EXPIRED
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
National Eye Institute (NEI)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
U42 - Animal (Mammalian and Nonmammalian) Model, and Animal and Biological Materials Resource Cooperative Agreements
August 26, 2024 - This PAR has been reissued as PAR-24-258.
NOT-OD-22-190 - Adjustments to NIH and AHRQ Grant Application Due Dates Between September 22 and September 30, 2022
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support the Human Tissue and Organ Research Resource program to enable the continued availability of human tissues and organs to biomedical researchers. The research resource is expected to facilitate the procurement and preservation of human tissues and organs as well as the distribution of these materials to qualified biomedical researchers.
Not applicable
Application Due Dates | Review and Award Cycles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New | Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) | AIDS | Scientific Merit Review | Advisory Council Review | Earliest Start Date |
Not Applicable | January 25, 2022 * | Not Applicable | July 2022 | October 2022 | December 2022 |
Not Applicable | May 25, 2022 * | Not Applicable | November 2022 | January 2023 | April 2023 |
Not Applicable | September 25, 2022 * | Not Applicable | March 2023 | May 2023 | July 2023 |
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on the listed date(s).
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
Not Applicable
It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the SF424 (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.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for the continued support and advancement of a human organ and tissue resource. The overarching purpose of research funding by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) is to reduce the burden on society of the morbidity and mortality of diverse conditions and diseases and to understand normal human tissue and organ function. This FOA, issued by ORIP in partnership with several categorical NIH Institutes and Centers with interest in specific organs and diseases, focuses on providing a resource for biomedical research that facilitates the procurement and preservation of human tissues and organs as well as the distribution of these biospecimens to qualified researchers.
The overall goal of the research resource is to provide a wide variety of human tissues and organs, both diseased and normal, to investigators for laboratory studies depending on researcher needs. Such samples include tissues from the nervous, pulmonary, cardiovascular, lymphoid, endocrine, renal, digestive, and reproductive systems, as well as from eyes, skin, bone, cartilage, synovium, and muscle. Diverse human biospecimens facilitate critical investigations across the gamut of human diseases and medical conditions. Depending on the studies to which the biospecimens are applied, these samples enable human tissue research on both noninfectious and infectious diseases. The biospecimens facilitate research on diseases that are public health priorities and on rare diseases, such as genetic disorders.
The successful applicant/organization must have a demonstrated track record of running an established human tissue and organ research resource for providing diverse human biospecimens to researchers, including knowledge of managing such a resource, recognized relevant expertise, attention to rigor and reproducibility, and effective customer service. The resource is currently funded as a cooperative agreement (U42) to provide normal and diseased human tissues and organs for biomedical research. The research resource for human organs and tissues supports the procurement, preservation, and distribution of human tissue and organs for basic and clinical research at research centers, academic institutions, the NIH, and other federal agencies.
See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.
Cooperative Agreement: A support mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities. See Section VI.2 for additional information about the substantial involvement for this FOA.
The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this FOA.
Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.
Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?
One award will be made contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
The Direct Costs requested cannot exceed a 10% increase over the last year of the funded grant period. Requested Direct Costs need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
The scope of the proposed resource should determine the project period. The maximum period is 5 years.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.
1. Eligible Applicants
Only grantees previously funded under RFA-OD-17-001 are eligible to apply.
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.
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.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
2. Cost Sharing
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. Additional Information on Eligibility
Number of Applications
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, per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:
1. Requesting an Application Package
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution. A button to apply using ASSIST is available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise and where instructions in the Application Guide are directly related to the Grants.gov downloadable forms currently used with most NIH opportunities. 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.
Page Limitations
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
Component | Component Type for Submission | Page Limit | Required/Optional | Minimum | Maximum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | Overall | 6 | Required | 1 | 1 |
Use for Management Section | Core | 12 | Required | 1 | 1 |
Use for Resource Section | Core | 12 | Required | 1 | 1 |
Instructions for the Submission of Multi-Component Applications
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, and should be used for preparing a multi-component application.
The application should consist of the following components:
Overall Component
When preparing your application, use Component Type Overall .
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.
SF424(R&R) Cover (Overall)
Complete entire form.
PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Overall)
Note: Human Embryonic Stem Cell lines from other components should be repeated in cell line table in Overall component.
Research & Related Other Project Information (Overall)
Follow standard instructions.
Project/Performance Site Locations (Overall)
Enter primary site only.
A summary of Project/Performance Sites in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission.
Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Overall)
Include only the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) and any multi-PDs/PIs (if applicable to this FOA) for the entire application.
Any individual designated as a PD/PI must commit a minimum of 1.2 person-months of effort per year to the project.
A summary of Senior/Key Persons followed by their Biographical Sketches in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons will be generated upon submission.
Budget (Overall)
The only budget information included in the Overall component is the Estimated Project Funding section of the SF424 (R&R) Cover.
A budget summary in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from detailed budget data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission.
PHS 398 Research Plan (Overall)
Introduction to Application: For Resubmission applications, an Introduction to Application is required in the Overall component.
Specific Aims: State concisely the goals of the proposed human tissue and organ research resource and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed resource will exert on the research field(s) involved.
Research Strategy: Applicants must provide an overall description of the proposed resource and management/organizational structure, its specimens, and the topics of research. The overall description must include a summary of the purpose and history of the human organ and tissue resource and the research communities it serves. In addition, the overall description must describe how the human organ and tissue resource has been operated, including the interactions that occurred among tissue and organ banks, hospitals, research facilities, organ and tissue repositories, and the researchers served by this resource. Applicants must also address any recommendations of an advisory board/committee including external advisors.
Letters of Support: Statements of Institutional Commitment, Letters of Support from past and potential future users of the resources and services, Letters of Collaborations, and other similar documents, if appropriate, should be included in this section (rather than in the Management Section and Resource Section).
Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The following modifications also apply:
Appendix:
Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Overall)
When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, there must be at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record within the application. The study record(s) must be included in the component(s) where the work is being done, unless the same study spans multiple components. To avoid the creation of duplicate study records, a single study record with sufficient information for all involved components must be included in the Overall component when the same study spans multiple components.
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
PHS Assignment Request Form (Overall)
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Management Section
When preparing your application, use Component Type Core .
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.
SF424 (R&R) Cover (Management Section)
Complete only the following fields:
PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Management Section)
Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component.
Research & Related Other Project Information (Management Section)
Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions.
Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question.
Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components.
Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Management Section)
List all performance sites that apply to the specific component.
Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries.
Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Management Section)
Budget (Management Section)
Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package.
Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply.
PHS 398 Research Plan (Management Section)
Introduction to Application: For Resubmission applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component.
Specific Aims: State concisely the goals and administrative structure of the proposed Management Section.
Research Strategy:
This section must describe the proposed administrative structure of the project, including PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, the Advisory Board/Committee, other functional committees or special interest groups, and other research support resources. The applicant must describe how these units function to support and maintain the research resource plan of the human organ and tissue resource, as well as how communication will be maintained among tissue and organ banks, hospitals, research facilities, organ and tissue repositories, participating Federal agencies (i.e., ORIP/NIH and other NIH Institutes and Centers), and the biomedical research community. Appropriate structures that would oversee procurement, protocols for collection and storage, distribution procedures, and quality control of specimens should be described. Each PD/PI must devote at least 1.2 person-months of effort to the project each year. The applicant should describe an appropriate structure for an advisory board/committee. The following key areas should also be included in the management section:
i. Enhancing the capacity and evaluating processes of the human organ and tissue resource to engage biomedical researchers and address the tissue and organ requests.
ii. Evaluating and continually improving service, delivery, and communication with the biomedical research community.
iii. Addressing the shared commitment and linkages with tissue and organ banks, hospitals, research facilities, and tissue and organ procurement organizations affiliated with the applicant’s human tissue and organ research resource in the formulation and continued development of the research resource.
iv. Enhancing the capacity to utilize technologies and improving the quality of the resource’s approaches and protocols to access, procure, preserve, store, and distribute specimens.
v. Evaluating and continually maintaining biohazard safety.
vi. Evaluating and maintaining adherence to Health and Human Services and NIH guidelines and regulations on informed consent and research resources, and the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations Privacy Rule.
vii. Communicating with the government and public on recent research advances and the current research being done by the community of investigators who use the resource.
viii. Addressing the evaluation of the resource's processes and the implementation of plans to continually improve the resource's procedures and programs.
Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:
All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Resource Sharing Plan.
Appendix:
Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Management Section)
When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record.
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Resource Section
When preparing your application, use Component Type Core.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.
SF424 (R&R) Cover (Resource Section)
Complete only the following fields:
Applicant Information
Type of Applicant (optional)
Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project
Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates
PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Resource Section)
Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component.
Research & Related Other Project Information (Resource Section)
Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions.
Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question.
Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components.
Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Resource Section)
List all performance sites that apply to the specific component.
Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries.
Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Resource Section)
ASSIST will default to Project Lead . If you would like to use a different category, then replace Project Lead below with a different Category (e.g., Core Lead).
In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Project Lead and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field.
In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component.
Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component.
If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used.
Budget (Resource Section)
Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package.
Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply.
PHS 398 Research Plan (Resource Section)
Introduction to Application: For Resubmission applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component.
Specific Aims: State concisely the goals of the proposed Resource Section and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed Resource Section will exert on the ability of investigators at research centers, academic institutions, the NIH and other federal agencies to advance scientific knowledge across broad areas of biomedical research.
Research Strategy: A detailed progress report summarizing the previous 5-year funding cycle must be included in this section as background to document the development and progress of the resource.
A. Research Resource Design and Plan (Required)
i. Structure and Approach
The applicant must propose detailed plans describing the design and development of the resource for human organs and tissues, to include current capacities of the research resource, procedures for the procurement, shipping, preparation, preservation, confidentiality and informed consent, biohazards and pathogen screening, tissue and organ request application and fulfillment, and distribution of all types of specimens that will be handled by the resource center. The applicant must describe quality control, data collection and analysis, diagnostic verification, and how data will be stored and managed in a database. The design and development of the database should be such that it provides a user-friendly accounting of the resource’s holdings, including all human tissue and organ specimens for human subjects research, and ensures data integrity, accuracy, and security. The applicant must maintain a core of remote site collection centers.
ii. Customer Service
The applicant must describe the current status of, and future plans for, customer service and public relations. This description must include a plan for a user-friendly customer service interface. This plan needs to provide access for biomedical researchers who search for tissue and organ specimens, who have technical questions regarding the search or specification of tissue or organ specimens, or who need assistance with decisions on ordering or obtaining tissue and organ specimens. Moreover, the applicant must outline the current status of, and plans for, communication and enhancement of public relations of the research resource with government and private research facilities.
iii. Milestones
The application must present specific milestones that will need to be met in order to accomplish the work set out above in a 5-year time frame. The application must also include proposed metrics for tracking and evaluating program success and impact.
iv. Integration Plan
The applicant must describe the integration plan for the proposed project, and how it will facilitate the proposed goals and milestones. The application should describe the organization of the proposed research resource, including integration of the separate components to form an efficient pipeline from request of specimens to the specimens distribution to biomedical researchers. The integration plan should also describe the key personnel, the expert advisory committee, and reporting relationships. Recruitment and training of personnel should be discussed. The plan should also describe how the various components of the proposed research resource effort will be integrated, and how collaborations or subcontracts, if proposed, will be managed. Coordination of the proposed awardee’s activities with those of the other components of the human tissue and organ research resources, as well as with other national and international programs aimed at producing human tissue and organ specimens, must be described.
v. Sustainability Plan
The applicant must provide an overview table that shows how resource operations are currently funded, including support from: the current U42 cooperative agreement, Program Income (from different categories of users based on their funding), and other sources if applicable. The applicant must also describe a stepwise approach for how Program Income is projected to contribute to reductions in the costs of tissue procurement, distribution, and other services. All proposed costs and projected cost reductions requested above must be given in terms of the direct, indirect, and total costs, i.e. the fully loaded costs (including overhead). The calculated costs must take into account all of the expenses associated with each component activity, including those attributable to informatics infrastructure, quality control, management, and data release.
B. Evaluation (Required)
Procedures must be described for the evaluation of core functioning (e.g., by an advisory board/committee) and for implementing recommendations resulting from such evaluations. In addition, upon completion of a program evaluation and assessment, NIH will determine whether to (1) continue the resource as currently configured, (b) continue the resource with modifications, or (c) discontinue the resource.
C. Pilot Award Program (Optional)
The applicant may include a Pilot Award Program that solicits applications from investigators for a limited number of human biospecimens at no cost to support pilot research studies. If a Pilot Award Program is included, applications for pilot awards must be competitive and awards should be prioritized for underrepresented populations in the U.S. biomedical research enterprise (see NOT-OD-20-031), early stage investigators, and/or established preclinical investigators who have not previously used human biospecimens in their investigations but wish to do so to facilitate translational research. If a Pilot Award Program is incorporated into the Resource Section, briefly describe the following: nature of support provided to pilot program awardees; expectations of awardees; application criteria and format; scientific review committee composition; review criteria and decision process; application cycle (i.e., timing of applications and awards); expected number of awards per year and distribution of awardees' primary sources of funding; strategy for tracking impact of pilot awards; and outreach efforts to solicit applications and promote the program. The applicant also must describe how a Pilot Award Program would be supported, including levels of support from the parent award and other sources of funding
Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:
All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Resource Sharing Plan.
Resource Sharing Plans should be consolidated in the Overall Component.
Appendix:
Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix.Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.
The PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form replaces the Human Subjects section of the Research Plan form. FOAs that do not allow clinical trials use this form for human subjects. See https://nih-extramural-intranet.od.nih.gov/d/sites/default/files/PHSHumanSubjectsandClinicalTrialsInformationForm-Internal_Use_Only.pptx for more information.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Resource Section)
When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record.
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. 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. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.
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. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.
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.
5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
6. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
7. Other Submission Requirements and Information
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
For information on how your application will be automatically assembled for review and funding consideration after submission go to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/Electronic_Multi-project_Application_Image_Assembly.pdf.
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 How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) and component Project Leads must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential fieldof 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 and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.
Post Submission Materials
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy. Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the resource 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 resource proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a resource that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance
Does the proposed Center address the needs of the research resource that it will serve? Is the scope of activities proposed for the Center appropriate to meet those needs? Will successful completion of the aims bring unique advantages or capabilities to the research resource? If the aims of the project are achieved, will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? Will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Investigator(s)
Are the PD(s)/PI(s) and other personnel well suited to their roles in the Center? Do they have appropriate experience and training, and have they demonstrated experience and an ongoing record of accomplishments in managing biomedical research? Do the investigators demonstrate significant experience with coordinating collaborative basic or clinical research? If the Center is multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise and skills; are their leadership approach, governance, plans for conflict resolution, and organizational structure appropriate for the Center? Does the applicant have experience overseeing selection and management of subawards, if needed?
Innovation
Does the application propose novel organizational concepts, management strategies, or instrumentation in coordinating the research resource the Center will serve? Are the concepts, strategies, or instrumentation novel to one type of research program or applicable in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of organizational concepts, management strategies, or instrumentation proposed?
Approach
Are the overall strategy, operational plan, and organizational structure well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the goals of the research resource the Center will serve? Will the investigators promote strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased scientific approach across the resource, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the resource is in the early stages of operation, does the proposed strategy adequately establish feasibility and manage the risks associated with the activities of the resource? Are an appropriate plan for work-flow and a well-established timeline proposed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to ensure consideration of relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies of vertebrate animals or human subjects?
If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment
Will the institutional environment in which the Center will operate contribute to the probability of success in facilitating the research projects it serves? Are the institutional support, equipment, and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the Center proposed? Will the Center benefit from unique features of the institutional environment, infrastructure, or personnel? To what extent are resources available within the scientific environment able to support electronic information handling?
Review Criteria for the Management Section
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and provide a component score for the Core. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.
Review Criteria for the Resource Section
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and provide a component score for the Core. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.
As applicable for the resource 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 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 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 Individuals Across the Lifespan
When the proposed resource 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 individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) 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 criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. 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
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.
Revisions
Not applicable
As applicable for the resource 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.
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 Resource Sharing Plan is reasonable.
Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources:
For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.
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 Center for Scientific Review, 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 will receive a written critique.
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.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
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. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
1. Award Notices
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in theNIH 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 recipient's business official.
Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. 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 terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.
Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Grantee institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.
Prior Approval of Pilot Projects
Recipient-selected projects that involve {clinical trials or studies involving greater than minimal risk to human subjects} require prior approval by NIH prior to initiation.
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: Generaland Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:
If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.
Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex. This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/index.html.
HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA.
Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697.
In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 and 2 CFR Part 200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.
The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Part 75, 2 CFR Part 200, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the recipient is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipient's activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipient in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the recipient for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the recipient and the NIH as defined below.
The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:
NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:
The role of the ORIP/NIH Project Scientist in the cooperative agreement is to support and encourage the recipient's activities by substantial involvement as a partner and facilitator in the process without assuming responsibilities that remain with the PDs/PIs. The ORIP Project Scientist will work closely with the PD/PI and other Program member scientists to facilitate collaborations and to leverage the resources available to the Program. The Project Scientist will have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the stewardship role in awards, as described below:
An ORIP Project Collaborator (Program Official plus substantial scientific and/or programmatic involvement) will be responsible for:
ORIP reserves the right to terminate or curtail the study (or an individual component of the award) in the event of inadequate progress, data reporting, or insufficient use of this resource.
Areas of Joint Responsibility include:
Dispute Resolution:
When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final RPPR, 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. NIH FOAs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 45 CFR Part 75.301 and 2 CFR Part 200.301.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All recipients 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 the threshold. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113and 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM)about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75and 2 CFR Part 200 Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
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, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
Stephanie Murphy, V.M.D., Ph.D.
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, OD
Telephone: 301-451-7818
Email: stephanie.murphy@nih.gov
Matthew Arnegard, Ph.D.
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, OD
Telephone: 301-451-2074
Email: matthew.arnegard@nih.gov
Heiyoung Park, PhD
National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: 301-594-5032
E-mail: parkh1@mail.nih.gov
Paekgyu Lee
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: (301)435-864
E-mail: paek.lee@nih.gov
Louis J Vuga
National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Phone: 301-435-0233
E-mail: louis.vuga@nih.gov
Sandra Bridges Gurgo, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-496-8198
Email: sbridges@niaid.nih.gov
Kristin M. Abraham, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Phone: (301) 451-8048
E-mail: abrahamk@mail.nih.gov
Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Email: FOAReviewContact@csr.nih.gov
Gavin Wilkom
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Telephone: 301-827-7078
Email: wilkomg@mail.nih.gov
Karen Robinson smith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: (301) 451-2020
E-mail: kyr@nei.nih.gov
Anthony Agresti
National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Phone: 301-827-8014
E-mail: agrestia@nhlbi.nih.gov
Ann Devine
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-2988
Email: adevine@niaid.nih.gov
Christina Coriz
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Phone: 301-594-8848
E-mail: corizc@mail.nih.gov
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 Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200.