It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Application Guide (SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, eRA Commons Administrative Supplement User Guide or PHS 398 Application Guide, as appropriate) 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.

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

The mission of the NIH is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) works in partnership with the NIH institutes, centers, and offices to ensure that research on sex/gender factors in health and illness is an integral part of the scientific framework.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) requests applications for one year of funding for the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Administrative Supplements for Research on Sex/Gender Influences. This program is designed to provide supplemental funding to NIH-funded researchers to encourage the consideration of sex/gender factors in their ongoing research. The proposed research must address at least one objective from Goals 1 through 3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research.

Women and men are characterized by both sex and gender, as highlighted in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, "Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?" (IOM Report, 2001). For administrative supplement application, ORWH will use IOM definitions to describe sex and gender-based studies:

• Sex-based studies: Sex is the classification of living things, generally as male or female according to their reproductive organs and functions assigned by chromosomal complement.
• Gender-based studies: Gender refers to a person's self-representation as male or female, or how that person is responded to by social institutions based on the individual's gender presentation. Gender is rooted in biology and shaped by environment and experience.

Sex and gender are important considerations in many areas of research, including basic biological, psychological, social, and behavioral studies. With continuous interaction between sex and gender, human health is determined by both biology and expression of gender.

Consideration of these variables and comparisons of males and females may be critical to the accurate interpretation, validation, and generalization of research findings. Sex and gender may also determine how health and disease processes differ among women, or between women and men, and inform the development and testing of preventive and therapeutic interventions in both sexes. Sex-based comparisons in research may also ensure that findings are applicable to both women and men.

In a 2014 Nature commentary, NIH leadership called attention to a lack of knowledge about the influence of biological sex in preclinical research. Overreliance on male animals and cells in basic and preclinical research may obscure key sex differences that could guide clinical studies. Inadequate specification of the sex of cells, inadequate inclusion of female animals in experiments, and inadequate analysis and reporting of data by sex, may also contribute to irreproducibility of preclinical biomedical research. Additional information can be found in the article "Studying both sexes: a guiding principle for biomedicine" published by Dr. Clayton in FASEB J, 2016.

As of January 2016, the NIH expects that sex as a biological variable (SABV) will be factored into research design, analyses, and reporting in vertebrate animals and human subjects. This new policy is part of NIH's efforts to enhance rigor and reproducibility, and transparency. In parent awards, appropriate consideration of SABV depends on the context of the research question, existing knowledge about male and female biology and behavior, and other factors.

The current ORWH Administrative Supplement FOA is designed to enhance the ability of currently funded researchers to incorporate and/or enhance the influence of sex as a primary or key research outcome. For further information on NIH's expectations about consideration of sex as a biological variable, and NIH's initiative to improve reproducibility through rigor and transparency, please see the following documents: NOT-OD-15-102, NOT-OD-15-103, NOT-OD-16-011, NOT-OD-16-012.

All applicants must demonstrate that their supplement application specially addresses at least one objective from Goals 1 -3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research. Applicants are referred to the Strategic Plan for more information about the objectives under each goal.

The three goals are as follows:

Goal 1: Increase sex differences research in basic science studies

Goal 2: Incorporate findings of sex/gender in the design and development of new technologies, medical devices, and therapeutic drugs

Goal 3: Actualize personalized prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics for girls and women

A broad range of research fitting under these goals and their specific objectives may be appropriate for an administrative supplement application. We highly encourage the applicants to consider Goals 2 and 3, which are underrepresented. The following objectives of Goals 1 - 3 are of higher programmatic importance and applications studying one or more of these goals will be given higher consideration:

Objective 2.1:	Encourage the development of technologies that will address sex-based differences at all scales of detail, from the nanometer to the whole person.
Objective 2.3:	Develop the information systems needed for collecting, sharing, and comparing clinical data for diseases and conditions of women and girls.
Objective 2.4:	Develop computational models that will utilize multiple levels of analyses to address both qualitative and quantitative outcomes of clinical research related to women.
Objective 2.5:	Work toward devising minimally invasive technolo gies for rapid and accurate screening, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and conditions of women and girls.
Objective 2.8:	Consider the sex and age of the patient in the development of engineered medical products, cell-based therapeutics, and regenerative procedures.
Objective 2.9:	Encourage collaborative interactions among clinicians, bioethicists, and technologists regarding accessibility of new technologies, drugs, and other interventions relevant to women's health.
Objective 3.3:	Encourage research on safe and effective interventions for conditions affecting pregnant women.
Objective 3.4:	Expand research on pregnancy related conditions, such as preeclampsia, diabetes, and hypertension on the subsequent health of women and their offspring.
Objective 3.6:	Study sex/gender differences in the aging process.
Objective 3.7:	Explore differences in response to therapeutic interventions among samples of elderly women, including those with comorbid conditions.
Objective 3.8:	Conduct research on aging women with emphasis on prevention of frailty, promotion of healthy lifestyles, maintenance of independent living, self-management of symptoms, preservation of cognitive functions, and health-related quality of life.

For applications that address Goal 1, of special interest would be studies to understand the influence of biological sex on cells, primary cell cultures, immortalized cell lines, transformed cells, and tissue explants. For example, the following topics would be considered of interest, but are not limited to those listed below:

• Determination of unique properties of in vitro cell cultures at various stages, such as between the time of known genetic sex (XX, XY) and sex differentiation (hormone production and gonad formation)
• Biological mechanisms underlying common physiological or pathophysiological processes in male versus female cells in vitro

Other areas of interest include the study of both male and female subjects, and the comparison of their outcomes in the following general areas:

• Preclinical research projects aimed at increasing mechanistic understanding of sex differences
• Comparative studies of male and female cells (including stem cells), tissues, organs or physiological systems
• Systems biology (e.g., "omics") approaches and outcomes
• Bioengineering and imaging studies of structural and/or functional differences; medical device development and implementation, including body armor, assistive exoskeletons, and organs or tissues on chips
• In vivo methods and techniques to identify fetal sex prior to visualization of gonads
• Computational models of disease progression, transmission, prevention, treatment, and relapse
• Prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal development, both normal and abnormal
• Assessment of differences in phenotypic characterization and risk factors for mental disorders; neurobehavioral mechanisms of psychopathology; trajectories of risk and resilience.
• Neurobiological mechanisms relating to alcohol and other addictive drugs
• Sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers (e.g. screening, predisposition/risk assessment, diagnostic, prognostic, predictive)
• Therapeutic interventions for treatment or prevention; development of drugs/identification of targets; Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profiles. Areas of particular interest include:
• Depression
• Prescription drug abuse, addictive drugs
• Atherothrombosis including coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery diseases
• Heart failure
• Asthma
• Myelodysplasia/myeloproliferative disorders
• Insomnia- and sleep-related fatigue, depression, stress, and suicide
• Sleep-disordered breathing

Finally, ORWH is specifically interested in supporting studies related to the influence of gender on human health. Topics of interest include, but not limited to:

• The influence of gender on disease incidence, prevention, treatment, and relapse
• Gender roles influencing caretaking responsibilities, and effects on health, resilience, and disease.
• Research considering the roles of sex and gender together on the outcome of human health
• Population study, examining the role of gender in different cultural, social, and ethnic populations

For this administrative supplement, the following approaches are considered responsive, if they are within the scope of the currently funded parent application:

• Add the Opposite Sex/Gender: The addition of animal or human subjects, tissues or cells of the sex opposite to those used in the parent grant to allow sex/gender-based comparisons. Applicants should discuss measures to ensure comparability of new data to data already collected under the parent grant.
• Increase Sample Size: The addition of more animal or human subjects, tissues or cells to a sample which already includes both males and females to increase the power of a study to analyze for a sex/gender difference. Applicants should discuss methods used to ensure control of potential cohort differences related to the new data compared to data already collected.
• Comparative Analyses: Comparative analyses of existing samples/datasets/databases and/or data-mining to investigate the role of sex/gender. Applicants should explain how the proposed experiments or analyses expand specific aim(s) already funded under the parent grant.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.

All organizations administering an eligible parent award may apply for a supplement under this announcement.

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

o Hispanic-serving Institutions

o Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

o Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

o Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

o Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

This announcement is for supplements to existing projects. To be eligible, the parent award must be active and the research proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the competitive segment. The proposed supplement must be to provide for an increase in costs due to unforeseen circumstances. All additional costs must be within the scope of the peer reviewed and approved project.

IMPORTANT: The research proposed by the NIH grantee in the supplement application must be within the original scope of the NIH-supported grant project.

Only one sex/gender administrative supplement award is permitted within a grant cycle of a parent application.

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 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. Since administrative supplements are made against active grants and cooperative agreements, many of these registrations may already be in place. 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.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration. Grants.gov registration is only required if you plan to submit using the 'Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov' option.

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.

Individual(s) must hold an active grant or cooperative agreement, and the research proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the competitive segment of the active award. Individuals are encouraged to work with their organizations to develop applications for support.

For supplements to parent awards that include multiple PDs/PIs, the supplement may be requested by any or all of the PDs/PIs (in accordance with the existing leadership plan) and submitted by the awardee institution of the parent award. Do not use this administrative supplement application to add, delete, or change the PDs/PIs listed on the parent award. Visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for more information.

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each is sufficiently distinct from any other administrative supplement currently under consideration by the awarding NIH Institute or Center.

Applicants must prepare applications using current forms in accordance with the Application Guide.

Buttons to access the online ASSIST system or to download application forms are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

All forms must be completed for the supplemental activities only and must not reflect funding or activities for the previously awarded parent award.

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions for their submission option (SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, eRA Commons Administrative Supplement User Guide or PHS 398 Application Guide, as appropriate) including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to documented requirements is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

All page limitations applicable to the parent award as described in the Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following exceptions or additional requirements:

Administrative supplement requests for most single-project activity codes can be submitted using either paper or electronic submission processes. Administrative supplement requests for multi-project activity codes must be submitted using the paper submission process. See Activity Code section in Part 1 to determine if electronic submission is an option for your activity code.

Applicants submitting paper applications must use the PHS 398 Application Forms and the PHS 398 Application Guide.

Instructions for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

Use the "Apply" button(s) in Part I of this announcement to access the application forms package posted at Grants.gov. If presented with more than one form package, use the Competition ID and Competition Titles provided to determine the most appropriate application forms package for your situation.

Prepare applications using the SF424 (R&R) forms associated with the chosen package. Please note that some forms marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this announcement. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate required and optional forms, with the following additional guidance:

• R&R Cover form: Select "Revision" in the "Type of Application" field.
• Research Plan form: At a minimum, the Research Strategy section should be completed and must include a summary or abstract of the funded parent award or project. Other sections should also be included if they are being changed by the proposed supplement activities.

In the first or second paragraph of the research strategy, the PI/PD should indicate the specific Goal and Objective(s) covered in his/her research proposal as described in Goals 1-3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research. The PI/PD also should specify whether he/she is studying one or more of the objectives of higher programmatic importance, as described above in "Specific Areas of Research Interest" of Section I (Funding Opportunity Description).

• Project/Performance Site Location form: Include the primary site where the proposed supplement activities will be performed. If a portion of the proposed supplement activities will be performed at any other site(s), identify the locations in the fields provided.
• Sr/Key Personnel form: List the PD/PI as the first person (regardless of their role on the supplement activities). List any other Senior/Key Personnel who are being added through this supplement, or for whom additional funds are being requested through this supplement; include a biographical sketch for each.
• Budget forms (e.g., R&R Budget, PHS 398 Training Budget): Only include funds requested for the additional supplement activities.
• R&R Other Project Information form: If applicable, attach PDF documents in the "Other Attachments" field indicating that the proposed research experience was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or human subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the grantee institution. Name the documents "IACUC Documentation.pdf" and/or "IRB Documentation.pdf". Adherence to the NIH policy for including women and minorities in clinical studies must also be ensured, if additional human subjects' involvement is planned for the supplement.

Special Instructions for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons for electronic-based submissions

NIH offers a streamlined system through the eRA Commons for submitting administrative supplements. Login to the eRA Commons, identify the parent award, and prepare an administrative supplement request. A User's Guide for submitting through this system is available, with the following additional guidance:

• Budget information should be entered for the grantee institution in the tabs provided for each selected budget period.
• Research Plan form: At a minimum, the Research Strategy section should be completed and must include a summary or abstract of the funded parent award or project. Other sections should also be included if they are being changed by the proposed supplement activities.

In the first or second paragraph of the research strategy, the PI/PD should indicate the specific Goal and Objective(s) covered in his/her research proposal as described in Goals 1-3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research. The PI/PD also should specify whether he/she is studying one or more of the objectives of higher programmatic importance, as described above in "Specific Areas of Research Interest" of Section I (Funding Opportunity Description).

• Since there is no template or form available for subaward budget information, all subaward information must be included as a PDF attachment in the Subrecipient Budgets section showing the funds requested (by budget period) and using the same categories provided for the grantee institution. The attachment must also include any related budget justification information.
• Use the "Add Other Attachments" function to include the following PDF documents:
• Research Strategy including a summary or abstract of the funded parent award or project.
• If applicable, attach documents indicating that the proposed research experience was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or human subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the grantee institution. Adherence to the NIH policy for including women and minorities in clinical studies must also be ensured, if additional human subjects' involvement is planned for the supplement component.

Instructions for Paper-based Submissions using the PHS 398 Application Forms

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application forms and instructions for preparing a research grant application, with the following additional guidance:

• Checklist: Select "Revision" in the "Type of Application" field.
• Face Page (Form Page 1): On the face page of the application form, note that your application is in response to a specific program announcement, and enter the title and number of this announcement.
• Research Plan: At a minimum, the Research Strategy section should be completed and must include a summary or abstract of the funded parent award or project. Other sections should also be included if they are being changed by the proposed supplement activities.

In the first or second paragraph of the research strategy, the PI/PD should indicate the specific Goal and Objective(s) covered in his/her research proposal as described in Goals 1-3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research. The PI/PD also should specify whether he/she is studying one or more of the objectives of higher programmatic importance, as described above in "Specific Areas of Research Interest" of Section I (Funding Opportunity Description).

• Project/Performance Sites section (Form Page 2): Include the primary site where the proposed supplement activities will be performed. If a portion of the proposed supplement activities will be performed at any other site(s), identify the locations in the fields provided.
• Sr/Key Personnel section (Form Page 2): List the PD/PI as the first person (regardless of their role on the supplement activities). List any other Senior/Key Personnel who are being added through this supplement, or for whom additional funds are being requested through this supplement; include a biographical sketch for each.
• Budget for Entire Proposed Project Period (Form Page 5): A proposed budget should be submitted using the PHS 398 budget forms and should only include funds requested for the additional supplement activities.
• If applicable, attach documentation in the Appendix section indicating that the proposed research experience was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or human subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the grantee institution. Adherence to the NIH policy for including women and minorities in clinical studies must also be ensured, if additional human subjects' involvement is planned for the supplement component.

The grantee institution, on behalf of the PD/PI of the parent award, must submit the request for supplemental funds directly to the awarding component that supports the parent award. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, to:

Rajeev K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
Senior Research Program Officer
Office of Research on Women's Health
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 400
Bethesda, MD 20892-5484
Telephone: 301-402-1770
Email: [email protected]

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.

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and Times. Applicants are encouraged to submit electronic 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.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their electronic application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

For electronic application submission, information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424(R&R) Application Guide.

For paper-based application submission, information on the process of receipt and determining if your application is considered on-time is described in detail in the PHS 398 Application Guide.

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

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.

Applications must be submitted using the instructions specified above.

Applicants must complete all required registrations prior to submission. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Guidelines for Applicants Experiencing System Issues. For assistance with application submission contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:
For applications submitted electronically on the SF424 (R&R) Application forms, all PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form of the SF 424(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 (SAM). Additional information may be found in the Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Not Applicable

Administrative Supplements do not receive peer review. Instead, the administrative criteria described below will be considered in the administrative evaluation process.

The staff of the NIH awarding component will evaluate requests for a supplement to determine its overall merit. The following general criteria will be used:

Budget and Period of Support

NIH staff will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Overall Impact

NIH staff will consider the ability of the proposed supplement activities to increase or preserve the parent award's overall impact within the original scope of award:

• Will the administrative supplement increase or preserve the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved?
• Will the administrative supplement increase or preserve the likelihood for the program to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the health of women?
• Will the administrative supplement application add value to our understanding of the health of women related to sex/gender?
• Does the administrative supplement application address at least address one objective from Goals 1-3 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research as outlined in the FOA?
• Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses proposed in the supplement application well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the proposed specific aims in one-year period?

In addition, each of the following criteria will be evaluated as applicable for the proposed supplement.

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, NIH staff 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 six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, NIH staff 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.

When the proposed project 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 children 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.

NIH staff will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: (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.

NIH staff 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.

Administrative supplement requests will undergo an administrative evaluation by NIH staff, but not a full peer review. Applications submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the awarding component for the parent award and will be administratively evaluated using the criteria shown above.

Not Applicable

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. This may be as an NoA for the supplemental activities only; alternatively, it may be as either a revision to the current year NoA or included as part of a future year NoA. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee's business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. 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. When calculating the award for additional funds, NIH will 1) prorate funding if the requested budget period is adjusted at the time of award, and 2) use the institution's current F&A rate; i.e., the rate in effect when the new funding is provided.

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: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to their programs without regard to a person's race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. 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. HHS provides general guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/laws/revisedlep.html. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/index.html; and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/index.html. Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html. Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/about/rgn-hqaddresses.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697. Also note it is an HHS Departmental goal to ensure access to quality, culturally competent care, including long-term services and supports, for vulnerable populations. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.

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 "Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants." This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Any supplements to Cooperative Agreements will be subject to the same Cooperative Agreement terms and conditions as the parent award.

Reporting requirements will be specified in the terms and conditions of award as applicable to the supplemental activities. In most non-competing continuation applications, the progress report and budget for the supplement must be included with, but clearly delineated from, the progress report and budget for the parent award. The progress report must include information about the activities supported by the supplement even if support for future years is not requested. Continuation of support for the supplement activities in the remaining years of the competitive segment of the grant will depend upon satisfactory review by the NIH awarding component of progress for both the parent award and the supplement project, the research proposed for the next budget period, and the appropriateness of the proposed budget for the proposed effort. This information is submitted with the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees 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 $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75, 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 75 Award Term and Conditions 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 registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, 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)

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573

Tamara Lewis Johnson, MPH, MBA
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-594-7963
Email: [email protected]

Amanda Melillo, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-0943
Email: [email protected]

Rajeev K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)
Telephone: 301-402-1770
Email: [email protected]

Ivana Grakalic, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-7600
Email: [email protected]

Robin Barr, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-9322
Email: [email protected]

Juliane Caviston, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-761-5094
Email: [email protected]

D. Lee Alekel, Ph.D.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Telephone: 301-594-5055
Email: [email protected]

Lanay M. Mudd, Ph.D.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Telephone: 301-594-9346
Email: [email protected]

Diane Palmieri, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 301-496-0030
Email: [email protected]

Cora Lee Wetherington, Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-435-1319
Email: [email protected]

Susan Sullivan, Ph.D.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Telephone: 301-451-3841
Email: [email protected]

Dena Fischer, D.D.S., M.D.S., M.S.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: 301-594-4876
Email: [email protected]

Chris Mullins, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-451-3447
Email: [email protected]

Steven Zullo, Ph.D.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Telephone: 240-271-9007
Email: [email protected]

Thaddeus T. Schug
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Telephone: 919-541-9469
Email: [email protected]

Lisa A. Neuhold, Ph.D.
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Telephone: 301-451-2020
Email: [email protected]

Candace M. Tingen, Ph.D.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6971
Email: [email protected]

Jennifer Troyer, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-402-2852
Email: [email protected]

Xenia Tigno, Ph.D., M.S.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-435-0202
Email: [email protected]

Hua-Chuan Sim, M.D.
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Telephone: 301-594-4882
Email: [email protected]

Beda Jean-Francois, Ph.D.
National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Telephone: 301-594-9764
Email: [email protected]

Sung Sug (Sarah) Yoon, RN, Ph.D.
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-402-6959
Email: [email protected]

Jim Koenig, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1431
Email: [email protected]

Sheri Hild, Ph.D.
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Telephone: 301-594-8937
Email: [email protected]

Danilo A. Tagle, Ph.D.
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Telephone: 301-594-8064
Email: [email protected]

Kathleen Michels, Ph.D.
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Telephone: 301-496-1653
Email: [email protected]

Not Applicable

Tamara Kees
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-8811
Email: [email protected]

Judy Fox
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-4704
Email: [email protected]

Linda Whipp
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-402-7731
Email: [email protected]

Donna R. Sullivan
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-2979
Email: [email protected]

Leslie Littlejohn
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Telephone: 301-594-2545
Email: [email protected]

Shelley Carow
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Telephone: 301-594-3788
Email: [email protected]

Crystal Wolfrey
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6277
Email: [email protected]

Pamela Fleming
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-443-6710
Email: [email protected]

Chris Myers
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Telephone: 301-402-0909
Email: [email protected]

Diana Rutberg, M.B.A.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: 301-594-4798
Email: [email protected]

Tommy Gunter
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-451-3447
Email: [email protected]

Katie Ellis
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Telephone: 301-451-4791
Email: [email protected]

Aaron Nicholas
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Telephone: 919-541-7823
Email: [email protected]

Karen Robinson-Smith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Telephone: 301-451-2020
Email: [email protected]

Bryan S. Clark
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6975
Email: [email protected]

Deanna Ingersoll
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-435-7858
Email: [email protected]

Jayanthi Regunathan (Jay)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Telephone: 301-435-0175
Email: [email protected]

Amy Keener
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Telephone: 301-496-4221
Email: [email protected]

Priscilla Grant, J.D.
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Telephone: 301-594-8412
Email: [email protected]

Kelli Oster
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-594-2177
Email: [email protected]

Tijuanna E. Decoster, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-9231
Email: [email protected]

Julia Shriner
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Telephone: 301-435-0853
Email: [email protected]

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.