Full Text PAR-97-023
 
INTERNET CONNECTION FOR MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 1, January 10, 1997
 
PA NUMBER:  PAR-97-023
 
P.T. 15, 18

Keywords: 
  Information Science/Systems 

 
National Library of Medicine
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is encouraging the development
of a communications infrastructure to promote the rapid interchange
of medical information nationally and throughout the world.  This
infrastructure is based upon the Internet, a network of networks,
that is a key element in important Federal initiatives in High
Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) and the National
Information Infrastructure (NII).  Internet access provides health
professionals engaged in education, research, clinical care, and
administration with a means of accessing remote databases, libraries,
NLM's Internet Grateful Med, DOCLINE, and Loansome Doc, of
transferring files and images, and of interacting with colleagues
throughout the world.  To accelerate the pace with which
health-related institutions become part of the electronic information
web, NLM is offering grants to support institution-wide Internet
connections.
 
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 Program
Announcement (PA), Internet Connection for Medical Institutions, is
related to the priority area of surveillance and data systems.
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 20402-0325 (telephone 202-512-1800).
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
Domestic, public and private, non-profit institutions engaged in
health sciences administration, education, research, and/or clinical
care are eligible to apply.  "Health sciences" is defined as
medicine, dentistry, nursing, public health, pharmacy, veterinary
medicine, and other sciences related to health.  Hospitals are
encouraged to apply.  Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and
those with disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal
Investigators.  Domestic applications may not have international
components.
 
Groups (or cooperatives) of health-related institutions are also
eligible to apply.  A single, lead institution must apply on behalf
of the group.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
This PA uses the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Resource Grant
(G08) mechanism.  Indirect costs are not provided.  Responsibility
for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project
will be solely that of the applicant.  The total project period for
an application submitted in response to this PA may not exceed one
year.
 
For a single institution, support is available up to $30,000; a group
of institutions may receive up to $50,000 to support development of a
multi-institution network including extending extant connectivity to
outlying sites, or otherwise furthering NLM's goal of expanding
information outreach.  The overall cost of a connection to the
Internet includes:  gateway or router equipment, associated
communication hardware (CSU/DSU), the leased line and its
installation, local area network user support staff, and Internet
Service Provider fees.  The NLM grant is expected to support the
purchase and installation of the gateway system and associated
connection hardware, the cost of installation and leasing of
communication circuits to connect to the Internet Service Provider,
and the cost of Internet Service Provider fees.  Institutions are
expected to fund personnel, personal computers, and local area
network costs.  The emphasis of the Internet project should be
towards initiating institution-wide Internet access; therefore, costs
for website development are discouraged.  Grant funds may be used to
extend Internet access to other sites from an institution with an
existing connection.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
Background
 
The Internet currently is a collection of interconnected networks
and comprises three types of networks:  (1) a national backbone
network, (2) regional networks (Internet Service Providers) usually
based around some geographical region of the country, and (3) local
networks at educational, research and clinical institutions.
Individual institutions are connected to a regional network in the
appropriate geographical area.  The regional network is in turn
attached to the high-speed national backbone network, usually at its
network operation center.  The backbone is connected to other
national networks including the Defense Research Internet, NASA
Science Network, and the Energy Sciences Network; these
interconnected networks and many others worldwide comprise the
Internet.  The Internet provides electronic mail service and access
to a variety of scientific resources including:  digital libraries,
unique databases such as MEDLINE via Grateful Med as well as a host
of federal and private sector databases, supercomputers, and remote
scientific sensing instruments. The Internet promotes interaction and
collaboration with a single, well-integrated connection to end users
using the Defense Data Network protocols: Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol referred to as TCP/IP.
 
Network management and operations services as well as information
services are provided by each of the levels.  The national backbone
network provides for technical and information services to the
Internet Service Providers which may provide technical expertise and
information services, including training and documentation, to local
network administrators.  Local network officials provide technical
and information services to the overall local network administration
and may also provide consultative and liaison services to end-users
of the network.
 
Scope
 
The purpose of this PA is to encourage U.S. medical institutions
including medical research institutions, health science schools,
hospitals, and professional organizations to connect to the Internet.
Some institutions may belong to organizations that are already
connected to the Internet, for example, medical schools adjacent to
university campuses.  In such a case, the NLM grant can be used by a
health science school or hospital to link to an existing Internet
connection.  In other cases, the project will aid the institution in
initiating a direct connection  to the Internet Service Provider.  In
general, it is expected that institutions will use an existing local
area network to distribute wide access to the Internet, or will build
a new local area network and connect it to the Internet.  A local
area network is connected to the Internet by installing an IP
router/gateway.  This gateway will link the local area network to an
appropriate Internet Service Provider by means of leased or dial-up
communication circuits of varying speeds (9600 bits per second to 1.5
million bits per second).  The resultant connections to the Internet
provided by the gateway should be made widely available to all
appropriate health professionals -- researchers, faculty, students,
clinicians, and administrators.  Ideally the institution will have
installed a high-speed local area network and have adopted the TCP/IP
protocols as the standard communication protocol.  Where other
networking protocols are used, the institution will be responsible
for the installation of any additional network gateway systems
required to resolve the protocol conversion issues so as to provide
connectivity to the Internet gateway.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS
398 (rev. 5/95) and will be accepted at the standard deadline dates
(February 1, June 1 and October 1) as indicated in the instructions.
Applications kits are available at most institutional offices of
sponsored research and may be obtained from the Division of
Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910,
telephone 301/710-0267, email: asknih@odrockm1.od.nih.gov; and from
the program administrator listed under INQUIRIES.
 
Supplemental Application Guidelines
 
Applicants should not feel constrained by the emphasis on research in
the language used by the forms.  It may be useful for an applicant to
read "project" whenever the form and instructions refer to
"research".  NLM considers these grants to be projects, not research
applications, and will evaluate the applications in that spirit.  NLM
recommends that those writing the application keep the "project"
concept in mind.  Internet uses may support administration,
education, research and/or patient care endeavors.  Applicants are
encouraged to include their health science library in the proposed
Internet connection.
 
"Biographical Sketch" form page (FF).  Include computer,
communications, networking skills, including TCP/IP experience, and
Internet training.
 
"Resources" form page (HH).  Applicants are encouraged to substitute
applicable headings such as computers, communications, and networking
resources.  For multiple institutions these must be described for
each site.  Letters of agreement or memoranda of understanding
defining mutual responsibilities must be provided in the application
and signed by authorized officials of each participating institution.
 
In Section 9 of the "Research Plan" (read "Project Plan") also
provide:  1) proposed benefits of Internet access to the targeted
population; 2) plans for provision of institution-wide access, user
training and user support and 3) plans for future support.  The
success of an Internet connection depends upon training users in
establishing accounts and passwords and in teaching Internet
capabilities.  Describe user training plans including topics to be
covered and the personnel who will provide the training and
follow-up, ongoing training.  Library involvement in user training is
strongly encouraged.  In regard to future support, the Internet
Connection Grant is intended to provide seed money to initiate an
Internet connection; therefore, plans for budgeting ongoing costs for
Internet access must be described.
 
All applicants, particularly those relatively unfamiliar with the
application review form and with NIH procedures, are encouraged to
consult Ms. Frances Johnson (address below) for assistance as needed
in completing the application.
 
Additional Application Procedures
 
Each application must be identified by checking "YES" on Line 2 of
the face page, and the number and title of this program announcement
must be typed in Section 2.
 
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including
the Checklist, and five legible, single-sided copies in one package
to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, MSC 7710, SUITE 1040
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817-7710 (for express/courier service)
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the
NIH Division of Research Grants (DRG) and responsiveness by NLM.
Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without
further consideration.  Applications that are complete and responsive
to the PA will be evaluated for merit by an appropriate peer review
group convened by the NLM in accordance with the review criteria
stated below.
 
Applications that are complete and will be evaluated for scientific
and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened in
accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures.  As part of
the initial merit review, 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, assigned a priority
score, and receive a second level review by the appropriate national
advisory council or board.
 
Review Criteria
 
o  Significance of proposed project relative to the services,
programs and personnel expected to benefit from Internet access, and
the nature of the anticipated benefits.
 
o  Quality of local infrastructure including plans to provide broad
institutional access to the Internet gateway and plans to  develop
institution-wide high-speed networks.
 
o  Quality of user services and proposed training.
 
o  Technical expertise in computer networking (especially TCP/IP
based networking) or plans to provide such expertise including
coordination with appropriate Internet service provider.
 
o  Plans for future support of the network connection.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
In addition to the review criteria identified above, awards depend
upon available funds and programmatic priorities.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Written, electronic, and telephone inquiries concerning this PA are
encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from
potential applicants is welcome.
 
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
 
Ms. Frances E. Johnson
Division of Extramural Programs
National Library of Medicine
Building 38A, Room 5S-506
Bethesda, MD  20894
Telephone:  (301) 496-4621
FAX:  (301) 402-0421
Email:  FJOHNSON@NLM.NIH.GOV
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Ms. Ruth Bortz
Grants Management Specialist
Division of Extramural Programs
National Library of Medicine
Telephone:  (301) 496-4253
FAX:  (301) 402-0421
Email:  BORTZ@NES.NLM.NIH.GOV
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
The Resource Grant Program is described in the "Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance" under Medical Library Assistance, Chapter
93.879. Grants will be awarded under the authority of the Public
Health Service Act, Section 474(42 USC 286b-5) and administered under
PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations, most specifically at 42
CFR Part 59a and 45 CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the
inter-governmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or
Health Systems Agency review.
 
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use 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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