Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, includingSupplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ("K" Series), 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

The overall goal of the NIH Research Career Development program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. In addition to this opportunity, NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) support a variety of other mentored career development programs designed to foster the transition of new investigators to research independence. These other programs may be more suitable for particular candidates. NIH also supports non-mentored career development programs for independent investigators. More information about Career programs may be found at the NIH Extramural Training Mechanisms website.

The objective of the NHLBI Career Transition Award (K22) program is to enable outstanding postdoctoral individuals to obtain research training experience in the NHLBI Division of Intramural Research and to facilitate their successful transition to an extramural environment as independent researchers. Eligible applicants or postdoctoral fellows accepted into or currently in the NHLBI intramural program must agree to be supported by the NHLBI laboratory or branch for the intramural phase of the program. Applicants must contact the NHLBI program staff (Section VII.) for guidance and additional information. Following the intramural phase support, eligible organizations for the extramural phase of the program are listed under Eligible Applicants in Section III.

To achieve these objectives, the NHLBI Career Transition Award will support two phases of research. The award will provide up to two years of support for mentored research training in an NHLBI intramural laboratory followed by three years of support for an independent research project in an extramural institution. It is anticipated that awardees will subsequently obtain research project grants such as the R01 to support the continuation of their work.

Transition from the intramural phase of support to the extramural phase is not automatic. Approval of the transition will be based on the success of the awardee’s research program as determined by an NHLBI progress review, which will include an evaluation of a research plan to be carried out at the extramural institution.

The extramural institution must demonstrate a commitment to the candidate by providing protected research time and space needed to perform the proposed research. Supplemental funds from the extramural institution for equipment and supplies (and if necessary, salary) are encouraged.

Awardees approved to transition to the second phase of support will receive notification of approval in writing from the NHLBI. An application from the extramural institution on behalf of the candidate will be required for the NHLBI to process the second phase of the K22.

Acceptance into the NHLBI Career Transition Award Program does not convey any commitment or intent of the NHLBI to consider the awardee for a tenure track position within the NHLBI. The NHLBI Career Transition Award is specifically intended to help develop scientists who will pursue their careers in the extramural biomedical research community. However, the NHLBI K22 awardees are not explicitly precluded from applying for available tenure track positions at the NIH. If an awardee obtains an NIH position, the NHLBI Career Transition Award will be terminated.

NHLBI Division of Intramural Research

The Division of Intramural Research conducts clinical research on the normal and pathophysiologic functioning of the cardiac, pulmonary, blood, and endocrine systems and basic research on normal and abnormal cellular behavior at the molecular level. The research activities of the laboratories and branches range from structural organic chemistry to cardiology.

Major areas of interest include:

Mechanisms of gene regulation, viral-mediated gene transfer and gene therapy, the molecular basis of lipoprotein dysfunctions and the atherogenic process, the molecular basis of diseases of the alveolar structures of the lung and the design of new therapeutic modalities, the cellular and molecular events underlying ischemic heart disease and myocardial hypertrophy, biochemical events associated with aging and certain pathologic processes, molecular, structural, and developmental aspects of muscle and nonmuscle contractile systems, cell and organelle movement, molecular and cellular processes for the conversion of metabolic energy into useful work, mechanisms of cardiac development, the molecular basis of transmembrane signaling, the pathophysiology of renal function at the cellular and molecular levels, the biochemistry of trace nutrients, enzyme kinetics, metabolic regulation and protein chemistry, the cellular and molecular basis of toxicities induced by drugs and other foreign compounds, molecular immunology and cytokines, hematopoietic stem cell biology and bone marrow transplantation, pathophysiology of vascular diseases with emphasis on molecular genetic interventions, cardiac imaging through ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, as well as some aspects of cardiovascular devices, computational biophysics, and mass and optical spectroscopy. Animal medicine and surgery support is provided to both clinical and basic science by full-time NHLBI staff. Candidates needing assistance (e.g, understanding the application process, identifying a mentor) should contact the Office of Education at [email protected] and submit a curriculum vitae and a brief description of his/her past training, research experience and research interests as well as future research plans. Potential candidates are also urged to visit the web site for the Division of Intramural Research at NHLBI: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/intramural/index.html

NIH grant policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Only the NHLBI intramural program is eligible to apply for this K22 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.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
  • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

NHLBI postdoctoral fellows (or individuals who have been accepted to an intramural postdoctoral position) are invited to work with their mentors 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. Applicants are encouraged to apply relatively early in their intramural appointment. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.

For individuals in postdoctoral positions with other titles, although still in non-independent training positions are eligible if they can demonstrate non-independence.Evidence for non-independence may include:

• The candidate’s research is entirely funded by another investigator s grants.
• The candidate’s research is conducted entirely in another investigator’s assigned space.
• According to institutional policy, the candidate cannot hire postdoctoral fellows or technical staff.
• According to institutional policy, the candidate is not allowed to submit an application as the PD/PI of an NIH research grant application.
• The candidate lacks other rights and privileges of faculty, such as attendance at faculty meetings.

Conversely, evidence for independence, and therefore lack of eligibility, includes:

• The candidate has a full-time faculty position.
• The candidate received a start-up package for support of his/her independent research.
• The candidate has research space dedicated to his/her own research.
• The candidate may attend faculty meetings and/or hire technical support or postdoctoral fellows.
• The candidate is eligible to apply for independent research funding as the PD/PI of an NIH research grant.

By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status)

Candidates for this award must have earned a terminal clinical or research doctorate (including PhD, MD, DO, DC, ND, DDS, DVM, ScD, DNS, PharmD., or equivalent doctoral degree), or a combined clinical and research doctoral degree. The candidate must have postdoctoral research experience, during which the potential for highly productive basic or clinical research was demonstrated. During the intramural phase of the award, the candidate will spend full time on research. The required research experience must be completed in an intramural NIH laboratory.

Individuals affiliated with an NIH Intramural Laboratory may apply (specific information is available for intramural candidates on the Electronic Submission Intranet link available only to users internal to NIH).

To obtain support for the extramural phase, at the time of the award candidates must have a full time formal tenure-track (or equivalent) appointment offer at the academic institution that is the applicant institution.

Candidates who have VA appointments may not consider part of the VA effort toward satisfying the full time requirement at the applicant institution. Candidates with VA appointments should contact the NHLBI staff prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility.

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.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

In addition, the NIH will not accept a resubmission (A1) application that is submitted later than 37 months after submission of the new (A0) application that it follows. The NIH will accept submission:

• To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
• Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
• Of an application with a changed grant activity code.

Individuals are eligible for a K22 award if they have been, or currently are, the PD/PI of an NIH R03 or R21 grant or a PHS or non-Federal award that duplicates the specific aims or research goals of an R03 or R21 grant. Individuals are NOT eligible to apply if they have pending an application for any other PHS career development award, an NIH institute-specific K22, or a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00). Individuals are not eligible to apply if they have been or are currently a PD/PI on an NIH research grant (such as R01, R29, P01) or a subproject leader on a Program Project (P01) or Center Grant (P50), or a non-NIH equivalent to these grants/awards.

Special Requirements

Acceptance into the NHLBI Career Transition Award Program does not convey any commitment or intent of the NHLBI to consider the awardee for a tenure track position within the NHLBI. The NHLBI Career Transition Award is specifically intended to help develop scientists who will pursue their careers in the extramural biomedical research community. However, the NHLBI K22 awardees are not explicitly precluded from applying for available tenure track positions at the NIH.

Once a K22 award is made, the awardee is expected to remain with the NHLBI Intramural Program for at least 12 months. Exceptions may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Intramural Phase:

Mentor(s): The candidate must name a primary sponsor/mentor who, together with the applicant, is responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the program. The mentor must be an investigator at the NHLBI who is recognized as an accomplished investigator in the proposed research area and has a track record of success in training research scientists. Candidates may also nominate co-mentors as appropriate to the goals of the program. Co-mentors may be NIH investigators or may be full-time faculty at an extramural institution.

Extramural Phase:(Provide this information only during the time of transition to Extramural Phase.)

Sponsoring Extramural Institution: To obtain support for Extramural Phase, the Intramural Phase awardee must have a formal tenure-track (or equivalent) offer at the extramural institution. The institution must demonstrate a commitment to the individual by providing protected research time and space needed to conduct the proposed research.

• The sponsoring institution must document a strong, well-established research and career development program related to the candidate’s area of interest, including a high-quality research environment with key faculty members and other investigators capable of productive collaboration with the candidate.
• Describe the sponsoring institution’s scientific environment including the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate.
• Describe how the institutional research environment is particularly suited for the development of the candidate’s research career and the pursuit of the proposed research plan and progression to the extramural phase as an independent investigator.

K22 award recipients are expected to apply for NIH or other independent research grant support during the extramural phase of the award. Recipients may hold concurrent research support and under certain circumstances salary support from the final two years of their K22 award and a competing NIH research project grant when recognized as the PD/PI or subproject Director of the research project grant. See NOT-OD-08-065.

Extramural Phase. At the time of award, the candidate must have a full-time appointment at the academic institution. Candidates are required to commit a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort (i.e., a minimum of 9 person-months) to their career development and research training during the mentored phase. Candidates may engage in other duties as part of the remaining 25% of their full-time professional effort not covered by this award, as long as such duties do not interfere with or detract from the proposed career development program.

Candidates who have VA appointments may not consider part of the VA effort toward satisfying the full time requirement at the applicant institution. Candidates with VA appointments should contact the staff person in the relevant Institute or Center prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility. Under certain circumstances, an awardee may submit a written request to the awarding component requesting a reduction in minimum required percent effort, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Details on this policy are provided in NOT-OD-09-036.

Before submitting the application, the candidate must identify a mentor who will supervise the proposed career development and research experience. The principal mentor should be an NHLBI Intramural investigator in the area of the proposed research and be committed both to the career development of the candidate and to the direct supervision of the candidate’s research. The mentor, or a member of the mentoring team, should have a successful track record of mentoring. Candidates are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research career development program. In such cases, one individual should be identified as the principal mentor who will coordinate the candidate’s research. The candidate should work with the mentor(s) in preparing the application.

The mentor should describe the career development plan for the candidate (coordinated with the candidate’s research strategy). The description of the career development plan should include items such as classes, seminars, and opportunities for interaction with other groups and scientists. Training in career skills, e.g., grant-writing and making effective presentations, is strongly encouraged. The mentor and any co-mentors are also expected to provide an assessment of the candidate’s qualifications and potential for a research career. The research environment and the availability and quality of needed research facilities and research resources (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, available research support, etc.) should also be described.

Institutional Environment

The applicant institution must have a strong, well-established record of research and career development activities and faculty qualified to serve as mentors in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.

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.

All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Project Summary/Abstract
Include a description of your current research and the research you propose to continue in the extramural phase.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Candidate Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Candidate s Background

• Describe prior training and research efforts, and how they relate to the objectives and long-term career plans of the candidate.
• Provide evidence of the candidate's potential to develop into a successful independent investigator. Usually this is evident from publications, prior research interests and experience, and letters of reference.
• Describe the candidate’s commitment to a career in a biomedical or behavioral research field relevant to the mission of the NHLBI.

Career Goals and Objectives

• Describe a systematic plan that shows a logical progression from prior research and training experiences to the research and training experiences that will occur during the K22 award period and then to independent investigator status.
• Candidates planning to be sponsored by an NHLBI intramural laboratory for the intramural phase should select a mentor with whom the candidate can consult in preparing and submitting the application for the intramural phase of the award. Individuals working at an NHLBI laboratory may work with their current mentor, or with another intramural investigator, provided the research experience proposed in this application will enhance the candidate's scientific career.

Candidate s Plan for Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period

• The candidate and the mentor are jointly responsible for the preparation of the career development plan.
• A timeline is often helpful. The sponsor/mentor may form a mentoring team (or an Advisory Committee).
• Provide a description of the career development plan, incorporating consideration of the candidate's goals and prior experience. Include a plan to obtain the necessary research experience to launch an independent research career.
• The career development plan must be tailored to the needs of the individual candidate and the ultimate goal of achieving independence as a researcher.
• Candidates must justify the need for both the intramural phase and the extramural phase, and must provide a convincing case that the proposed period of support (1-2 years as a mentored candidate followed by up to 3 years as an independent scientist) will substantially enhance his/her career and/or will allow the pursuit of a novel or promising approach to a particular research problem.
• The candidate and the mentor should describe the plan for evaluation of his/her progress during the intramural phase and for the transition to the extramural phase.
• The candidate and the intramural mentor should describe plans for the transition to the extramural phase.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

• All applications must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).
• The plan must address the five, required instructional components outlined in the NIH policy: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the mentor(s) and other faculty involvement in the instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction, taking into consideration the duration of the program; and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. See also NOT-OD-10-019.
• Applications lacking a Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research will not be reviewed.

Statements and Letters of Support

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)

• The candidate must name a primary mentor (sponsor), an investigator in the Division of Intramural Research at NHLBI, who, together with the candidate, is responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the program. The candidate may also identify co-mentors as appropriate to the goals of the program.
• The mentor(s) should be recognized as an accomplished investigator in the proposed research area and have a track record of success in training individuals in postdoctoral positions who have gone on to become independent investigators.
• The application must include a statement from the mentor providing: (1) information on his/her research qualifications and previous experience as a research supervisor; (2) a plan that describes the nature of the supervision and mentoring that will occur during the proposed award period, including how the Candidate’s scientific and professional independence will be promoted; (3) a description of the elements of the planned research career development, including any formal course work; and (4) a plan for transitioning the candidate to move from the mentored stage of his/her career to the independent research investigator status during the project period of the award.
• The mentor(s) must agree to provide annual evaluations of the candidate's progress as required in the annual progress report.

Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors and Consultants

• Signed statements must be provided by all collaborators and/or consultants confirming their participation in the project and describing their specific roles. Collaborators and consultants generally do not need to provide their biographical sketches. However, information should be provided clearly documenting the appropriate expertise in the proposed areas of consulting/collaboration. Collaborators/consultants are generally not directly involved in the development of the career of the candidate as an independent investigator.

Environmental and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

• The NHLBI mentor must define and document a strong, well-established research and career development program related to the candidate's area of interest, including a high-quality research environment with staff capable of productive collaboration with the candidate. The NHLBI Scientific Director must provide a statement of commitment to the candidate's development into a productive, independent investigator and to meeting the requirements of this award.
• In addition, the NHLBI Scientific Director's statement should:
  • Describe the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate.
  • Describe how NHLBI environment is particularly suited for the development of the candidate's research career and the pursuit of the proposed research plan.
  • Provide assurances that the candidate will be able to devote a minimum of 75% full-time professional effort to the development of a research program.

Research Plan

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ( K Series), must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Research Strategy

• A sound research project that is consistent with the candidate s level of research development and objectives of his/her career development plan must be provided. The research description should demonstrate not only the quality of the candidate’s research thus far but also the novelty, significance, creativity and approach, as well as the ability of the candidate to carry out the proposed research.
• The application must also describe the relationship between the mentor’s research and the candidate’s proposed research plan. If more than one mentor is proposed, the respective areas of expertise and responsibility should be described.
• The application must include a description of how the mentored phase research will lead to the independent phase research.

Appendix

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Planned Enrollment Reports as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Candidates must carefully follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including the time period for when letters of reference will be accepted (letters are due by the application due date as described in the NOT-OD-11-079). Applications lacking the appropriate required reference letters will not be reviewed. This is a separate process from submitting an application electronically. Reference letters are submitted directly through the eRA Commons Submit Referee Information link and not through Grants.gov.

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies) using ASSIST or other electronic submission systems. 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 before the due date 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.

Intramural Phase:

Research expenses including personnel, consultants, equipment, supplies, and travel will be negotiated with the laboratory chief and will depend on the nature and scope of the research approved by peer review.

Extramural Phase:

Allowable research expenses include (1) research expenses, such as supplies, equipment, and technical personnel; (2) travel to research meetings or training; and (3) statistical services, including personnel and computer time. The research development support costs must be justified and be consistent with the stage of development of the candidate and the proportion of time to be spent in research or career development activities.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (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 SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI 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 System for Award Management (SAM). 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, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-13-030.

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 should provide their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed career development and research plan will enhance the candidate s potential for a productive, independent scientific research career in a health-related field, taking into consideration the criteria below in determining the overall impact score.

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.

Candidate

• Does the candidate have the potential for becoming a successful independent investigator who will contribute significantly to a chosen health-related research field?
• Will the research experiences in the intramural phase prepare the candidate to implement successfully the extramural phase research project?
• Do the letters of reference from at least three well-established scientists address the candidate's potential for becoming an independent investigator?
• Given the candidate’s prior training, proposed career development plan, and the referees evaluations, is it reasonable to expect that the candidate will be able to achieve an independent, tenure-track or equivalent position within the time period requested for the intramural phase of this award?
• Career Development Plan/Career Goals and Objectives/Plan to Provide Mentoring
• To what extent are the plans for evaluating the awardee s progress adequate and appropriate for guiding the applicant towards a successful transition to the extramural phase of the award?
• Is the timeline planned for the transition to the extramural phase of the award appropriate for the candidate’s current stage of scientific and professional development and the career development proposed for the phase of the award?
• What is the likelihood that the plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the candidate leading to scientific independence?
• Are the candidate's prior training and research experience appropriate for this award?
• Are the content, scope, phasing, and duration of the career development plan appropriate when considered in the context of prior training/research experience and the stated training and research objectives for achieving research independence?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the candidate’s research and career development progress?

Research Plan

• Is the proposed research project appropriate for the candidate s stage of research development and as a vehicle for development of the research skills described in the career development plan?
• Are the scientific and technical merits of the research question, design, and methodology appropriate in the context of prior training and experience?
• Is the proposed research relevant to stated career objectives?

Mentor(s), Co-Mentor(s), Consultant(s), Collaborator(s)

• Are the mentor's research qualifications in the area of the proposed research appropriate?
• Do(es) the mentor(s) adequately address the candidate’s potential and his/her strengths and areas needing improvement?
• Is there adequate description of the quality and extent of the mentor’s proposed role in providing guidance and advice to the candidate?
• Is the mentor’s description of the elements of the research career development activities, including formal course work adequate?
• Is there evidence of the mentor s, consultant s, collaborator s previous experience in fostering the development of independent investigators?
• Is there evidence of previous research productivity and peer-reviewed support?
• Is active/pending support for the proposed research project appropriate and adequate?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the career development awardee’s progress toward independence?
• Do the proposed consultant(s)/collaborator(s) provide the required expertise for successful conduct of the research project?
• Is adequate information provided that clearly documents expertise in the proposed area(s) of consulting/collaboration?
• Have the proposed consultant(s) and collaborator(s) provided evidence of commitment to the candidate and the candidate's project?

Environment & Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

Intramural Phase

• Are there adequate and appropriate research facilities and educational opportunities, including collaborating faculty?
• Is there clear commitment of the sponsoring institution to ensure that the required effort of the candidate will be devoted directly to the research training, career development, and research activities described in the proposed career development and research plans?
• Is there strong institutional commitment to fostering the career development of the candidate?
• Are there unique features of the scientific environment that benefit the proposed research; e.g., useful collaborative arrangements or subject populations?
• Is the environment of high quality and relevance for scientific and professional development of the candidate?
• What is the quality of NHLBI Scientific Director's statement of the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate.

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 score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: (1) risk to subjects, (2) adequacy of protection against risks, (3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, (4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and (5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: (1) the justification for the exemption, (2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and (3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: (1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; (3) adequacy of veterinary care; (4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and (5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

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

Not Applicable

Revisions

Not Applicable

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 score.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the level of experience of the applicant, including any prior instruction or participation in RCR as appropriate for the applicant’s career stage, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the mentor(s) and other faculty involvement in the fellow’s instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction (at least eight contact hours are required); and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee. See also: NOT-OD-10-019.

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 NHLBI in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
• Will receive a written critique.

Applications will be assigned 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 NHLBI Advisory Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

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.

There will not be a formal Notice of Award (NoA) associated with the mentored phase of the K22 award conducted in the NIH intramural program. The NHLBI will transmit to the successful candidate an approval letter that will include the terms and conditions of the NIH intramural K22 award, as well as expectations for the transition to the independent phase of the award.

A formal Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided as part of the extramural phase of the K22 award conducted at a domestic, sponsoring extramural institution/organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.

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, SAM 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. More specifically, for K Awards, visit the Research Career Development ( K ) Awardees section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Transition from the intramural phase to the extramural phase is not automatic. Approval of the transition will be based on the success of the awardee’s research program as determined by annual scientific reviews and by the evaluation of a research and career development plan to be carried out at the institution. Additionally, the sponsoring institution must demonstrate a commitment to the candidate by providing a minimum of nine person-months (75% full time professional effort) protected research time, space and resources needed to conduct the proposed research project and appropriate scientific mentoring. A plan for career development that will lead to research independence and the ability to successfully compete for research support is essential. The NHLBI will conduct a transition review no later than three months before the end of the intramural phase.

Candidates must provide a progress report using form PHS 2590, which should detail progress achieved on the specific aims of the Research Plan and on the pursuit of identified career and career development goals. Future goals for the research project and for further career development should also be indicated. The mentor must provide a separate narrative of the research and career development of the candidate.

The extramural phase institution will submit an application on behalf of the candidate for the K22 award using the SF424 application forms. These materials should be sent directly to the NHLBI ([email protected]). The original application plus one copy (preferably in a PDF format) are to be mailed to the Financial/Grants Management contact person of the NHLBI listed in this FOA. The independent phase application must include the following:

• A new face page signed by the independent phase institutional representative
• A brief description of the project updated to reflect current plans to address the specific aims.
• A description of the institutional environment, including: research facilities and the availability of appropriate educational opportunities, including collaborating faculty, when necessary; quality and relevance of the environment for scientific and professional development of the candidate.
• Information about the sponsoring institution’s commitment to the candidate and to the candidate’s scientific independence, including: commitment to ensuring that the candidate’s effort required by the K22 program will be devoted directly to the research development activities described in the proposed research plans; institutional commitment to fostering the career development of the candidate.
• Position Description: the institution should provide a detailed description of the candidate’s position, responsibilities, and duties. The institution’s tenure-track policy should be defined or a description should be provided of the equivalent arrangements for institutions without a formal tenure-track.
• Evidence that the awardee has a Tenure Track Advisory Committee to enhance their career trajectory and assist in skill development other than scientific research (e.g., scientific management, administrative, and teaching responsibilities).
• Detailed budget, including justification for all requested funds:
  • List the name, role on project and percent effort for all project personnel (salaried and unsalaried) and provide a narrative justification for each person;
  • Identify all consultants by name and organization affiliation and describe the services to be performed;
  • Provide a narrative justification for any major budget items, other than personnel, that are requested for the conduct of the project;
  • Describe specific resources committed by the sponsoring institution to support the Candidate’s research.

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The Additional Instructions for Preparing Continuation Career Development Award (CDA) Progress Reports, must be followed. The Mentor’s Report must include an annual evaluation statement of the candidate’s progress

Intramural Phase:

The awardee’s progress will be evaluated on an annual basis by the mentor, Laboratory Chief, and Scientific Director and continued support will be approved by the intramural administrative officer.

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.

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.

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 from databases and from participants themselves. Participants 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.

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
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]

Intramural

Herbert M. Geller, Ph.D.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-451-1754
Email: [email protected]

Extramural

Nara Gavini, Ph.D.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-451-5081
Email: [email protected]

Director, Office of Scientific Review
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-435-0270
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Mark Wilkison
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-435-0184
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.