and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), (http://www.NIGMS.nih.gov)
Title: NIGMS
National Centers for Systems Biology (P50)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of RFA-GM-09-009 as a PAR.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Program Announcement (PAS) Number: PAR-09-258
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number(s)
93.859
Key Dates
Release Date: August 20, 2009
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 28, 2009; September 28, 2010; September 28, 2011
Application Receipt
Date(s): October 27, 2009, October 27, 2010, October 27, 2011
Peer Review Date(s): March-April 2010;
March-April 2011; March-April 2012
Council Review Date(s): May 2010; May 2011; May 2012
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2010;
July 1, 2011; July 1, 2012
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url
Activation Date): Not
Applicable
Expiration Date: (New Expiration Date January 8, 2010 per NOT-OD-10-030), Old Date: October 28, 2011
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not
Applicable
Additional Overview
Content
Executive Summary
Purpose. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences
(NIGMS) invites grant applications from institutions/ organizations proposing
to establish Centers of Excellence in Systems Biology. The goal of this
initiative is to promote institutional development of pioneering research,
research training, and outreach programs focused on systems-level inquiries of
biomedical and biobehavioral questions within the NIGMS mission. The
description of the NIGMS mission can be found on the website, www.nigms.nih.gov.
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 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. Receipt and 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. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
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 Objectives
The purpose of this funding opportunity (FOA) is to
promote the use of Systems Biology approaches for studying complex biological
phenomena, where these phenomena are relevant to the NIGMS mission. The
Centers of Excellence mechanism (P50) is intended to facilitate institutional
development of pioneering research, research training, and outreach programs in
this emerging area and therefore stimulate the field as a whole. The NIGMS
mission includes bioinformatics and computational biology, molecular and cell
biology, biophysics, genetics and developmental biology, biological chemistry,
pharmacology, anesthesiology, selected aspects of the behavioral sciences, and
human physiology in the areas of shock, trauma, burn, wound healing,
inflammation, and multi-organ failure (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/About/). NIGMS does not support research focused on diseases or organ systems
that are the domain of other Institutes and Centers within the NIH (http://www.nih.gov). The
modeling of emergence of infectious diseases, a systems-related area, is the
subject of another NIGMS program (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Initiatives/MIDAS).
Background
Medical, biotechnological, and other applications of biological knowledge increasingly depend on our ability to understand the principles undergirding system behavior at a granularity that permits efficacious experimental design, simulations, and predictions of system behavior under perturbation. Whether the goal is to comprehend basic physiology and disease processes, to identify specific targets for drug intervention, or to understand the basic biological principles governing pattern formation in development, the challenge is to achieve a level of understanding of network structure and dynamics that enables tests of predictive power. Predicting quantitatively how any complex system will behave under defined conditions is a challenge; for biological systems, this problem is particularly daunting.
Systems Biology is developing as an integrated experimental, informational, and computational science. It has benefited from advances in fields such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and others that employ high-throughput technologies and is driven by innovations in mathematics, computational analysis and simulation. Biologists may now pay more attention to understanding how biological components work together to produce system behaviors rather than focusing exclusively on the properties of individual molecules and pathways, although the latter is foundational for such inquiries. The adoption of a systems approach is providing new knowledge in many areas of biomedical research including cell dynamics and signaling networks, global metabolic fluxes, and responses to drugs (and guidance in their development). It is expected that new, fundamental rules governing systems behavior at various organizational levels and how these levels are integrated - will emerge from these studies. However, there continue to be significant conceptual, technological, and cultural challenges to the realization of the systems biology goals. It is the purpose of this initiative to promote innovative responses to these challenges.
Conceptual Challenges. Systems biology is an interdisciplinary science that derives from biology, mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering, and other disciplines. The infusion of theories and techniques from other fields and their integration is establishing new methodologies for problem definition, hypothesis generation and testing, and experimental approaches in biomedical science. Most biological systems are too complex for even the most powerful computational models to capture all system properties. A useful model, however, should conceptualize and formalize the system under study such that it becomes a powerful hypothesis generator. To accomplish this, a certain level of abstraction may be required that focuses on the system properties of interest while neglecting some of the other details. In this regard, there is a need for additional research on such issues as system modulation, parameter estimation and optimization, and model scalability, with the goal of learning how models can be usefully employed to understand and predict biological behavior. An attractive way to achieve this goal is to develop collaborations between biologists and experts from other fields. Such interdisciplinary collaborations will likely provide the inspiration for the generation of new conceptual thinking, as well as new systems biologists.
Technological Challenges. Currently, technological deficits exist in mathematics, computation and experimentation. These include lack of standards and quality control measures in data collection and software engineering. Growing volumes of data from diverse high-throughput experiments provide unprecedented opportunities for computational biologists. However, a high level of heterogeneity in data quality and experimental conditions hampers data comparison, integration, and application in computational modeling. Similar issues exist in software development. The lack of software engineering standards and sufficient documentation has limited software re-use, resulting in unnecessary duplication of efforts, and difficulty in comparing one program to another. Experimentally, there is a demand for the development of novel (and low-cost) methodologies to miniaturize, standardize, and automate high-throughput data collection such that computational models can be populated with data specifically selected for tests of those models. In some cases, measurements from single cells are of great value. It is particularly important to sample living systems dynamically, at multiple scales, if realistic models are to be constructed. The systems biology centers are encouraged to develop innovative approaches to address these and other technological challenges.
Cultural and Educational Challenges. Building cohesive multi-disciplinary research teams by integrating expertise across traditional disciplinary boundaries at the institutional level is not a simple undertaking. A goal of this initiative is to encourage leadership in creating such teams. In the larger research community, there is a need for leadership to disseminate new knowledge and to reduce excessive overlap and redundancy in project selection and tool development. Centers are expected to promote communication, collaboration, and technology and data sharing. Another aspect to be nurtured is the dialog between theory and experiment. Transforming data into systems knowledge and principles will require iterative cycles of data collection, model generation, and model testing. Thus, the goal is to develop continuous communication and feedback among experimentalists and theoreticians. Finally, the emergence of a new science demands an adequate, diverse workforce of appropriately trained scientists. The future leaders of systems biology research will be knowledgeable and skilled in both experiment and computation. Innovation in education, therefore, is a significant task of the Systems Biology Centers.
The NIGMS strongly supports the analysis of complex biological systems through investigator-initiated research project grants, using the R01, P01, and other appropriate grant mechanisms. However, the resources needed to conduct the multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary projects may be beyond the scope of the typical R01 or P01 grant. Therefore, this FOA presents an opportunity for applicants to assemble unique teams of researchers from diverse disciplines that may not be possible with other funding mechanisms.
Scope of Research
NIGMS intends to promote development of systems biology in areas that are central to the Institute’s mission. Recognizing systems biology as an emerging and evolving field with various definitions, for the purposes of this FOA, NIGMS defines systems biology as a discipline at the intersection of biology, mathematics, engineering, and the physical sciences that integrates experimental and computational approaches to study and understand biological processes in cells, tissues, organisms, and social networks. Studies at the systems level are distinguished not only by their quantitative nature in data collection and mathematical modeling, but also by their focus on interactions among individual elements such as genes, proteins, and metabolites. These studies often integrate data from multiple levels of the biological information hierarchy in an environmental and evolutionary context and pay particular attention to dynamic processes that vary in time and space. Successive iterations of experiment and theory development are characteristic of systems biology. When applied to human health, systems biology models have the potential to predict physiological, morphological or behavioral responses to natural and artificial perturbations and thereby contribute to the understanding and treatment of human pathologies. Examples of NIGMS mission areas that are relevant to systems biology include, but are not limited to, the following:
Leadership Development
NIGMS National Centers for Systems Biology are expected to provide national leadership in systems biology research, research training, and knowledge dissemination. They will accomplish this goal through the development of truly innovative programs that establish new research areas and a new research culture, to develop and distribute enabling technologies, and to train a new generation of systems biologists. Centers should design their programs with the goal of serving scientific communities beyond the participating investigators and institutions. This can be achieved through research collaborations, facility support, visiting investigatorships, fellowships, workshops, summer courses, internships, symposia, Center websites, and/or other means. Research training and education should be a significant component of the Centers. To maximize the impact, Centers should conduct research training at multiple levels from undergraduate education to professional career development that are appropriate to their institutions. At the student level, applicants are expected to identify current educational gaps and needs and to propose creative responses. At the professional level, Centers should propose plans to support and nurture junior and new investigators. Incorporation of developmental research projects led by new investigators in the Center research and development plan is strongly encouraged. Outreach to the groups of individuals underrepresented in biomedical research is required (see Special Requirements below). Over a period of time, Centers should evolve into highly integrated research, training, and knowledge-exchange headquarters that will make substantial contributions in the emerging field of systems biology.
Successful Centers should provide their home institutions with the means to implement organizational and professional changes that will make systems biology research an attractive career option for both established and entry-level investigators. A variety of organizational models is possible, and it is not the intent of this announcement to prescribe any particular one.
Special Requirements
Recruitment
and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
The NIH recognizes a compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical,
behavioral, clinical and social sciences workforce. The NIH expects efforts to
diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most talented
researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the educational and
training environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in setting
research priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse
backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and to improve the Nation s
capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.
Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their trainee and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity on a national or institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of candidates:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/). Nationally, groups found to be underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research include, but are not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans (including Alaska Natives), and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting and individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/indix.shtml. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such candidates have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career. Recruitment and retention plans related to a disadvantaged background are most applicable to high school and perhaps undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of achievement.
The scope and nature of systems biology studies provide an excellent opportunity to enhance diversity of the biomedical research workforce. Whereas recruitment at all career levels is appropriate, applicants are encouraged to establish programs that give priority to the undergraduate through professional career levels. These activities must be integrated in the ongoing research and educational activities of the Center. Applicants must describe their specific plans for and recent experience with the recruitment and selection process. Furthermore, the Center must establish an outreach coordinator position who will be responsible for, among other outreach tasks, leading the recruitment effort, overseeing selection and placement of trainees, assessing academic and research progress of students, etc. Development of partnerships with minority and minority-serving institutions and organizations is also encouraged. Information on relevant minority-serving institutions may be obtained by consultation with staff of the NIGMS Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/). This FOA requires all applicants to submit a recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity, which will be evaluated by reviewers in the determination of scientific merit and priority score of the application. Other NIH funding opportunities exist that can be utilized by funded projects to obtain supplemental support to promote diversity in biomedical research. Those are described in a separate announcement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-190.html).
Renewal (Competing Continuation) and Administrative Site
Visit
Only one renewal will be allowed for each
award, making the total length of support for any P50 center under this program
limited to a maximum of ten years. During the third year of the first
grant cycle, the center will receive an administrative site visit to evaluate
the center’s progress on research, education, outreach, and diversity
recruitment efforts. The fifth year of funding will depend on the outcome of
that administrative review, and the PD/PI will receive advice about NIGMS
interest in accepting a renewal application to extend the initial award.
Project Director/Principal Investigator Effort
The PD/PI of a center grant must commit a
minimum effort of 30% or 3.6 months per year to the project.
Scientific Advisory Board
The center will be expected to have a
scientific advisory board, drawn from experts outside the project. These
advisors will meet annually to review and provide guidance on center
activities. While a description of the board's activities should be
included in the application, potential members of the board should not be
contacted, named, or selected until an award has been made. This
stipulation will allow a wider pool of potential reviewers of the
application. Costs and justifications for activities of the board should
be included in the application. Renewal applications should list individuals
who have served or currently serve in this capacity.
Program
Annual Meeting
Funded centers are required to attend annual
meetings of the NIGMS National Centers for Systems Biology Program, in order to
present results and to communicate with other centers. For the purpose of
preparing an appropriate budget, it should be presumed that at least two
representatives of each center (including the PI) will attend this annual
meeting. Participating faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral
associates, center staff, and scientific advisory board members all are
encouraged to attend the scientific sessions of the annual meeting.
Each meeting will be hosted by one of the centers, in turn, and it will be the responsibility of the hosting center to plan the program (with approval from NIH staff) and to advise attendees regarding local arrangements. At its discretion, NIGMS may consider the award of supplemental funds to defray the allowable costs incurred in hosting the meeting; however, all requests for supplemental funds must include verification that funds are not otherwise available to cover these costs and could not be made available by rebudgeting from other cost categories.
Center Website
Applicants should have a plan to construct a
center website for the dissemination of research data, software, and other
resources of the project. To the extent that established public databases
have the capability for collecting and disseminating the data that would be
collected under the grant, it is NIGMS' strong preference that a plan for the
rapid deposition of data into such public databases also be described in the
application.
Currently, the NIGMS supports nine P50 National Centers for Systems Biology (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Initiatives/SysBio/). Potential applicants are encouraged to view the websites of funded centers, to discuss their ideas with NIGMS program staff, and to send a letter of intent prior to submission to ensure that the application will be responsive to the mission of NIGMS and the intent of this FOA.
Research
conducted by future new centers should complement the projects already funded.
New center applications that will make unique contributions to the program and
expand the areas of research of existing centers will be given higher
priorities in funding considerations.
See Section
VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for
policies related to this announcement.
Section II. Award
Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This funding
opportunity announcement (FOA) will use the P50 Specialized
Center award mechanism. The applicant will be solely responsible for planning,
directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts. It also uses non-modular budget formats described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
2. Funds Available
The NIGMS intends to commit up to $7
million in total costs in FY 2010 to fund up to two applications
in response to this FOA. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
An applicant may request a project period of up to five years and a budget in
direct costs up to $2 million per year. Funds
for initial large equipment may be requested in excess of the $2 million limit
if prior approval is obtained from staff responsible for Scientific/Research
issues, listed in Section VII.1. An administrative site visit will be held in
the third year.
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. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) provide support for this
program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the
availability of funds.
Facilities and administrative costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.
The estimated amount of funds available for support of two projects awarded as a result of this announcement is $7 million for fiscal year 2010, $7 million for fiscal year 2011, and $7 million for fiscal year 2012. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
The following organizations/institutions are eligible to apply:
Foreign Institutions are not eligible to apply.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with his/her 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 support.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not
require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Number of Applications. Applicants may submit more
than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.
Resubmissions. Applicants may submit a resubmission application resulting from prior submission to RFA GM-09-009 or GM-08-007, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). See new NIH policy on resubmission (amended) applications (NOT-OD-09-003, NOT-OD-09-016).
Renewals. Renewal applications for projects funded under previous RFA announcements (GM-07-004, GM-08-004, GM-09-009) are permitted in response to this FOA although only a single renewal is permitted.
The PI/PD must commit to at least 30% effort.
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 GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications for
the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be
prepared using the most current PHS 398 research grant application instructions
and forms. Applications must have a 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 in item (box) 2 only of the face page of the application form and the YES box
must be checked.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A. for details.
3.A. Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date(s): September
28, 2009; September 28, 2010; September 28, 2011
Application Receipt Date(s): October 27, 2009; October 27, 2010, October 27, 2011
Peer Review Date(s): March-April 2010;
March-April 2011; March-April 2012
Council Review Date(s): May 2010; May 2011; May 2012
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2010;
July 1, 2011; July 1, 2012
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
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.
The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed
in Section IV.3.A.
James
J. Anderson, Ph.D.
Center for Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology
45 Center
Drive
Building 45, 2AS-25A
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:
(301) 594-0943
FAX: (301)
480-2228
Email:
[email protected]
3.B. Sending an
Application to the NIH
Applications
must be prepared using the research grant application forms found in the PHS
398 instructions for preparing a research grant application. Submit a signed,
typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, 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 (U.S. Postal Service Express
or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service;
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 materials must be sent to:
Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, Room 3An.12F, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-2881
FAX: (301) 480-8506
Email: [email protected]
Applications must be received on or before the application receipt/ date(s) described above (Section IV.3.A.). If an application is
received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant
without review.
Upon receipt
applications will be evaluated for completeness by CSR. Incomplete applications
will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not
accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is
essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the
applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any
application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. However, the
NIH will accept a resubmission application, but such application must include
an Introduction addressing the critique from the previous review.
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.
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 or renewal award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the
project, and 2) 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 or
renewal award.
The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a
competing or non-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
Budget:
Budgets for each
component of the Center application and a composite overall budget should be
included in the application.
Research
Plan:
Research, education, and outreach are the
three main components of a Center project. It is up to the applicants to
decide how to best organize their Center program to achieve its missions.
Commonly, a Center project includes synergistic research and technology
development projects, core facilities for research support, training programs,
and outreach programs. Training and outreach initiatives can be organized as
integral components of all projects and cores or alternatively as standalone
projects or cores. Because of the complexity of a Center program, the
importance of a clear and efficient management plan can not be
overstated. This critical function can be performed by an administrative
core or other similar structures.
Rather than divided into several sections where each describing an autonomous subproject, the Center proposal should be presented as a whole and include the following components numbered in this order:
1. Introduction (for resubmission applications)
2. Program Summary (include mission, specific aims, and milestones of the Center)
3. Organizational Structure and Management Plan
4. Progress Report (for renewal applications)
5. Research Projects in Systems Biology and Preliminary Studies
6. Core Facilities
7. Research training and Education
8. Outreach and Dissemination
9. Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
10. Plans for Intellectual Property Handling and Data/Resource/Software Sharing
A timeline for the project should be presented. This timeline should outline how the project's goals can be met within the time frame of the grant. The timeline also will assist the investigators and the NIGMS and its advisors in evaluating progress toward the project's goals.
Research Plan Page Limitations
The page limit for the Research Plan section of the application is 50 pages. Please note that there is no requirement to submit the maximum number of pages; instead, concise, articulate applications are desired. The page limit for the Introduction of resubmission applications is five pages.
Appendix Materials
All paper PHS 398 applications submitted must provide appendix material on CDs only. Include five identical CDs in the same package with the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-031.html.
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Resource Sharing Plan(s)
NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value of, and advance, research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this must be explained in Resource Sharing section of the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Investigators seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year are expected to include a brief 1-paragraph description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data-sharing is not possible. Applicants are encouraged to discuss data-sharing plans with their NIH program contact. See Data-Sharing Policy or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-032.html.
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Regardless of the amount requested, all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated are expected to include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. See Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further information see Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
(d) A software dissemination plan, with appropriate timelines, must be included in the application. There is no prescribed single license for software produced through grants responding to this announcement. However, NIH does have goals for software dissemination, and reviewers will be instructed to address and evaluate the dissemination plan relative to these goals:
1. The software should be freely available to biomedical researchers and educators in the non-profit sector, such as institutions of education, research institutions, and government laboratories.
2. The terms of software availability should permit the commercialization of enhanced or customized versions of the software, or incorporation of the software or pieces of it into other software packages.
3. To preserve utility to the community, the software should be transferable such that another individual or team can continue development in the event that the original investigators are unwilling or unable to do so.
4. The terms of software availability should include the ability of researchers outside the Center to modify the source code and to share modifications with other colleagues as well as with the Center. An applicant should take responsibility for creating the original and subsequent official versions of a piece of software.
5. Applicants are asked to propose a plan to manage and disseminate the improvements or customizations of their tools and resources by others. This proposal may include a plan to incorporate the enhancements into the official core software, may involve the creation of an infrastructure for plug-ins, or may describe some other solution.
The adequacy of the software sharing plans will be considered by program staff when making recommendations about funding applications. In making such considerations, prior to funding, program staff may negotiate modifications of the software sharing plans with the Principal Investigator before recommending funding of an application. Any software dissemination plan represents a commitment by the institution (and its subcontractors as applicable) to support and abide by the plan. The final version of any accepted software sharing plan will be a condition of the award of the grant. The effectiveness of sotware sharing may 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
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 peer review group convened by NIGMS and in accordance with NIH peer
review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/),
using the review criteria stated below.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The mission of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Overall Impact. Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following five core review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Core Review Criteria. Reviewers will consider each of the five review criteria below in the determination of scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Investigator(s). Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation. Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Approach. Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses
well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the
project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks
for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of
development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly
risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of
human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members
of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms
of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment. Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
In addition to the above review criteria, the following criteria will be applied to applications in the determination of scientific merit and the impact/priority score.
Leadership: Does the application provide convincing evidence that the center, if funded, will become a leader in research, technology development, research training, knowledge exchange, and community development? Is the level of effort proposed for the PI/PD and other key personnel adequate? For renewal applications, has the PD/PI demonstrated effective leadership in the previous funding period?
Management Plan: Is the management plan adequate and sufficiently flexible to allow addition of new projects and termination of projects that have successfully acquired other sources of support or have underperformed? Is there a plan to foster development of new investigators? Is the plan for an advisory board to provide scientific and managerial oversight appropriate?
Training and Outreach: Are the center’s plans for research training, outreach, and recruitment and retention to enhance diversity adequately described? For renewal applications, how effective was the center’s diversity recruitment and retention effort?
Resource Sharing: Will the research resources, including software and data generated by the project, be shared with the larger community and be easily accessible?
Impact on Institution: Will the center have an impact on its participating institution(s)? For renewal applications, has the Center demonstrated success in promoting the development of interdisciplinary research and education culture in its home institution(s)? Are the relationships between the proposed center and other related programs within the institution clearly laid out? Do they complement each other?
NIH considers the following in evaluating Center grant applications:
Additional Review Criteria. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects. For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.
For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children. When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children.
Vertebrate Animals. The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia.
Resubmission Applications. When reviewing a Resubmission application (formerly called an amended application), the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Renewal Applications. When reviewing a Renewal application (formerly called a competing continuation application), the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.
Biohazards. Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
Additional Review Considerations. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Select Agent Research. Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans. Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan (http://grants.nih/gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm); 2) Sharing Model Organisms (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html); and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-088.html).
The initial review group will comment on the appropriateness of the proposed plans for sharing software according to the guidelines in Section IV.6.
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 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.
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.
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.
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).
3. Reporting
When multiple years are
involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing
Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial
statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.
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.
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:
James
J. Anderson, Ph.D.
Center for Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology
45 Center
Drive
Building 45, 2AS-25A
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:
(301) 594-0943
FAX: (301)
480-2228
Email:
[email protected]
Peter Lyster,
Ph.D.
Center for Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology
45 Center Drive
Building 45, 2AS 55K
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 451-6446
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, Room 3An.12F, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-2881
FAX: (301) 480-8506
Email: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Grace Olascoaga
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2An.32C, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5520
FAX: (301) 480-2554
Email: [email protected]
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); 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 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.
Policy for Genome-Wide
Association Studies (GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association
studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and
disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this
policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic
variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic
associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the
presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of
the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to
provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the
repository is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access)
is governed by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or
Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH
Guide NOT-OD-07-088. For additional information,
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
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 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.
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.
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.
NIH
Public Access Policy Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html),
investigators must submit or have submitted for them their final, peer-reviewed
manuscripts that arise from NIH funds and are accepted for publication as of April
7, 2008 to PubMed Central (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), to be
made publicly available no later than 12 months after publication. As of May
27, 2008, investigators must include the PubMed Central reference number when
citing an article in NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports that
fall under the policy, and was authored or co-authored by the investigator or
arose from the investigator’s NIH award. For more information, see the Public
Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
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. For publications listed
in the appendix and/or Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Unless
otherwise specified in this solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs)
should not be used to provide any other information necessary for
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 FOA 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. 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% of their time (at least 20 hours per week
based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further
information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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