CENTERS ON THE DEMOGRAPHY OF AGING Release Date: September 15, 1998 RFA: AG-99-001 P.T. National Institute on Aging Letter of Intent Receipt Date: October 16, 1998 Application Receipt Date: November 20, 1998 PURPOSE The National Institute on Aging (NIA), through the Demography and Population Epidemiology unit of the Behavioral and Social Research Program, invites applications for Research and Development Center Grants (P30) in the areas of demography and economics of health and aging. The Demography and Population Epidemiology Unit supports research and training in the dynamics of population aging using a variety of demographic and economic approaches. Congress has urged the further development of research on the demographic aspects of population aging and the 1997 G8 Summit encouraged cross-national research to address the challenges of population aging into the 21st Century (see Denver Summit Communiqu at http://www.g8denver.org/). These center grants will support the infrastructure necessary for research, new program development in selected areas, such as biodemography, the development of innovative national and international networks of researchers, the recruitment of new researchers into the field, the development and enhanced sharing of specialized databases (e.g. HCFA records), including rapid application of research results from these databases, and the development of statistical data enclaves for the analysis of large-scale, often-longitudinal, databases with linked administrative data. Funds may also be used to develop trends in the burdens and costs of diseases in the older population in general, and in racial/ethnic groups (see Scientific Opportunities and Public Needs: Improving Priority Setting and Public Input at the National Institutes of Health, National Academy Press, 1998). Scientific initiatives in the demography and economics of health and aging increasingly require integration and collaboration with each other and also with allied scientific fields such as genetics, biology, clinical medicine, and epidemiology. Collaboration across institutions and with international organizations is often required. Advances in computing technology have made new methodologies such as macro and microsimulation and the multivariate analysis of complex longitudinal data more practical and efficient, while raising the obligation to protect confidentiality. Progress in research on population aging can be accelerated and significantly enhanced by the widespread collaboration of investigators at multiple institutions and by the creation of innovative networks of researchers. Moreover, the NIA has supported the development of major data collection efforts in areas such as long term care, retirement and economic status, and the dynamics of health and functional change in the very old. However, use of these and other datasets require considerable investments of time and funding prior to conducting any sophisticated research. Efficiency is increased, and costs of individual research projects can be reduced, when several researchers at the same institution can make use of centralized data files staffed by knowledgeable data managers. Finally, there is a growing demand from the federal government and the policy community for timely and appropriately synthesized research findings from these datasets. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 Each NIH PA addresses one or more of 22 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention priority areas identified. These areas can be found via the WWW at http://www.crisny.org/health/us/health7.html ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Foreign institutions are not eligible for center grants (P30). Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal investigators. A Center on Demography (P30) grant requires substantial pre-existing research activity on population aging at the institution. A minimum of at least one peer- reviewed and externally funded, currently active research project directly and centrally within the area of demography or economics of health and aging is required. Ideally, applicant institutions will have a substantial base. Sub- projects on NIA P01 grants may be counted as individual projects. Although one peer-reviewed and externally funded, currently active grant is the minimum requirement, considerable weight will be given to significant research activity in demography and economics of health and aging. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The support mechanism for this program is the Research and Development center grant (P30). The center grant (P30) is an institutional award that supports a variety of research-related activities organized around one or more common themes or areas of interest. The P30 is awarded competitively for no more than five years, and is expected to lead to a competing application for another P30 or P50 Center Grant award. The Research and Development Center grant is a resource designed to encourage the development and maintenance of a significant and enduring high quality research program on population aging. Except for pilot projects included in program development, no funds are provided for the direct support of research projects. The P30 grant also helps to integrate existing projects in a specialized research area, often with a central theme, and to encourage the scientific development of the research area. By making research resources more accessible, this support is designed to enhance the productivity of other NIA-funded population aging research and training grants. Although the center grant is primarily designed to support a research center at a specific institution, some centers may also wish to assume a national or international role in making research resources available to the larger scientific community, and galvanizing scientists at several institutions through the development of networks. Centers are also encouraged to collaborate with other NIA-funded Centers, including the ROYBAL, Alzheimer"s Disease Centers, and the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers. Information about these Centers is available from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. The Center support may therefore be used to create or assemble new databases and methodologies for the larger research community. These centers may also develop and maintain innovative national and international research networks on population aging. Resources may also be used to disseminate research findings more widely and in a more effective and timely manner to the scientific, federal, and policy communities. Consortium arrangements are permissible, provided that the applicant institution meets the eligibility requirements. In addition to these functions, it is anticipated that one of the centers funded under this RFA will also serve as a coordinating center in order to encourage collaboration and networking among the NIA Demography Centers. FUNDS AVAILABLE The NIA anticipates that at least $3,000,000 in total costs per year for five years will be committed to fund applications in response to this RFA. Although this program is provided for in the financial plans of the NIA, awards are contingent on the availability of funds for this purpose. The NIA expects to make between six and ten awards. Direct costs of the awards are expected to vary between $100,000 and $500,000 depending upon the scale of activity that can be reasonably supported by the institution in terms of the current level of funded research on population aging. No request may exceed $700,000 total costs in the first year, with a three percent per annum inflation increase allowable in subsequent years. However, in addition to the $700,000 limit, up to $100,000 in direct costs (plus any indirect costs) may be separately requested for the functions of a coordinating center. If any NIA Research and Development P30 Center award from this RFA is made to an institution with an NICHD-funded P30 Population Center also receiving supplementary NIA funds, then it is anticipated that the NIA supplementary support will be replaced by direct NIA funding. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The center grant for this RFA minimally consists of (1) an administrative and research support core, which will provide coordination, research planning, logistical, and centralized data and technical support, and (2) a program development core providing for small scale pilot studies related to program development or methodological innovation. In addition, an application may elect to include (3) an external innovative national or international network core, (4) an external research support and dissemination core, (5) a statistical data enclave core, and (6) a coordinating center function. Each proposed Center should focus on one or more scientific themes or areas directly relevant to population aging. Important initiatives and priorities within population aging include (see also NIA Program Announcement "Secondary Analysis in Demography and Economics of Aging" PAS-98-041): o Biodemography of aging: including the demographic aspects of heritability and familial aggregation of disease and longevity, incorporation of genetic and disease variables into demographic models and age-specific mortality rates, and the social roles of the elderly in nature. o Investigation of trends in chronic disease and disability, especially of the factors underlying the recent trend in declining disability, in the older population. Determination and estimation of causal factors underlying the trend. o Estimation of the impact of changing trends in the functional status and health of the older population on Medicare and other health care costs. Estimation of the impact of medical interventions on future lifetime health care economic costs. o Economic and demographic analyses of the impact of aging-related biomedical and social research and resulting new technologies and interventions. o Forecasting life and active life (health) expectancy, medical services and long term care usage. Modeling risk factor trajectories and trends in non- communicable disease disability and mortality in developed and developing countries, with emphasis on aging populations. Analyses and projections of the epidemiological transition in developing countries. Improved analysis and projections of the global burden of disease (e.g., incorporating microdata on risk factors to model the impact of interventions), and critical analyses of emerging methodologies for resource allocation in the health sector. o Evaluations and simulations of the impact of changes in DHHS and SSA policies (e.g., changing the age of eligibility for Medicare and Social Security benefits) on the health, functioning, and labor supply of the older population. o Stochastic forecasting and simulations of the Social Security program and of changes in Social Security policy. Macroeconomic simulations of changes in Social Security policy on, e.g., national saving, investment and economic growth. Interactions of Social Security with other public and private programs. o Analyses of the fiscal effects of population aging, in the US and internationally. o Health, work and retirement, including: implications of population aging for public and private retirement programs (national and international) and for income security of future retirees, impacts on the labor supply of older workers, labor demand of older workers, analyses of the health and functional capacity for work of older persons, determinants of retirement, family labor supply, and saving, consequences of retirement for health and functioning, comparative studies of labor force activity, effects of psychological factors (e.g., expectations, risk taking, altruism, time preferences, etc.) and mental health characteristics (e.g., depression) on economic behaviors (e.g., savings and transfers), economic and demographic analyses of employer- and organizational- level determinants of labor force participation at older ages. o Interactions between health and economic status over time, relationship between health and wealth, role of social cohesion as a mediating factor, improved measures of socioeconomic position for aging populations, economic determinants of health promotion and disease prevention behaviors. o Studies of the health and economic status of diverse racial and ethnic older populations. Variables of interest include the effects of lifelong poverty, birth weight, access to employer-provided health insurance, recency and circumstances of immigration, the strain of physically demanding work, wealth, income and early- life health status, saving and investment choices, and experiences of discrimination. o Demography and economics of dementia and Alzheimer"s Disease, and of AIDS in older populations. o General demographic analyses of population aging and analyses of past, current and future cohorts of retirees, including the baby boom generation, historical demographic and epidemiological research on the aging process and on the determinants of health and mortality in older populations, migration and immigration, the impact of state and small area characteristics on health, improved descriptive analyses of centenarian populations, macro and micro dynamics of intergenerational exchanges, use of public and private resources in the period before death, and comparative international analyses of population aging using Census and other data. Applicants may address several areas. These areas are not intended to be prescriptive. Applicants may redefine these areas, merging and combining topics according to their own perspectives of the future course of the population sciences related to aging. Comparative international research is encouraged, particularly when the research is clearly relevant to population aging within the United States. Wherever possible special attention should be given to the demographic and economic aspects of the health and well-being of special older populations such as the oldest old, Blacks and Hispanics, and older women. Cores In addition to (A) an administrative and research support core and (B) a program development core, both of which are required, each proposed Center may also request funding for (C) an external innovative national or international network core, and/or (D) an external research resources support and dissemination core, and/or (E) a statistical data enclave core, and/or (F) a coordinating center function. Applications are not required to include requests for cores C, D, E, and F. The following limitations apply to the maximum amount that may be requested for average annual direct costs over five years, excluding the indirect costs associated with consortia: core A, up to $320,000, core B, up to $160,000, core C, up to $100,000, core D, up to $200,000, core E, up to $200,000, and core F up to $100,000. Given these constraints plus the limitation on total annual costs, no institution will be able to submit an application for all four optional cores for the full amounts. Therefore, each institution should decide on an optimal mix of topical foci and cores, and within cores, of specific core functions and levels of effort. Further, in order to maximize flexibility and permit the uneven distribution over the life of the Center, the dollar limit for each core is set in terms of average annual costs over the life of the requested center rather than simple annual costs. However, the $700,000 total cost limit (plus an allowable three percent escalation for inflation and exclusion of funds requested for coordinating center functions) cannot be exceeded in any year. Applicants are also encouraged to compete for the Coordinating Center function. The Coordinating Center will serve to encourage collaboration and net-working among the NIA Demography Centers. Funds of up to $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs) may be separately requested for these functions above the $700,000 total cost limit. Although NIA will fund only one Coordinating Center, other centers may propose coordinating functions that would exist independently from the Coordinating Center, such as the development of a series of research briefs which highlight research findings from all the NIA Demography Centers. A. Administrative and Research Support Core (MANDATORY) The Administrative and Research Support core manages the activities of the Center and provides shared resources such as datasets. The application must name a Center Director who will provide the overall scientific management and coordination of the Center. The Center Director must be an experienced researcher with appropriate experience in research on population aging. It is recommended that an Advisory Committee be established to assist the Director in making the scientific and administrative decisions relating to the Center, including the allocation of funds for pilot studies. While it is recommended that this Committee include one or more members outside of the applicant institution, any such members should not be contacted or named in the application until after initial and secondary review in order to facilitate review by not limiting the potential pool of reviewers. The objective of this core is to accomplish the following: 1. Plan, coordinate, review and manage the Center"s activities, including the funding of pilot studies. 2. Purchase and provide facilities or services such as centralized data libraries, including the purchase of hardware such as workstations, high capacity storage devices (hardware or equipment purchases may not exceed 15 percent of requested funding), and data files, development of user-friendly data files, salary for data managers, and cost effective data processing for the Institution"s research and training on population aging. Facilities and services should have the potential for general use at the institution, and must not be for the sole use of any single project. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. Salary support may be requested for the scientific director, core technical staff, consultants, and advisors. Travel funds should be requested to attend an annual NIA-sponsored meeting of scientific center directors, and may be requested for researchers to attend other scientific meetings, for training of technical and scientific staff, for new program development, and for travel related to outreach and network functions. B. Program Development Core (MANDATORY) Each Center grant application must include a program development core. The objective of this support is to allow the institution to develop sufficient preliminary information to permit the submission of applications for peer- reviewed research or career development projects. This core must include at least one small-scale project that will lead to new program development. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. The new pilot or development projects should address research topics listed above. Funds may be requested for: 1. Small-scale projects, which may include pilot or feasibility projects. These small-scale projects are ordinarily limited to two years but may be extended with appropriate justification. The application must describe the proposed use of funds for the first two years of the proposed center. Adequate detail should be provided in order to allow for the evaluation of the scientific value and significance of the proposed activities. Provision should be made in the Administrative and research support core for the institutional review of new projects. The description of all pilot projects, and any results must be reported in the Center"s annual progress report to the NIA. 2. Optional salary support for (a) new faculty development in demography of aging, (b) increasing the critical mass of the scientific research staff, and (c) the development of new program areas and methodologies. Salary support is limited to tenure track faculty (or equivalent in research organizations), and five years per individual. The total annual salary support cannot exceed $75,000 in direct costs (salary and fringe benefits) from the Center grant, and the institution is expected to supplement any such salary costs with funds from other sources. As a target, it is expected that scientists supported through this mechanism will either compete successfully for grant support or receive substantial support from the institution by the end of the third year. C. External Innovative Network Core (OPTIONAL) This optional core differs from the new program development core in that it explicitly is for the development of networks beyond the applicant institution"s boundaries, including internationally, hence the designation, external. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. Funds may be requested for: 1. The development of innovative research networks on topics consistent with the Center"s goals that will serve to enhance research not only at the institution, but more generally within the field, as well as in relation to other relevant disciplines. Such networks might include electronic bulletin boards, workshops, funding for pilot projects, and the development of common research resources. 2. The development of innovative international networks that advance the goals of the 1997 G8 Summit language, which encouraged cross-national research to address the challenges of population aging into the 21st Century (see Denver Summit Communiqu at http://www.g8denver.org/). Additional topics include, but are not limited to: international comparative analyses of the oldest old, of living arrangements, retirement, and pension systems, database construction and analysis of international census microdata, development of databases suitable for research in biodemography of aging, coordination of US and international demography or economics of aging research, development of projection methodologies for cross-national comparisons of population size and characteristics of the oldest old, modeling risk factor trajectories in non- communicable disease disability and mortality with emphasis on aging populations, global cost and impact of various diseases prevalent in older populations, and international comparisons of treatments for various diseases and conditions prevalent in older populations. 3. Outreach activities that will encourage and nurture the development of minority researchers. Such activities may include, e.g., sponsoring workshops on minority populations and issues, developing networks of minority researchers, and providing mentorship opportunities. 4. Technical assistance activities intended to support users of large NIA funded databases who are outside the NIA Demography Centers, including innovations resulting in the development of a "virtual" Center for those at other institutions. D. External Research Resources Support and Dissemination Core (OPTIONAL) This optional core differs from Core A in that its objective is the communication and dissemination of research resources, findings and new concepts and techniques within and beyond the institution. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative and creative methods of dissemination. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. Funds may be requested for, but are not limited to: 1. The dissemination of new methodologies and important databases to the larger scientific community. Encouragement is given for the development, support, and sharing of user-friendly databases and specific analytic methodologies resulting from grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, both within the institution, and nationally to appropriate researchers. Such dissemination might include, e.g., research and training workshops, development of user-friendly extract files with imputed variables, newsletters, and electronic bulletin boards providing technical support. Development of innovative approaches to dissemination is also encouraged. 2. The timely dissemination of well-synthesized research results to the Federal government, scientific community, and policy making community. Strong encouragement is given for the dissemination of research results from NIA sponsored databases on the topics listed above under "Research Objectives". Such dissemination might include briefings, training seminars, working paper series, and research briefs, and newsletters. Encouragement is also given to translating basic demographic and economic research into research briefs that are easily accessible. 3. The dissemination and development of new research techniques and concepts to the larger demography and economics of aging and health research communities. Such dissemination might include workshops and training institutes. The value- added components to any on-going activities should be clearly specified. E. Statistical Data Enclave Core (OPTIONAL) Demographic and economic aging research depends heavily on large-scale, often- longitudinal, databases with linked administrative (e.g., HCFA and SSA) data, geocoding, and, potentially, genetic data. The advent of cheap and powerful computers plus the internet, coupled with increased public and legislative sensitivity, has created a new environment for this type of research. Increased emphases on cross-national research must deal with international laws on confidentiality and transmission of health data across borders. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. Funds may be requested for, but are not limited to: 1. Development of leading-edge analytic methods, development of new statistical techniques to mask individual identities in microdata while maintaining the maximum research value of the data. Development of methodology for linking administrative data with longitudinal data sources and distributing the linked files. 2. Statistical analyses of risk disclosure for public use files. Methodological research on the merits and drawbacks of various identity masking strategies. 4. Establishing a secure data enclave for analysis of longitudinal data with sensitive linked administrative records. F. Coordinating Center Function (OPTIONAL) Applicants are encouraged to apply for the coordinating center function in order to promote collaboration and networking among the NIA Demography Centers. Funds of up to $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs) may be requested to arrange annual meetings or produce bibliographic or other special reports that would be of benefit to all NIA Demography Centers. Any overlap with activities funded or proposed through NICHD center grants must be clearly specified. Coordinating Center functions may include, but are not limited to, establishing a multi-center website, coordinating conferences, preparing annual reports and research briefs of center research findings, and funding multi-center activities, including travel to workshops. Although NIA will fund only one Coordinating Center, other centers may propose coordinating functions that would exist independently from the Coordinating Center, such as the development of a series of research briefs which highlight research findings from all the NIA Demography Centers. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS The institution and pertinent departments must show a strong commitment to the Center"s support. Such commitment may be provided as dedicated space, salary support for investigators, release time, new staff positions, dedicated equipment, clerical support, or other financial support for the proposed Center. In the mandatory Administrative and Research Support core, travel funds should be requested to attend an annual NIA-sponsored meeting of scientific center directors, and may be requested for researchers to attend other scientific meetings, for training of technical and scientific staff, for new program development, and for travel related to outreach and network functions. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No. 11, March 18, 1994. Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. The scientific goals of this RFA are focused on aging, therefore, this policy is waived for applications responding to it. Reviewers will not consider the inclusion of children as part of the initial review. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by October 16, 1998, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application may be submitted. 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 NIA staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is to be sent to: Richard M. Suzman, Ph.D. Behavioral and Social Research Program National Institute on Aging 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 533, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 Telephone: (301) 496-3138 FAX: (301) 402-0051 Email: Suzman@nih.gov APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) is to be used in applying for these grants. Applications kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 710-0267, email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. Applications are also available on the World Wide Web at http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html. Applications should follow instructions in the PHS 398 form, with the following exceptions. The Description and Key Personnel Section (PHS 398, page 2) should concisely state the overall goals of the entire Exploratory Center and clearly state the contribution of each component to the overall goals. Key personnel for the entire Center for Demography, including any consultants and consortium collaborators, should be listed alphabetically. The text of the application should begin with an overview that presents a succinct plan for the center as a whole, with a clear description of ongoing and pending research projects in population research related to aging, the major theme(s) and rationale(s) for the exploratory center, the organization of the administrative and new program development cores and their relationship to ongoing research and training projects in the demography and economics of health and aging (including oversight activities), the extent of institutional, departmental, and interdepartmental cooperation, and a summary program budget. Issues related to institutional commitment and settings, and the mechanisms that will ensure the coherence of the project should be described. The introduction is limited to 8 pages, followed by separate sections that fully document each core component. Institutions proposing to undertake the coordinating center function may use up to an additional three pages to describe the research plan and accompanying budget for this function. Except for Core B, PHS 398 sections a-d of the Research Plan for each core component is limited to 10 pages. For Core B, the maximum length is 20 pages. Each core should be prepared as a separate section that begins on a new page of the application. Complete information, including a fully justified budget, is required for each core component. Appendix materials should be kept to a minimum as per the instructions in form PHS 398. Applications exceeding the specified page limits will be returned to the applicant without review. Applications involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to submission. Applications without IRB approval are incomplete and will be returned. The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA title, and number, must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked. Submit a signed, original of the application, including the Checklist, and three signed photocopies of the application in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) At the time of submission, send two additional copies of the application to: Mary Nekola, Ph.D. Scientific Review Office National Institute on Aging 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Room 2C212 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 It is important to send these copies at the same time as the original and three copies are sent to the Center for Scientific Review. Applications must be received by November 20, 1998. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt applications will be reviewed for completeness by CSR and responsiveness to the RFA by the NIA. Incomplete and/or nonresponsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit review by a special study section convened by the NIA in accordance with the criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and may undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the National Advisory Council on Aging. Review Criteria The following set of criteria will be used in the evaluation of applications in response to this RFA. o the potential for significant scientific progress in the specific areas or themes addressed by the application, and the overall strategy for developing research in the demography and economics of health and aging generally and specifically within the areas or themes, o the level and extent of funded research directly relevant to the demography and economics of health and aging, o the scientific qualifications, leadership, and research experience in aging research of the Principal Investigator and professional staff, o successful training activity in the area of population aging including the recruitment and training of junior investigators, o the scientific merit of the proposed pilot or new program development projects and the adequacy of the review procedures to assess the scientific merit of future studies, o the value to the institution"s researchers of the support and maintenance functions for e.g., databases and methodologies, o evidence of concrete commitment of the institution"s administration to develop and support research and training on population aging, provision of new resources (e.g., co-funding or new positions), and o the scientific value and public good that might result from any proposed external outreach and network building activities. AWARD CRITERIA The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1999. . Applications recommended for further consideration by the National Advisory Council on Aging will be considered for funding on the basis of overall scientific, clinical, and technical merit of the proposal as determined by peer review, how well the application meets the goals and objectives of the program as described in this RFA, including increasing the concentration of funded activities in population research, appropriateness of budget estimates, program needs and balance, policy considerations, adequacy of provisions for the protection of human subjects, and availability of funds. INQUIRIES Inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Georgeanne E. Patmios Behavioral and Social Research Program National Institute on Aging Gateway Building, Suite 533 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-3138 FAX: (301) 402-0051 Email: PatmiosG@exmur.nia.nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: David Reiter Grants and Contracts Management National Institute on Aging Gateway Building, Room 2N212 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-1472 FAX: (301) 402-3672 Email: ReiterD@exmur.nia.nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.866. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410), as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke- free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

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