Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background

In 2018, 37.9 million [32.7 million 44.0 million] people globally are living with HIV, 1.7 million [1.4 million 2.3 million] were newly infected with HIV, and 770,000 [570,000 1.1 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide (UNAIDS fact sheet). Among people living with HIV, morbidity and mortality is increasingly driven by co-infections. The risk of tuberculosis (TB) progressing from latent to active disease is estimated to be 16-27 times greater in HIV-infected people than among those without HIV infection (WHO). For HIV-associated hepatitis, WHO estimates that 2 15% of people living with HIV are coinfected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 5 20% with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Given the burden and the health risks of these infections and the complexity of treatment regimens, there is a need for new drugs that are more effective, safe, and easier to use with higher adherence.

Clinical experience for treatment of HIV and HIV-associated coinfections has established that compliance and treatment completion are significant factors in the success of treatment regimens. Currently, effective treatments require strict adherence to multi-component drug regimens that must be taken daily for prolonged durations (TB and hepatitis), or the remainder of a patient's life (HIV). Non-adherence can lead to emergence of drug-resistance and loss of therapeutic effectiveness, which can be amplified by the unique challenges of treating vulnerable patient populations such as children, adolescents, pregnant women, intravenous drug users, individuals with mental health issues.

Recent studies of long acting and extended release antiretrovirals for HIV have demonstrated promise in improving treatment regimens for HIV patients by sustaining effective concentrations in plasma and target tissues for extended periods of time and providing therapeutic effect at reduced drug dosing intervals. Most new long acting agents for HIV have been focused on creating new extended release formulations of known antiretroviral drugs. This is an effective approach, but also has limitations as it is focused on converting drugs that were originally optimized for oral administration into products for parenteral or non-oral use. Discovery of new molecules that allow reduced dosing frequency will potentially lead to new potent drugs with desirable pharmacological and safety properties and expand the limited pipeline of long acting drug products.

HIV patients receiving long acting antiretrovirals are likely to require concurrent treatment for TB or viral hepatitis B or C, and the development of compatible long acting therapies for these infections is needed. While no long acting treatments are now available for these infections, availability of such drugs would potentially simplify treatment regimens, improve adherence, and decrease drug resistance. Preferably, new drug products for TB and hepatitis will have suitable pharmacological and safety profiles to enable co-administration with long acting antiretrovirals with similar dosing requirements.

Purpose and Research Objectives

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support research toward long acting therapeutics for HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB), HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus coupled with development of new effective and safe oral, injectable, implantable, or transdermal drug products with the goals of patient administration once per month or less frequently. Specifically, this FOA supports the discovery and development of new therapeutics and new Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) from the classes of small molecules or peptides.

The preferable dosing frequency is once per month or longer; however, applications that propose weekly or biweekly administration as their initial target, will be accepted. Innovative discovery and drug delivery platforms and non-clinical product development activities are encouraged. Proposed long acting therapies may contain a single or a combination of APIs or be used in combination with other agents, such as transporters, enzyme inhibitors, immunomodulators, to improve their efficacy and prolong therapeutic effect. Multidisciplinary approaches and involvement of scientists with complementary expertise in chemistry, drug delivery, virology, animal disease models, pharmacology, toxicology, drug development, and other disciplines are anticipated. Applicants are encouraged to summarize critical properties, optimal and minimally acceptable attributes and targets for development of a new long acting product.

For HIV: applications are sought that focus on the discovery of new long acting antiretrovirals as well as the development of new molecules from existing classes of antiretrovirals for potential use as long acting agents.

For TB and Hepatitis B or C: applications may propose either the development of new long acting/extended release formulations of existing drugs for treatment of TB or viral hepatitis B or C, or the discovery and development of new compounds as long acting agents.

Due to the high-risk, high-impact nature of the research, this FOA will use milestone-driven, phased research activities with investigator-provided milestones. Proposed milestones will be reviewed and negotiated prior to award. Support will be provided for up to three (3) years for the R61 phase, and up to two (2) years of support may follow for the R33 phase. Prior to the end of the R61 phase, awardees will submit the R33 transition package, which will be evaluated by NIH Program staff for completion of milestones. R33 transition decisions will be based on successful completion of negotiated milestones, NIAID program priorities, and availability of funds. It is expected that approximately half of the projects supported during the R61 Phase will continue into the R33 Phase.

Responsive Areas of Research

Examples of the types of research responsive to this FOA include:

• Discovery, through chemical synthesis, of new APIs that exhibit highly potent and selective in-vitro activity against HIV, HBV, HCV or Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).
• Identification and further development of existing APIs with established activity and against HIV, HBV, HCV or Mtb and resistance patterns.
• In-vitro and in-vivo studies to evaluate the potential toxicity and safety of selected APIs and drug products.
• In silico tools, i.e. computational absorbance distribution, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME), and PK modeling tools may be used in drug product design.
• Medicinal chemistry and lead optimization studies.
• Use of appropriate animal disease models for efficacy evaluations.
• In-vitro and in-vivo studies to determine resistance profile of potential drug products for HIV, TB, and hepatitis B and C indications.
• Pharmacological studies of candidate products in laboratory animals to (1) assess drug levels in plasma and local cellular and target tissues and (2) characterize the pharmacological profile and in-vivo product release.
• Drug-drug interaction studies.
• Pre-formulation studies that include chemical and physical characterization of the selected API and drug products. This might include performance of U.S. Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) compliant stability and drug release testing.

Non-Responsive Areas of Research

Applications focusing on or including the following areas will not be considered responsive and will not be reviewed:

• Further development of the marketed antiretroviral drugs as long acting agents. In pursuit of such research programs, please refer to the FOA PAR-20-029.
• Random or bulk screening of chemical or natural product libraries or collections to "discover" candidate molecules, including development of an uncharacterized natural product consisting of a complex mixture of potentially active and inactive ingredients.
• Development of broadly neutralizing antibodies or non-neutralizing antibodies as long acting agents.
• Strategies for HIV, TB, or Hepatitis B vaccines.
• Applications focused on products other than small molecules or peptides.
• Clinical trials.

Section II. Award Information

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)

For-Profit Organizations

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

Governments

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

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions)

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
  • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number to register in eRA Commons.Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration, but 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 DUNS number and 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.

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.

2. Cost Sharing

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

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. 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 NOT-OD-11-101)

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

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Brenda Lange-Gustafson, PhD
Telephone: 240-669-5407
Email: bgustafson@niaid.nih.gov

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

Specific Aims: Briefly describe the long-range objectives and goals of the proposed research. Concisely and realistically describe the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested. State in clearly marked sections the overall objective(s) and specific aims for both the R61 and R33 phases of the proposed research.

Research Strategy: Provide a brief overview of your research plan, sufficient background information to support the feasibility of the approach and describe how its success provides an advancement in a useful therapeutic application.

• Indicate the proposed class of compounds, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), or marketed drugs, their source and timing for availability for accomplishing the research goals. Briefly discuss the rationale for choosing it as a candidate to be developed as a long acting/sustained-release product. Describe how this work differs from previous approaches and provide the unique features of the proposed work.
• Propose a research strategy with clearly defined methods and criteria to define success.
• Describe the overall objectives, studies designed to achieve desirable characteristics of the drug product and strategy to guide the selection of candidate molecules and drug products.
• Include the rationale and plans to (1) synthesize or modify candidate molecules and/or construct formulations, (2) conduct non-clinical evaluations such as safety, efficacy, PK/PD, drug-drug interactions, tissue penetration, and (3) address the development of drug resistance.
• In a clearly labeled section applicants should include a summary of critical properties, optimal and minimally acceptable attributes and targets for development of a new long acting product. Applicants may provide this information in the format of a Target Product Profile or in another format.
• Milestones (required): In a clearly labeled section provide milestones for BOTH the R61 and R33 phases of the award. Proposed milestones should address critical points of the proposed program and describe research outcomes by providing quantifiable measures for success within the R61 and R33 phases of the award. Milestones that are a restatement of application Specific Aims do not meet the definition of milestones used here. Descriptions of the milestones must include Go/No-Go statements to support critical parameters of the milestone that will determine whether the research should advance forward. Examples of milestones might include identification of a best-in-class compound based on in-vitro and/or in-vivo data, demonstration of targeted dosing frequency in-vivo, confirmation of efficacy in animal disease models, demonstration of feasibility to prepare/fabricate/manufacture targeted formulation.
• In a clearly labeled section, indicate the sequence, timeline and location of milestones to illustrate the project schedule and the relationships between individual tasks in the project and the timeline for each task. Milestones may be indicated in the chart. Applicants may choose to use a Gantt chart or equivalent for this purpose.

Letters of Support:

• When appropriate, include letters of support/collaboration to demonstrate the involvement/commitment of collaborators, partners, or availability of resources.
• Applicants proposing research involving drugs that are protected by intellectual property, are required to include a Letter from a patent or license holder in support of the proposed research.

The following modifications also apply:

• All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Data Sharing Plan.

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.

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.

Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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

See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.

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

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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 Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. 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 and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

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:

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Specific to this FOA: Does the strategy represent an advancement beyond long acting HIV therapies currently being developed, and will the proposed development help to establish the next generation of long acting/sustained release products in the pipeline?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Specific to this FOA: Does the outlined development program embody innovation by leading to and supporting the creation of a new and innovative products?

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?

If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Specific to this FOA: Is rationale for choosing the drug appropriate? Are the milestones and GO/NO-GO criteria measurable and aligned with the research plan and timeline? Does the application adequately identify physical, chemical, and biological features of the proposed long acting drug product and are features achievable? Does the overall development strategy adequately address the required duration, achievement of effective concentrations, and prevention of drug resistance? Do the proposed collaborations provide a feasible approach to address the goals and objectives of the FOA? Are there adequate plans to assure quality oversight including any proposed subcontractors?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

Specific to this FOA: Are the required drug development resources available to the project? Are the environment and resources provided by the academic institutions and/or industrial partner well integrated into the project to ensure a successful outcome?

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of thecategories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

Not Applicable

Renewals

Not Applicable

Revisions

Not Applicable

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.

Select Agent Research

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: (1) Data Sharing Plan; (2) Sharing Model Organisms; and (3) Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS).

Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources:

For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.

Budget and Period of Support

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

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , 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.

• 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.
• Will receive a written critique.

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• 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.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Grantee 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 awardee 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, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex. This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/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 FOA.

• Recipients of FFA must ensure that their programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS provides guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.

• Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.

• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/shguide.html; and https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/upload/fs-sex.pdf. 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.

• Recipients of FFA must also administer their programs in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws. Collectively, these laws prohibit exclusion, adverse treatment, coercion, or other discrimination against persons or entities on the basis of their consciences, religious beliefs, or moral convictions. Please 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 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

3. Reporting

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreementsare required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM)about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings.Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 Award Term and Conditions for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

Finding Help Online:http://grants.nih.gov/support/(preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email:GrantsInfo@nih.gov(preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573

Grants.gov Customer Support(Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email:support@grants.gov

Marina N Protopopova, PhD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-761-7653
Email: marina.protopopova@nih.gov

Brenda Lange-Gustafson, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-5047
Email: bgustafson@niaid.nih.gov

Jenna Briggs
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID)
Telephone: 301-761-5137
Email: jenna.briggs@nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information