and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH)] |
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) |
|
Funding Opportunity Title |
NIBIB Research Education Programs for Residents and Clinical Fellows (R25) |
Activity Code |
R25 Education Projects |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices |
|
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
PAR-12-085 |
Companion FOA |
None |
Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility. |
|
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.286 |
FOA Purpose |
This FOA encouragesResearch Education Grant (R25) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to support the development and/or implementation of programs that relate to the research education and training of residents and clinical fellows to foster their careers as clinician-scientists. The PD(s)/PI(s) (see below) must have a faculty appointment in a Department of Radiology and the participants in this research education program must be residents and clinical fellows in programs including, but not limited to, cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, radiology, or surgery (see Eligible Individuals). The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences research workforce. Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. PD(s)/PI(s) are encouraged to consider participants from diverse backgrounds for this funding opportunity (see Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity). |
Posted Date |
January 27, 2012 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
April 23, 2012 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
April 23, 2012; 2013; 2014 |
Application Due Date(s) |
May 23, 2012; 2013; 2014, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Not applicable. |
Scientific Merit Review |
|
Advisory Council Review |
|
Earliest Start Date(s) |
April 1, 2013; 2014;2015 |
Expiration Date |
May 24, 2014 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) 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
Research Education Objectives
Definitions
Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI). The Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is the person who writes this application and oversees the entire program. This person must hold a health professional degree (e.g., MD, or equivalent), have an appointment in a Radiology Department, have clearly demonstrated training/education/mentoring credentials in research, and have a strong recent history of external funding. If the sponsoring institution is a hospital affiliated with a medical school, the PD(s)/PI(s) must have an appointment in both the medical school and at the sponsoring institution. If multiple PD(s)/PI(s) are designated, the role of each PD(s)/PI(s) should be clearly described.
Mentors. The mentors will directly train and mentor the participants (residents and clinical fellows) in this research education program. Mentors must have active, well-funded research programs, and conduct studies in either basic or clinical research related to biomedical imaging or bioengineering. Mentors should have a strong track record in the successful training of researchers (as evidenced by the continuing success of the trainee in research) and dedication to the training of clinician-scientists. Mentors can belong to any department or program, but must conduct research that is directly relevant to the mission of NIBIB.
Participants. The participants in this research education program are residents and clinical fellows in
residency programs including, but not limited to, cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, radiology, or surgery. Participants must begin this research education program during residency. These participants then have the opportunity to continue in this program in their residency or first fellowship year. Participants must be dedicated to careers as clinician-scientists and conduct research in an area that fits within the mission of NIBIB. Participants are expected to apply for mentored career development or independent research funding by the end of their involvement in this research education program. Because this is an research education and not a training mechanism, non-U.S. citizens may participate in this program. However, requests for participation of non-U.S. citizens under the auspices of this FOA should be made with the understanding that this mechanism is not to be used to circumvent or supplement NRSA training mechanisms. Unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to the NIH and NIBIB missions, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens.
Primary Grant. R25 grants are awarded as a result of the application submitted by the PD(s)/PI(s). The budget for the primary grant award will contain funds for the support of up to two residents in the first year. Funding for subsequent years will be in the form of Administrative Supplements.
Administrative Supplements. Support for residents and clinical fellows in years 2 5 may be requested by submission of supplement applications. These applications, which are described in detail below (Section II, Funds Available), should be prepared by the prospective participant and submitted by the PD(s)/PI(s) of the primary grant. There is one receipt date per year, May 25, for administrative supplements; with the exception of the first year, administrative supplements may be submitted in any year during which the primary grant is active. Supplements applications will be reviewed administratively and will undergo a selection process. Awards will be made based on evaluation criteria (Section V, Review Criteria) and are subject to availability of funds. It is anticipated that there will be more supplement applications than awards.
Overview of Research Education Program
The overall goal of NIBIB's research training and research education programs is to ensure that highly trained scientists will be available to improve human health by leading the development and accelerating the clinical translation of biomedical imaging and bioengineering technologies. There is also a critical need to increase the number of clinician-scientists, especially those with previous training in engineering and the physical sciences. NIBIB supports training and education activities by partnering with Radiology Departments to enhance the career development of outstanding residents and clinical fellows in radiology and other residency programs in areas relevant to the NIBIB mission.
NIBIB currently uses institutional (T32) training grants to provide research training in biomedical imaging and bioengineering for residents and clinical fellows, and mentored career development awards (K08/K23) for clinician-scientists who already have early training, research experience, and a strong record of research productivity. However, these programs are only appropriate for Radiology and other clinical departments that already support residency research training, have well-established research infrastructure, and have a large number of mentoring faculty. There is, therefore, a need for an additional mechanism which will encourage Radiology departments lacking the resources to compete for and support a T32 program, to combine their own resources with those of other clinical departments, thus improving their ability to offer research training to outstanding residents and clinical fellows. This Research Education Program is expected to increase the number of Radiology and other clinical departments that support research training and to foster the professional development of residents and clinical fellows from radiology and other residency programs. It is also expected to better prepare these individuals to compete for mentored career development and individual research awards.
It is expected that participants will be supervised by mentors with a strong record of training clinician-scientists and and will conduct basic or clinical research in a well-funded (NIH or comparable) research laboratory. Program mentors may have faculty appointments in Radiology and/or other clinical departments dual mentoring by mentors in multiple departments is encouraged but not required. In addition, it is expected that participants will receive, through appropriate educational experiences, guidance in the professional skills needed for a successful research career, including research design and analysis, grantwriting, and career counseling. Hallmarks of these programs will be the immersion of participants in a significant research problem and an environment that provides high quality mentoring in all aspects of research and career management required for success as a clinician-scientist. The immediate goal of this program is to prepare clinicians, including, but not limited to, clinicians with previous training in engineering and the physical sciences or interested in obtaining research experience in biomedical imaging or bioengineering, to successfully compete for mentored career development and individual research awards. Such success will facilitate their transition to clinician-scientists, and will increase the number of clinician-scientists from Radiology and other clinical departments who conduct research in NIBIB mission areas.
Structure of Research Education Program
Applications will be accepted in response to this funding opportunity from accredited medical schools and teaching hospitals that propose outstanding opportunities for residents and clinical fellows ( participants ) to participate in a mentored research education experience during their residency and fellowship training. The research education opportunity provided for each individual participant must occur for a minimum 12-month period; participants may be supported by this research education program for a maximum of 24 months. This research education grant is intended to provide a means for participants to begin research education during residency and, if appropriate, to continue this education during their fellowship years. Consequently, initial support for any individual participant must take place during residency. However, once a participant has obtained 12 months of support from this program, they may apply for up to 12 months of additional support during residency or fellowship. During any supported period, participants must devote a minimum of 9 person-months (equivalent to 75% of full-time professional effort) to this research education program. Applications should describe in detail all participant activities and clinical commitments not associated with this research education experience, the time committed to these other activities, and when these activities will occur. The structure of research education experiences will be unique and should maximize resources and faculty at the applicant institution. All programs should include extensive clinical and/or laboratory research experience, including the collection of data that can be used by the participant in an application for independent funding. Other than required training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (see below), it is expected that participants will engage in little or no formal coursework while participating in this research education program.
Participation in NIBIB Training Grantees Meeting. As part of this research education experience, the PD(s)/PI(s) and all participants are expected to attend the biennial NIBIB Training Grantees Meeting held for NIBIB-supported trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and mentored career development awardees in even-numbered years in the greater Washington area. Travel funds to support the attendance of PD(s)/PI(s) and program participants may be included in the primary grant and, where appropriate, administrative supplements.
Evaluation of Program Success. The primary indicator of success of these programs will be the ability of participants to successfully compete for mentored career development or individual research awards and, ultimately, the continuation of the participant’s research career. It is expected that participants will publish original research papers that result from work done during this research education period, but the most important outcome of this research education program will be the successful competition for individual funding for continued career development by the participants. Programs will be evaluated primarily on this outcome measure.
Funding Instrument |
Grant |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research education program will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award may vary. Although the financial plans of the NIBIB provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Base Support for Research Education Programs (Year 1). Although the size of the award may vary among research education programs, applications may not request annual direct costs of more than $70,000 per participant per year. Grants submitted in response to this FOA will support salary plus fringe benefits for a minimum of 9 person-months (equivalent to 75% of full-time professional effort) effort for a period of 12 months per participant. Grants may also request up to $10,000 for research-related expenses and up to $1,000 for travel to appropriate scientific meetings per participant per year. Programs may request support for up to two participants during the first year. Once a primary grant has been awarded, administrative supplement requests for participant support may be submitted (see below). Supplemental Support Requests to request support for up to two participants per year may be made as administrative supplements as outline in Section IV. Application and Submission Information. An NIH Guide Notice explaining the application procedures for administrative supplements will be published at a future date. |
Award Budget |
Application budgets are not limited, but must conform to the allowable cost structure described above.. |
Award Project Period |
The maximum period is 5 years. |
Personnel Costs |
Funds may NOT be used to support PD(s)/PI(s), faculty mentor, or support staff salaries. |
Participant Costs |
Participants may be paid salary plus fringe benefits for up to 9 person-months (75% effort full-time professional effort) for up to 12 months per year. Funds can only be used for participants while they are participating in the research education program. Applicants may also request up to $10,000 per year for each participant for research-related expenses and an additional $1,000 per year for each participant to travel to scentiifc meetings that will directly enhance the experience provided by this program and which will lead towards the stated goal of this award. Travel funds to support the attendance of program participants at the biennial NIBIB Training Grantees Meeting may be included in the administrative supplements. Expenses for for foreign travel must be exceptionally well justified.. |
Other Program-Related Expenses |
Funds may NOT be used for program administration or participant tuition and fees. |
Indirect Costs |
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified direct costs (total costs less equipment) rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. |
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.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
It is anticipated that applications will generally come from an accredited medical school or teaching hospital. Iit is recognized that many accredited medical schools are affiliated with one or more hospitals, and that funding for residents may be managed by an affiliated hospital. If necessary, the hospital that manages the funding of residents may be the applicant institution. However, the PD(s)/PI(s) of the R25 application must have a faculty appointment in the appropriate academic department in the medical school and an appointment at the applicant institution. Moreover, regardless of how many affiliated entities are involved, only one R25 application per residency program will be accepted for review.
Institutions with existing T32 training grants or other Federally-funded training programs may apply for a research education grant provided that the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs receiving NIH support. However, funding priority wil be given to applicant institutions which do not have active residency research training programs. Departments that have T32 training grants for the training of residents or clinician-scientists should briefly describe the purpose of these training programs, and provide a detailed explanation of the distinction between the intended participants of this research education program and the intended population that would constitute trainees in the T32 program(s).
If multiple sites are involved in the research education program, the applicant institution must be the primary site for the program. The need for and use of multiple sites must be justified.
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.
The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program.
Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of
adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to
the planned program.
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.
Required Registrations
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) 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 diverse backgrounds,
including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with
disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PD(s)/PI(s), visit the
Multiple Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) Policy and submission
details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424
(R&R) Application Guide.
The PD(s)/PI(s) should be an established investigator in the scientific area in
which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative
and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed
program. The PD(s)/PI(s) must have clearly
demonstrated, outstanding credentials in education and research training, and
have a strong recent history of external funding. The PD/PI will be
expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports
as required.
The proposed PD(s)/PI(s) must hold a health professional degree (e.g., MD, or equivalent) and have a faculty appointment in a Radiology Department. Exceptions to these requirements, although not anticipated, must be approved in advance in writing by the NIBIB Director of Interdisciplinary Training. Applications with PD(s)/PI(s) who not have a health professional degree (e.g., MD, or equivalent) or do not have a faculty appointment in a Radiology Department are ineligible for this FOA and will not undergo peer review.
If the sponsoring institution is a hospital affiliated with a medical school, the PD(s)/PI(s) in addition to having a faculty appointment in the Radiology department of the medical school, must also have an appointment at the sponsoring institution. Applications from hospitals affiliated with medical schools whose PD(s)/PI(s) do not have appointments in the sponsoring institution will not undergo peer review.
Multiple residency programs (e.g., radiology and neurology) at a single institution may submit independent applications or a single application from both programs. Potential applicants are welcome to contact the NIBIB Director of Interdisciplinary Training to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Multiple PD(s)/PI(s) may be designated on the application.
When considering the multiple PD(s)/PI(s) option, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD(s)/PI(s) leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PD(s)/PI(s) will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. In particular, applicants must be aware that all designated PD(s)/PI(s) should meet the eligibility criteria described above.
2. Cost Sharing
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit only one application in response to this FOA.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.
The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed research education project. Appropriate institutional commitment to the project includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education project. The application should include a letter explaining the institutional commitment to the proposed research education program. This NIBIB research education program will only be supported at an accredited Medical School (or an institution that is affiliated with an accredited Medical School).
Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as preceptors/mentors. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program. Mentors must be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of the mentee s participation in this award. The mentors will directly train and mentor the participants (residents and clinical fellows) in this research education program. Mentors must have active, well-funded research programs, and conduct studies in either basic or clinical research related to biomedical imaging or bioengineering. Mentors should have a strong track record in the successful training of researchers (as evidenced by the continuing success of the trainee in research) and dedication to the training of clinician-scientists. Mentors can belong to any department or program, but must conduct research that is directly relevant to the mission of NIBIB.
Applications are required to describe who the intended participants are, and what eligibility and/or specific educational background characteristics are essential for participation in the proposed research education program. The participants in this research education program are residents and clinical fellows in
residency programs including, but not limited to, cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, radiology, or surgery. Participants must begin this research education program during residency. These participants then have the opportunity to continue in this program in their residency or first fellowship year. Participants must be dedicated to careers as clinician-scientists and conduct research in an area that fits within the mission of NIBIB. Participants are expected to apply for mentored career development or independent research funding by the end of their involvement in this research education program. Because this is an educational and not a training mechanism, U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not required for participation in this program. However, requests for participation of non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents under the auspices of this FOA should be made with the understanding that this mechanism is not to be used to circumvent or supplement NRSA training mechanisms. Unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to the NIH and NIBIB missions, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
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) 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.
Required and Optional Components
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 application submission. Follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) to determine which components are required.
Page Limitations
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed with the following modification:
SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information Component
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:
Biosketches
The application must also include a biosketch for each participating mentor. The biosketch should include recent (within the last 10 years) funding history, recent publication record, and a summary of the mentor’s record in the training of clinician and non-clinician scientists.
R&R Budget Component
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:
PHS 398 Research Plan Component
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the additional instructions described below:
The Research Strategy section must be used to upload the Research Education Program Plan, which must include the following components described below: Proposed Research Education Program, Institutional Environment and Commitment, Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s), Program Faculty/Staff, Program Participants, Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan, Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research, Evaluation Plan.
The Research Education Program Plan should be no more than 12 pages. Within this twelve-page limit, the following must included: a detailed outline of the program; a narrative description of why the the PD(s)/PI(s) is the appropriate person to coordinate this program, and the PD(s)/PI(s) record in research and training; a list of all mentors/trainers participating in the program and a summary description of their records in research and training; a description of the research training environment; and the track record of the department in training, including the names, levels of training [resident, fellow, mentored career development awardee, other], and subsequent positions, grant applications, and grant awards of all participants. The detailed program outline should include the timeline of participant training, including information on clinical and research education activities to be performed in all residency (and, if applicable, fellowship) years. This outline should also include plans for oversight by the PD(s)/PI(s), including a specific mentoring plan, plans for professional skills training, timetable for participant submission of mentored career development or research applications, and other strategies designed to foster participant success. In addition, PD(s)/PI(s) should include the name, qualifications, and mentors of at least one proposed program participant and a brief description of their proposed research program.
The application must also
include (outside of the 12 page program description) a list of all trainees
sponsored by the listed mentors over the last 5-10 years, and, to the extent
known, the outcome (subsequent position and research funding) of this training.
This list should name only the primary trainees of the mentor, not trainees who
have done only research rotations or brief training sessions with the mentor.
For each trainee, outcomes should be clearly listed (ie., clinical academic
faculty, research academic faculty, academic research staff, private practice,
mentored career development award, independent research funding, etc.).
Applicants can provide their own formatting, or may use the suggested table format
found at http://www.nibib.nih.gov/Training/CareerLevel/r25-template-instructions for
this listing. The list (or table) should be uploaded as a PDF attachment to
Item 12 Other Attachment of Section
2. Research Plan Attachments of the PHS
398 Research Plan Component.
Proposed Research Education Program (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
While the proposed research education program may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. When active research training programs exist in the same department, the applicant organization should clearly describe the distinction between the intended participants in the proposed research education program and the research training supported by the training program. The information should include a description of the education and/or career levels of the planned participants.
Institutional Environment and Commitment (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe the institutional environment, detailing the availability of facilities and educational resources (described separately under Facilities & Other Resources ), that will contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of institutional commitment to the research educational program is required. A letter of institutional commitment must be attached as part of Letters of Support. Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of adequate facilities, staff, and educational resources that will contribute to the planned research education program.
Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe arrangements for administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the NIH and NIBIB mission, and can organize, administer, monitor, and evaluate the research education program, as well as evidence of institutional commitment and support for the proposed program.
Program Faculty/Staff (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating faculty; provide evidence that the participating faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of NIH.
Program Participants (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Where the proposed program involves participants, provide details about the pool of expected participants, their qualifications, recruitment strategies and sources of applicant pool, etc.
Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
The
NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the
biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences research workforce. The
NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of
the most talented researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the
educational and training environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in
setting research priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from
diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and to improve the
Nation's capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.
Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their
student and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of
individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral,
and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially,
culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have
inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research.
Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity
on a national or institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in
encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of
participants:
A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27 and the most recent report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: African Americans, Hispanic Americas, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and natives of the US Pacific Islands. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size; published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at HHS - Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such participants have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.
Recruitment and retention plans related to a disadvantaged background (C1 and C2) are most applicable to high school and perhaps to undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of academic achievement. Under extraordinary circumstances the PHS may, at its discretion, consider an individual beyond the undergraduate level to be from a disadvantaged background. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, based on appropriate documentation.
New
applications must include a description of plans to enhance
recruitment of a diverse participant pool and may wish to include data in
support of past accomplishments.
Applications lacking a diversity recruitment and retention plan may be delayed
or not accepted for review. An award cannot be made if an application lacks
this component.
Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
Every
participant supported by this Research Education grant must receive instruction
in the responsible conduct of research. All applications must include a plan to
provide such instruction. The plan must address five components (format;
subject matter; faculty participation; duration of instruction; and frequency
of instruction) as detailed in NOT-OD-10-019.
Renewal (Type 2) applications must, in addition, describe changes in formal
instruction over the past project period and plans for the future that address
any weaknesses in the current instruction plan. All participating faculty who
served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders
during the past project period must be named in the application.
Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research
may be delayed or not accepted for review. An award cannot be made if an
application lacks this component. The background, rationale and more detail
about instruction in the responsible conduct of research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019.
An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component. If such
instruction is not appropriate for the proposed research education program,
then the PD/PI must provide a strong justification for its exclusion.
Evaluation Plan (Component of Research Education Program Plan)
A plan must be provided for program evaluation. Benchmarks should be specified, and specific plans and procedures must be described to capture, analyze and report short or long-term outcome measures that would determine the success of the research education program in achieving its objectives. Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to include plans to obtain feedback from participants to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements.
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 Application Guide), with the
following modifications:
Applications are expected to include a software dissemination plan if support
for development, maintenance, or enhancement of software is requested in the
application. There is no prescribed single license for software produced.
However, the software dissemination plan should address, as appropriate, the
following goals:
Appendix
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) 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 the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
Allowable costs for this FOA include only the following: salary and fringe benefits for participants, research-related costs for participants, and travel to one scientific meeting per participant. Funds may NOT be used to support any of the following: salary for the PD(s)/PI(s) or faculty mentors participating in this research education program, experimental research costs, tuition of any kind, or administration of the program. Support provided for participant travel to a conference or educational opportunity must directly enhance the experience provided by this program and which will lead towards the stated goal of this award. Such requests must be justified. The PD(s)/PI(s) and all program participants are also expected to attend the appropriate biennial NIBIB Training Grantees Meeting held in even-numbered years in the greater Washington area for NIBIB trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and mentored career development awardees.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. 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) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Post Submission Materials
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
Programs may request support for up to two participants per year in years 2 5 of an award via administrative supplements. Requests for supplemental funding may be made for two purposes. (1) Supplements may be requested to support a new participant, who will begin their research education during their Radiology residency. (2) Supplements may be requested to continue the research education of a participant who has completed at least 6 months of support under this FOA during their residency or fellowship years. Both new and continuing participants must be identified and a brief description of the research education program tailored for each participant must be described. In all cases, supplements may be requested to support participant salary and fringe, research-related expenses, plus travel to one scientific meeting, and may not exceed $70,000 direct costs per participant. Participants may receive up to 24 months of support via this funding mechanism over the course of their residency and fellowship years (a maximum of 12 months post-residency support). Supplements will be awarded on a competitive basis, based on the availability of funds, suitability of the proposed participants, and research education and project plans.
Submission and Evaluation of Supplemental Requests.
Supplemental requests for new and continuing participants may be submitted to an NIH Guide Notice to be published at a future date. The NIH Guide Notice will explain the procedures for applying for administrative supplements.
Supplemental requests for new and continuing participants will be administratively reviewed by NIBIB staff based on the participant’s research potential (or, for continuing applicants, research progress); the quality and appropriateness of the research education plan; and the mentoring plan for the participant. The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. It is anticipated that the NIBIB will receive more meritorious supplemental support requests than can be awarded.
1. Review Criteria
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.
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 review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Scored Review Criteria
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.
Significance
Does the proposed research education program address an important problem or critical question in research education or other critical issues? How will implementation of the proposed program advance the objectives of the proposed program?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers appropriately trained and well suited to the proposed research education program? Is the PD(s)/PI(s) an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed research education program? Does the PD(s)/PI(s) have appropriate experience to lead the program? 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? Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program leadership to ensure the program's objectives? Is there evidence that the PD(s)/PI(s) is actively engaged in research, can organize and administer the program based on his/her qualifications, capabilities and experiences? Does the PD(s)/PI(s) have a strong, recent history of external funding? If there are multiple departments and multiple PD(s)/PI(s) involved, do the PD(s)/PI(s) from each department have strong, recent histories of external funding? Do the mentors in the program have strong, recent histories of external funding? Do the mentors have a track record in the successful training of clinician-scientists? Have trainees from this department and this group of mentors been successful in competing for independent fellowships, mentored career development awards, and research funding? Do the department and mentors have a record of mentoring career development awardees, and have these awardees obtained academic research appointments and/or had successful research careers?
Innovation
Is the proposed research education program characterized by innovation and scholarship? Does the proposed program challenge and seek to shift current research education paradigms or clinical practice, or address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Are the proposed concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies novel for this area? Does the proposed program duplicate, or overlap with, existing research education, training and/or career development activities currently supported at the applicant institution or available elsewhere? Adaptations of existing research education programs may be considered innovative under special circumstances, e.g., the addition of unique components and/or a proposal to determine portability of an existing program. If the applicant department has T32 training program(s), did the applicant clearly describe (1) the distinction between this research education program and the T32 training program(s) and (2) the distinction between intended participants of this research education program and the applicant pool from which trainees in the T32 training programs are drawn?
Approach
Are
the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate
to accomplish the specific aims of the proposed research education
program? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks
for success presented? If the program is in the early stages of
development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly
risky aspects be managed? If called for, is the proposed plan for
evaluation of the research education program sound and likely to provide data
on the effectiveness of the program? Is there evidence that the research
education program is based on sound research concepts and educational
principles? Is the approach feasible and appropriate to achieve the
stated program goals? If the proposed program will recruit participants,
are the recruitment, retention, and follow-up activities adequate to ensure a
highly qualified and diverse participant pool? Does the program foster
development of a combined clinical and research career for the participants?
Are there appropriate opportunities for participants to interact with multiple
mentors and each other? Is an appropriate oversight plan in place to ensure the
basic and clinical training of each participant and to maximize their potential
to compete for mentored career development and research funding?
If the program 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/educational environment in which the proposed research education program will be conducted contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional commitment and support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the program proposed? Will the program benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of appropriate collaboration among participating programs, departments, and institutions? If multiple sites are participating, is this adequately justified in terms of the research education experiences provided? If appropriate, are adequate plans provided for coordination and communication between multiple sites? Does the Department or institutional unit where the proposed program will take place have a record of successfully training clinician-scientists and/or preparing residents to successfully compete for NIH mentored career development or individual research awards?
Additional Review Criteria
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.
Protections for Human Subjects
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Vertebrate Animals
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Biohazards
Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Resubmissions
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to the comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Renewals
Not Applicable.
Revisions
Not Applicable.
Additional Review Considerations
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.
Recruitment & Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented groups. The review panel’s evaluation will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement. Plans and past record will be rated as acceptable or unacceptable, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
Taking into account the specific characteristics of the research education program, level of participant experience, and the particular circumstances of the participants, the reviewers will address the following questions. Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g. lectures and/or real-time discussion groups? Do plans include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety? Do the plans adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? Do the plans ensure participants will receive instruction (or in the case of more senior level participants, provide instruction) or an appropriate amount of time given the length of the research education experience? Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Not applicable.
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.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications
will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate
Scientific Review Group(s)convened by the NIBIB, 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 National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NACBIB). The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
After
the peer review of the application is completed, the PD(s)/PI(s) 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.
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.
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.
In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program. Accordingly, participants are hereby notified that they may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.
The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) and financial statements as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are required annually.
Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. .Programs that involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of research and complete a Training Diversity Report, in accordance with the PHS 2590 Additional Instructions for Preparing a Progress Report for an Institutional Research Training Grant, Including Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.
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.
Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
The institution must submit a completed Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271) for each participant appointed for eight weeks or more. Grantees must submit the PHS 2271 data electronically using the xTrain system. More information on xTrain is available at xTrain (eRA Commons). An appointment or reappointment may begin any time during the budget period, but not before the budget period start date of the grant year.
Participant Termination Notice: Within 30 days of the end of the total support period for each participant, the institution must submit a Termination Notice (PHS Form 416-7) via xTrain for each participant appointed for eight weeks or more.
A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Prospective Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the NIBIB Director of Interdisciplinary Training early in the application preparation phase to discuss award provisions. Such contact will help ensure that applications address the aims expressed in this announcement (see Section VII. Agency Contacts below).
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]
Richard Baird, PhD
Director, Division of Interdisciplinary Training
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
National
Institutes of Health
Democracy
II, Suite 200
6707
Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda,
MD 20892-5477 (20817 for overnight courier)
Telephone: 301-496-7671
Email: [email protected]
David T. George, PhD
Director, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Telephone: 301-496-9474
Email: [email protected]
Florence Turska
Grants Management Specialist
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Telephone: 301-496-9314
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.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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