and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
NeuroNEXT Small Business Innovation in Clinical Trials (U44) |
Activity Code |
U44 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Cooperative Agreement Phase II and Fast-TrackI |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PAR-11-345 |
Companion FOA |
PAR-11-343, NeuroNEXT Clinical Trials (U01); PAR-11-344, NeuroNEXT Infrastructure Resource Access (X01) |
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.853 |
FOA Purpose |
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose biomarker validation trials or exploratory clinical trials of drugs, biologics, surgical therapies or devices for neurological disorders which may contribute to the justification for and provide the data required to design a future trial to confirm efficacy (i.e., a Phase III clinical trial) in the treatment of neurologic disease. The program will utilize the cooperative agreement mechanism to enable milestone-drive projects. Applications for drugs or biologics should provide compelling scientific evidence that the investigational agent proposed for study will reach/act upon the designated target or that its mechanism of action is such that it will be of benefit in ameliorating a specific aspect of the disease. Diseases chosen for study should be based on the NINDS' strategic plan and clinical research interests (www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/index.htm). Successful applicants will be given access to the Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) infrastructure, which will provide data management support and recruitment/retention support, as well as on-site implementation of the clinical protocol. |
Posted Date |
September 21, 2011 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
November 2, 2011 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
Not applicable |
Application Due Date(s) |
December 2, 2011; April 2, 2012; August 2, 2012; December 3, 2012; April 2, 2013; August 2, 2013; December 2, 2013; April 2, 2014; (Extended to December 2, 2014 per NOT-NS-14-012), Originally August 1, 2014 , by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not applicable. |
Scientific Merit Review |
Standard dates apply |
Advisory Council Review |
Standard dates apply |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
Standard dates apply |
Expiration Date |
(Extended to December 3, 2014 per NOT-NS-14-012), Originally August 2, 2014 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
Purpose
This FOA is restricted to small business applicants. For-profit organizations and non-profits other than Institutions of Higher Education may wish to consider applying through PAR-11-344, NeuroNEXT Infrastructure Resource Access (X01) (PAR-11-344). Others may consider use of PAR-11-343, NeuroNEXT Clinical Trials (U01) (PAR-11-343).
This FOA encourages applications for biomarker validation trials or exploratory clinical trials of drugs, biologics, surgical therapies or devices that may contribute to the justification for and provide the data required to design a future trial to confirm efficacy (i.e., a Phase III clinical trial). Applications for drugs or biologics should provide compelling scientific evidence that the investigational agent proposed for study will reach/act upon the designated target or that its mechanism of action is such that it will be of benefit in ameliorating a specific aspect of the disease. Neurologic diseases chosen for study must fall within the primary responsibility of NINDS (www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/index.htm).
In December 2010, FOAs (RFA-NS-11-009, RFA-NS-11-010, RFA-NS-11-008) were released for a Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC), a Data Coordinating Center (DCC) and a group of clinical sites, which combined will form the Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT). Successful applicants will be given access to the NeuroNEXT infrastructure for implementation of the SBIR-funded study. The NeuroNEXT Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) will work with the successful applicant to efficiently implement the proposed study. The NeuroNEXT Data Coordinating Center (DCC) will provide data management support. The NeuroNEXT clinical sites will provide recruitment/retention support as well as on-site implementation of the clinical protocol.
Applicants should make note of the following:
(1) Applicants to this FOA will be required to incorporate the NeuroNEXT infrastructure into their proposed study (www.ninds.nih.gov/NeuroNEXT). Additional (ad hoc) sites may be proposed to fulfill specific study requirements.
(2) The use of innovative and efficient study designs, such as adaptive dose-finding designs and futility designs, is encouraged.
(3) This FOA is intended to support studies in patients not healthy volunteers. All trials proposing use of an investigational agent or device must have an active IND or IDE.
(4) This FOA is not intended to support the conduct of a clinical trial where the primary aim is to demonstrate efficacy. Clinical/definitive efficacy should be evaluated in a Phase III trial: consider use of PAR-11-173, NINDS Phase III Investigator-Initiated Multi-Site Clinical Trials (PAR-11-173).
(5) This FOA is not intended to support the conduct of a clinical trial to estimate intervention effect size for use in power calculations for a future Phase III trial.
(6) The award and continuation of funding are subject to milestones to be specified in the notice of grant award according to NINDS policies.
Working with NeuroNEXT is a cooperative venture between NINDS, the NeuroNEXT network and the applicant. NINDS will provide guidance to potential applicants with input from the Office of Clinical Research (OCR), the applicable NINDS Extramural group and the NeuroNEXT Steering Committee Working Group. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NINDS OCR (see Agency Contacts, Section VIII) in order to discuss the feasibility of conducting the proposed trial through the NeuroNEXT infrastructure before submitting an application. Pre-application consultation may include an introductory teleconference (at least 3 months prior to submission), followed by a conference call or in-person meeting with NINDS staff, if needed.
The following activities are expected:
1. Pre-application/conceptual stage:
2. Start-up stage
3. Completion stage:
There is increasing awareness among neurological disease communities that to assess the predictive value of preclinical research, sufficient information must be available about study design, execution, analysis, and interpretation. Examples of the critical elements of a well-designed study are summarized on the NINDS website (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/transparency_in_reporting_guidance.pdf). NINDS urges applicants to the program to consider these elements when describing supporting data and designing the proposed studies.
Funding Instrument |
Cooperative Agreement. |
Application Types Allowed
|
New (Fast-Track) |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. |
Award Budget |
According to statutory guidelines, total funding support normally may not exceed $150,000 for Phase I awards and $1,000,000 for Phase II awards. Applicants are encouraged to propose a budget that is reasonable and appropriate for completion of the research project. However, statutory guidelines may be exceeded based on the actual needs of the proposed project. |
Award Project Period |
According to statutory guidelines, award periods normally may not exceed 6 months for Phase I and 2 years for Phase II. Applicants are encouraged to propose a project duration period that is 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.
Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award of Phase I and Phase II, meets all of the following criteria:
1. Is organized for profit, with a place of business
located in the United States, which operates primarily within the United States
or which makes a significant contribution to the United States 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 United States,
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 United States, 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 United States; 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. Business concerns include, but are not limited to, any individual (sole proprietorship) partnership, corporation, joint venture, association, or cooperative. The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide should be referenced for detailed eligibility information.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are
not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.
All Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) 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.
Under the SBIR program, for both Phase I and Phase II, the primary employment of the PD(s)/PI(s) 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. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur..
The SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide should be referenced for specific details on eligibility requirements. For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, see Multiple Principal Investigators section of the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
It is not necessary that your institution be part of the NeuroNEXT infrastructure in order to be eligible to respond to this FOA; however your institution must agree to comply with the NeuroNEXT contractual arrangements.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
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 funding opportunity and any other HHS funding opportunity, including the SBIR and STTR Parent announcements.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
A Phase I awardee may submit a Phase II application either before or after expiration of the Phase I budget period, unless the awardee elects to submit a Phase I and Phase II application concurrently under the Fast-Track procedure. To maintain eligibility to seek Phase II support, a Phase I awardee should submit a Phase II application within the first six due dates following the expiration of the Phase I budget period.
In Phase I, normally, a minimum of two-thirds or 67% of the
research or analytical effort must be carried out by the small business
concern. 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 small business concern. 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.
Additional details are contained in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR
Application Guide.
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Introduction section (required for a resubmission or revision application) is limited to 1 page.
Specific Aims:
Applicants should describe the potential impact of the proposed research. The hypotheses and specific aims of the trial must be clearly and concisely stated. The primary and secondary endpoints to be measured must be clearly defined. The inclusion of secondary endpoints should be justified by stating the need for the supportive or explanatory data they are likely to yield.
Research Strategy:
Significance and Biological Relevance
Applicants are encouraged to state concisely the need, rationale, and scientific relevance of the proposed research. It is particularly important that there be a discussion of how the trial will test the hypothesis proposed and how results of the trial (positive or negative) may be explained based on the presumed biological action of the proposed intervention. The application should explain why the proposed study is necessary before implementing a Phase III trial. The application must present an overview of the state of the science, current status of therapeutics for the disease, and relevance of the trial for treatment of the disease.
Prior Studies and Rationale for Development
The major findings of the pre-clinical and clinical studies that led to the proposed clinical trial should be presented. Data from pre-clinical and pilot studies demonstrating the need for and the feasibility of the trial should also be presented. There is increasing awareness among neurological disease communities that to assess the predictive value of preclinical research, sufficient information must be available about study design, execution, analysis, and interpretation. Examples of the critical elements of a well-designed study are summarized on the NINDS website (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/transparency_in_reporting_guidance.pdf). NINDS urges applicants to the program to consider these elements when describing supporting data and designing the proposed studies. Conceptualization and planning must have progressed to a stage sufficient to allow for an overall assessment of the likelihood of trial success. Applications should address patient perspectives on acceptability of the proposed intervention.
Applications must include proposed yearly go/no-go milestones that are the subject of a special review criterion. While final milestones will be determined at the time of grant award, the applicant should propose for consideration by the reviewers clear milestones that provide objective, quantitative outcomes that will justify continuing the project. Milestones are not equivalent to aims but rather are determinants of whether a study continues or stops. The applicant should endeavor to present a) the goals and timeline for completion while setting milestones at the end of each funding year, (b) the criteria for success defined as justification for continuation of the project, and (c) the rationale for the choice of parameters tested and quantitative values as decision points, where possible. During the execution of the project, NINDS staff will assess progress toward and achievement of milestones. Achievement of these milestones will be evaluated by NINDS prior to releasing funding for each year of the award.
If the applicant proposes a drug, biologic, or device as an intervention, the application must include documents showing the evaluation of the intervention by the FDA, specifically an active IND/IDE, an exemption letter from the FDA, or a compelling explanation why FDA approval is not applicable. Prior to making an award, NINDS will require documentation of the receipt of any other necessary regulatory approvals (e.g., Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee approval). NINDS requires FDA and IRB approvals prior to award, and encourages investigators to seek regulatory and ethics approvals as early as possible prior to submission.
Information for the Use of NINDS Common Data Elements: The NINDS expects that applications will use the NINDS Common Data Elements resource when constructing data collection forms. The Common Data Element website (see: http://www.nindscommondataelements.org/) serves as a repository and dissemination tool for all NINDS CDEs for Investigators to utilize.
Human Subjects:
Applicants should refer to Part II of the PHS398 Application Instructions Supplemental Instructions for Preparing the Human Subjects Section of the Research Plan.
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
NIH requires the establishment of Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBs) for multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risk to participants (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html). The purpose of this board is to provide independent advice to NINDS concerning scientific issues pertaining to subject safety, data quality, study conduct and study continuation. In monitoring safety in the trial, the board also may recommend termination in the event of early significance of findings or futility, or the determination of unacceptable adverse effects. The DSMB is appointed by the NINDS and consists of individuals who are not associated with the institutions participating in the trial (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/research/clinical_research/policies/data_safety_monitoring.htm). Potential members of this board should NOT be named in the application, although the areas of expertise needed for the board should be indicated.
Budget
The applicant’s budget should be largely planned on a fee-for-service basis with detailed per-patient costs.
The budget may include clinical trial costs such as:
The budget should not include costs which are already covered by the NINDS infrastructure:
Clinical Protocol
The clinical protocol should be uploaded as an "other attachment" (item 12 of 4.4 'Other Project Information Component')
The proposed clinical trial protocol research plan must include:
If investigators choose to incorporate patient reported outcomes in the study, it is suggested that they 1) consider inclusion of the NIH patient reported outcome tools such as PROMIS and Neuro-QOL and 2)review the following FDA guidance to assist in their planning: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM193282.pdf.
Resource Sharing Plans
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies; GWAS) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
Appendix
Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. Note that Phase I SBIR/STTR Appendix materials are not permitted, unless requested specifically by NIH SBIR/STTR. The instructions for the Appendix of the Research Plan are described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in
advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application
corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration.
Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate
and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in theNIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Instructions. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in
the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF 424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons
and to include a valid PD(s)/PI(s) Commons ID in the credential field will
prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA
Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional
information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NINDS Referral Office by email at [email protected] when the application has been submitted. Please include the FOA number and title, PD(s)/PI(s) name, and title of the application.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
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 review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific 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, Fast-Track, 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(s)/PI(s), 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 arrangement?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Phase II Applications
For Phase II Applications, how well did the applicant demonstrate progress toward meeting the Phase I objectives, demonstrating feasibility, and providing a solid foundation for the proposed Phase II activity?
Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track Applications
For Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track Applications,
reviewers will consider the following:
1. Does the Phase I application specify clear, appropriate, measurable goals
(milestones) that should be achieved prior to initiating Phase II?
2. To what extent was the applicant able to obtain letters of interest,
additional funding commitments, and/or resources from the private sector or
non-SBIR/STTR funding sources that would enhance the likelihood for
commercialization?
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
Not Applicable.
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.
Resubmissions
For Resubmissions, 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.
Renewals
For Phase IIB Applications (formerly called Phase II Competing Renewals), the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.
Revisions
For Revisions, 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.
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider 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; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the NINDS , in accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications . Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee’s business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. 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.
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. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable 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.
The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:
NINDS staff will have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:
NINDS staff involvement will include oversight of the IRB approved protocol by the NINDS Program Official, documentation of adequate serious adverse event management and reporting, and regular communications with the principal investigator and staff; additional involvement generally includes participation in meetings of the steering committee and other leadership committees. Specifically:
As with any award, even during the period recommended for support, continuation is conditional upon satisfactory progress. If, at any time, recruitment falls significantly below the projected milestones for recruitment, the NINDS will consider ending support and negotiating a phase-out of the award. The NINDS retains the option to obtain periodic external peer review of progress. Milestones will be established by the NINDS prior to the award of the grant based on recommendations from the primary review group. NINDs will make an award for 2 to 3 years in order to start-up the trial and establish performance feasibility. Continuation of the award past this feasibility period will be contingent upon a demonstrated ability to meet milestones indicating that the trial can be implemented as planned. Feasibility milestones will be defined at the start of each trial and will be monitored closely by the Institute-appointed Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and Program Official. Achievement of these milestones will be evaluated by NINDS prior to releasing funding for each year of the award and failure to achieve these milestones may lead to study termination.
Areas of Joint Responsibility include:
Dispute Resolution:
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. .
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(s)/PI(s).
For details about each specific required report, see the section on Award Guidelines, Reporting Requirements, and Other Considerations, in the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Grants.gov
Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]
eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]
Scientific Contact:
D. Elizabeth McNeil, MD MSc
National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9135
Email: [email protected]
SBIR Contact:
Stephanie Fertig, MBA
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Tel: (301) 496-1779
Email: [email protected]
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9223
Email: [email protected].
Ms. Tijuanna DeCoster, MPA
National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
Telephone: (301) 496-9531
Email: [email protected]
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
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.
The SBIR Program is mandated by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219), reauthorizing legislation (P.L. 99-443) and P.L. 102-564 (Small Business Research and Development Act).The basic design of the NIH SBIR Program is in accordance with the Small Business Administration (SBA) SBIR Policy Directive.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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