Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - 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.
   
   



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

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose

This funding opportunity solicits applications to participate in the Immunobiology of Xenotransplantation Cooperative Research Program (IXCRP). The purpose of the IXCRP is to support research in preclinical nonhuman primate (NHP) and human decedent models of porcine pancreatic islet, kidney, heart, lung, or liver xenotransplantation with the overarching goal of developing safe and effective strategies to enable clinical xenotransplantation.

Background

Transplantation is often the preferred or only therapy for end-stage organ disease. In 2023, 46,630 organ transplants were performed in the United States. In addition, transplantation of pancreatic islets offers a potential therapy for individuals with type 1 diabetes whose disease is not effectively managed with exogenous insulin. Unfortunately, with over 103,500 adults and children on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list, those in need of a transplant greatly exceed the number of available organs. It is estimated that 20 people on average die each day waiting for a transplant. Xenotransplantation offers a potential interim or definitive solution to the severe shortage of human organs and pancreatic islets. Pigs are the primary species of interest as xenograft donors due to their favorable reproductive capacity and anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. However, there are multiple barriers to successful clinical xenotransplantation, including immunologic rejection of non-human organs and tissues by the human immune system, physiological differences between non-human and human molecules that prevent proper functioning of various biochemical pathways, and potential transmission of zoonoses.

To address these challenges, the IXCRP was established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in 2005 with a co-fund for type 1 diabetes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (RFA-AI-04-042). Subsequently, in 2010, the program was renewed solely by NIAID (RFA-AI-09-035), in 2015 (RFA-AI-14-047 and RFA-AI-14-048), and in 2020 (RFA-AI-19-042 and RFA-AI-19-043).. IXCRP investigators and other researchers in the field have made significant advances over the past two decades, and NIAID is committed to support this challenging area of research.

Historically, the most significant hurdle to successful xenotransplantation was hyperacute rejection caused by preformed, xenoreactive naturally-occurring antibodies (XNA) that destroy the xenograft within hours post-transplant. The primary target of XNA is a carbohydrate epitope, galactose-alpha-(1,3)-galactose (Gal), which is not present in humans and Old World NHPs. To overcome this hurdle, two decades ago, the enzyme responsible for terminally linking Gal onto oligosaccharide chains, alpha-1,3 glycosyltransferase (GT), was knocked out in genetically modified pigs. Xenografts from GT knockout (GTKO) pigs elicit substantially less severe hyperacute rejection in NHPs. Cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) gene knockouts and mutations to beta-1,4-N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase 2 (B4GALNT2) were similarly engineered to reduce reactivity to other notable XNA to pig carbohydrate antigens, namely N-glycolylneuraminic acid-modified glycans and SDa swine blood group antigen, respectively.

Over the last decade, application of CRISPR-Cas 9 technology combined with somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning has significantly accelerated the pace of multi-gene modification and donor pig production. Additional genetic modifications, most on the GTKO background, were developed to address key species-to-species incompatibilities and create more human-like organs. These include the insertion of human complement regulatory proteins to minimize the deleterious effects of the complement cascade in antibody-mediated rejection, human thrombomodulin and/or tissue factor pathway inhibitor to overcome coagulation pathway dysfunction, and human anti-inflammatory and/or immune suppressive genes to reduce immune activation contributing to graft rejection. These strategies have dramatically reduced the frequency and severity of hyperacute rejection and have prolonged survival in pig-to-NHP xenotransplantation models for up to 4 years.

Success in prolonging xenograft survival in the pig-to-NHP model allows more in-depth investigation of the remaining immunologic and physiologic issues that must be addressed in order to achieve safe and efficacious clinical xenotransplantation. These include physiologic differences that influence xenograft function and long-term survival, and risks associated with zoonoses. Transmission of pathogenic zoonoses to a human recipient and, potentially, the general population is a concern. To reduce this risk, animals used for xenotransplantation are bred in specific-pathogen-free conditions, weaned early or caesarian-derived, and routinely screened to eliminate most, if not all, known zoonotic agents.

Porcine Cytomegalovirus (PCMV) is a swine pathogen known to have deleterious effects on xenograft survival. In the first human patient to receive a cardiac xenotransplant, conventional testing failed to detect latent PCMV in the donor pig and the virus reactivated post-transplant. The extent to which PCMV reactivation contributed to the patient’s death is unknown; however, this event underscores the need for sensitive and reliable assays to detect both latent and active infection with PCMV. Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV), another potential zoonotic threat, were successfully inactivated in a line of pigs through a combination of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing and somatic cell nuclear transfer, further highlighting the potential of these technologies to both protect against immunologic attack and reduce the risk of zoonoses.

The field of xenotransplantation has recently witnessed an expansion in research models beyond NHP recipients to include an evaluation of safety, feasibility, and short-term outcomes (2 – 60 days) in humans declared to have irreversible loss of brain function (individuals with brain death, also referred to as human decedents) maintained on cardiopulmonary support. These experiments, using varying genetically modified pig hearts and kidneys transplanted into  human decedents whose organs were declined for allotransplantation based on organ quality, have demonstrated early hemodynamic stability, an absence of hyperacute rejection, and basic organ functionality under immunosuppression. No chimerism or transmission of porcine retroviruses were detected; however, many of these experiments have demonstrated thrombotic microangiopathy and/or antibody-mediated injury.

As of the time of this writing, medical teams that include IXCRP-funded investigators have performed two pig-to-human orthotopic heart transplants under expanded access (compassionate use) authorization from the FDA. The two xenograft recipients expired at 8 and 6 weeks, respectively. These initial clinical xenotransplants demonstrated good early xenograft function but also highlighted fundamental gaps in our knowledge of 1) critical pathways leading to inflammation and graft failure, 2) best practices for zoonotic viral surveillance and treatment, 3) optimal design of the donor pig, and 4) postoperative immunosuppression regimen. These knowledge gaps must be addressed prior to broader clinical translation.

Scope and Research Objectives

The re-issue of the IXCRP will support a research program comprised of two or more research projects centered around preclinical NHP and/or human decedent models of porcine pancreatic islet, kidney, heart, lung, or liver xenotransplantation. The research objectives must address one or more of the remaining key immunologic and physiologic barriers to achieving safe and efficacious xenotransplantation, including issues affecting engraftment, survival, and function of xenografts. Research foci may include 1) development or optimization of the models themselves, including genetic modifications of the pig-donor to address FDA concerns, as well as refinement of surgical xenotransplantation techniques, 2) development or optimization of the immunosuppression (IS) regimen to prevent rejection and minimize toxicity, 3) characterization and resolution of physiological and immunological barriers to long-term xenograft survival, and 4) development or optimization of strategies to screen for and prevent pathogen transmission to recipients.

Examples of research topics may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of and development of strategies to prevent hyperacute, acute, and chronic xenograft rejection;
• Characterization of the recipient’s innate and adaptive immune responses to the xenograft;
• Evaluation of regimens to induce and maintain immune tolerance to xenografts and/or delineation of cellular and molecular mechanisms promoting xenograft tolerance;
• Development and characterization of strategies to prolong xenograft survival in life-supporting xenotransplantation models;
• Development of approaches to eliminate or minimize the use of immunosuppressive drugs through genetic modifications of donor organs/tissues/cells, utilization of encapsulation techniques, or other tolerogenic approaches;
• Characterization of and application of approaches to address differences in the anatomical, physiological, and/or endocrinological features of donor pig organs, tissues, or cells that limit a xenograft’s survival and function in NHP or human decedent recipients;
• Delineation and study of cross-match differences between pigs and NHPs or humans;
• Development and testing of tools/approaches to diagnose, monitor, and treat porcine zoonoses in human decedent models;
• Development and testing of tools/approaches to diagnose, monitor, and treat xenograft rejection; and
• Development and testing of tools/approaches to diagnose, monitor, and treat causes of xenograft dysfunction other than immunologic rejection.

Applications proposing any of the following will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:

• Pig-to-NHP xenotransplantation studies of any organs, tissues, or cells other than pancreatic islets, kidney, heart, lung, or liver.
• Small animal models of xenotransplantation, such as rodent models, unless the model is proposed only as an in vivo bioassay of large animal immune function (e.g., trans in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity assay);
• Clinical trials or clinical/human studies of xenotransplantation; (only preclinical human decedent model research is allowed).
• Studies of zoonotic agents or infections, except for those studies designed to prevent transmission of, or improve diagnosis, monitoring, or treatment of zoonotic infections in xenograft recipients.
• Studies focused on HIV/AIDS-related research
• Applications that do not include annual milestones.
• Applications that propose studies in human decedents but do not include a Human Decedent Research Plan.

Structure of the IXCRP

Administrative Core: Each application will include an Administrative Core to manage and coordinate all activities to ensure project timelines and objectives are met. The Administrative Core will include a Program Management Plan that will guide its operations and activities. This Core will be responsible for carrying out activities described in the Data Management and Sharing Plan. The Administrative Core will also be responsible for organizing an annual programmatic meeting for all investigators and NIAID staff.

Scientific Core:  Scientific Cores are optional and may be included to provide IXCRP investigators with core resources and/or facilities that are essential for the activities of two or more Research Projects. Scientific Core activities must not overlap with each other or with the activities of a Research Project. The Scientific Core may not conduct research independent of the served Research Project.

Research Projects:  Applications will propose at least two synergistic Research Projects that meet the goals of the initiative to resolve the immunologic and physiologic barriers to safe and efficacious xenotransplantation using preclinical pig to nonhuman primate (NHP) or human decedent models of pancreatic islet, kidney, heart, lung, or liver xenotransplantation.

Milestones

The research projects must include explicit, detailed, and quantitative annual milestones. These milestones will be used by NIAID program staff to assess annual progress and support funding decisions.

Steering Committee

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) of awards funded under this program will form a Steering Committee after award. The Steering Committee will serve as the main governing body of the IXCRP. At annual meetings, the Steering Committee will review progress of xenotransplantation projects,  provide guidance and recommendations to investigators regarding study implementation and conduct, identify scientific opportunities, emerging needs, and impediments to success, and encourage collaborations among consortium members. The voting members of the Steering Committee will include the PD/PI (contact PI) from each single project U01 award and the PD/PI (contact PI) plus one project leader from each multi-project U19 award.  Additional PDs/PIs, Project Leaders, Core Leaders, and the NIH Project Scientist will serve as non-voting Steering Committee members. All IXCRP investigators will be required to accept and implement common guidelines and procedures approved by the Steering Committee.

Applicants are encouraged to consider using the following NIAID-supported programs:

The Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort)

The Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) program will provide support for public sharing of research data and experimental protocols of the IXCRP. ImmPort is a NIAID-funded data sharing platform, which has developed templates for data collection, standardization, and sharing from various NIAID-supported research programs. The IXCRP recipients are encouraged to participate with ImmPort in developing data standards for IXCRP-specific data types, where applicable, and be responsible for collecting and submitting data and documents into ImmPort. The IXCRP Steering Committee will provide information, consistent with the goals of the program and NIH policy, regarding research data and experimental protocol sharing within the IXCRP and with the public.

The National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC)

The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the NIH Director supports the National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC), which is co-sponsored by NIAID and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NSRRC was established in 2003 to develop the infrastructure needed to ensure that biomedical investigators across a variety of disciplines have access to critically needed swine models of human health and disease. The purpose of the NSRRC is to provide the biomedical research community enhanced access to critically needed swine models and to develop genetically modified swine when required for studies involving human health and diseases, including xenotransplantation. NIAID encourages IXCRP-funded investigators to submit relevant cell lines and animal models developed under this NOFO to the NSRRC, when applicable.

The current U19 NOFO is appropriate for investigators proposing a complex research program involving 2 or more research projects supported cores while the companion U01 NOFO (RFA-AI-24-019) should be used for applicants that are proposing a single research project.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss the proposed research with NIAID staff listed in  the Scientific/Research contact well in advance of the application submission deadline.

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

Section II. Award 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)

For-Profit Organizations

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

Local 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)

Federal Governments

• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

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

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organization) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

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

Applicant organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- 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. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

• 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 his/her 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 How to Apply - Application Guide.

An individual cannot be the PD/PI or multiple PD/PI on more than one U01 or U19 application submitted in response to this NOFO (RFA-AI-24-020) or the companion U19 NOFO (RFA-AI-24-019). 

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2- Definitions of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The 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).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution. A button to apply using ASSIST is available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See the administrative office for instructions if planning to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise and where instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide are directly related to the Grants.gov downloadable forms currently used with most NIH opportunities. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

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

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

• 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:

James T. Snyder, Ph.D.
Telephone: 240-669-5060
Email:  james.snyder@nih.gov 

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for the Submission of Multi-Component Applications

The following section supplements the instructions found in How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing a multi-component application.

The application should consist of the following components:

• Overall: required
• Administrative Core: required, maximum of 1
• Scientific Cores: optional, no maximum, but each Core must support at least two Projects
• Research Projects: required, minimum of 2, no maximum

Overall Component

When preparing the application, use Component Type ‘Overall’.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted.

SF424(R&R) Cover (Overall)

Complete entire form.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Overall)

Note: Human Embryonic Stem Cell lines from other components should be repeated in cell line table in Overall component.

Research & Related Other Project Information (Overall)

Follow standard instructions.

Other Attachments:

Human Decedent Research Plan:

Applications proposing pig-to-human decedent research, must include a Human Decedent Research Plan attachment in a pdf format with the filename, “Human_Decendent_Research_Plan.pdf.” The Plan should include descriptions of the following:

• institutional procedures for ensuring ethical and scientific oversight of research involving human decedents (e.g., provisional Institutional Review Board approval);
• correspondence /interaction(s) with the FDA that summarize the FDA’s review of and/or recommendations for the application’s decedent xenotransplant research experimental strategy and plan; plans for discussions with the FDA to ensure the experimental design and data collection methods used will facilitate a future clinical trial.
• the protocol for terminating the experiment and preparing the body for return to the family and next of kin;
• the facilities and infrastructure (process and workflow) for transporting, handling, performing surgery, monitoring, and biosampling the pig organ and human decedent throughout the experiment;
• a Zoonosis Mitigation Plan which includes:
  • isolation procedures, processes, and guidelines unique to the conduct and clinical management of decedent research as compared to regular standard of care clinical duties in the hospital, particularly if decedent research is conducted within or adjoining a hospital providing routine clinical patient care (include decedent care personnel, instruments, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment).
  • processes for protecting personnel, the decedent, healthcare workers in contact with the decedent from potential zoonoses.

Project/Performance Site Locations (Overall)

Enter primary site only.

A summary of Project/Performance Sites in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission.

Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Overall)

Include only the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) and any multi-PDs/PIs (if applicable to this NOFO) for the entire application.

• Include in the biosketch the PD(s)/PI(s) leadership ability, and scientific expertise to develop a program of integrated research projects with a well-defined central research focus.

A summary of Senior/Key Persons followed by their Biographical Sketches in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons will be generated upon submission.

Budget (Overall)

The only budget information included in the Overall component is the Estimated Project Funding section of the SF424 (R&R) Cover.

A budget summary in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from detailed budget data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission.

PHS 398 Research Plan (Overall)

Specific Aims: List in priority order, the broad, long-range objectives and goals of the proposed program.  Concisely and realistically describe the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested.

Research Strategy: This section summarizes the overall research strategy for the multi-component application. The multi-component application should be viewed as a confederation of interrelated research projects, each capable of standing on its own scientific merit, but complementary to one another. This is an important section as it provides the investigators an opportunity to give conceptual wholeness to the overall program, by giving a statement of the general problem area and by laying out a broad strategy for attacking the problems. As the strategy develops, each project and core should be cited briefly as to its place in the overall scheme. Summarize the special features in the environment and/or resources that make this application strong or unique.

Applicants are expected to describe in the Overall section synergy, how the individual components (Research Projects and shared Cores) will be coordinated and work together to address the overall goals and aims of the program and indicate collaborations, shared expertise, and leveraging of resources (protocols, reagents, animal models etc.), as applicable. In addition, applicants should address optimizing interactions between the Research Projects and the Cores to achieve program milestones and timelines. Applicants should also describe plans for 1) coordination, 2) problem identification and resolution, and 3) establishment of a strong collaborative environment. Schematics highlighting the interactions among the investigators and components and overall program milestones and timelines are encouraged.

Letters of Support: Provide letters of support from relevant organizations and collaborators who are lending their expertise or resources to all components of the program (i.e.,  all Research Projects and Cores). If the proposed study includes biological samples, reagents, or animals obtained from another person, institution, or company or not currently in the possession of the PD(s)/PI(s), include a letter of support from the person, institution, or company controlling the animals and/or reagents indicating that these research tools or animals will be made available to the applicant and the timeline for availability.

If preclinical pig-to-human decedent xenotransplantation is proposed, provide appropriate letters of support that demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed experiments. This may include letters of support that provide input and document support from the county department of health, participating organ procurement organization(s), and private industry, as needed to support the application’s study goals, objectives, and aims.

Resource Sharing Plan:
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

The following modifications also apply:

IXCRP-funded investigators are required to submit all animal models and/or relevant cell lines developed under this NOFO into the National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC) or another appropriate repository. NIAID expects IXCRP investigators to provide an outline of the submission plan in the Sharing Model Organisms plan, including timeframes for the periodic provision of animal models and/or cell lines developed under NIH funding to the NSRRC or another repository.

Other Plan(s): 

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

• All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan.
• All investigators funded under this NOFO are required to share their data publicly through ImmPort or another public portal approved by NIH. Therefore, the Data Management and Sharing Plan must include a summary of how the applicant will manage data submission and interactions with ImmPort or another public portal approved by NIH.

Appendix:

Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the How to Apply - Application Guide instructions.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Overall)

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - 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, there must be at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record within the application. The study record(s) must be included in the component(s) where the work is being done, unless the same study spans multiple components. To avoid the creation of duplicate study records, a single study record with sufficient information for all involved components must be included in the Overall component when the same study spans multiple components.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - 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 How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form (Overall)

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

Administrative Core

When preparing your application, use Component Type ‘Admin Core.’

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

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages. If required, the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan must be provided in the Overall component.

SF424 (R&R) Cover (Administrative Core)

Complete only the following fields:

• Applicant Information
• Type of Applicant (optional)
• Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project
• Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Administrative Core)

Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component.

Research & Related Other Project Information (Administrative Core)

Human Subjects: Answer only the ‘Are Human Subjects Involved?’ and Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations?’ questions.

Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the ‘Are Vertebrate Animals Used?’ question.

Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components.

Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Administrative Core)

List all performance sites that apply to the specific component.

Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries.

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Administrative Core)

• In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of ‘Other’ with Category of ‘Core Lead’ and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field.
• In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component.
• Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component.
• If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used
• The PD/PI (or one of the PD(s)/PI(s) in the event of a multi-PD/PI application) must be the Core Lead of the Administrative Core. Multiple Core Leads are NOT permitted for an Administrative Core

Budget (Administrative Core)

Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package.

Applicants should include appropriate travel budgets to accommodate travel by the PD/PI (contact PD/PI for multi-PI applications), each Project and Core Lead and one key personnel to the annual Steering Committee meeting in Bethesda, MD.

Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply.

PHS 398 Research Plan (Administrative Core)

Specific Aims: List in priority order, the broad, long-range objectives and goals of the Administrative Core. Describe the work to be completed to address issues of program coordination, communication, and management. In addition, state the core’s relationship to the goals and how it relates to the individual research projects or other cores in the application.

Research Strategy:  Include a Program Management Plan describing the short- and long-term management of the program, including:

• a discussion of the structure and roles of administrative and scientific staff;
• prioritization of project goals;
• communication between project leaders;
• internal data and resource sharing;
• fiscal management; and
• the rationale and feasibility of the proposed timelines and performance objectives outlined in the Program Management Plan.

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

Appendix:

Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Administrative Core)

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials 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 a 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.

Scientific Core(s)

When preparing your application, use Component Type “Core”.

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

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages. If required, the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan must be provided in the Overall component.

SF424 (R&R) Cover (Scientific Core(s))

Complete only the following fields:

• Applicant Information
• Type of Applicant (optional)
• Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project
• Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Scientific Core(s))

Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component.

Research & Related Other Project Information (Scientific Core(s))

Human Subjects: Answer only the ‘Are Human Subjects Involved?’ and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations?’ questions.

Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the ‘Are Vertebrate Animals Used?’ question.

Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components.

Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Scientific Core(s))

List all performance sites that apply to the specific component.

Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries.

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Scientific Core(s))

• In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of ‘Other’ with Category of ‘Core Lead’ and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field.
• In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component.
• Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component.
• If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used.
• Multiple Core Leads are NOT permitted for a Scientific Core

Budget (Scientific Core(s))

Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package.

Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply.

PHS 398 Research Plan (Scientific Core(s))

Specific Aims: List in priority order the broad, long-range objectives and goals of the proposed core. In addition, state the core’s relationship to the goals and how it relates to the individual research projects or other cores in the application.

Research Strategy: Describe how the proposed Scientific Core activities will contribute to meeting the Program’s goals and objectives for two or more Research Projects and explain why the Core resources are not otherwise available. In addition, this section should indicate the relevance of the Core to the primary theme of the application. The application must indicate the specific Research Projects to be served by the Scientific Core(s). The activities of Scientific Cores must not overlap with those of a proposed Research Project. Scientific Cores should provide broad-based support for routine activities that individual Research Projects may need to accomplish the goals. If applicable, discuss how work would be prioritized and expected usage of the core services for the overall program.

If this Core will support a Project(s) proposing human decedent model of xenotransplantation, describe how the Core will function to oversee or implement elements described in the Human Decedent Research Plan and ensure productive interactions with the FDA.

Letters of Support:  Provide letters of support from relevant organizations and collaborators who are lending their expertise or resources solely to this Core.

Resource Sharing Plan: 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:

Appendix:

Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Scientific Core(s))

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials 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 a 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. 

Research Projects

When preparing your application, use Component Type ‘Project.’

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

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H application forms packages. If required, the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan must be provided in the Overall component.

SF424 (R&R) Cover (Research Projects)

Complete only the following fields:

• Applicant Information
• Type of Applicant (optional)
• Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project
• Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Research Projects)

Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component.

Research & Related Other Project Information (Research Projects)

Human Subjects: Answer only the ‘Are Human Subjects Involved?’ and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations?’ questions.

Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the ‘Are Vertebrate Animals Used?’ question.

Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components.

Facilities and Other Resources:

Include detailed descriptions regarding appropriate housing, husbandry and pathogen testing of the pig donors. Do not duplicate information requested in the Vertebrate Animals section.

Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Research Projects)

List all performance sites that apply to the specific component.

Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries.

Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Research Projects)

• In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of ‘Other’ with Category of ‘Project Lead’ and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field.
• In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component.
• Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component.
• If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used.
• Multiple Project Leads are NOT permitted for a Research Project.

Budget (Research Projects)

Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package.

Applicants should include travel budgets to accommodate travel by the Project Leader and one key personnel to the annual Steering Committee meeting in Bethesda, MD.

Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply.

PHS 398 Research Plan (Research Projects)

Specific Aims: List, in priority order, the Specific Aims of the proposed project. Concisely and realistically describe the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested. In addition, state the individual Research Project’s relationship to the Program goals and how the aims relate to other Research Projects or Cores in the application.

Research Strategy: Provide a clear research plan and project goals to be completed during the award period. Clearly state the interim objectives and explicit, detailed, and quantitative annual milestones to be achieved during the project for assessing progress and success; identify impediments or critical decision points that could require a revision in the work plan; make note of the availability of key reagents, therapeutics, and animal resources and provide a detailed timeline for the attainment of each goal. Proposed projects should demonstrate relevance to future clinical applications.

Discuss the proposed approach and rationale behind the proposed acquisition and preparation of the solid organs, tissues, or cells to be used in the studies.  Within the bounds of limited resources and budgetary constraints, provide a discussion of, and justification for, the numbers of animals used per experiment, with a discussion of statistical considerations and the statistical soundness of the proposed experiment.  In addition, address the conclusions that can be drawn given the number of animals used.

For preclinical experiments using pig-to-human decedent model of xenotransplantation provide a strong rationale for using the model.

Letters of Support:   P rovide letters of support from relevant organizations and collaborators who are lending their expertise or resources solely to the individual Research Project.

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

Appendix:

Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Research Projects)

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials 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 a 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) using ASSIST or other electronic submission systems. 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 How to Apply- 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 Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

For information on how applications will be automatically assembled for review and funding consideration after submission, refer to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/Electronic_Multi-project_Application_Image_Assembly.pdf.

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) and component Project Leads 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 How to Apply - 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 the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH.  Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed

Post Submission Materials

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 NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of 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. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

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 NOFO:

How scientifically compelling is the program as a whole?

How well does the overall research strategy address important issues of xenograft rejection, tolerance, and survival?

To what extent will collective scientific gains of the program be beyond those achievable by each project if they were pursued independently?

To what extent does the proposed overall research plan demonstrate relevance to future clinical applications for xenotransplantation?  

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?

Specific to this NOFO:

How appropriate is the PD(s)/PI(s) effort, leadership ability, and scientific expertise to develop a program of integrated research projects with a well-defined central research focus?

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?

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 NOFO:

How cohesive is the proposed program as evidenced by proposed projects and cores contributing to a common theme and leveraging of resources between projects?

To what extent are the individual research projects and cores well-coordinated to achieve the goals, milestones, and timelines of the program?

How clear are the goals and objectives proposed in the overall research plan? 

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 NOFO:

How appropriate are the plans for coordination, problem identification and resolution, and the establishment of a strong collaborative environment for the program?

Overall Impact – Research Projects

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria – Research Projects

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. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

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?

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?

Specific to this NOFO:

How adequate is the scientific and technical expertise related to the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of pig-to-NHP and/or human decedent model studies?

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?

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 NOFO:

How appropriate and realistic are the objectives, annual milestones, and timelines?

To what degree are reagents, therapeutics, and animal resources available? If not currently available, is it reasonable to assume they will be developed or become available in the proposed timeframe?

For preclinical experiments using the pig-to-human decedent model, how adequate are the outlined plans for discussions with the FDA to ensure the experimental design and data collection methods used will be able to support a future clinical trial? To what extent are the ethical issues surrounding the use of human decedent model for xenotransplantation adequately considered?

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 NOFO:

How adequate are the housing, husbandry, microbial/viral testing of the swine for pig-to-human xenotransplantation?

Overall Impact – Administrative and Scientific Core(s)

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score for each Core to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the Core to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the core proposed).

Review Criteria – Administrative and Scientific Core(s)

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below, as appropriate for the individual core, in the determination of scientific merit and provide an overall impact score for each Core but will not give separate scores for these items.

Administrative Core

• To what extent is the Program Management Plan appropriate to facilitate attainment of the objectives of the proposed Program?
• How appropriate are the qualifications, expertise, and commitment of the Core Leader and key personnel?

Scientific Core (s)

• How relevant and justified is the proposed Scientific Core(s) to the theme of the overall Program?
• How appropriate are the qualifications, expertise, and commitment of the Core Leader and key personnel?

Additional Review Criteria - Overall, Cores, and Projects

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.

For human decedent research models:

• How adequately does the Human Decedent Research Plan describe the procedures in place to ensure appropriate ethical and scientific oversight of the planned experiments? If a summary of FDA interactions is provided, how adequately do the application’s experimental design and data collection methods align with FDA guidance?   

Protections for Human Subjects

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

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

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and 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 three points: (1) a complete description of all proposed procedures including the species, strains, ages, sex, and total numbers of animals to be used; (2) justifications that the species is appropriate for the proposed research and why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative non-animal model; and (3) interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care, and humane endpoints that will be used to limit any unavoidable discomfort, distress, pain and injury in the conduct of scientifically valuable research. Methods of euthanasia and justification for selected methods, if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, is also required but is found in a separate section of the application. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals Section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animals 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

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period.

Revisions

Not Applicable

Additional Review Considerations - Overall, Cores and Projects

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.

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Not Applicable

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 Resource Sharing Plan(s) (e.g., Sharing Model Organisms) or the rationale for not sharing the resources, is reasonable.

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 NIAID, in accordance with NIH peer review policies and practices, 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.

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this NOFO.

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 NOFO. 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

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access their 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. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

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: 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 recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

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.

If a recipient receives and award, the recipient must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. The recipient agrees to this when registering in SAM.gov. The recipient must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690). To learn more, see the Laws and Regulations Enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights website.

HHS recognizes that NIH 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.

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 System for Award Management (SAM.gov) requirements. SAM.gov requires Federal agencies to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently SAM.gov) prior to making an award. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov. NIH will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the information available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov, 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 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 (HHS) grant administration regulations at 2 CFR Part 200, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the 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 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 resides with the recipients for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the recipients and NIH as defined below.

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

• Planning, directing, and executing the proposed research.
• Cooperating with NIAID programmatic, technical, and administrative staff; and administratively managing the award.
• Convening the Steering Committee (SC).
• All IXCRP investigators will be required to accept and implement common guidelines and procedures approved by the Steering Committee.
• Organizing and attending annual SC meetings, serving as a voting member (one PD/PI from each U01 and two from each U19) of the SC, participating in all SC activities, and following the policies and procedures developed and approved by the Steering Committee with NIAID Project Scientist concurrence.
• Ensuring successful completion of yearly milestones. In the case where the milestones are not met, PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for setting and implementing corrective plans that will be negotiated with and approved by NIAID.
• Providing new information and materials, including research samples, tools, materials, methods, data, and animal models developed under the IXCRP to the research community and other members of this program in a timely manner through publications, web announcements, and reports to the NIAID or other appropriate means, subject to the rights described below.
• 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:

• In conjunction with the IXCRP Steering Committee (see below), the NIAID Project Scientist will serve as facilitator of IXCRP activities and scientific endeavors.
• The NIAID Project Scientist will provide to the PD(s)/PI(s) technical assistance, including recommending of changes in experimental approaches, and advice on the modification of milestone plans if milestones are not met during the course of the project period.
• The NIAID Project Scientist will provide guidance on technical and management issues, such as, subcommittee requirements, identifying potential sources of reagents or other resources, and identifying potential collaborations to further the goals of the IXCRP. 
• The NIAID Project Scientist may also facilitate collaborations with other NIH funded programs in order to efficiently utilize research resources and rapidly exchange scientific information to promote NIH objectives in xenotransplantation research.
• The NIAID Project Scientist will serve as a liaison/facilitator among recipients and with the ImmPort staff for data submission, and with the NSRRC investigators for collaboration and/or submission of relevant cell lines and animal models developed under this NOFO, when applicable.
• The NIAID Project Scientist will serve as a non-voting member of the Steering Committee and will provide assistance to the Steering Committee and subcommittees and ensure coordination of Steering Committee activities and implementation of its recommendations, decisions, and policies.
• NIAID may appoint up to two external scientists or additional staff to the Steering Committee as non-voting members.
• Additionally, an agency program official or IC program director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice.

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

Steering Committee

• A Steering Committee will serve as the main governing board of the IXCRP. It is anticipated that Steering Committee decisions will be reached by a consensus vote where voting members of the Steering Committee will include one PD/PI from each U01 award and two from each U19 award. The NIH Project Scientist will not have a vote but will participate in all discussions. The Steering Committee may appoint additional non-voting members by majority vote.
• The Steering Committee will:
  • Identify scientific opportunities, emerging needs, and impediments to success;
  • Identify opportunities for and encourage collaborations among consortium members;
  • Review progress of xenotransplantation projects at the annual Steering Committee meetings and provide guidance and recommendations to investigators regarding study implementation and conduct;
  • Establish guidelines and review procedures to provide NIAID with recommendations regarding the modification of the peer-reviewed aims, yearly milestones, and/or redirection of resources within the scope of the project, when applicable and necessary and when requested by the NIAID Project Scientist;
  • Establish policies for data handling and interactions with ImmPort staff, if appropriate, including protocols and standards for data collection, analysis, and management;
  • Establish protocols and subcommittees, as needed, for the review, development, and/or evaluation of  potential pilot or collaborative projects or potential resource sharing opportunities, if applicable;
  • Develop guidelines and policies for publications, including collaborative project publications;
  • Prepare cumulative consortium progress reports, if requested by the NIAID Project Scientist; and,
  • Establish subcommittees as needed to provide recommendations on shared aspects of the cooperative research group, including but not limited to the activities listed above

Dispute Resolution

Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between recipients and NIH may be brought to Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened: 1) one designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff voting, 2) one NIH designee, and 3) a designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual recipient. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the recipient's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 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. 

All investigators funded under this NOFO are required to share their data publicly through ImmPort or another public portal approved by NIH. Therefore, the Data Management and Sharing Plan must include a summary of how the applicant will manage data submission and interactions with ImmPort or another public portal approved by NIH.

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.

A final RPPR, invention statement, 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. 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 2 CFR Part 200.301.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), includes a requirement for recipients 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.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to  2 CFR Part 200, 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 (Responsibility/Qualification in SAM.gov, formerly 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 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

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: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

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

Nasrin Nabavi, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-627-3538
Email: nnabavi@niaid.nih.gov 

James T. Snyder, Ph.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 240-669-5060
Email: james.snyder@nih.gov 

Lanni Hall
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 406-363-5957
Email: lanni.hall@nih.gov 

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 2 CFR Part 200.