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
Cancer Institute (NCI) (http://www.cancer.gov)
Title: Cancer Diagnostic and Therapeutic
Agents Enabled by Nanotechnology (SBIR [U43/U44])
Announcement Type
New
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PAR-10-286
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
IMPORTANT: A registration process in Grants.gov and eRA Commons is necessary before submission. Applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.393,
93.394, 93.395, 93.396
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: September 21, 2010
Opening
Date: November 7, 2010 (Per NOT-CA-10-039) (Previously: November 7, 2011) (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov) (Earliest date an
application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Dates: Not
Applicable
NOTE: On-time submission requires that
applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m.
local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Due Dates: December 7, 2010; March 10, 2011; July 7, 2011; November
10, 2011; March 8, 2012; July 9, 2012; November 8, 2012; March 8, 2013; July 8, 2013.
Peer Review Dates: March 2011; July 2011; November 2011; March 2012; July
2012; November 2012; March 2013; July 2013; November 2013.
Council Review Dates: August 2011; October
2011; January 2012; August 2012; October 2012; January 2013; August 2013;
October 2013; January 2014.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 2011; December 2011; April 2012; September 2012;
December 2012; April 2013; September 2013; December 2013; April 2014.
Expiration Date: July 9, 2013.
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.
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. Submitting an
Application Electronically 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
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1.
Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
A.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
1. Project
Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Rights and Responsibilities
2. NIH Responsibilities
3. Collaborative
Responsibilities
4. Dispute Resolution Process
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
Purpose
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to develop new, or to improve existing, nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics or/and in vivo diagnostics. The overall purpose of this FOA is to accelerate the translation and commercialization of promising nanotechnology-derived cancer therapeutics and in vivo diagnostics from the advanced discovery phase to the end of preclinical characterization.
This program will support the pre-clinical development of cancer nanotechnology-based therapeutics or/and in vivo diagnostics, including activities that lead to Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, all Phase I projects are expected to be well supported either by preliminary data or sound scientific rationale pointing to commercialization potential of the invention/technology to be developed.
Definition of nanotechnology in the context of this FOA. For the purposes of this FOA, applicants are encouraged to use the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI); http://nano.gov/html/facts/whatIsNano.html definition as a guideline. Specifically, for an application to be appropriate for this FOA, any proposed research project (and materials/technologies/devices involved) must meet the following criteria:
1. Devices or base materials must be smaller than 1000 nm in size, although the assembly, synthesis, and/or fabrication of components of these final structures at dimensions less than 300 nm should be demonstrated; and
2. Devices/materials used and/or proposed to be developed must be either: (a) synthetic materials; or (b) biomaterials engineered to provide novel properties or modified functions based on nanoscale size (i.e., nanomaterials).
Projects that propose only the use of naturally occurring materials (e.g., carbohydrates, proteins, viruses), and that are not specifically engineered or modified for a biomedical application, will not be considered. Furthermore, projects focused primarily on genetic engineering or gene therapy (e.g., DNA sequencing or gene vector methods) are not appropriate for this FOA.
In addition, this FOA will NOT support basic research projects, studies on disease mechanisms, and clinical trials.
Background
Nanotechnology-based approaches offer the potential to radically change the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. In 2004, the NCI launched the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer (http://nano.cancer.gov/), a multi-disciplinary academic program dedicated to the development of new, cancer-relevant nanotechnology solutions. The Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer is also committed to the translation of the initial discoveries into new clinical application (for treatment, diagnosis, and prevention). To facilitate translational efforts of the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer as well as other nanotechnology researchers, the NCI also established the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) (http://ncl.cancer.gov/). The NCL’s mission is to accelerate the development of promising and safe nanotechnology-derived cancer therapeutics and diagnostics by characterizing nanoparticles' physical attributes, their in vitro biological properties, and their in vivo compatibility using animal models.
To accelerate the introduction of new nanotechnology technologies into clinical practice, the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has partnered with the NCI SBIR Development Center (http://sbir.cancer.gov/ ) to issue several SBIR contract solicitations on nanotechnology-related topics to support commercially viable nanotechnology-based therapeutics and in vivo diagnostics.
Scope of the FOA
This FOA is another initiative to accelerate the development of clinically promising nanotechnology applications by Small Business Concerns (SBCs). The initiative takes advantage of the existing infrastructure and expertise of the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer and the NCL. However, any qualifying SBC is encouraged to apply, regardless of any prior association with the Alliance.
Projects that are appropriate for this FOA must be focused on the pre-clinical development of promising cancer nanotechnology-based therapeutics or/and in vivo diagnostics. The FOA will support both the discovery phase as well as pre-clinical optimization and testing of promising leads.
Possible Research Topics
Phase I and II applicants are expected to pursue nanotechnology applications pertinent to one or more areas of high priority to cancer research. Several examples of possible topics of such research have emerged from the strategic cancer nanotechnology workshops carried out by the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer in 2008 (http://nano.cancer.gov/objects/pdfs/Strategic%20Workshop%20Details%20March%202008.pdf).
Examples of such areas include, but are not limited to the following:
This list is NOT intended to be exhaustive. Additional topics that fall within the technical scope of this FOA are also encouraged.
Applicants may propose either Phase I or Phase II SBIR projects. The main attributes and requirements for these two phases are outlined below.
Phase I Projects
The objective of Phase I projects is to determine the scientific and technical feasibility and commercial merit of the proposed invention/technology and development efforts. All Phase I projects are expected to be well supported by sound scientific rationale pointing to commercialization potential of the invention/technology to be developed. Priority will be given to those Phase I applications that are most likely to succeed in progressing from the discovery Phase I to developmental Phase II.
In addition to development of a proposed invention/technology, it is recommended that during Phase I, awardees will submit nanomaterials to the NCL for evaluation of compatibility with biological systems, which will include, but is not limited to, sterility and endotoxicity testing as well as evaluation of reproducibility and stability of the manufacturing process. If accepted, the evaluation of nanomaterials by the NCL will be provided at no cost. The successful execution of these studies and overall progress during Phase I will be carefully reviewed as part of the applicant’s proposed studies for Phase II of this FOA.
Phase II Projects
Applicants may pursue a Phase II award based on the successful completion of the discovery and/or preclinical development aims during an earlier Phase I NCI-funded SBIR project (not necessarily resulting from this FOA). The objective of Phase II is to continue the efforts initiated in Phase I.
Phase II awards are intended to support milestone-driven pre-clinical projects. To qualify for the Phase II, an earlier Phase I project is expected to have identified a therapeutic and/or in vivo diagnostic lead (as appropriate for the project theme), and should have obtained convincing proof-of-principle data showing compatibility with biological systems (preferably confirmed by the NCL.
If an applicant for Phase II is an awardee of a Phase I grant from other NCI-funded SBIR projects, the applicant should have convincing proof-of-principle data showing compatibility with biological systems characterization prior to submitting the application for Phase II under this FOA. Furthermore, these applicants could send their nanomaterials to the NCL for initial characterization, or the applicants may chose another services to conduct the initial nanomaterials evaluation, which must be compliant with the protocols performed by the NCL. Finally, if the applicant chooses to use NCL services no cost will be charged to these investigators.
Phase II applicants must plan for appropriate collaborations with the NCL to perform further preclinical toxicology, pharmacology, and efficacy testing of the nanomaterials under development. Applicants can contact the NCL directly or rely on the NCI Program to establish this collaboration. The NCL services are intended to provide complementary technical and scientific support for Phase II applicants. Therefore, if a nanotechnology material is selected for characterization, NCL's services will be provided at no cost to the submitting investigator. In this instance, Phase II applicants will be expected to adjust the specific milestones to rule out a potential overlap in pre-clinical development of a lead candidate.
All Phase II applications must include feasible plans (and appropriate milestones) for achieving the stage of a completed IND or IDE application at the end or shortly after completion of the Phase II project period. The NCI reserves the right to review the completion of these milestones and adjust or withhold future funding for underperforming projects.
Interactions with the National Cancer Institute
Applicants responding to this FOA are strongly encouraged (but not required) to seek appropriate collaborations with the investigators involved in the projects directly sponsored by the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer and/or Small Business Innovation Research Development Center. In addition, SBIR investigators awarded under this FOA will be invited to participate in the Annual NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer PI meeting and/or the Annual NCI SBIR Investor Forum to present their findings/results towards the clinical and commercialization development of standards for safety/efficacy of nanotechnology-based particles.
Related Public Resources
Nanotechnology-related informatics. The NCI Center for Bioinformatics (http://ncicb.nci.nih.gov/) sponsors the cancer Nanotechnology Laboratory portal (caNanoLab) at http://cananolab.nci.nih.gov/caNanoLab/. This portal is designed to facilitate sharing of nanotechnology data and, thereby, to expedite the development and validation of nanoparticles in biomedicine. Applicants responding to this FOA are encouraged to take advantage of this resource.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This
funding opportunity will use the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR
[U43/U44] grant mechanisms. Applications
may be submitted for support as Phase I and Phase II only. The Fast-Track grants
as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide are not allowed
under this FAO. Application for
Phase II Competing Renewal grants may be submitted.
Small Business Concerns that have received a
Phase I SBIR grant may apply for Phase II funding of that project. The Phase II
must be a logical extension of the Phase I research but not necessarily as a Phase I project supported in
response to this funding opportunity. SBIR Phase II
applications will compete with all SBIR applications, and will be reviewed
according to the customary peer review procedures.
The Project
Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely
responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This funding opportunity uses Just-in-Time
information concepts. The modular budget format is not accepted for SBIR grant
applications. Applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the
SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Budget component found in the application
package attached to this FOA in Grants.gov/Apply.
This
funding opportunity will use an NIH cooperative agreement award mechanism. In
the cooperative agreement mechanism, the PD(s)/PI(s) retain(s) the primary
responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the
proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with
the PD(s)/PI(s), as described under the Section
VI. 2. Administrative Requirements, "Cooperative Agreement Terms
and Conditions of Award".
2. Funds Available
Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.
The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide indicates the statutory guidelines of funding support and project duration periods for Phase I and Phase II SBIR awards. Phase I awards normally may not exceed $150,000 total costs for a period normally not to exceed 6 months. Phase II awards normally may not exceed $1,000,000 total costs for a period normally not to exceed 2 years. These award levels and project periods are statutory guidelines, not ceilings. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to propose a budget and project duration period that are reasonable and appropriate for completion of the research project.
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
Only
United States (U.S.) small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit SBIR
applications. A
small business concern is one that, at the time of award of SBIR Phase I and
Phase II, meets all of the following criteria:
1. Is organized for profit, with a place of business located in the U. S., which operates primarily within the U. S. or which makes a significant contribution to the U. S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor;
2. Is in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust or cooperative, except that where the form is a joint venture, there can be no more than 49 percent participation by foreign business entities in the joint venture;
3. Is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the U. S., or it must be a for- profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by another for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the U. S., except in the case of a joint venture, where each entity to the venture must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the U. S.; and;
4. Has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.
SBCs must also meet the other regulatory requirements found in 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Business concerns, other than investment companies licensed, or state development companies qualifying under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. 661, et seq., are affiliates of one another when either directly or indirectly, (a) one concern controls or has the power to control the other; or (b) a third-party/parties controls or has the power to control both.
Control can be exercised through common ownership, common management, and contractual relationships. The term "affiliates" is defined in greater detail in 13 C.F.R. 121.3-2(a). The term "number of employees" is defined in 13 C.F.R. 121.3-2(t).
Business concerns include, but are not limited to, any individual (sole proprietorship), partnership, corporation, joint venture, association, or cooperative. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Small Business Administration Office of Size Standards (http://sba.gov/size).
One of the circumstances that would lead to a finding that an organization is controlling or has the power to control another organization involves sharing common office space and/or employees and/or other facilities (e.g., laboratory space). Access to special facilities or equipment in another organization is permitted (as in cases where the awardee organization has entered into a subcontractual agreement with another organization for a specific, limited portion of the research project). However, research space occupied by an SBIR awardee organization must be space that is available to and under the control of the SBIR awardee for the conduct of its portion of the proposed project.
Title 13 CFR 121.3 also states that control or the power to control exists when key employees of one concern organize a new concern ... and serve as its officers, directors, principal stockholders, and/or key employees, and one concern is furnishing or will furnish the other concern with subcontracts, financial or technical assistance, and/or other facilities, whether for a fee or otherwise. Where there is indication of sharing of common employees, a determination will be made on a case-by-case basis of whether such sharing constitutes control or the power to control.
For purposes of the SBIR Program, personnel obtained through a Professional Employer Organization or other similar personnel leasing company may be considered employees of the awardee. This is consistent with SBA’s size regulations, 13 CFR 121.106 Small Business Size Regulations.
Note: In determining size, the SBA considers stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to merge (including agreements in principle) to have a present effect on the power to control a concern. SBA treats such options, convertible securities, and agreements as though the rights granted have been exercised. See http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2005/janqtr/pdf/13cfr121.103.pdf.
All SBIR grant applications will be examined with the above eligibility considerations in mind. If it appears that an applicant organization does not meet the eligibility requirements, NIH will request a size determination by the SBA. If eligibility is unclear, NIH will not make an SBIR award until the SBA provides a determination.
Note: An applicant organization that has been determined previously by SBA to be other than small for a size standard of not more than 500 employees or for purposes of the SBIR/STTR program, must be recertified by the SBA prior to any future SBIR/STTR awards.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization 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.
More than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs), may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PDs/PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
As defined in 42 CFR 52, the PD/PI is the single individual designated by the grantee in the grant application who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the project. When the proposed PD/PI clearly does not have sufficient qualifications to assume this role, the application is not likely to receive a favorable evaluation.
Under the SBIR Program, for both Phase I and Phase II, the primary employment of the PD/PI must be with the small business concern at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. For projects with multiple PD/PIs, at least one must meet the primary employment requirement. That individual will serve as the Contact PD/PI. Primary employment means that more than one half of the PD/PI’s time is spent in the employ of the small business concern. Primary employment with a small business concern precludes full-time employment at another organization. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur. Such deviations must be approved in writing by the grants management officer after consultation with the NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator.
If the application has the likelihood for funding, the awarding component will require documentation to verify the eligibility of the Contact PD/PI, if at the time of submission of the application, the Contact PD/PI is a less-than-full-time employee of the small business concern, is concurrently employed by another organization, or gives the appearance of being concurrently employed by another organization, whether for a paid or unpaid position.
If the Contact PD/PI is employed or appears to be employed by an organization other than the applicant organization in a capacity such as Research Fellow, Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Clinical Professor, Clinical Research Professor, or Associate, a letter must be provided by each employing organization confirming that, if an SBIR grant is awarded to the applicant small business concern, the Contact PD/PI is or will become a less-than-half-time employee of such organization and will remain so for the duration of the SBIR project. If the Contact PD/PI is employed by a university, such a letter must be provided by the Dean's office or equivalent; for other organizations, the letter must be signed by a corporate official.
All current employment and all other appointments of the Contact PD/PI must be identified in his or her Biographical Sketch required as part of the application. Be certain that correct beginning and ending dates are indicated for each employment record listed.
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
Applicants may submit a resubmission application, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). All original new applications (i.e., never submitted) and competing renewal applications are permitted only a single amendment (A1). See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-003.html and NOT-OD-09-016.
In Phase I, normally, a minimum of two-thirds or 67% of the research or analytical effort must be carried out by the SBC. The total amount of all consultant and contractual arrangements to third parties for portions of the scientific and technical effort generally may not exceed 33% of the total amount requested (direct, F&A/indirect, and fee).
In Phase II, normally, a minimum of one-half or 50% of the research or analytical effort must be carried out by the SBC. The total amount of consultant and contractual arrangements to third parties for portions of the scientific and technical effort generally may not exceed 50% of the total Phase II amount requested (direct, F&A/indirect, and fee).
The basis for determining the percentage of work to be performed by each of the cooperative parties in Phase I or Phase II will be the total of the requested costs attributable to each party, unless otherwise described and justified in Consortium/Contractual Arrangements of the PHS398 Research Plan component of SF424 (R&R) application forms.
Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
The NIH will accept as many "different" applications as the applicant organization chooses. However, the NIH will not accept similar grant applications with essentially the same research focus from the same applicant organization. This includes derivative or multiple applications that propose to develop a single product, process, or service that, with non-substantive modifications, can be applied to a variety of purposes. Applicants may not simultaneously submit identical/essentially identical applications under both this SBIR funding opportunity and any other HHS FOA, including the current SBIR and STTR Parent FOAs.
Likewise, identical or essentially identical grant applications submitted by different organizations will not be accepted. Applicant organizations should ascertain and assure that the materials they are submitting on behalf of the principal investigator are the original work of the principal investigator and have not been used elsewhere in the preparation and submission of a similar grant application. Applications to the NIH are grouped by scientific discipline for review by individual Scientific Review Groups and not by disease or disease state. The reviewers can thus easily identify multiple grant applications for essentially the same project. In these cases, application processing may be delayed or the application(s) may not be reviewed.
It is unlawful to enter into contracts or grants requiring essentially equivalent work or effort. Essentially equivalent work or effort occurs when (1) substantially the same research is proposed for funding in more than one contract proposal or grant application submitted to the same Federal agency; (2) substantially the same research is submitted to two or more different Federal agencies for review and funding consideration; or (3) a specific research objective and the research design for accomplishing an objective are the same or closely related in two or more proposals or awards, regardless of the funding source. If there is any question concerning essentially equivalent work or effort, it must be disclosed to the soliciting agency or agencies before award.
Only one Phase II award may be made for a single SBIR/STTR project.
You may submit a Phase II application either before or after expiration of the Phase I budget period. To maintain eligibility to seek Phase II support, a Phase I grantee organization should submit a Phase II application within the first six receipt dates following the expiration of the Phase I budget period.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To download a SF424 (R&R) Application
Package and SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide for completing the
SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, use the Apply for Grant Electronically
button in this FOA or link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow
the directions provided on that Web site.
Registration:
Appropriate registrations with Grants.gov and eRA Commons must be completed on or before the due date in order to successfully submit an application. Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered with both Grants.gov and the Commons. All registrations must be complete by the submission deadline for the application to be considered on-time (see 3.C.1 for more information about on-time submission).
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PDs/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant SBC can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Registered
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
To affiliate the PD/PI with the applicant SBC:
Both the PD/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.
Note: The registration process is not sequential. Applicants should begin the registration processes for both Grants.gov and eRA Commons as soon as their organization has obtained a DUNS number. Only one DUNS number is required and the same DUNS number must be referenced when completing Grants.gov registration, eRA Commons registration and the SF424 (R&R) forms.
1. Request Application Information
Applicants
must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R)
SBIR/STTR Application Guide for this FOA using the Apply for Grant
Electronically button in this FOA or through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: Only the forms
package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able
to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another
FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more
than one FOA.
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
Prepare all SBIR applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.
Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application has several components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in the following components:
Required
Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project
Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
SBIR/STTR Information
Optional
Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs
When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The Contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above.
Information for the Contact PD/PI should be entered in item 15 of the SF424 (R&R) Cover component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of PD/PI. Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the Credential field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.
Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, the section of the Research Plan entitled, Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, and should include communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.
If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award (NoA).
Overall Plan for Nanotechnology-Based Cancer Therapeutics or/and in vivo Diagnostics Development and Milestone: Projects submitted under this FOA must include an overall plan for developing new or improving existing nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics or/ and in vivo diagnostics. This plan must be based on a clearly stated project timeline that includes practical, achievable goals, and project milestones. Milestones toward therapeutic intervention or/ and in vivo diagnostics are goals that create go/no-go decision points in the project, including quantitative success criteria. Any collaborators, consultants, or subcontractors should be identified; no matter when during the conduct of the activity the proposed interaction occurs. All Phase II applications must include feasibility plans for achieving the stage of a completed IND or IDE at the end or shortly after completion of the Phase II project period. Since translational research is intrinsically interdisciplinary, this plan will often involve cooperation among basic researchers and clinicians, and may include the participation of academic centers and voluntary organizations. The overall plan for development new or improving existing nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics or/ and in vivo diagnostics should be included in section 5 of the Research Plan.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A. for details.
3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: November 7, 2010 (Per NOT-CA-10-039) (Previously: November 7, 2011) (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Application Due Dates: December 7, 2010; March 10, 2011; July 7, 2011; November
10, 2011; March 8, 2012; July 9, 2012; November 8, 2012; March 8, 2013; July 8, 2013.
Peer Review Dates: March 2011; July 2011; November 2011; March 2012; July
2012; November 2012; March 2013; July 2013; November 2013.
Council Review Dates: August 2011; October
2011; January 2012; August 2012; October 2012; January 2013; August 2013;
October 2013; January 2014.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 2011; December 2011; April 2012; September 2012;
December 2012; April 2013; September 2013; December 2013; April 2014.
3.A.1.
Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is not required for the funding opportunity.
3.B. Submitting an Application
Electronically to the NIH
To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should
access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow Steps 1-4.
Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
In order to expedite the review, applicants are requested to notify the NCI Referral Office Referral Office by email [email protected] when the application has been submitted. Please include the FOA number and title, and PD/PI name and title of the application.
3.C.
Application Processing
3.C.1
Submitting On-Time
Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application due date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the due date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed. All applications must meet the following criteria to be considered on-time :
Please visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/support.htm for detailed information on what to do if Grants.gov or eRA system issues threaten your ability to submit on time.
Submission to Grants.gov is not the last step applicants must follow their application through to the eRA Commons to check for errors and warnings and view their assembled application!
3.C.2 Two-Day Window to Correct eRA Identified Errors/Warnings
IMPORTANT NOTE! NIH has eliminated the error correction window for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond. As of January 25, all corrections must be complete by the due date for an application to be considered on-time. See NOT-OD-10-123.
Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, NIH provides applicants a two day error correction window to correct any eRA identified errors or warnings before a final assembled application is created in the eRA Commons. The standard error correction window is two (2) business days, beginning the day after the submission deadline and excluding weekends and standard federal holidays. All errors must be corrected to successfully complete the submission process. Warnings will not prevent the application from completing the submission process.
Please note that the following caveats apply:
3.C.3 Viewing an Application in the eRA Commons
Once any eRA identified errors have been addressed and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two weekdays (Monday Friday, excluding Federal holidays) to view the assembled application before it automatically moves forward to NIH for further processing.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
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: 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 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 the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
6. Other
Submission Requirements
Applicants must acknowledge that all awardees funded as a result of this FOA will have to agree to the "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award" (as defined in Section VI.2.A of this FOA).
PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
The NIH requires each PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the PROFILE Project Director/Principal Investigator section, Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component.
Organizational DUNS
The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
PHS398 Research Plan Component Sections
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating "Just-in-Time" information concepts, with the following requirements.
SBIR Phase I applications
SBIR Phase II applications
Warning: Please be sure that you observe the total cost, project period, and page number limitations specified above for this FOA. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be rejected if it does not comply with these requirements.
Awardees of this FOA will be invited to participate in the Annual NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer PI meeting and/or the Annual NCI SBIR Investor Forum to present their findings/results towards the clinical and commercialization development of standards for safety/efficacy of nanotechnology-based particles. Funds to support travel of the key investigators to attend these annual meetings should be included in the application budget.
Appendix Materials
Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process. Phase I SBIR/STTR Appendix materials are not permitted unless specifically requested by NIH.
NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value and further the advancement of the 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 (for example, human subject concerns, the Small Business Act provisions, etc.), this should be explained in the Resource Sharing section of the application (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.)
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Regardless of the amount requested, investigators 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 NIH institute/center (IC) program staff likely to accept assignment of their application (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 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 (e.g., 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 (go to NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.)
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
Review Process
Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate scientific review group(s) convened by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/) using the review criteria stated below. Applications submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the ICs for funding consideration.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:
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 scored review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Scored 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? Does the proposed project have commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service? In the case of Phase II and Phase II Competing Renewals, does the Commercialization Plan demonstrate a high probability of commercialization?
Investigator(s). Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, 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?
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?
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.
For Phase I Applications Only. When reviewing Phase I applications, reviewers will consider the following:
For Phase II Applications Only. When reviewing Phase II applications, reviewers will consider the following:
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. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
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. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
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 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/VASchecklist.pdf.
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.
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. Renewals are not applicable to this FOA.
Revision Applications. When reviewing a Revision application (formerly called a competing supplement application), the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.
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.
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).
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.
Selection Process
Applications submitted in response to this FOA will compete for available funds with all other recommended SBIR applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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.
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 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
and Part
II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions
for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities.
The following Terms and Conditions will be
incorporated into the award statement and will be provided to the Principal
Investigator as well as to the appropriate institutional official, at the time
of award.
2.A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
The
following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of,
otherwise applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative
guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92
(Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply),
and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The
administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the
cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an
"acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic
involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the
activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and
stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working
jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume
direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities.
Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility
resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks
and activities may be shared among the awardees and the NIH as defined below.
2. A.1. Principal
Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
The PD/PI will have the primary responsibility for:
Awardees
will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and
software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access
consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
2. A.2. NIH
Responsibilities
NCI Program Staff from the SBIR Development Center and the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, acting as Project Scientists, will have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below.
Each project will have the support of one or more Project Scientists from NCI Program Staff who are assigned an administrative role and have expertise in the implementation of the NCI cooperative program in clinical translation of nanotechnology-based therapeutics and/or in vivo diagnostics;
The NCI Project Scientists will have substantial scientific-programmatic involvement during conduct of this activity, through technical assistance, advice, and coordination above and beyond normal program stewardship for grants;
The NCI Project Scientists will be responsible for assessing the progress of the projects toward the accomplishment of specified milestones, and for recommending if further funds should be released to the project.
The NCI Project Scientists will facilitate the establishment of contacts and collaborations between awardees of this FOA and other scientists from the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer whose participation will assist with the accomplishment of project goals. In addition, the NCI Project Scientists will facilitate the establishment of collaboration with the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory to submit nanomaterials for preclinical characterization. If a nanotechnology material is selected for characterization, NCL's services will be provided at no cost to the submitting investigator.
An important part of this FOA in translational research is the coordination of research efforts across different funding mechanisms and research structures, and coordination among efforts aimed at different cancer types. NCI Project Scientists will have the primary responsibility for this overall coordination.
Additionally, an NCI Program Director acting as the Program Official will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the awards and will be named in the award notice. A Program Official may also have substantial programmatic involvement (as a Project Scientist).
All substantially involved NCI staff members will either not attend peer review meetings of renewal (competing continuation) and/or supplemental applications, or will seek NCI waiver.
2.A.3. Collaborative Responsibilities
The NCI Project Scientists and PDs/PIs will organize and attend annual meetings: the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer PI meeting and the NCI SBIR Investor Forum. Awardees of this initiative will be invited to these meetings.
2.A.4. Dispute
Resolution Process
Any
disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the
scope of the award) between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to
dispute resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will
be convened. It will have three members: a designee of the Steering Committee
chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with
expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of
individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual
awardee. This special dispute resolution procedure in no way affects the awardee's
right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance
with PHS regulations 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulations 45 CFR Part
16.
3. Reporting
NIH
requires that SBIR/STTR grantees submit
the following reports within 90 days of the end of the grant budget period unless the grantee is under an extension.
Failure to submit timely final reports may affect future funding to the organization or awards with the same PD/PI.
For details about each specific required report, see the section on Award Guidelines, Reporting Requirements, and Other Considerations, in the SF 424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
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 Contact:
Andrew J. Kurtz, Ph.D.
SBIR Development Center
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-5228
E-mail: [email protected]
Sara S. Hook, Ph.D.
Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research
Center for Strategic and Scientific Initiatives
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
31 Center Drive
Building 31, Room 10A52
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 451-2412
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contact(s):
Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: 240-276-6390
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Financial or
Grants Management Contact(s):
Rosemary Ward
Office of Grants Administration
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: 240-276-6320
E-mail: [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 (45 CFR 46) 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 institutional review board (IRB) rules, as
well as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy
Rule.
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. Beginning October 1, 2004, all investigators submitting
an NIH application or contract proposal 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 SF424 (R&R) application; 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-09-116.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, investigators
funded by the NIH must submit or have submitted for them to the National
Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed
manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no
later than 12 months after the official date of publication. The
NIH Public Access Policy is available at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html). 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 (HHS) 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 HHS
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) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used
for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible
on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication
that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference
in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report
Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant
application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be
repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the
number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.
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 Part
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 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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