behavioral prevention in youth, to screening, treatment, and survivorship" (Report of the NCI Cancer Control Progress Review Group, 1998). Additionally, patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This area of research includes 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials; and 4) the development of new technologies.

See Section VIII, Other Information Required Federal Citations for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information


1. Mechanism(s) of Support

This funding opportunity uses the development component of the NIH K07 Academic Career Award funding mechanism. This component of the NIH K07 provides support for more junior candidates who are interested in developing academic and research expertise in a particular field as a way to increase the overall pool of individuals capable of research or teaching in the identified area. As an applicant, the candidate and his/her mentor are jointly responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed mentored research project and career development plan. Applicants may request from 3 to 5 years of support. The actual length of the awarded project period will depend upon the number of years of prior research experience and the need for additional experience to achieve independence. Awards are not renewable.

This funding opportunity uses the just-in-time budget concepts. It also uses the non-modular budget format described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html). The applicant should follow the instructions for budget information described in the PHS 398, Section III, providing only the total direct costs requested for each year and the entire proposed period of support and budget justification.

2. Funds Available

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary (see below for allowable costs). Awards are made for up to 5 years and are not renewable. Although the financial plans of the NCI provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Allowable Costs

Direct costs are limited to up to $75,000 per annum salary and up to $30,000 per annum for research support costs. Fringe benefits based on the sponsoring institution’s rate and the percent of effort are provided in addition to the salary. Research support costs may include: (a) tuition, fees, and text books related to the career development of the PI; (b) supplies, equipment and technical personnel; c) travel to relevant research meetings or training; and (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time. The level of research support costs may be negotiated downward with the acquisition of any independent grant support from any source during the project period.

The total salary requested must be based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment and requires the candidate to devote a minimum of 75 percent of full-time professional effort to conducting health-related research with the remaining effort being devoted to activities related to the development of a successful research career. For information regarding NIH policy on determining full-time professional effort for career awards, see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-056.html Candidates who have U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) appointments may not consider part of the VA effort toward satisfying the full time requirement at the applicant institution. Candidates with VA appointments should contact the staff person in the relevant Institute prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility

The salary must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the institution and 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. Confirmation of salary is required prior to the issuance of an award.

The sponsoring institution may supplement the NIH salary contribution 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 additional PHS 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 K07 award. Under expanded authorities, however, institutions may rebudget funds within the total costs awarded to cover salaries consistent with the institution's salary scale. The total salary, however, may not exceed the legislatively mandated salary cap.

Effective for all competing research grants submitted for the February 1, 2004, deadlines and beyond, mentored career award recipients in the last 2 years of career award support may hold concurrent support from their career award and a competing NIH research grant when recognized as a Principal Investigator (PI) or subproject Director. This new policy can be found at the following website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-007.html.

Support for ancillary personnel, e.g., salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative assistance, etc., is NOT allowed.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs will be reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs. F&A costs requested by consortium participants are included in the total cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.

Section III. Eligibility Information


1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics:

Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Eligible candidates must have a Ph.D. degree, a health professional doctoral (M.D., Dr.PH., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., Pharm. D.) degree, or equivalent, or be a doctoral-level oncology nurse; and must have a research or academic appointment in the sponsoring institution at the time of award. Candidates must also be able to devote a minimum of 75 percent of full-time professional effort to the K07 Award. The remaining 25 percent effort can be divided among other research, clinical and teaching activities only if these activities are consistent with the goals of the K07 Award, i.e., the candidate's development into an independent investigator in cancer prevention, control, and the behavioral or population sciences.

Only U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, or an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence who possesses an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551), or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident, are eligible for this award. 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 may have been or currently be a PI of an NIH R03 or R21 grant or a PHS or non-Federal award that duplicates the provisions of an R03 or R21 grant, and remain eligible for an NCI K07 award. Individuals previously supported by an NCI Cancer Education and Career Development Program (PAR 03-148) also remain eligible for an NCI K07 award. However these individuals must clearly demonstrate the need for additional mentored research career development.

Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH programs.

Individuals are NOT eligible if they:

NCI K07 awardees are encouraged to actively seek independent support of their research project through investigator-initiated grants during the term of the NCI K07 award. NCI K07 awardees who require and can adequately justify the need for additional protected time after completion of the K07, to develop their independent research program in their first independent research position should consider applying for the NCI Transition Career Award (K22) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-040.html).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the scientific/research contact person listed in Section VII of this announcement prior to the submission of an application to discuss eligibility and program requirements.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Not applicable.

3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria

Special Program Requirements

Section IV. Application and Submission Information


1. Address to Request Application Information

The PHS 398 application instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version of the PHS 398. For further assistance, contact Grants Info; Telephone: (301) 710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications must be prepared using the current PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms. Applications must have a Dun &Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/. The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form.

The title and number of this funding opportunity must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be checked.

Applicants should follow the instructions in the PHS 398 application for Individual Research Career Development Awards (Section III)) and complete ALL the required sections with the following modifications:

Note that new and revised applications responding to this announcement must include at least three sealed letters of reference attached to the face page of the original application. Applications submitted without the required number of reference letters will be considered incomplete and will be returned without review.

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A.Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start
Application Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

A letter of intent is not required for this funding opportunity. However, applicants are encouraged to contact the scientific research/program contact at the relevant awarding component (See Section VII), prior to submitting an application, to discuss issues of eligibility and review the specific provisions of this award.

3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH

Applications must be prepared using the research career development award (CDA) application forms found in the PHS 398 instructions for preparing a research career development award application. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, three original sealed letters of reference, and three 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 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier delivery; non-USPS service)

Personal deliveries of applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).

At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application and all copies of the appendix material must be sent to:

Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 8041, MSC 8329
Bethesda, MD 20892-8329 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)

Appendices should be comprised of single-sided, unbound materials, with separators between documents.

3.C. Application Processing

Applications must be received on or before the application receipt/submission dates described above (Section IV.3.A.) and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/dates.htm. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by NCI staff.

The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH 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.

Information on the status of an application should be checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement which can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.

Pre-Award Costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award.

The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project. See NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.

6. Other Submission Requirements

In addition to the Supplementary Instructions in the PHS 398 for Individual Research Career Development Awards (Instructions, Part I, Section III, starting on page 45), the following information must be included in the application:

Application Contents

Candidate

Letters of Recommendation

Career Development Plan

Research Plan

Mentor(s)/ Consultants(s)/Collaborator(s)

Environment and institutional Commitment to the Candidate

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Applications must include a description of a program to receive formal or informal instruction in scientific integrity or the responsible conduct of research. Applications without plans for instructions in the responsible conduct of research will be considered incomplete and may be returned to the applicant without review. Although the NIH does not establish specific curricula or formal requirements, all programs are encouraged to consider instruction in the following areas: conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects, and data management. Applicants must follow the application instructions found on page 49 of the PHS-398 application package and refer to the NIH Web site (http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/researchethics.html) for additional guidance.

Document prior instruction in or propose plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research in terms of subject matter and duration of instruction. An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component.

Plan for Sharing Research Data

A plan for sharing research data is not required.

Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131. Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report. (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3. Reporting.

Section V. Application Review Information


1. Criteria

(Update: Enhanced review criteria have been issued for the evaluation of research applications received for potential FY2010 funding and thereafter - see NOT-OD-09-025).

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review group convened by NCI in accordance with the review criteria stated below.

As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

The goal of this initiative is to facilitate a new investigator’s ability to transition from a postdoctoral trainee to an independent scientist capable of applying for and receiving their first R01 or R01-equivalent award and securing a stable research position. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research and career development plans will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.

For each of these criterions, reviewers will assess specific elements outlined below. The application does not need to be strong in all categories to deserve a high priority score. These criteria are listed in logical order and not in order of priority.

Candidate

Letters of Recommendation

Career Development Plan

Research Plan

Reviewers recognize that an individual with limited research experience is less likely to be able to prepare a research plan with the depth and breadth of that submitted by a more experienced investigator. Nevertheless, a fundamentally sound research plan must be provided.

Mentor(s)/Collaborator(s)/Consultant(s)

Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

2.A. Additional Review Criteria

In addition to the above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority score:

Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be assessed (see the Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form 398).

Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to include subjects from genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated (see the Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form 398).

Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the five items described under Section F of the PHS Form 398 research grant application instructions will be assessed.

Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed protection is adequate.

2.B. Additional Review Considerations

Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed career development award program. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

2.C. Sharing Research Data

A data sharing plan is not required.

2.D. Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps and at http://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide_final.html. Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. Program staff may negotiate modifications of the resource sharing plans with the PI before recommending funding of an application. The final version of the resources sharing plans negotiated by both will become a condition of the award of the grant. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3. Reporting.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Not applicable.

Section VI. Award Administration Information


1. Award Notices

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA Commons.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official (designated in item 12 on the Application Face Page). If a grantee is not email enabled, a hard copy of the NoA will be mailed to the business official.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See also Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm) and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).

The following related administrative policies apply generally to NIH Research Career Award ( K ) programs:

A. Evaluation

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may begin requesting information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program. Accordingly, recipients are hereby notified that they may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

B. Other Income

Awardees may retain royalties and fees for activities such as scholarly writing, service on advisory groups, honoraria from other institutions for lectures or seminars, 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.

All other income and fees, not included in the preceding paragraph as retainable, may not be retained by the career award recipient. Such fees must be assigned to the grantee institution for disposition by any of the following methods:

C. Special Leave:

Leave to another institution, including a foreign laboratory, may be permitted if the proposed experience is 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 NCI is required. Details on the process for submission of prior approval requests can be found in the NIHGPS (rev. 12/03), Requests for Prior Approval, at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600130.

To obtain prior approval, the award recipient must submit a letter to NCI describing the plan, countersigned by his/her mentor 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.

Leave without award support may not exceed 12 months. Such leave requires the prior written approval of NCI 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.

Under unusual and pressing circumstances, an awardee 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 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. In addition, the awardee must submit assurance of his/her intention to return to (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.

D. Changes in Research or Career Development Program:

Individual awards are made for career development at a specific institution in a specific research program. A change in the specified scientific area of the research component of the career development program requires prior approval of the NCI. A scientific rationale must be provided for any proposed changes in the aims of the original peer-reviewed research plan. The new research plan will be evaluated by NCI staff to ensure that the plan remains within the scope of the original peer-reviewed research program. If the new plan does not satisfy this requirement, NCI staff could recommend that the award be terminated.

In rare cases where a mentor must be replaced, the institution must submit a letter from the proposed mentor and awardee documenting the need for substitution, the new mentor s qualifications for supervising the program, and the level of support for the PI’s continued career development. The letter must also document that the specific aims of the research program will remain within the scope of the original peer reviewed research program. NCI staff will evaluate the request and will notify the institution of the results of the evaluation.

E. Change of Institution or Termination

If the individual is moving to another eligible institution, career award support may be continued provided:

When a grantee institution plans to terminate an award, the NCI Grants Management Specialist listed on the NoA must be notified in writing at the earliest possible time so that appropriate instructions can be given for termination. The Director of the NIH may discontinue an award upon determination that the purpose or terms of the award are not being fulfilled. In the event an award is terminated, the Director of the NIH shall notify the grantee institution and career award recipient in writing of this determination, the reasons therefore, the effective date, and the right to appeal the decision.

3. Reporting

Awardees will be required to submit the PHS Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590, annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm) and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Progress Report must include Sections a through f as described in the general PHS form 2590 instructions, as well as sections g through j as described in Section IV of the 2590 instructions. Evaluation of the awardee’s progress will depend on the following:

A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.

Section VII. Agency Contacts


We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity 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:

1. Scientific/Research Contacts:

Dr. Lester S. Gorelic
Cancer Training Branch
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 7025, MSC 8346
Bethesda, MD 20892-8346 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 496-8580
FAX: (301) 402-4472
Email: gorelicl@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Shannon M. Lemrow
Program Director
Cancer Training Branch
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 7025, MSC 8346
Bethesda, MD 20892-8346 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 496-8580
Fax: (301) 402.4472
E-mail: lemrows@mail.nih.gov

2. Peer Review Contacts:

Referral Officer
National Cancer Institute
Division of Extramural Activities
6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 8041, MSC 8329
Bethesda, MD 20892-8329 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: (301) 496-3428
Email: ncirefof@dea.nci.nih.gov

3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:

Ms. Kimery Griffin
Office of Grants Administration
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 243, MSC 7150
Bethesda
, MD 20892-7150 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: 301-496-3196
FAX: 301-496-8601
Email: griffink3@mail.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information


Required Federal Citations

Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf) as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm), and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm) as applicable.

Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).

Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); and efficacy, effectiveness, and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks to the participants (NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).

Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).

Investigators should seek guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and local institutional review board (IRB) rules, as well as local, State, and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan, but will not factor the plan into the determination of the scientific merit or the priority score.

Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm). At the same time, the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm). All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning with the October 1, 2004, receipt date, are expected to include in the application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated.

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 "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (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 Clinical Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.

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 (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 applications for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html. Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov/). It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s) to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without review.

NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to the NIH manuscript submission (NHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov) at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author’s final manuscript upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH. The author’s final manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process.

NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts resulting from: 1) currently funded NIH research projects; or 2) previously supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts, Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters, editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.

For more information about the Policy or the submission process, please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/ and view the Policy or other Resources and Tools including the Author’s Manual (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_manual.htm ).

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 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 funding opportunity 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.

Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information," the "Privacy Rule," on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.

URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. 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 at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. 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.

Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must commit at least 50 percent of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40 hour week) for 2 years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.


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.