INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD Release Date: June 24, 1998 PA NUMBER: PAR-98-085 P.T. National Institute of General Medical Sciences Application Receipt Date: October 1 PURPOSE The Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) Division announces an Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) Initiative that would combine a traditional mentored postdoctoral research experience with an experience to develop teaching skills through innovative programs that involve mentored assignments at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). The combined program would facilitate the progress of postdoctoral candidates toward research and teaching careers in academia. An objective of the initiative would be to provide an important new resource to motivate the next generation of scientists at MSIs. It could also enhance linkages between faculty at MSI and their counterparts at research intensive institutions. Thus, the objectives of this initiative are three-fold: 1) to enhance research oriented teaching at MSIs; 2) to increase the research and other skills needed by developing scientists to conduct high quality research in an academic environment; and 3) to promote linkages between research intensive institutions and MSIs that can lead to further collaborations in research and teaching. Finally, a desired long-term outcome is to increase the number of well-qualified underrepresented minority students entering competitive careers in biomedical research. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS An application must be submitted on behalf of a consortium of domestic private or public, educational institutions. The applicant institution should be the primary site of the postdoctoral research experience. An institution may not submit more than one application. A consortium must include one or more partners that are MSIs as defined below: A public or private nonprofit university, two-year or four-year college, or other institution offering undergraduate, graduate, or health-professional degrees, with a traditionally high (more than 50 percent) underrepresented minority student enrollment, A public or private nonprofit university, two-year or four-year college, or other institution offering undergraduate, graduate, or health-professional degrees with a student enrollment, a significant proportion of which (but not necessarily more than fifty percent) is derived from underrepresented minorities, provided the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services determines that said institution has a demonstrated commitment to the special encouragement of, and assistance to, under represented minority faculty, students, and investigators; or an Indian tribe that has a recognized governing body and that performs substantial governmental functions, or an Alaska Regional Corporation (ARC), as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). The primary objective of the research career development program is to prepare qualified individuals for careers that significantly impact the Nation's research agenda. Within the framework of the program's commitment to excellence and projected need for investigators in particular areas of research, attention must be given to recruiting postdoctoral candidates from minority groups underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. For the purposes of this program announcement, underrepresented minorities are individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group that has been determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research. Historically, individuals who have been found to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research include, but are not limited to, U.S. citizens who are Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans (including Alaskan natives) and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands. The traditional postdoctoral research experience must fall within the scope of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) mission as detailed in the publication, "Divisions and Grant Award Mechanisms," available from the NIGMS Public Information Office (301-496-7301); additional information can be found on the NIGMS home page at http://www.nih.gov/nigms/. In brief, NIGMS supports research in (a) cell biology and molecular biophysics, including basic studies of the structure and function of cells, cellular components, and the biological macromolecules that make up these components; (b) fundamental mechanisms of inheritance and development that typically utilize non-human model systems; (c) basic studies in pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, biorelated chemistry; (d) basic studies in anesthesiology; (e) basic studies in biotechnology, including biocatalysis and metabolic engineering; (f) bioengineering, including instrumentation development and refinement and development of bioanalytical methods and biomaterials; and (g) trauma and burn injury. Institutions with an IRACDA may recruit and select candidates directly into their programs rather than submitting a separate application on behalf of each prospective candidate. Candidates appointed under this program award must be U.S. Citizens or noncitizen nationals, or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551) or some other verification of legal status as a permanent resident. Noncitizen nationals, although not U.S. citizens, owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. They are generally born in lands, which are not states but are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Postdoctoral candidates must have received, as of the beginning date of the appointment to the program, a Ph.D., M.D. or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Eligible doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: D.D.S., D.M.D., D.O., D.V.M., O.D., D.P.M., Sc.D., Eng.D., Dr. P.H., D.N.Sc., D. Pharm., D.S.W., and Psy.D. Documentation by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution certifying all degree requirements have been met prior to the beginning date of their appointment is acceptable. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Awards under this program will use an Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (K12). Responsibility for the planning, direction, execution, and tracking for evaluation of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this program announcement may not exceed five years and is renewable. OBJECTIVE Background As of 1992, underrepresented minorities constituted only 4.5 percent of the postdoctoral fellows in the life sciences and less than 2.7 percent of the principal investigators of NIH research grants. In addition, the number of underrepresented minority applicants for research grants and training positions is very low. In the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, NIH was encouraged to increase the number of underrepresented minorities participating in biomedical and behavioral research. In response to the Act, NIGMS seeks innovative ways to enhance the training of students at MSIs. This mission is important because there are declining numbers of underrepresented minority group members entering graduate school and even lesser numbers of them who choose careers in biomedical science. The reasons for this are numerous and complex. Exposure to research oriented courses is desirable to motivate minority students to consider research careers. While teaching is, in general, a strength of the MSIs, it is a challenge to enrich the curriculum with the most contemporary topics and laboratory experiences presented by faculty actively engaged in research. Many MSIs, in part because of their small size, are limited in the number of advanced courses in the biomedical sciences that they are able to offer. Furthermore, if faculty turnover is low, students may have lesser access to young faculty who are steeped in their respective research areas. A separate but contemporary problem is that many young scientists find that the traditional postdoctoral research experience does not give them the best preparation for entering an academic environment in which teaching and other problem solving skills are essential. This program announcement will establish an opportunity for universities and other eligible institutions that are involved in cutting edge biomedical research and training to design research career development programs that include and build upon a teaching experience at a MSI. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS This initiative encourages innovative solutions to the problems of attracting and training post-doctoral candidates in both research and academic skills and also of increasing opportunities for students at MSIs. It therefore, gives the applicant institutions wide latitude in the design of the program. However, career development activities, which should last two to four years, must include the following components: 1) A research experience typical of other competitive postdoctoral opportunities. The research mentor will sponsor and oversee the proposed research development program and will ensure that the candidate receives the proper experience for a future research career. The mentor is expected to be a collaborator on the candidate's research project. However, the candidate may conduct collaborative research with other experienced researchers, subject to approval of the mentor. 2) A mentored teaching experience, the practicum of which will take place at a MSI. At least 33% of the effort must be spent on this activity, the timing of which may be flexible over the duration of the award. The activity must emphasize modern pedagogy. The teaching mentor will sponsor and oversee the proposed academic development program and will ensure that the candidate receives the proper experience for the future academic career. 3) Other mentored and/or didactic experiences to improve problem solving or management skills deemed important for an individual to prosper in an academic research environment. 4) Flexibility in program design may include flexibility in scheduling. For example, a plan might involve large blocks of time devoted to research separated by a large block of time devoted to teaching (research 1 year, teach 1 year, research 1 year). Alternatively, for institutions in close proximity, the teaching may represent a 33% effort throughout the award. 5) Combining research and teaching in a single career development program offers certain challenges. Designing a program that moves a postdoc between partners of a consortium offers other challenges. A strong application will evidence a solid working relationship among partners of the consortium and will include plans that anticipate and mitigate the challenges. It should involve all partners in the planning and execution of the elements of the career development program. Applicants should describe their proposed program in detail. They should explain how the program will meet their institutional and consortium goals and specific measurable objectives and how meeting these goals will fulfill the objectives of this program announcement. Evaluation is central to activities supported by the MORE Division. Therefore, the entire career development award must be evaluated in terms of goals and specific measurable outcomes as explicitly stated in the application. Outcomes should include, but are not limited to, progress of the candidates toward a productive research career, documented enhancement of academic skills and importantly, a measurable value for the MSI. Examples of a measurable value might include but are not limited to: an increase in the revised or upgraded lecture or laboratory courses at the MSI; an increased awareness and use of teaching tools such as intranet or internet based tools; an increase in the number or diversity of research oriented courses in the MSI curriculum; an increase in the number of MSI students who have research experiences at the research institution; an increase in the number of collaborations between faculty at the MSI and the research institution. Annual progress reports and renewal applications will report on the program's ongoing evaluation. Allowable Costs Candidates. The budget request may include salary/wages and fringe benefits to support full-time effort of the IRACDA candidates. The total salary requested for each candidate must be based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment. It must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the institution and with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. If full-time, 12-month salaries are not currently paid to comparable staff members, the salary proposed must be appropriately related to the existing salary structure. Research Development Support. Grant funds may be used to support the following expenses: (a) salary as above, (b) tuition, fees and books related to career development, (c) research expenses, such as supplies, (d) travel to one training or scientific meeting per year, (e) statistical services including personnel and computer time. Academic Development Support. Funds may used to support mentoring activities in academic skills development and teaching practicum at the MSI . That is, release time may be granted for teaching mentors at the MSI. Funds may be requested for supplies and small equipment necessary for course development at the MSI. Program Administration. Funds may be used for program administration and for evaluation of the overall program. Up to 10% of the program directors' time and up to 50% of a program assistant may be supported if specifically and strongly justified. Facilities and administrative costs will be reimbursed at 8% of the modified total direct costs, or at the actual facilities and administrative costs, which ever is less. Grant funds may not be expended on the following: (a) compensation for the Principal Investigator or research mentors, (b) direct support of the mentors' laboratories, (c) compensation of administrative personnel normally paid from institutional overhead charges, (d) administrative activities such as public relations, (e) health or educational services, (f) travel of the Principal Investigator, Program Director or mentors to scientific meetings, (g) costs of clinical care, alterations and renovations. INCLUSION OF WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women, children, 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 in inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects of the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103 43). 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 in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994. NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL address: http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html 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. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are requested to submit by September 1, 1998, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed plan, the name, address, and telephone number of the program director, the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of applications. It allows NIGMS staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is to be sent to the program director listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research from the Office of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20872-7762, telephone (301) 710-0267, email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov and from the NIGMS program director listed under INQUIRIES. The title and number of the program announcement must be typed in Section 2 on the face page of the application. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and five legible copies of the signed application in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817-7710 (for express/courier service) Application receipt date is October 1. The application should address the following issues: (1) Provide information establishing the commitment of the applicant institution and the consortium partners, the program director, and the faculty mentors to providing developmental experiences that lead to independence in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research and teaching. (2) Summarize the immediate and long-term career objectives of the program, explaining how the program and the IRACDA will contribute to their attainment. (3) Describe the career development plans for prospective candidates. Considering the program goals and the likely goals of prospective candidates, describe a plan to provide the necessary basic science background and research experiences considering the expected range of prior research training in the applicant pool. (4) Describe the plan for enhancing teaching and management skills of the candidates. (5) Describe the pool of potential candidates including information about the types of prior clinical and research training. Also, describe how the appointments will be made to the IRACDA. Describe the composition of the selection committee and the criteria to be used for selection. Describe plans to recruit candidates from racial or ethnic groups that are currently underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral sciences. (6) Describe to the extent possible the types of research experiences available to the candidates. The research experiences may include either basic or clinical science approaches to biomedical or behavioral problems. (7) Describe the types of activities, courses or workshops that will be used to enhance academic skills. Describe the range of teaching opportunities and how teaching skills will be assigned. (8) Applications must include plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and duration of instruction; and the amount and nature of faculty participation. No award will be made if an application lacks this component. (9) Describe the plan and criteria to be used for program evaluation. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, NIH staff will administratively review applications. Incomplete and/or unresponsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific and technical merit by appropriate peer review groups convened by NIGMS. The second level of review will be provided by the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council. Review Criteria Applications are evaluated for merit by NIH initial review groups based on the following criteria: (1) Program Director o The program director's experience in managing career development programs and success in preparing investigators for independent research careers, (2) Candidate(s) o Availability of high quality potential candidates, o Plan for recruiting and selecting candidates (including minorities and women); and objectives, design, and direction of the research career development program. o Plan to identify candidates with a commitment to research and the potential to develop as an independent researcher. (3) Career Development Plan o Likelihood that the career development plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the candidates, o Appropriateness of the content, the phasing, and the proposed duration of the career development plan for achieving scientific and academic independence for the prospective candidates, o Quality of the training in the responsible conduct of research, o Usefulness of the plans for enhancing the academic skills as described in the career development plan. (4) Plan to Develop Academic Skills o Technical merit of the mentored teaching experience including, design and methodology for enhancing skills, o Relevance of the proposed activities to the career objectives of the potential candidate, o Adequacy of the plan's attention to gender and minority issues, (5) Mentor o Appropriateness of the research faculty mentor's qualifications in the area of this application, o Appropriateness of the teaching faculty mentor's qualifications, o Quality and extent of the mentor's proposed role in providing guidance and advice to candidates, o Previous experience of the mentors in fostering the development of academic researchers, (6) Environment o Applicant institution's commitment to the scientific development of the candidate and assurances that the institution intends the candidate to be an integral part of its research program, o Adequacy of research facilities and training opportunities, o Quality of the environment for scientific and professional development, o Applicant institution's commitment to the appropriate weighing of research and teaching responsibilities, o Evidence of a functional consortium, with commitment and involvement in planning on the part of all partners, to foster the career development, including underrepresented minority students, in the skills necessary for success in the biomedical sciences. o Evidence of institutional commitment, and strength of the efforts of the partner institutions, to foster the professional development of underrepresented minorities. AWARD CRITERIA Award decisions will be based on the technical merit of the applications, and the geographical distribution of the awardee institutions. Awards can be made only to institutions with financial management systems and management capabilities that are acceptable under PHS policy. Awards will be administered under the PHS Grants Policy Statement. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this program announcement are strongly encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Clifton Poodry, Ph.D. Division of Minority Opportunities in Research National Institute of General Medical Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 2AS.37 MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-3900 FAX: (301) 480-2753 Email: poodryc@nigms.nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Antoinette Holland National Institute of General Medical Sciences 45 Center Drive, Room 2AN.50B MSC 6200 Bethesda, MD 20892-6200 Telephone: (301) 594-5132 FAX: (301) 480-3423 Email: hollanda@ nigms.nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.960. Awards are authorized by Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and administered under PHS grants policies and the code of Federal Regulations 45 CFR Part 74, 45 CFR Part 92 and 42 CFR Part 52. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental 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 work place 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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