MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RESEARCH APPRENTICE PROGRAM

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 26, July 15, 1994



PA NUMBER:  PAR-94-081



P.T. 44



Keywords:

  Biomedical Research Training 

  Educational Instruction Programs 



National Center for Research Resources



Application Receipt Date:  October 18, 1994



PURPOSE



The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institutes

of Health (NIH), plans to continue the Minority High School Student

Research Apprentice Program (MHSSRAP) in 1995 during the phase in of

the new "NCRR Minority Initiative:  K-12 Teachers and High School

Students."  The purpose of the MHSSRAP program is to provide minority

high school students with a meaningful experience in various aspects of

health-related research in order to stimulate their interest in careers

in science.  The program also includes in-service elementary, middle,

junior, and senior high school teachers, and potential K-12 science

teachers in pre-service education programs. Eligible teachers will

still be those who are members of a minority group or who teach a

significant number of minority students.  Teachers may participate in

the program for a second year.  The hands-on summer research project

must be structured to update the teachers' knowledge and skills in

modern research tools and techniques as well as to strengthen their

teaching skills.  The experience should provide teachers the

opportunity to bring back to the classroom a sense of the excitement of

research that would stimulate students to pursue scientific careers.

A longer range goal is to establish year round linkages between

pre-service and in-service science teachers, elementary and secondary

school students, and biomedical researchers.



Awards are contingent on the availability of appropriated funds.  Thus,

allocations may be reduced below the amount requested in the

application.  Upon recommendation of the National Advisory Research

Resources Council, the NCRR will give preference in making awards to

those institutions that can support a summer program having a "critical

mass" of at least five or six students.



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS



Eligible organizations or organizational components are those domestic,

non-profit organizations that (1) at the time of application, received

at least three NIH research grants in the research grants base (defined

below) totaling $200,000 in FY 1994; (2) have this minimum threshold of

active NIH research grant support, excluding no cost extensions, at

time of award; and (3) did not receive a FY 1994 award under the NCRR

Minority Initiative K-12 Teachers and High School Students. (For

purposes of this program, the "research grants base" is defined as

those grants awarded with the following activity codes: K01, K02, K04,

K05, K06, K08, K11, K12, K14, K15, K16, K20, K21, P01, P40, P41, P42,

P50, P60, R01, R03, R10, R21, R24, R29, R35, R37, R55, S06, S14, U01,

U10, U24, U42, and U54.) Recipients of an active Minority Biomedical

Research Support (MBRS) Grant are also eligible.



Under-represented minority students and teachers are defined as

individuals who identify themselves as Black, Hispanic, Native

American, Pacific Islander, or any particular ethnic or racial group

that has been determined by the grantee institution to be

under-represented in biomedical or behavioral research.



Participants eligible for support must be U.S. citizens or have a

permanent visa.  Eligible students are those who are enrolled in high

school during the 1994-1995 academic year.  (Students who will graduate

from high school in 1995 are eligible, as is a student who participated

in a previous year provided he/she is still enrolled at the high school

level.)



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



The mechanism of support for this program will be the NIH supplement

(S03).



Awards will be for one year beginning March 1, 1995, contingent upon

availability of appropriated funds. Support will be provided at a level

of $2,000 for each student apprentice, $3,000 for each pre-service

teacher, and $5,000 for each in-service science teacher.  Applications

may request both students and teachers or students only.  No indirect

costs will be paid.  Direct support must be as salary; stipends are not

allowed.  Funds allocated may also be utilized for supplies, extending

the research experience, or if adequate funds exist, for the addition

of a student apprentice.  However, funds from these grants may only be

used for the costs of the apprentice program.  The Program Director is

responsible for the recruitment and selection of the apprentices and

science teachers and assignment of each to an appropriate investigator.

Because the nature and scope of the proposed activities submitted in

response to this program announcement may vary, it is anticipated that

the size of an award will vary also.



Students.  Recruitment and selection of students must emphasize factors

including the student's motivation, ability, scholastic aptitude, and

accomplishments.  In addition, consideration must be given to science

teachers' recommendations and, whenever possible, the degree of

parental commitment.  Assignments must be made to investigators

involved in health-related research who are committed to increasing the

high school student's understanding of research and the technical

skills needed.



Teachers.  Recruitment and selection criteria for in-service teachers

must include:  experience and teaching responsibilities, level of

interest in participating in a research program, expected impact on

their teaching programs, ability to stimulate minority students to

pursue scientific careers, and future plans for continued interaction

with the research institution.  Potential teachers should be enrolled

in pre-service programs and have an expressed interest in teaching life

sciences at the K-12 level.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



The application consists of (a) a letter stating the justification for

the number of student and teacher positions requested (preference will

be given to those institutions with a demonstrated commitment and a

documented history of encouraging students to pursue scientific

careers) and (b) the original and one signed and completed copy of the

face page, page 4 "Detailed Budget for First 12-Month Budget Period

Direct Costs Only," and checklist pages of the grant application form

PHS 398 (rev. 9/91).  The required pages of the PHS 398 application

form must be completed according to instructions provided in the PHS

398 (rev. 9/91) kit except for the following:



Face Page



Item 1 - Leave blank.



Items 2a and 2b - Check the box marked "YES" and type in the number and

title of this Program Announcement.



Items 4 and 5 - Not applicable; do not complete.



Item 6, Dates of entire proposed project period - Enter 03-01-95

through 02-29-96.



Item 7 and 8 - Insert the total dollar amount of the request, which is

the sum, from application page 4, of the number of student positions

requested times $2,000 per student; the number of pre-service teachers

requested times $3,000; and the number of in-service teachers times

$5,000.  No indirect costs will be provided; thus the direct and total

costs will be the same.



Item 14 - Enter the appropriate organizational code (see descriptive

information provided on page 15 of the PHS-398 form).  Note that no

credit will be given for the S03 application.



Page 4, "Detailed Budget for First 12-Month Budget Period Direct Costs

Only" - Using ONLY the Other Expenses category, enter on separate lines

the number of students requested at $2,000 per student; the number of

pre-service teachers requested at $3,000 per teacher; and the number of

in-service science teachers requested at $5,000 per teacher.



Enter the sum of the amounts requested for each under the "TOTALS"

column for the Other Expenses category and under "Total Direct Costs

for First 12-Month Budget Period" at the bottom of the page.



The original and one copy of the student and teacher report(s), signed

by the Program Director, must be submitted with the renewal application

by October 15, 1994 so that the data contained in these reports can be

used by NCRR to decide about policies and future funding for the

MHSSRAP.



These reports should also be submitted at the same time even if renewal

support is not requested.  All reports, including the Financial Status

Report, must be submitted to the NIH by the grantee institution no

later than May 31, 1995, unless an extension of the budget period end

date has been authorized in writing.



Applications must be received by October 18, 1994 by:



Office of Grants and Contracts Management

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 849

Bethesda, MD  20892**



DO NOT MAIL THE APPLICATION TO THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS, NIH.



INQUIRIES



Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged.  The opportunity to

clarify any issues or questions from potential

applicants is welcome.



Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:



Marjorie A. Tingle, Ph.D.

Biomedical Research Support Program

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 10A-11

Bethesda, MD  20982

Telephone:  (301) 594-7947



Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Ms. Mary V. Niemiec

Office of Grants and Contracts Management

National Center for Research Resources

Westwood Building, Room 849

Bethesda, MD  20982

Telephone:  (301) 594-7955



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance, No. 93.337, Biomedical Research Support.  Grants will be

awarded under the authority of the Public Health Service Act, Section

301 (a)(3); Public Law 78-410 (42 USC 241) as amended, and administered

under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 45 CFR 74 and the

Guidelines for Minority High School Student Research Apprentice

Program.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review

requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.



.

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