Full Text PAR-97-015
 
NIMH SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 25, Number 42, December 6, 1996
 
PA NUMBER:  PAR-97-015
 
P.T. 34

Keywords: 
  Grants Administration/Policy+ 
  Emotional/Mental Health 
  Mental Disorders 

 
National Institute of Mental Health
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Small Grants Program
provides research support of up to $50,000 per year (direct costs)
for up to two years for new research projects relevant to the mission
of the NIMH. This award is not renewable.  This Program Announcement
replaces and supersedes the NIMH portion of PA-91-08.
 
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000
 
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This PA,
NIMH Small Grants Program, is related to the priority areas of mental
health and mental disorders.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy
of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or
Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent
of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325
(telephone 202-512-1800).
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
Applications for small research grants may be submitted by any public
or private, for profit or nonprofit institution such as: a
university, college, hospital, or laboratory; units of State or local
government; and authorized units of Federal government.  Foreign
institutions are not eligible for this program announcement.
 
Small grant support may not be used to supplement research projects
already being supported or to provide interim support of projects
under review by the Public Health Service.  Simultaneous submissions
of both a small and regular research grant application on the same
topic will not be accepted.  Small grant support may not be requested
for thesis or dissertation research.
 
Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with
disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
This program will use the small grant (R03) mechanism. Support may be
requested for up to two years at $50,000 per year in direct costs,
plus allowable indirect costs, and an award is not renewable.  A no-
cost extension of up to 1 year may be granted to the grantee
institution prior to expiration of the project period.  Support for
subsequent years may be requested through regular research grant
programs.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
The small grant program provides limited and relatively rapid
financial support for research within the program interests of the
NIMH.  Funding decisions will be based on scientific merit as
determined by peer review, with priority given to applications in any
of the following four categories:
 
1.  Newer, less experienced investigators.
2.  Investigators at institutions without well developed research
traditions and resources.
3.  More experienced investigators, for exploratory studies that
represent significant change in research direction for them.
4.  More experienced investigators, for testing new methods or
techniques.
 
Applications must include an introductory paragraph in the research
plan section of the application identifying which priority category
(1 through 4 above) is relevant and providing explicit justification
for its applicability.  If the application does not fall into any of
the priority categories, this should be stated.
 
Applications may be made for support of research in any scientific
area relevant to mental health.  While applications may involve a
wide variety of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical disciplines,
relevance to the mission of the NIMH must be clear.  Applications for
studies outside these areas will be returned without review.
Potential applicants with questions concerning acceptability of their
proposed work may contact the program staff listed under INQUIRIES.
 
Division of Epidemiology and Services Research
 
The Division of Epidemiology and Services Research directs, plans,
supports, and conducts programs of research, research demonstrations,
research training, and resource development in prevention, clinical
services and service systems research, epidemiology, psychopathology,
assessment, classification, violence and traumatic stress, law and
mental health, and health and behavior.
 
Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science
 
The Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science directs, plans,
supports, and conducts programs of research, research demonstrations,
research training, and resource development to further understand the
etiology, and pathophysiology of mental disorders with a focus on:
behavioral and social sciences, cognitive sciences, and
neurosciences, including neuroimaging, neurophysiology,
neuropsychopharmacology, and cellular and molecular neurobiology.
 
Division of Clinical and Treatment Research
 
The Division of Clinical Research directs, plans, supports, and
conducts programs of research, research demonstrations, research
training, and resource development in psychopathology,
classification, assessment, etiology, genetics, clinical course,
outcome, and treatment of mental disorders with emphasis on
schizophrenic disorders, affective and anxiety disorders, and mental
disorders of children and adolescents, the elderly, minorities, and
other special populations.  The Division also coordinates the
Institute's medications development program.
 
Office on AIDS
 
The Office of AIDS supports programs of research that focus on the
mental health issues of persons with AIDS, persons who are HIV
positive, or persons who are at risk of contracting the virus.
 
Office on Rural Mental Health Research
 
The Office on Rural Mental Health Research supports programs of
research that focus on the mental health issues of persons who live
in rural areas.
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN
SUBJECTS
 
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups
and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported
biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects,
unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided
that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the
subjects or the purpose of the research.  This new policy results
from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law
103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies
(Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and
Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations), which
have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some
provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies.
 
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should
read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as
Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the
Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and reprinted
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11,
March 18, 1994.
 
Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program
staff listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide
additional relevant information concerning the policy.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS
398 (rev. 5/95) and will be accepted at the standard application
deadlines as indicated in the application kit.  Application kits are
available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may
be obtained from the Office of Extramural Outreach and Information
Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC
7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 710-0267; FAX (301)
480-0525; Email: ASKNIH@ODROCKM1.OD.NIH.GOV.  The title and number of
the program announcement must be typed in Section 2 on the face page
of the application.
 
The application must be completed according to the instructions
accompanying the PHS 398, with two exceptions:
 
1.  The narrative portion of the small grant application that
describes the research plan (items a-d) may not exceed 10 pages of
text.  Applications exceeding this length will be returned without
review. Appendices may not be used to exceed the page limitation.
 
2.  An introductory paragraph to the research plan must identify
which of the four priority categories listed under RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES applies and provide an explanation of how that priority
category applies.  If the application does not fall into any of the
priority areas, this should be stated.
 
The completed original application and five legible copies must be
sent or delivered to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for courier/overnight service)
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened in
accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures.  All
applications will receive a written critique and undergo a process in
which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific
merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be
discussed and assigned a priority score.
 
Review Criteria
 
When reviewing applications for scientific merit, the review
committee will consider the following criteria:
 
o  Innovativeness/significance of the research idea; creativity of
the approach
 
o  Qualifications of the Principal Investigator and other relevant
staff
 
o  For pilot studies, the potential of the proposed study to be a
building block in the development of future research
 
o  Appropriateness of the proposed approach; i.e. the research
design, methods, and analyses
 
o  Availability and quality of the proposed resources.
Appropriateness of the budget for the tasks proposed.
 
o  Adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their
subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research.
Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated.
 
The initial review group will also examine the provisions for the
protection of human and animal subjects, the safety of the research
environment, and conformance with the NIH Guidelines for the
Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research.
 
In applying the above criteria, reviewers take into consideration the
stage of scientific career development of the principal investigator.
 
After their review for scientific merit and the assignment of a
priority score, reviewers will evaluate the justification provided
for the priority category listed for this program.  An administrative
note in the summary statement documenting the review will reflect
their evaluation.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
Criteria for funding of applications include the scientific merit of
the application, relevance to areas of interest described in the
institute research program announcements, and availability of funds.
In addition, NIMH staff will consider the IRG evaluation of the
justification for the small grant priority category.  While this
program announcement does not specifically exclude applications that
do not fall into one of the priority categories, applications that
are in these areas will be given priority in funding.  Accordingly,
other applicants are advised to consider applying for regular
research grants even if they are requesting support that is within
the small grant program dollar and time limits.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Inquiries are encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or
questions from potential applicants is welcome.
 
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
 
Kenneth G. Lutterman, Ph.D.
Division of Epidemiology and Services Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-95
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-3373
FAX:  (301) 443-4045
Email:  klutterm@nih.gov
 
Henry Khachaturian, Ph.D.
Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 11-103
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-8033
FAX:  (301) 443-1731
Email:  hk11b@nih.gov
 
David Stoff, Ph.D.
Division of Clinical and Treatment Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10C-16
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-1636
FAX:  (301) 480-8976
Email:  dstoff@nih.gov
 
Lauretta Grau, Ph.D.
Office on AIDS
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-75
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-6100
FAX:  (301) 443-9719
Email:  LGrau@nih.gov
 
Anthony Pollitt, Ph.D.
Office of Rural Mental Health Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-104
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-9001
FAX:  (301) 443-6893
Email:  apollitt@nih.gov
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Diana S. Trunnell
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-08
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-2805
FAX:  (301) 443-6885
Email:  Diana_Trunnell@nih.gov
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No.  93.242.  Awards are made under authorization of the
Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as
amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered
under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45
CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental
review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency
review.  Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as
stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement (April 1,
1994).
 
PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide
a smoke-free workplace and promote the nonuse of all tobacco
products.  In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of
1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any
portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education,
library, day care, health care or early childhood development
services are provided to children.  This is consistent with the PHS
mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the
American people.
 
.

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