Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) 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.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
   
   
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.



Table of Contents
Part 1. Overview Information
Key Dates
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Other Award Budget 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

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

The overarching goal of this UE5 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

Need for the Program

A broad portfolio – in terms of scientific areas, approaches, regions, organizations, and individual investigator experiences – is integral to NIH’s ability to fulfill its mission.  Advances in biomedical research depend upon a workforce composed of people trained in multiple disciplines and from a range of backgrounds who can provide the breadth of creativity, and individual interests, perspectives and experiences needed to identify and address important and complex scientific problems, engage with increasingly diverse patient populations, and effectively serve as mentors to trainees from increasingly diverse backgrounds who are pursuing biomedical research careers.  Research shows that teams with members from different backgrounds that utilize their members' unique experiences and perspectives better capitalize on innovative ideas and outperform homogeneous teams. There are many benefits that flow from an NIH-supported scientific workforce that leverages the talents of rigorous researchers from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of research, enhancing public trust, and increasing the likelihood that health disparities and the needs of underserved populations are addressed in biomedical research (for more information, see Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity). However, expanding the population of academic investigators from nationally underrepresented backgrounds in the biomedical research workforce has remained an elusive goal (see Policy Supporting Next Generation Researchers Initiative). The NIH recognizes the need to promote broad participation in the scientific workforce through means consistent with applicable law, including by encouraging  organizations to eliminate barriers and enhance the participation of individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce. 

At the same time, individuals from certain groups and backgrounds often face organizational and environmental barriers that restrict their potential to advance their training and careers and are underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce. For example:

• Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander comprise ~39 percent of the college age population, but earn only ~25 percent of bachelor’s degrees and ~17 percent of Ph.D. degrees in the life sciences (as per data from the Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics). Additionally, increases in the numbers of biomedical Ph.Ds. awarded to scientists from these groups are not reflected in NIH funded K awardees or Research Project Grant investigators (Lauer and Bernard, 2023a, 2023b) and individuals from those groups comprise  only ~10 percent of full-time faculty at all U.S. medical schools (as per data from the Association of American Medical Colleges).
• The representation of scientists with disabilities decreases from 19% for undergraduate students to 9% of doctoral students and fewer than 2% of NIH and NSF-funded principal investigators (NIH ACD WGD Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities Report, 2022).
• Women have earned a majority of biomedical Ph.Ds. since 2008 (NSF data), but only approximately 1/3 of NIH-funded PD/PIs on Research Project Grants are women (NIH Databook).
• Socioeconomic background plays a significant role in shaping academic success.  Individuals from certain disadvantaged backgrounds, for example those from families from the lowest socioeconomic quintile, were 50% less likely than those from the highest socioeconomic quintile to enroll in post-secondary education, limiting subsequent access to doctoral education and faculty careers (see National Center for Education Statistics; Standlee, 2018).  Moreover, faculty are significantly more likely than the overall population of similarly aged adults to have a parent who holds a Ph.D. or graduate degree (Morgan et al, 2022). 

The transition from postdoctoral research training to independent faculty careers is a key time frame when individuals from underrepresented groups disproportionately exit the academic biomedical research career pathway (Gibbs et al, 2016; Meyers et al, 2018).   Supportive peer groups and strong mentoring networks are critical for successfully navigating the transition to faculty careers for postdoctoral researchers from all backgrounds; however, individuals from underrepresented groups often report challenges in accessing appropriate mentoring relationships and professional networks which can result in a sense of isolation and a lower sense of belonging in the research environment (Noel et al, 2022).  Research has shown that postdoctoral scientists from underrepresented groups have reported differences in the types of support that would increase their likelihood of pursuing academic research careers (including greater professional skills development opportunities) and distinct motivations for pursuing faculty careers relative to their peers from other groups (Layton et al, 2016; Lambert et al, 2020).  For example, many scientists from underrepresented groups report that, in addition to their research interests, the ability to engage in educational, mentoring, role modeling, outreach and recruitment activities that promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce strongly motivate their pursuit of research and faculty careers (Gibbs and Griffin, 2013; Diekman et al, 2016; Jackson et al, 2017; Mendez et al, 2024).  At the same time, many scientists from these groups are also disproportionately asked to engage in such activities, and these contributions to the research environment are generally not appropriately recognized and rewarded which can impact career advancement (Gewin 2020).

Importantly, access to high quality mentoring, robust professional networks, the ability to integrate personal and professional values, and opportunities for skills development through structured programs have been linked to enhanced trainee productivity, increased self-efficacy and strengthening an individual’s commitment to a research career (The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM, 2019). Additionally, cohort-based models have been shown to be particularly effective at supporting postdoctoral scholars as they navigate the transition to faculty careers (see, e.g., Rybarczyk et al, 2016, Cresiski et al, 2022; Advisory Committee to the NIH Director, 2023). Therefore, there remains a strong need to develop additional opportunities to address these challenges and promote additional cohort-based career development opportunities that support the transition to independence for postdoctoral scholars.  

Program Goal

The purpose of the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program is to support a cohort of early career, independent investigators from diverse backgrounds (for example, individuals from underrepresented groups) conducting research in NIH mission areas. The program has two components: an individual career transition award for postdoctoral scholars (K99/R00) and a research education cooperative agreement (UE5) awarded to organizations to provide these scholars with additional mentoring, networking and professional development activities  to support their transition to and success in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty careers.  The MOSAIC program supports NIH’s efforts to develop a biomedical research workforce that will benefit from the full range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds needed to advance discovery.

The goal of the MOSAIC Research Education Award (UE5) is to support educational activities for MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars that will equip them with the professional skills, and provide them with the appropriate mentoring opportunities and professional networks to allow them to transition into, advance, and succeed in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty careers.  To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this NOFO will support educational activities with a primary focus on:

• Courses for Skills Development: For example, courses for cohorts of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars focused on skills related to their career transition and advancement. Support for short courses, which can be delivered or provided in person, online or a combination, designed to enhance skills needed to successfully transition into and advance within independent academic research careers, such as:
  • Obtaining a Faculty Position: academic job search strategies, presenting a compelling research vision, interviewing skills, negotiation.
  • Acclimating to the Faculty Role: laboratory management, budgeting, hiring, mentoring, and balancing research, teaching, and service.
  • Academic Advancement: planning for tenure, managing career challenges and expectations, communication skills, funding strategies, grant proposal preparation, scientific publishing, and life-work balance.   
• Mentoring Activities: One-on-one and group mentoring to further the professional and career development of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars. Activities to enhance the mentoring networks of MOSAIC scholars and prepare participants with a working knowledge of the challenges and opportunities associated with an independent, tenure-track research-intensive faculty career and to improve their ability to meet these challenges and opportunities.   Activities to engage appropriate organizational leaders (for example, K99 primary research mentors or R00 department chair) on how to effectively support the scholars in the program. 

Programmatic Approach

MOSAIC Research Education Awards are intended to fund organizations that can provide robust mentoring, networking, and skills development opportunities for MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars and:

• Develop cohesive and mutually supportive cohorts of MOSAIC scholars that span the K99 to R00 award phases.
• Provide opportunities for MOSAIC scholars to engage in career development activities that will foster their progression to and success in independent academic research careers (for example, courses for skills development).
• Enhance the scientific and professional networks of MOSAIC scholars beyond their local institutions.
• Identify and connect scholars with additional mentors who can facilitate appropriate career advancement.
• Engage MOSAIC scholars’ primary research mentors (K99 phase) and appropriate organizational leader (R00 phase, for example department chair) to enhance mentoring relationships and promote career development of the scholars.
• Track and publicize outcomes (e.g., publicly available websites).

Funded MOSAIC research education activities should address the career needs of scholars in both the mentored postdoctoral research phase (K99), and independent research phase (R00). Activities should synergize with and supplement, but not duplicate, career development activities MOSAIC scholars participate in as part of their K99/R00 awards. Program activities should build upon the strengths and assets of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars and should not reflect deficit-models (that is, those that focus primarily on remediation of perceived weaknesses) of career development.

Program Considerations

General Considerations.  Consistent with existing NIH practices and applicable law:

• Funded programs may not use the race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status) of program PI, faculty or staff as an eligibility or selection criteria.
• NIH does not use the race, ethnicity, or sex of program PI, faculty or staff in the application review process or funding decisions.

NIH intends to fund applications that propose feasible and effective research education activities that support MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars as they transition to and advance in independent, research-intensive faculty careers. Applicants are expected to identify objectives (that is, the specific, measurable, and obtainable outcomes the program intends to achieve) and to develop plans to implement evidence-informed skills development and mentoring activities that are grounded in the literature and from evaluations of existing relevant programs. Funded programs are expected to provide evidence of accomplishing the objectives in progress reports and upon renewal applications, to make outcomes publicly available, and disseminate successful mentoring and skills development practices to the broader community. Research education programs may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant organization, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those training and education programs currently receiving Federal support.

Applicant organizations should be capable of providing skills development, mentoring and networking to MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars conducting research in the areas of program need specified in the Notice of Special Interest, and should include individuals with active research project grants in these areas of program need (see  NIH RePORTER ). Applications are especially encouraged from organizations with:

• A demonstrated commitment to promoting broad participation  in the biomedical research workforce, for example, encouraging the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented groups.
• An established record of providing professional skills development, mentoring and networking activities for postdoctoral researchers.
• Experience serving to enhance scientific communication and networking among scientists conducting research.
• The resources to support the proposed program, e.g., the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational capacity.

Program Participants. The participants in MOSAIC research education activities will be scholars selected through the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. MOSAIC UE5 awardees are not responsible for the selection of the MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars - this will be managed by an NIH competitive peer review process as described in the MOSAIC K99/R00 NOFOs (see companion NOFOs in the Overview Section). The funded UE5 awardees will develop cohorts of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars assigned by NIH staff (see below in the Cooperative Agreement section).  MOSAIC scholars are expected to be assigned to MOSAIC UE5 awardees up to three times each year (that is, after each advisory council round). MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars will be at different points of development when assigned (for example, not yet looking for a faculty position, or actively applying for positions and planning their transition). Applicants should consider these factors when designing a program to allow newly selected scholars to be integrated into the program on a rolling basis, and to provide activities that align with the varying needs of the scholars.

Pre-application consultation.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the  MOSAIC program website for resources including recent applicant webinars and  answers to frequently asked questions before beginning the application.  After consulting these resources, applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to the appropriate contacts as early as possible before the due date:

• The Scientific/Research Contact can assess the alignment of the proposed research education plan with the MOSAIC program goals and the Institute or Center’s priority.
• The Peer Review Contacts can answer questions about the review process and are the NIH point of contact between application submission and the release of the summary statement.
• The Financial/Grants Management Contact can answer budgetary questions. 

Application Responsiveness:  NIH will only accept applications that propose career development and mentoring activities aligned with the disciplinary backgrounds of scholars supported through the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. Areas of programmatic need will be indicated through  Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs)  released annually by NIH. Applications that do not address the program areas of need specified in the NOSI will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Applicants should consult the current NOSI listed in the Related Notices section above for responsive topics.

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

Section II. Award Information

Other Award Budget Information

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

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

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:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• 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)

Multiple organizations can partner for a MOSAIC UE5 application, with one organization serving as Primary Performance Site Location. If multiple organizations partner for an UE5 application, follow all instructions for Consortium/Contractual Arrangements in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Organizations with existing federally funded programs, including Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) or other Federally funded training programs, may apply for a MOSAIC UE5 research education grant provided that the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs already receiving federal support. The sponsoring organization must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate organizational commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program.

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 not 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 Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• System for Award Management (SAM) – 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.
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) – A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. 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 SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

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 as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019. 

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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

The contact PD/PI is expected to be a full-time employee of the applicant organization. If the full-time status of the contact PD/PI changes after the award, the organization must obtain prior program approval to appoint a new PD/PI or request a deviation from the full-time rule. 

The PD(s)/PI(s) should have appropriate professional experience in biomedical research career development and be capable of providing both administrative and educational leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.

While NIH does not use NIH encourages multiple PDs/PIs, particularly when each brings a unique perspective and skill set that will enhance the research education program. The PD/PI team should consider including individuals with experience in areas such as biomedical research, program evaluation, mentoring, career development, advancement for early-career scientists, and activities that support a broad and inclusive biomedical research workforce (for example, activities that promote the success of scholars and faculty from underrepresented groups; see also Program Considerations in Section I).

2. Cost Sharing

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

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique NIH Institutional Profile Number, IPF) is allowed.

NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review. (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications)

Program Faculty

Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as preceptors/mentors. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program. Mentors should be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of the scholar's participation in this award.

Participants

Scholars supported by NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 awards are the primary participants for UE5 programs supported through this NOFO. MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars will be selected by a competitive peer review process managed by the NIH (as described in the Companion NOFOs in the Overview Section) and be assigned to UE5 recipients up to three times per year (that is, after each advisory council round).

Unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to NIH, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Individuals who are not U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be allowed to participate in the UE5 research education program only with prior approval from NIH.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

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 NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity 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 will not be reviewed.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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:

Facilities & Other Resources. Describe the educational environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and implementation of the proposed program. List all thematically related sources of support for research training and education following the format for Current and Pending Support. Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education program.

Other Attachments.

1. Advisory Committee Plan (Required; 2-page  maximum). An Advisory Committee is a required component of this Research Education program. Applicants must provide a plan for the appointment of an Advisory Committee to monitor progress and relevance of the research education program. The composition, roles, responsibilities, and desired expertise of committee members, frequency of committee meetings, and other relevant information should be included. Describe how the Advisory Committee will evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program. To avoid conflicts in the review process, only pre-existing Advisory Committee members should be named in the application. Potential Advisory Committee members should not be identified or contacted prior to receiving an award.  Renewal applications with Advisory Committees should include the names of all committee members during the past project period. Please name your file Advisory_Committee.pdf  

Applications lacking an advisory committee attachment will not be reviewed.

2. Training Data Table 8, Part I. – “Program Outcomes: Postdoctoral” (Required only for RENEWAL applications).     

• For renewal applicants: Training Data Table 8, Part I (Program Outcomes: Postdoctoral) is a required attachment to provide data on MOSAIC K99/R00 scholar outcomes. Please follow the Instructions for the Data Tables (All Training Tables). Please name your file "Table 8 – MOSAIC Scholar Outcomes.pdf". Renewal applications lacking this attachment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
• For new applicants: Training Table 8, Program Outcomes: Postdoctoral is not required and should not be included. Any relevant data can be summarized in the Research Education Program Plan.

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 Guide.

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:

• Include all personnel other than the PD(s)/PI(s) in the Other Personnel section, including clerical and administrative staff.

• Program coordinators are allowed as long as their role is clearly defined and significantly different from the roles of the PDs/PIs. The duties and responsibilities of the program coordinators, with strong justification, must be included in the budget justification.
• Use the section on Participant/Trainee Support Costs to include all allowable categories of funds requested to support participants in the program.

As a reminder, on the R&R Budget Form, applicants should identify the number of months the senior/key person will devote to the project in the applicable box (i.e., calendar, academic, summer). For Requested Salary, regardless of the number of months being devoted to the project, indicate the salary being requested for this budget period for the senior/key person.  

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Research Strategy

Research Strategy section must be used to upload the Research Education Program Plan, which must include the following components described below:

• Proposed Research Education Program
• Program Director/Principal Investigator
• Program Faculty
• Program Participants
• Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity
• Plan for Instruction in Methods for Enhancing Rigor and Reproducibility
• Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research
• Evaluation Plan
• Dissemination Plan

Research Education Program Plan

Proposed Research Education Program. The application must describe the rationale, goals and measurable objectives of activities proposed. The application must describe the short- and long-term goals for participants that the activities are designed to address and how these outcomes will be measured (see the Evaluation Plan section below). Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult individuals with evaluation experience from the outset of research education program planning, and to review relevant data/report resources (e.g., at  NIH Extramural Diversity Reports and Data ) when preparing the application. Applicants should utilize the substantial pedagogical literature concerning predictors of success in research-intensive faculty careers for researchers from diverse backgrounds, including researchers from underrepresented groups, when designing activities (for example, navigating structural barriers to career advancement, utilizing cultural assets, and achieving life-work balance). The application must describe how the proposed activities will synergize with the MOSAIC scholars' K99/R00 career development plans and will address the needs of scholars in both the mentored postdoctoral (K99) and independent (R00) research phases. Program activities should reflect a strengths- or assets-based model of career development rather than a deficit remediation approach.

Applications should include a description of the following areas:

• Organizational setting and current efforts to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce . Describe the mission of the organization, its structure and governance. Describe current efforts to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce (such as activities that promote inclusive, supportive, and accessible biomedical research environments that support the success of trainees and scientists from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups), the number of trainees and scientists served, and their impact. Describe aspects of the organizational environment likely to foster the success of the MOSAIC program. Describe and summarize any organizational and externally sponsored programs that have promoted the success of postdoctoral career transitions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent, faculty careers, or that address the needs of participating postdoctoral scholars and faculty from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups, within the last 5 years. Describe how the organization aligns with the areas of programmatic need described in the Notice of Special Interest for the application receipt date to ensure that a cohort of funded MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars receives appropriate career development support (see Program Considerations, above).
• Cohort formation and activities: Describe activities that will enhance the sense of community among the cohorts of MOSAIC scholars who will be conducting research at organizations across the nation. Describe how each year the newly selected MOSAIC scholars will be integrated into the program on a rolling basis (for example, after each NIH advisory council round) and how the activities will align with the needs of the scholars according to their career development stage at program entry (for example, not yet looking for a faculty position, or actively applying for positions and planning their transition ). Describe strategies that will be used to develop a strong, mutually supportive network within and among each cohort of MOSAIC scholars. Cohort formation and activities should take into account program structure (that is, NIH intends to fund ~ 10 MOSAIC scholars per UE5 awardee each year, and these scholars who will be assigned to UE5 recipients up to three times per year following after each advisory council round), and that scholars are expected to participate in the UE5 activities for the entirety of their K99 and R00 awards, which can be up to 5 years.  Accordingly, the UE5 will begin with ~10 MOSAIC scholars in the first year and grow to ~ 50 at steady-state.
• Courses for skills development: Provide the underlying rationale and evidence supporting the proposed courses in professional skills development. Describe the educational concepts and principles on which the courses are based and the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be employed. Describe delivery format (e.g., in person, online, or a combination; synchronous or asynchronous).  Describe plans to ensure activities will synergize with, but not duplicate the institutional career development plans developed by the MOSAIC scholars. Courses should be designed to enhance skills appropriate to transition into and advance within independent academic research careers, such as:
  • Obtaining a Faculty Position: academic job search strategies, presenting a compelling research vision, interviewing skills, negotiation.
  • Acclimating to the Faculty Role: laboratory management, budgeting, hiring, mentoring, and balancing research, teaching, and service.
  • Academic Advancement: planning for tenure, managing career challenges and expectations, communication skills, funding strategies, grant proposal preparation, scientific publishing, and life-work balance.
• Mentoring Activities: Describe the process for matching MOSAIC scholars with additional mentors who can facilitate appropriate career advancement and enhance the scholars scientific and professional networks beyond their local institutions. Describe plans to provide appropriate professional development and enhance the professional networks of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars. 
• Meetings: Describe the following:
  • Planned activities to engage MOSAIC scholars’ primary research mentor (K99 phase) and appropriate organizational leader during the R00 independent phase (for example of department chair) to enhance mentoring relationships and promote career development of the scholars.  For example, describe plans to orient these individuals to program expectations, and to provide opportunities for them to engage with the literature on effective mentoring practices and share evidence-informed approaches to improve mentoring relationships. 
  • As applicable, plans to include MOSAIC scholars as part of the organization's regular scientific meetings (for example, an annual conference), and how these meetings will enhance the scholars networking and career development.

Applicants are invited to propose additional innovative activities to further the goals of the MOSAIC program (if so, directly address how these activities will further the goals of the MOSAIC program).  Describe the rationale underlying the balance of effort and resources dedicated to each activity, how the proposed activities integrate, and the objective indicators that can measure the effectiveness of the program and its activities. Describe potential challenges that may be encountered and alternative strategies that could be employed in response to these challenges.

Applicants that directly hire faculty candidates must address how they will avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest in program administration (for example, showing favoritism to MOSAIC scholars the organization would like to hire as faculty).

• Progress Report: For Renewal Applications only, include a detailed Progress Report (note that the Progress Report falls within the Research Education Program Plan and is therefore included in the page limits for the Research Education Program Plan).  State the original specific measurable objectives, anticipated milestones, and outcomes. Describe any adaptations in program implementation relative to what was originally planned and the reasons underlying these changes.  Provide a summary of the accomplishments of the MOSAIC UE5 Award during the previous project period with specific references to courses for skills development, mentoring activities and MOSAIC scholar outcomes (renewal applications must provide participant outcomes for all previous funding cycles up to 15 years by submitting “Table 8, Part I. – “Program Outcomes: Postdoctoral” as an Other Attachment on the SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information form). Describe what has been learned through program evaluation and any changes made in the program because of the evaluation and participant feedback.  As applicable, describe the broader impact of the program (for example, on the applicant organization or organizations where the scholars conduct their research). Describe any dissemination of findings or materials developed under the auspices of the program to the broader educational and training community.

Program Director/Principal Investigator. The application should describe how the Research Education Program PD(s)/PI(s) will promote the success of the MOSAIC scholars and research education program. Describe the experience of the PD(s)/PI(s) in efforts to promote safe, inclusive, supportive and accessible research environments that support the success of trainees and scientists from diverse backgrounds, and foster career progressions for biomedical trainees.  Describe any training the PD(s)/PI(s) have received or will receive on how to effectively mentor individuals from all backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups.

Program Faculty. The MOSAIC research education program should develop a pool of academic biomedical researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds and lived experiences to provide the scholars with additional mentors (see also Program Considerations in Section I, and the Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity below). Faculty should have research expertise and individual experiences relevant to the proposed program and demonstrate a history of, or the potential for their intended roles. Describe how the program will build a diverse pool of prospective participating faculty to help scholars gain access to mentors within the program and to enhance the ability of the research education program to meet its goals.  The application should address how the participating faculty will receive training on how to effectively mentor individuals from all backgrounds.

Program Participants. Describe the characteristics of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars (e.g., scientific background) who would benefit most from the proposed research education activities. 

Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity. All applications must include a description of outreach strategies and activities designed to diversify the pool of prospective Program Faculty by recruiting researchers  from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences, to help scholars gain access to additional mentorship within the program and to enhance the research education program.  For purposes of this requirement, “recruitment” refers to outreach efforts intended to encourage researchers to participate as Program Faculty and does not mean the appointment or hiring of Program Faculty.

Renewal applications must include an account of experiences in recruiting Program Faculty from underrepresented groups during the previous funding period, including successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies.

Plan for Instruction in Methods for Enhancing Rigor and Reproducibility. Applicants must provide a Plan for Instruction in Methods for Enhancing Rigor and Reproducibility. The plan should describe how the program will reinforce the principles important for enhancing research rigor and reproducibility, for example, critical evaluation of foundational research underlying a project, rigorous experimental design and data interpretation, computational and quantitative approaches, consideration of relevant biological variables such as sex, authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, data and material sharing, record keeping, and transparency in reporting. The plan should be appropriate and reasonable for the nature and duration of the proposed activities and level of participant experience. Applicants are encouraged to consult the NIGMS clearinghouse for training modules to enhance data reproducibility and other resources when developing the plans.

Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Applicants must provide a plan in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Examples of potential topics may include conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics, and sexual harassment. The plan should be appropriate and reasonable for the nature and duration of the proposed activities and level of participant experience. Explain how the teaching of RCR principles synergizes with elements of the activities designed to enhance the participants ability to conduct rigorous and reproducible research.

Evaluation Plan. Applications must include a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the programmatic and mentoring activities supported by the MOSAIC research education award and the extent to which the measurable objectives are accomplished. The evaluation plan must explain how each outcome will be measured, and should specify baseline metrics, as well as measures to gauge the short- and long-term success of the research education award in achieving its objectives.

The metrics are expected to move beyond participant satisfaction, self-reporting of perceived skills gained, or self-reporting of effectiveness. Programs are encouraged, when appropriate, to measure psychosocial indicators of progress (for example, science identity, a sense of belonging in the research community, self-efficacy in navigating the academic job search or first year as an independent investigator, etc.); however, these indicators should be linked to measurable outcomes (e.g., academic positions; career advancement, peer-reviewed publications; scientific presentations; honors/awards; leadership positions; external grant funding).  Applicants should describe how participant outcomes will be tracked (metrics can include, among others: career outcomes; research experiences; peer-reviewed publications; scientific presentations; honors/awards; leadership positions in current institution and/or professional organization as a result of MOSAIC; and additional training and/or mentoring as a result of MOSAIC.)

Applicants should describe plans to obtain feedback from participants to help identify program strengths and areas of development, to provide suggestions for improvements on program administration and effectiveness and indicate the likelihood of utilizing the knowledge and skills gained for future education and career development. Applicants should also describe plans for being responsive to such feedback. As mentioned above, applicants are strongly encouraged to develop the programmatic activities and evaluation plan early in the planning phases and in consultation with an experienced evaluator.

Note: The evaluator can come from the applicant organization if appropriately independent from directing or implementing program activities.

Dissemination Plan. A specific plan must be provided to disseminate nationally any findings resulting from or materials developed under the auspices of the research education program, e.g., sharing course curricula and related materials via web postings, presentations at scientific meetings, workshops.

Letters of Support

Organizational Commitment. (Required; 3-page maximum): Applications must include a letter from a Senior Administration Official at the applicant organization. This letter should be a signed letter on organizational letterhead, and it should describe the applicant organization’s commitment to the planned program. Appropriate commitment should include the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education program. The letter should describe how the organization ensures that proper policies, procedures, and oversight are in place to prevent discriminatory harassment and other discriminatory policies; responds appropriately to allegations of discriminatory practices, including any required notifications to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights; and adopts and follows institutional procedure for requesting NIH prior approval of a change in the status of the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) or other senior/key personnel if administrative or disciplinary action is taken that impacts the ability of the PD/PI or other key personnel to continue their roles on the NIH award described in the research education program application (also see NOT-OD-22-129 regarding policy on change in PD/PI status).

If the applicant proposes a multi-site research education project, the applicant organization must document the requisite administrative/technical capacity to support the management of a proposed collaborative multi-site project. All collaborative arrangements must be clearly described, and the applicant must provide assurances it is aware of NIH consortium policy and prepared to establish the necessary agreements.

Applications lacking an Organizational Commitment letter will not be reviewed.

Other Letters of Support. Additional letters of support (for example, from partner organizations) are permitted; however, these letters may not contain any information required in the Organizational Support Letter described above.

Combine all Letters of Support into a single PDF file.

Resource Sharing Plan
Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, a Data Management and Sharing Plan is not applicable for this NOFO.

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

Generally, Resource Sharing Plans are not applicable to this Program.

When relevant, applications are expected to include a software dissemination plan if support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of software is requested in the application. There is no prescribed single license for software produced. However, the software dissemination plan should address, as appropriate, the following goals:

• Software source code should be freely available to biomedical researchers and educators in the non-profit sector, such as institutions of education, research institutions, and government laboratories. Users should be permitted to modify the code and share their modifications with others.
• The terms of software availability should permit the commercialization of enhanced or customized versions of the software, or incorporation of the software or pieces of it into other software packages.
• To preserve utility to the community, the software should be transferable such that another individual or team can continue development in the event that the original investigators are unwilling or unable to do so.

Appendix

Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow the instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

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). All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. 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

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. 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 Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

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.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

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.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

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 form. 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 unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. 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 and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant, or non-responsive will not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 for direct costs in any year

Applicants requesting $500,000 in direct costs (less consortium F&A) in any year are not required to contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application. The Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is not applicable to this NOFO.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

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.

For this particular announcement, note the following: The goal of the MOSAIC UE5 program is to support educational activities for MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars that will equip them with the professional skills, and provide them with the appropriate mentoring opportunities, and professional networks to transition into, advance, and succeed in independent, tenure-track or equivalent, research-intensive faculty careers. Reviewers should also note that while any information relevant to the program goals can be included as part of the review process, the race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status) of program PD/PI, faculty, or staff may not, in and of themselves, be used as factors in the evaluation of applications.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to strongly advance research education by fulfilling the goal of this research education program, 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 scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.

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.

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.

2. Review and Selection Process 

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by the NIGMS Scientific Review Branch, 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 will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions, consistent with applicable law:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
• Alignment of scientific research areas with programmatic needs to support career and professional development of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars.
• Portfolio breadth and appropriate distribution across scientific disciplines.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

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 Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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 recipient’s business official.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. 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 NOFO 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.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:

• Federal-wide Standard Terms and Conditions for Research Grants
• Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment
• Acknowledgment of Federal Funding

If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

Should the applicant organization successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS will be required to complete an HHS Assurance of Compliance form (HHS Assurance of Compliance form (HHS 690)) in which the recipient agrees, as a condition of receiving the grant, to administer programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex and disability, and agreeing to comply with federal conscience laws, where applicable. This includes ensuring that entities take meaningful steps to provide meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency; and ensuring effective communication with persons with disabilities. Where applicable, Title XI and Section 1557 prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and gender identity, The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. See https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.

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 NOFO.

• For guidance on meeting the legal obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to programs or activities by limited English proficient individuals see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov.

• For information on an institution’s specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities, including providing program access, reasonable modifications, and to provide effective communication, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/index.html.

• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment, see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html. For information about NIH's commitment to supporting a safe and respectful work environment, who to contact with questions or concerns, and what NIH's expectations are for institutions and the individuals supported on NIH-funded awards, please see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment.htm.

• For guidance on administering programs in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/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.

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 and 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.” This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.”

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) grant administration regulations at 2 CFR 200, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies. 

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will function as a cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the recipients is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility will remain with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the recipients and the NIH as defined below. 

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:

• Adhering to the overall objective of the MOSAIC program.
• Developing and implementing the courses for skills development, mentoring, and networking activities.
• Managing the programmatic activities such as:
  • Handling the logistics of participant registration and associated payments/reimbursements for non-federal participants;
  • Contracting the facilities that will host the courses and provide housing for course faculty, staff, and participants;
  • Developing and administering course-specific evaluation instruments to course participants, faculty, and administrators;
  • Analyzing course-specific evaluation data and presenting the results at professional conferences and/or in publications;
  • Collecting MOSAIC-specific evaluation data in and participating in MOSAIC-specific analyses, presentations, and publications;
• Contributing to the cooperative nature of the MOSAIC program, recipients will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.

NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below: 

Project Coordinator: NIH Project Coordinator(s) with expertise in relevant areas will:

• Help guide the development of each MOSAIC research education award and the MOSAIC UE5 network by providing overall advice and coordination;
• Facilitate a partnership with NIH and ensure that the directions taken by the MOSAIC research education award are consistent with NIH missions and goals;
• Make recommendations regarding project direction to maintain scientific balance between accomplishing the goal and objectives of MOSAIC and addressing emerging opportunities;
• Promote communication between NIH and the recipient; and
• Facilitate, not direct, activities.

The Project Coordinator will not participate in the oversight of the funding announcement, application review or programmatic and budgetary stewardship of the award. The Project Coordinator will also not participate as an active researcher in the execution of the funded research and will not be an author on any publications resulting from the project. 

Program Official: The NIH Program Official will be responsible for oversight of the funding announcement and the normal programmatic stewardship of the award, including participating in funding recommendations, and will be named in the award notice. The program official will make assignments of MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars to UE5 awardees in consultation with the MOSAIC K99/R00 Scientific/Research Contacts at Participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The Program Official will not partake of the duties of the Project Coordinator. 

Areas of Joint Responsibility include: During the course of the award period, the recipient(s) will be invited to meet with NIH staff, and/or other interested parties at an annual meeting either in Bethesda, MD or virtually convened to review progress, and share outcomes. Recipients and NIH staff (i.e., project coordinator(s)) will work together to plan these meetings. Recipients will be responsible for paying travel expenses for the annual meeting from the award budget.

Dispute Resolution: Disagreements between award recipients and the NIH that arise regarding matters related to the scientific direction of the funded program may be brought to Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened. The panel will consist of a designee of the recipient, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and DHHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.

3. Data Management and Sharing

Note: The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing is effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.

Consistent with the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted.

Programs that involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of research and complete a Trainee Diversity Report, in accordance with the RPPR Instruction Guide including Section 7.5 Education RPPRs. Program Outcomes must be reported as part of the RPPR; the format of NRSA Table 8C is suggested.

NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 45 CFR Part 75.301 and 2 CFR 200.301.

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 recipients 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 the threshold. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

Failure by the recipient 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.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75.113 and 2 CFR Part 200.113, 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 and 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

A final RPPR and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

5. Evaluation

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH or its Institutes and Centers will periodically evaluate their UE5 research education programs, employing the measures identified below.  In assessing the effectiveness of its research education investments, NIH may request information from databases, PD/PIs, and from participants themselves.  Where necessary, PD/PIs and participants may be contacted after the completion of a research education experience for periodic updates on participants’ subsequent educational or employment history and professional activities.

In evaluating this research education program NIH expects to use the following evaluation measures:

For Courses for Skills Development and Mentoring Programs for Postdoctorates and Early Career Faculty:

• Aggregate number and demographic characteristics of participants.
• Educational level of participants.
• Content.
• Participants’ feedback on the program.
• New knowledge or skills acquired.
• Participants' psychosocial measures (e.g., self-efficacy for faculty career search, science identity).
• Subsequent educational/career progress of participants, including:
  • Subsequent participation in research.
  • Subsequent employment in a research or research-related field.
  • Subsequent authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field.
  • Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

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, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (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: 301-637-3015

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

SBA Company Registry (Questions regarding required registration at the SBA Company Registry and for technical questions or issues)
Website to Email: http://sbir.gov/feedback?type=reg

Kenneth D. Gibbs, Jr., Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: [email protected]

Neeraj Agarwal
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-435-8155
E-mail: [email protected]

Edwin C Clayton
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-480-9350
E-mail: [email protected]

Lindsey Nicole Friend
NIDA - NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
Phone: none
E-mail: [email protected]

James Churchill, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-326-8800
Email: [email protected]

Diane S. Adger-Johnson, MPH
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-594-5945
Email: [email protected] 

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

Christopher Barnhart, Ph.D
Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO)
Phone: 301-594-8983
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: [email protected]

Justin Rosenzweig
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: [email protected] 

Karen Robinson Smith
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-435-8178
E-mail: [email protected]

Pamela G Fleming
NIDA - NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
Phone: 301-480-1159
E-mail: [email protected]

Heather Weiss
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-4415
Email: [email protected]

Katherine Matheson
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-594-4218
Email: [email protected]   

Debbie Chen
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-594-3788
Email: [email protected]

Section VIII. Other Information

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 and 2 CFR Part 200.