EXPIRED
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Fogarty HIV Research Training Program for Low-and Middle-Income Country Institutions (D43 Clinical Trial Optional)
D43 International Research Training Grants
Reissue of PAR-18-717
See Notices of Special Interest associated with this funding opportunity
PAR-19-283
PAR-19-284, D71 International Research Training Planning Grant
PAR-19-285, G11 Extramural Associate Research Development Award (EARDA)
93.989, 93.279, 93.242, 93.398, 93.865
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications for research training programs to strengthen the scientific capacity of institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to conduct HIV research relevant to the evolving HIV epidemic in their country.
This FOA can support training for conducting research in a broad range of HIV research areas across HIV prevention, treatment, care, and quality of life continuum. This includes basic, epidemiologic, clinical, behavioral and social sciences, community-based, implementation, operations, health services, and health systems research. Cross-disciplinary research as well as HIV associated comorbidities and coinfections affecting the HIV epidemic will be supported under this FOA.
An application should focus the proposed training program to strengthen research capacity in a defined HIV scientific area at a specific LMIC institution and collaborating LMIC partner institutions.
This FOA allows qualified Trainees to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial; or to propose a separate ancillary study to an existing trial under the mentorship of an appropriate clinical researcher or to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, as part of their research and career development.
May 14, 2019
July 20, 2019; July 20, 2020; July 20, 2021
July 20, 2019; July 20, 2020; July 20, 2021
Only accepting applications for the AIDS Application Due Date(s) listed below.
August 20, 2019; August 20, 2020; August 20, 2021, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of AIDS and AIDS-related applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
October 2019, October 2020, October 2021
January 2020, January 2021, January 2022
April 2020, April 2021, April 2022
August 21, 2021
Not Applicable
It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, 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 overall goal of the Fogarty HIV Research Training (HIVRT) Program is to strengthen the scientific capacity of institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to conduct HIV research on the evolving HIV epidemic in their country.
The HIVRT Program encourages applications for three different Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). This FOA (D43) encourages applications to support research training to strengthen scientific expertise needed for HIV research at LMIC institutions. The second FOA (D71) PAR-19-284 encourages planning grant applications from LMIC institutions to develop a training program and application to submit under this FOA at a later date. The third FOA (G11) encourages applications for infrastructure development training in several research infrastructure functions described in PAR-19-285. This FOA can support biomedical research training in a broad range of HIV research areas including but not limited to:
The beneficiary of the training supported through this FOA are LMIC institutions. When available and relevant to their objectives, HIVRT program should optimally leverage in-country institutional research training capacity and leadership.
Fogarty International Center (FIC), with co-funding from other NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices (ICOs), provided almost 30 years of support to enhance HIV research through HIV research training programs. Awards supported research training of LMIC scientists who participated in important HIV research conducted at LMIC institutions in partnership with U.S. and other international scientists and scientific institutions. Over the years, some of the most important recent scientific advances in HIV/AIDS, including interventions to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission, address HIV/TB co-infection, and prevent HIV infection through behavior change, microbicides, and antiretroviral drugs, have been facilitated through partnerships with LMIC scientists and supported by the FIC research training programs. Continued investment in training to strengthen research at LMIC institutions is needed to address the on-going HIV epidemic and to achieve the goals of a "Cure" and an "AIDS-Free Generation."
Efforts to implement research findings in the context of increased HIV prevention, care and treatment services in LMICs over the years led to the emergence of new issues, such as how to best combine HIV prevention interventions, link newly diagnosed individuals into care programs, and integrate HIV programs with other health services. As LMICs implement HIV prevention, care and treatment programs, these and other, yet undefined, issues will need evidence-based solutions.
The social context of an LMIC influences the design of research to answer many of these evolving HIV research questions, therefore, LMIC institutions and researchers are best positioned to conduct the most relevant HIV research, disseminate the results in-country, and influence policymakers, program managers and medical/public health practice. In the HIVRT Program, each research training award is expected to focus on strengthening specific high priority HIV research capacity at an identified LMIC institution and collaborating LMIC partner institutions.
The HIVRT Program is designed to move beyond simple output indicators (number and type of people trained, research products) to outcome indicators (including increased research capacity at an LMIC institution) to provide more meaningful monitoring and evaluation of individual awards and the program as a whole. Applicants should design a training plan for individuals that will also demonstrate in an explicit and defined way how the training will contribute to a higher level of research capacity at the LMIC institution.
This program provides opportunities for U.S. and LMIC institutions to collaborate with their partners, to fill gaps in research areas to strengthen the HIV research capacity at the proposed LMIC institutions. Applicants should design HIV research training programs such that trainees can address both long-standing and emerging HIV research questions, responsive to the needs of their institutions and countries. The program is also expected to enhance the capacity for LMIC institutions to collaborate with NIH, U.S. Government, other donors and LMICs in their HIV/AIDS efforts.
The selected scientific area of the proposed research training may need expertise that crosses research disciplines, especially to reach underserved and vulnerable populations. Applicants are encouraged to develop research training programs that include all the disciplines needed to address the selected scientific area and the populations of interest. The proposed training is expected to raise the LMIC institution to the next level of research capacity in the selected scientific area. The research training should include training that incorporates research methods and processes that enhance research rigor and reproducibility, as recently highlighted by NIH (https://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/faqs.htm).
In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed program will complement other ongoing research training programs relevant to the selected scientific area at the LMIC institution(s). Proposed research training should be designed to be synergistic and not duplicative of these other programs which can be evidenced by including a description of the current programs available at the LMICs regardless of funding sources.
It is anticipated that some LMIC institutions could serve as training sites in the proposed HIV scientific area for other LMIC institutions. Faculty and scientific staff from these more advanced LMIC institutions may serve as training faculty. As a result, the following different scenarios for applications may be proposed:
Proposed programs can support a combination of short- (three months or less), medium- (over three months and up to six months) and long- (six months and longer, including degree) term training to support increased research capacity in the selected scientific area at the identified LMIC institution. Part-time long-term training is permitted but should be well described and justified in the application. Emphasis should be given to training that provides the theoretical and applied depth needed by an individual or by a group of individuals in the LMIC institution to maintain the research capacity in the selected HIV scientific area at the higher level after the five-year training period.
Short-term training should provide selected trainees with a thorough exposure to the principles and skills of specific research methods or research-related competencies that are needed to support their current research or career development activities. Mentorship should be provided to ensure short-term training achieves this expectation. Short-term training support is limited to:
The applicant may propose advanced training to support the career development of former trainees from this or other FIC training programs, as long as the training contributes to increased and sustainable research and research training capacity in the selected scientific area at the LMIC institution.
Innovative training models appropriate for the context of the LMIC institution are highly encouraged Training should take place at the most appropriate site. The training site may include institutions other than the applicant or LMIC institution(s) named in the application, including other high-income or "ineligible" middle-income countries (see http://www.fic.nih.gov/Grants/Pages/country-eligibility.aspx). Distance learning with sufficient mentoring and support at the LMIC institution may be proposed.
Training-related research must be conducted in or use data from the country of the LMIC institution. The training-related research must be designed to incorporate research methods and processes that consider rigor and reproducibility and takes into account potential sex and gender differences that may affect the questions asked and the analyses performed. These might include different responses to and impacts of health interventions, differences in physiology, and different behavioral bases for disease prevention strategies.
All mentored research projects under this award must receive independent scientific review through procedures established by the applicant and must comply with the federal requirements for the protection of human subjects and animals in medical research. If human subjects are involved, the trainee must receive education in the protection of human subjects, and the research must receive annual approval from an institutional (or ethical) review board or committee at the applicant institution and, if different, at the institution in which the research is conducted. If animals are involved, institutions where research is conducted need to have an Animal Welfare Assurance in place.
Applicants are encouraged to review the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-137.html ), the NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research for the year they are applying (https://www.oar.nih.gov/sites/default/files/NIH-OAR_FY2019-2020_NIH_Plan_FINAL_508.pdf ), and the FIC Strategic Plan (https://www.fic.nih.gov/about/pages/strategic-plan.aspx ) to inform the planning process proposed.
See Frequently Asked Questions for the Fogarty HIV Research Training for more information.
See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
New
Renewal
Resubmission
The OER
Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on
these application types.
Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s)
Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
TApplication budgets are limited to $280,000 in direct costs per year exclusive of consortium indirect costs.
The maximum project period is 5 years.
Awards may provide stipends as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience for medium- and long-term trainees.
Stipends for part-time long-term trainees should reflect the amount of time they need to be supported for training and be described in the budget justification.
Awards can contribute to the cost of tuition and fees.
Awards may support travel for trainees to participate in appropriate training experiences at other institutions or to attend scientific meetings and workshops that the training program determines to be necessary for the individual’s research training.
Awards may support travel for trainees to present training-related research results at conferences and meetings.
Funds may be requested for lodging and per diem at other institutions for short-term trainees.
NIH will provide funds to help defray other research trainee expenses, such as health insurance (self-only or family, as applicable), laptop computers and internet connectivity, research supplies, relevant journal subscriptions and publication costs, and costs for proposed training courses and workshops.
Applicants may include costs to support mentored research projects for medium- and long-term trainees as part of their training. Direct costs should be limited to up to $15,000 per project per long-term trainee. Similar costs for medium-term trainees should be commensurate with the amount of time spent on the research projects or the particular need for the project. These funds should not be used to support travel.
Only one project is allowed per trainee.
Salary for the PD(s)/PI(s), other key personnel, training faculty and administrative staff may be requested at levels commensurate with the salary structure and benefits at the institution where they are employed and within the limits described at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm
Collaborators at partner institutions may receive appropriate compensation for significant contributions to activities in the program, such as trainee recruitment and selection activities, as well as leading courses, supervising research projects, or other program-related roles.
Funds may be requested to support faculty/staff travel directly related to the research training program, and to attend necessary training program associated meetings, and HIV Research Training Program network meetings, usually held in the U.S.
Support for senior/key personnel, faculty and collaborators to attend other scientific meetings and conferences is not allowed.
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, consortium costs in excess of $25,000, and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement. The Indirect Cost limitation applies to direct awards and to subcontracts.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
Other
An application may be submitted by a foreign institution in an eligible low- or middle-income country (LMIC) or by a domestic (U.S.) institution that demonstrates collaboration with an LMIC institution in eligible low- or middle-income country(ies). Collaboration should be documented by joint publications, grants or previous research training activities.
LMICs are defined by the World Bank classification system according to Gross National Income (GNI) per capita as low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income (http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups ). See Country Eligibility for Fogarty International Training Grants (http://www.fic.nih.gov/Grants/Pages/country-eligibility.aspx ) for additional restrictions. Other High-Income Country (HIC) or ineligible LMIC Faculty and institutions may be named as partners and serve as training sites.
The applicant institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program.
The applicant institution must have a strong and high-quality research program in the area(s) proposed under this FOA and must have the requisite faculty, staff, potential trainees and facilities on site to conduct the proposed institutional program. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed program will complement other ongoing career development programs occurring at the applicant institution and that a substantial number of program faculty will have active research projects in which participating trainees may gain relevant experiences consistent with their research interests and goals.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/url_redirect.htm?id=11118), 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. 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.
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.
Any individual(s) with
the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training program as the
Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always
encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person
Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program.
PD(s)/PI(s) on applications from U.S. institutions are expected to demonstrate a history of relevant HIV research collaboration with researchers or faculty at the LMIC institution named in the application. Similarly, PD(s)/PI(s) on applications from LMIC institutions are expected to demonstrate a history of relevant HIV research collaboration with researchers or faculty at the U.S. institution or collaborating LMIC institutions named in the application.
The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program.
The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.
The PD/PI is responsible for appointing members of the Training Advisory Committee (TAC) and for establishing a structure to obtain regular feedback from the TAC.
U.S. and LMIC applicants who meet the eligibility requirement are encouraged to apply as a Multiple PD/PI with either serving as the contact PI (see (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi/) 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 application is programmatically distinct.
The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:
Program
faculty should have strong records as researchers, including recent
publications and successful competition for research support in the area of the
proposed research training program. Program faculty should also have a
record of research training, including successful, former trainees who have
established productive careers relevant to the NIH mission. Researchers
from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with
disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as mentors.
Only individuals from LMICs that meet the Country Eligibility requirement are eligible for training under this FOA. Individuals who also have citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S., other high-income countries, or countries not eligible under the Country Eligibility are not eligible for support under this FOA.
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace 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.
It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Letter of Intent
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Geetha P. Bansal, Ph.D.
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Telephone: 301-496-1492
Email: [email protected]
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
Instructions for Application Submission
The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application, with the following additional modifications:
Project Title:
The title should reflect the goals of the proposed training program and scientific area.
Project Summary/Abstract:
Provide an abstract of the entire application, including the long-term goals and objectives of the program, key elements and a brief description of the planned HIV research training program. Include the selected scientific area for which research training is proposed, and how this addresses the HIV research priorities identified by NIH as "high or medium" Include the LMIC name(s) and the name of the in-country institution. Include the rationale and design of the program, and the expected increased research capacity in the selected HIV scientific area at the end of the five-year grant period. Describe the key activities in the training plan. Indicate the planned duration of training, the projected number of trainees including their levels and intended trainee outcome.
Project Narrative:
Include the selected scientific area for which HIV research training is proposed, and how this addresses the HIV research priorities identified by NIH. Describe the public health relevance of the expected increased HIV research capacity to the LMIC institution.
Other Attachments:
Training Advisory Committee (TAC):
A plan must be provided for the appointment of a Training Advisory Committee (TAC) to monitor progress. The TAC should include research faculty and relevant professionals with expertise in the selected HIV scientific area or in research training and mentoring for LMIC scientists. TAC members must not be directly involved in the training program or in mentoring trainees. TAC members should be included as key personnel as described in SF 424 (R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded Component.
Describe the composition of the TAC, identifying the role and the desired expertise of TAC members. Describe how the TAC will provide feedback and advice to the PD(s)/PI(s) on trainee recruitment strategies, trainee selection and retention, monitoring of the progress of the training program, training-related research projects, and the overall effectiveness of the program. Responsibilities, frequency of meetings, and other relevant information should be included. Please name your file Advisory_Committee.pdf
The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:
The PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan Form is comprised of the following sections:
Note that the Appendix should only be used in circumstances covered in the NIH policy on appendix materials or if the FOA specifically instructs applicants to do so.
Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:
Training Program Plan
Background/Rationale: In addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, briefly discuss the following points:
Program Administration: In addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide:
Proposed Training: Substitute the following for instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide:
For renewal applications:
a) Transitioning of U.S. PI to an LMIC PI and having the LMIC institution be the direct recipient of the award.
b) Documenting that former trainees have obtained their own grants or have progressed in their careers, including assuming research leadership positions.
Program Faculty: In addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide:
Trainee Candidates: In addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide:
Training Program Evaluation: In addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide:
Institutional Environment and Commitment to the Program:
Letters of support from all participating institutions and should:
Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Appendix
Limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to theSF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions. Failure to follow Appendix Guidelines will result in the application being withdrawn and not reviewed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional modifications:
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
DO NOT USE. Attempts to submit a full, detailed study record will result in a validation error.
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must complete a Delayed Onset Study.
If you check the Anticipated Clinical Trial box within your Delayed Onset Study, then the Justification attachment must acknowledge that additional clinical trial information will be provided to the awarding component before any appointee begins independent clinical trial research.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
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 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.
Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants
across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission
process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants
administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many
of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a
changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the
application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted
after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that
miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application
Submission.
Applicants are
responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA
Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time
submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) 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. Any additional costs
associated with the decision to allow research elective credit for short-term
research training are not allowable charges on an institutional training grant.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in
the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the
SF424(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 System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information
may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy. Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed training program will prepare individuals for successful, productive scientific research careers and thereby exert a sustained influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of the merit of the training program, and give a separate score for each. When applicable, the reviewers will consider relevant questions in the context of proposed short-term training. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.
Training Program and Environment
For renewal applications:
a) Transitioning of U.S. PI to an LMIC PI and having the LMIC institution be the direct recipient of the award.
b) Documenting that former trainees have obtained their own grants or have progressed in their careers, including assuming research leadership positions.
Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s))
For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs:
For applications proposing clinical trials and/or clinical trials training:
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Specific to applications involving clinical trials:
Protections for Human Subjects
For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee 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 categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee 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.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
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 individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) 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.
Generally, not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
Generally, not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period, including the Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Not Applicable.
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.
Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity
Not Applicable.
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the specific characteristics of the training program, the level of trainee experience, and the particular circumstances of the trainees, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g., lectures, coursework and/or real-time discussion groups, including face-to-face interaction? (A plan involving only on-line instruction is not acceptable.); 2) Subject Matter Does the plan include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics? 3) Faculty Participation - Does the plan adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? For renewal applications, are all training faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders during the past project period named in the application? 4) Duration of Instruction - Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least eight contact hours of instruction? 5) Frequency of Instruction Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least once during each career stage (undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels) and at a frequency of no less than once every four years?
For renewal applications, does the progress report document acceptable RCR instruction in the five components described above? Does the plan describe how participation in RCR instruction is being monitored? Are appropriate changes in the plan for RCR instruction proposed in response to feedback and in response to evolving issues related to responsible conduct of research?
Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including (1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, (2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, (3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and (4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by Center for Scientific Review in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the Fogarty International Center's Advisory Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
After the peer review of the application is completed, the
PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique)
via the eRA
Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council
review, and earliest start date
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. 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.
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 https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/index.html. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.html; and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/laws-regulations-guidance/index.html. Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/index.html. Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.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.
Institutional NRSA training grants must be administered in
accordance with the current NRSA section of the NIH
Grants Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants.
Not Applicable
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted.
Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.
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 addition to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide,
A final RPPR, the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report, are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
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.
In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA
Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that
threaten submission by the due date, and 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)
General Grants Information (Questions regarding application
instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of
contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration
and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]
Geetha P Bansal Ph.D.
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Telephone: 301-496-1492
Email: [email protected]
Geraldina Dominguez Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 301-496-3204
Email: [email protected]
Vasundhara Varthakavi. Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301.443.2146
Email: [email protected]
Christopher Gordon, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 240-627-3867
Email: [email protected]
Denise A. Russo, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6871
Email: drusso1@mail,nih.gov
Kendall Bryant, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone Phone: 301-402-0332
Email: [email protected]
Mark Rubert, PhD
Scientific Review Officer
Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Telephone: 301-806-6596
Email: [email protected]
Mollie Shea
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Telephone: 301.451.6830
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 287b) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 63a.