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 Training (T) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted inSection IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. In order to accomplish this goal, NRSA training programs are designed to train individuals to conduct research and to prepare for research careers. More information about NRSA programs may be found at the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) website.

Purpose and Background Information

The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974. Research training activities can be in basic biomedical or clinical sciences, in behavioral or social sciences, in health services research, or in any other discipline relevant to the NIH mission.

Institutional NRSA programs allow the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) to select the trainees and develop a program of coursework, research experiences, and technical and/or professional skills development appropriate for the selected trainees. Each program should provide high-quality research training and offer opportunities in addition to conducting mentored research. The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with agency-approved support levels.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged.

NIH Blueprint Training in Computational Neuroscience and Behavior

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative and coordinated effort across 12 Institutes and Centers that jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders (for further information, see http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov).

An exciting and ongoing challenge in neuroscience and behavioral research is the need to understand how complex biological systems work, and particularly to understand the computational principles and mechanisms underlying the function of the nervous system in health and disease. An associated challenge lies in managing and interpreting massive amounts of extremely complex experimental data obtained by today’s advanced neuroscience and behavioral research methods. Computational neuroscience and behavioral approaches (e.g. computational neuroscience, computational psychiatry) provide a theoretical foundation and set of technological approaches to meet these challenges at multiple levels of inquiry across the nervous system: molecular, cellular, circuits, networks, whole brain function, complex behavior, and social interactions.

Two major obstacles have been identified to the training of early stage computational neuroscience and behavioral researchers

• Individuals trained in the biological and behavioral sciences often do not have adequate background in the quantitative sciences
• Students with undergraduate degrees in the quantitative sciences and highly relevant technical skills often have little exposure to the exciting questions and experimental methods in neuroscience and behavioral research

To address these obstacles, a research education and training program that begins as early as possible and encourages “cross talk” among relevant subdisciplines within computational neuroscience and behavior is needed. Such a training program will expose undergraduate and graduate students to a wide range of neuroscience and behavioral questions, quantitative methods, and experimental systems to ensure a strong dual foundation in clinical and quantitative science. This foundation is expected to give trainees the ability to adopt new computational theory and methodology and apply these methods to relevant questions in health and disease.

Program Objectives

Applications should establish research training programs in computational neuroscience and behavior for undergraduate and predoctoral level students. The training program should provide:

• A strong foundation in research design, methods, and analytic techniques appropriate for the conduct of computational research of neuroscience and behavior
• The enhancement of the trainees’ ability to conceptualize and think through research problems with increasing independence
• The enhancement of the trainees’ understanding of neuroscience and the relationship of their research training to health and disease
• Experience conducting research using state-of-the-art quantitative methods as well as presenting and publishing their research findings
• The opportunity to interact with members of the scientific community at appropriate scientific meetings and workshops, including across all funded programs in this announcement
• Optionally, applicants may propose to develop a short-course or summer course that could be open to scientists at any stage of the career continuum

It is critical that students obtain a strong basis in the principles of scientific rigor (http://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm) and apply those principles in their research. Scientific rigor is the strict application of the scientific method to ensure unbiased and well-controlled experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. Scientific rigor also includes transparency in reporting full experimental details so that others may reproduce and extend the findings. Training programs are expected to focus on the computational and mathematical modeling of neural and behavioral systems. Further, given the rapid increase in the amount of data available across levels of description in relevant disciplines, special attention should be paid to training on how to collect, house, interpret, and share large data sets.

Training should be provided through formal and informal training activities and should occur throughout the students' research training. Programs must ensure that students have a solid understanding of the following and be able to apply them to their research projects:

• Statistical tools and analysis and other quantitative approaches appropriate for neuroscience research—especially large, complex data sets characteristic of modern neuroscience and behavioral research
• Design considerations to account for all relevant variables including sex
• The importance of authenticating key biological and/or chemical resources as applicable and models

Quantitative approaches to research may include quantitative problem-solving, programming, exercises in quantitative analysis of experimental research, and/or other didactic or hands-on activities that will enhance student understanding of the value of quantitative approaches to answering relevant scientific questions.

Training programs should provide integrated research training and education in both experimental neuroscience and behavior and in the theories and principles of the physical, computer, mathematical, or engineering sciences that are necessary to develop models of system properties (e.g. neuronal firing, circuit level dynamics, cognitive processes, complex behavior), test them experimentally, and use experimental data to refine the models of normal or disordered neurobiological systems or processes.

As computational neuroscience and behavior are integrative disciplines, the training programs are expected to stimulate interactions among trainees and training faculty from multiple disciplines and departments, and to foster development of an integrated curriculum in computational neuroscience and behavior at the applicant institution(s). Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust. (for more information see NOT-OD-20-031 In addition, the training program should provide detailed plans for addressing the desired cross talk at the multiple levels of the program. This includes at the level of the:

Applicant: addressed via an explicit Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity  that includes a description of plans and strategies to increase recruitment of prospective trainees from underrepresented backgrounds. .

Program: addressed via descriptions of flexible, interdisciplinary training programs that span departments at participating institutions and allow for recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines to extend reach, impact, and integration

Mentor: addressed via joint mentorship and instruction of trainees by theorists and experimentalists drawn from multiple academic departments as well as clinical and quantitative backgrounds

Additionally, applications are encouraged to establish collaborative partnerships between research intensive institutions and institutions with a historical mission to educate, or a documented track record of recruiting, training, and/or educating, students from underrepresented groups in neuroscience, similar to those collaborative partnerships established in the NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP-ENDURE) program (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-20-015.html).

Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32), NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP-ENDURE) training grants, or other Federally funded training programs may apply for the current opportunity provided the proposed educational training experiences are distinct from those existing training programs receiving federal support.

Program Considerations

A T90/R90 application must include both components (T90 and R90). Applicants will submit a single grant application and, if selected for funding, two separate awards will be issued: an NRSA T90 (Research Training award) and a non-NRSA R90 (Research Education award), which are based on distinct research training and education-related funding authorities. Each application:

• Must include a full-time undergraduate research training component that will combine coursework and hands-on laboratory research experience (R90)
• Must include a full-time Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional predoctoral training component (T90)
• May include a full-time non-NRSA institutional predoctoral training component (R90)
• May include a short-term research education component (e.g., short course or workshop) that may include scientists at any stage of the career continuum as participants (R90)

All T90 predoctoral trainees and R90 predoctoral and undergraduate participants will be referred to as “trainees”. Participants of the optional short-term component will be referred to as "short-course participants." For more detail on NRSA and non-NRSA eligibility, please see Section III. Eligibility Information.

Undergraduate Research Training Component (R90)

A major goal is to foster the development and implementation of an innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate training program in computational neuroscience and behavioral research that trains students from multiple disciplines (e.g., physical, chemical, computer sciences, biology, engineering, neuroscience, psychology) together in an integrated program. This integrated undergraduate training is optimal for attracting students in their junior and senior years in the quantitative sciences to apply these disciplines to neuroscience research questions early in their careers, and conversely, for undergraduates in the biological or behavioral sciences to acquire sufficient education in the quantitative sciences to pursue research using computational methods. Undergraduate students are expected to be drawn from multiple traditional majors and provided with cross-disciplinary training outside their major. Students are expected to participate in a formal, integrated, two-year curriculum that combines basic neurobiology with the principles, theories, and applications of the relevant physical, quantitative and/or computational sciences.

The program should provide didactic training, research experience, and programmatic activities:

• Curriculum and Didactics: The proposed program should provide mechanisms, such as integrative courses in computational neuroscience, capstone courses, and senior research projects specifically designed to apply the principles of computational neuroscience to experimental questions in neuroscience. The program could, but would not be required, to create a new, interdisciplinary major.
• Laboratory Experience: It is essential that students receive supervised hands-on training in neuroscience and behavioral research using computational strategies during the time they are appointed as trainees of the program. This experience could involve laboratory rotations or a research project in a single laboratory. Formal co-mentoring by individuals with complementary expertise is encouraged.
• Programmatic Activities: Such activities include formalized interactions of participating departments and programs that will foster the development of interdisciplinary scientists in computational neuroscience and that may include, but are not restricted to, journal clubs, seminar series, an annual retreat, and meetings and communication with other funded programs to increase the network of potential future mentors for participants. In addition, such activities are likely to include other activities that would prepare the students for careers in computational neuroscience and behavior such as preparation for graduate school.

The program should develop skills in understanding research, applying critical abilities to the conduct of research, identifying and proposing solutions for resolving problems in the process of conducting research, and identifying new research questions. By the end of the undergraduate program, students should be prepared to pursue a graduate degree in computational neuroscience or a related area. A typical program would have six upper-level undergraduates supported as full-time participants (as defined in Section III.3. Additional Information on Eligibility).

Preceptors: Undergraduate trainees conducting research projects must be supervised by appropriate faculty mentors. Formal co-mentoring by individuals with complementary expertise is encouraged. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of computational neuroscience and behavioral research, preceptors in the training program are likely to span the breadth of departments and disciplines that contribute to computational neuroscience. Preceptors should be active investigators in an appropriate research area.

Predoctoral Training Program (T90/R90)

Another major goal is to foster the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary research training program in computational neuroscience and behavior that trains students from multiple disciplines (e.g. physical, chemical, and computer sciences, engineering, neuroscience, psychology) in an integrated program. Students are expected to participate in a formal, integrated, multi-year curriculum that combines basic neurobiology with the principles, theories, and applications of the physical, quantitative and/or computational sciences. The first two years of the training program may provide broad training that integrates education and research experiences in techniques and applications of different computational approaches and in neurobiology from the cellular to cognitive/behavioral levels. The next two years of the program could focus on a more specific area that is a self-identified strength of the applicant institution, e.g., theoretical approaches to nervous system function, modeling of physical processes in the nervous system at the cellular level, computational approaches to understanding neural development, computational approaches to cognition. The product of the predoctoral research training program would be computational neuroscientists who are adept at modeling using various approaches, who are competent in one or more experimental approaches to studying the nervous system, and who understand how to develop computational approaches that can be experimentally tested.

The predoctoral training program must provide full-time research training to support graduate students enrolled in a relevant doctoral degree program. The program should provide didactic training as well as mentored laboratory experience in computational neuroscience and behavioral research. The program should develop skills in understanding research, designing research projects, applying critical abilities to the conduct of research, and identifying problems in the process of conducting research and proposing solutions for resolving them.

In addition to didactics, the institutional research training program is expected to include:

• Laboratory Experience: Trainees are expected to have opportunities for hands-on training in neuroscience questions using a variety of computational strategies and become competent in one or more techniques for studying the nervous system. Laboratory rotations are not a required component of the predoctoral research training program. However, if laboratory rotations are included for predoctoral trainees in the first two years of their doctoral program, several rotations offering cross-disciplinary opportunities such as training in experimental neuroscience and the application of computational approaches at different levels of analysis are expected.
• Programmatic Activities: Such activities include formalized interactions of participating departments and programs that will foster the development of interdisciplinary scientists in computational neuroscience and that may include, but are not restricted to, journal clubs, seminar series, and an annual retreat. In addition, such activities are likely to include instruction in grantsmanship, development of communication and leadership skills, and other professional development activities.

Trainees will normally be selected by the Program Director for 12-month appointment periods with support for additional years based on satisfactory progress and the continued availability of funds. The predoctoral training program must include NRSA eligible trainees (in the T90 award) and may also include non-NRSA eligible predoctoral trainees as part of the R90 award (see Section III for eligibility). Programs are limited to a total of six predoctoral students, with a maximum of two non-NRSA eligible predoctoral trainees. Inclusion of any non-NRSA eligible predoctoral trainees is optional. New programs may wish to gradually ramp up their number of trainees, and might propose, (e.g., 2 NRSA and 1 non-NRSA students for the first and second years of the program).

The duration of training, the transition of trainees to individual support mechanisms, and their transition to the next career stage are important considerations in institutional training programs. Training PDs/PIs should limit appointments to individuals who are committed to a research career. In addition, no individual trainee may receive more than five years of aggregate NRSA support at the predoctoral level, including any combination of support from institutional training and individual fellowship awards. A five-year restriction also applies to funding via the R90 mechanism for non-NRSA eligible predoctoral trainees. Any exception to the maximum period of support requires a waiver from NIDA based on a review of the written justification from the individual trainee, and endorsed by the Program Director, and the sponsoring grantee institution. Students seeking additional support are strongly advised to consult with the NIH. Training PDs/PIs should encourage and make available appropriate skills training so that trainees are prepared to apply for subsequent independent support for their training or research program (e.g., an individual fellowship award, mentored career development award, or research project grant), as appropriate for their career stage.

The career outcomes of individuals supported by NIH training programs include both research-intensive careers in academia and industry and research-related careers in various sectors, e.g., academic institutions, government agencies, for-profit businesses, and private foundations. Training programs should employ Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each of their predoctoral students (see NOT-OD-13-093), and make available structured, career development advising and learning opportunities (e.g., workshops and discussions). Through such opportunities, trainees would obtain a working knowledge of various potential career directions that make strong use of the knowledge and skills gained during research training and the steps required to transition successfully to the next stage of their chosen career.

Within the framework of the NRSA program’s longstanding commitment to excellence and the projected need for investigators in particular areas of research, attention must be given to recruiting prospective trainees from groups underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences. As such, applicants are encouraged to design programs consistent with the goals of the Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html).

Preceptors: Trainees must be supervised by mentors with successful track records as mentors and researchers. Formal co-mentoring by individuals with complementary expertise may be appropriate. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of computational neuroscience, preceptors in the training program are likely to span the breadth of departments and disciplines that are involved in this area. Preceptors should be active, funded investigators in an appropriate research area.

Short-Term Research Education Component (R90) [optional]

A short-term research education component, if proposed, would develop and implement a short course, workshop or other educational program in computational neuroscience and behavior and/or in the application of computational algorithms to experimental neuroscience. It should be designed to take advantage of the strengths in computational neuroscience at the applicant institution and may include faculty from other institutions. Such programs could be offered to a broad audience (undergraduate and predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty), with enrollment not limited to the grantee institution, or they could target undergraduate students from multiple institutions, or have a regional focus by, for example, enrolling students and faculty from non-research intensive, local-area institutions. Short-term educational programs should be designed to maximize the exposure of participants with backgrounds in neuroscience to computational principles, and/or the exposure of participants with backgrounds in the physical, mathematical, computational and engineering sciences to neuroscience research questions and methodology. The duration of short-term research education programs must be appropriately justified and may range from workshops occurring over days to short courses occurring over two weeks to a full summer.

Special Considerations:

NIH supports the formation of research teams that represent diverse perspectives, backgrounds and academic and technical disciplines (see NOT-OD-20-031 and NOT-OD-22-019), as well as the submission of research applications from all eligible institutions. In accordance with the NIDA REI Initiative, applications to this FOA should reflect the full diversity of potential funded researchers and applicant institutions. Researchers with diverse backgrounds underrepresented across roles and positions in research, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and women are strongly encouraged to work with their institutions to apply to this FOA.

Applications will be considered non responsive if they do not include:

• a full-time undergraduate research training component that will combine coursework and hands-on laboratory research experience (R90)
• a full-time Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional predoctoral training component (T90)

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

Section II. Award Information

Other Award Budget Information

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

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)

Governments

• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations

Federal Governments

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

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program.

A single institution may lack strengths in all areas needed to mount an integrated research training and research education program. This funding opportunity allows the participation of multiple sites in the role of research-intensive institution(s) as well as multiple sites as part of the collaborative research education partnership. When multiple sites are involved, the applicant institution must be the primary site for the program. The need for multiple sites must be justified, and the application must include the Facilities and Other Resources information for each site.

Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) or other Federally funded training programs may apply for a research education grant provided that the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those existing training programs receiving federal support. It is anticipated that the proposed research education program will complement ongoing research training occurring at the applicant institution and the new application is expected to significantly and substantively expand upon any current program(s).

The applicant institution must have a strong and high quality research program in the area(s) proposed under this FOA and must have the requisite faculty, staff, potential trainees and facilities on site to conduct the proposed institutional program. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed program will complement other ongoing research training programs occurring at the applicant institution and that a substantial number of program faculty will have active research projects in which participating trainees may gain relevant experiences consistent with their research interests and goals.

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

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

Applicant Organizations

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

• 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 full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; 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 training program as the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from 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 SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI has responsibility for the day to day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the internal institutional Advisory Committee (when applicable), using the committee recommendations to determine the appropriate allotment of funds within the proposed program.

A faculty leadership team may facilitate the development of the proposed program and help increase involvement of faculty with diverse expertise in this effort. The members of the faculty leadership team are together likely to provide the breadth of expertise and leadership needed to develop and implement the proposed training and education programs. For example, the leadership team might consist of a basic neuroscientist, a physical or chemical scientist, and a computer scientist who each contributes their respective expertise to the proposed interdisciplinary program. Each member of the faculty leadership team must be willing to commit a minimum of 1.2 person months of his/her full-time professional effort to the development and implementation of the program for the entire period of the award.

2. Cost Sharing

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

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

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

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission. 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.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Program faculty should have strong records as researchers, including recent publications and successful competition for research support in the area of the proposed research training program. Program faculty should also have a record of research training, including successful, former trainees who have established productive careers relevant to the NIH mission. Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as mentors.

Trainees

The individual to be trained must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. Additional details on citizenship, training period, and aggregate duration of support are available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

All trainees are required to pursue their research training full time, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. Appointments are normally made in 12-month increments, and no trainee may be appointed for less than 9 months during the initial period of appointment, except with prior approval of the awarding unit, or when trainees are appointed to approved, short-term training positions.

Full-Time Predoctoral non-NRSA Trainees:

Individuals selected as non-NRSA pre-doctoral participants in this component should satisfy all of the conditions for NRSA trainees, except for those pertaining to citizenship.

All predoctoral trainees are required to pursue their research training full time, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. Appointments are normally made in 12-month increments, and no trainee may be appointed for less than 9 months during the initial period of appointment, except with prior approval of the NIH awarding unit.

Predoctoral trainees must have received a baccalaureate degree by the beginning date of their training program appointment, and must be enrolled in a program leading to a Ph.D. in science or in an equivalent research doctoral degree program.

Undergraduate Trainees:

Any upper level (junior or senior) undergraduate student enrolled full-time at the grantee institution is eligible to be appointed as a participant in this component. Students must be able to commit 20 hours per week to the program and its related research activities, which can include coursework necessary to complete their major; for the purpose of this FOA, this level of commitment/participation in the training program is considered full-time. Students are expected to participate for two years and are not required to be US citizens or permanent residents. Students may be appointed as early as the summer before their junior year and training may extend through the summer after their senior year, provided they continue to be compensated at the undergraduate level.

Short-Course Participants:

The short-term research education component may be proposed to include participants at any stage of the career continuum (undergraduate student, medical/graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, medical resident, and/or independent scientist). Because this is an educational program, non-US citizens may participate in this program. However, unless strongly justified on the basis of exceptional relevance to the objectives of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, the research education program component should be used primarily for the education of US citizens.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

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

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

• 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)

The letter of intent should be sent to: NIDALetterofIntent@nida.nih.gov

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for Application Submission

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

SF424(R&R) Cover

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

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

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

SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information

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

Project Summary/Abstract. Provide an abstract of the entire application. Include the objectives, rationale and design of the research training/career development program, as well as key activities in the training plan. Indicate the planned duration of appointments, the projected number of trainees/scholars including their levels (i.e., predoctoral, postdoctoral, short-term faculty), and intended trainee/scholar outcomes.

Institutional Information: The application must include a single attachment titled "Institutional Information" that provides a description and evidence of the explicit accomplishments in the education of students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research for all institution(s) serving as members of the collaborative research education partnership.

For institutions whose historical mission explicitly states that it was founded to educate students from nationally underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research (i.e., underrepresented racial and ethnic groups [African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, U.S. Pacific Islanders], and individuals with disabilities and/or students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, as defined in NOT-OD-20-031), provide the institution's original mission statement and any other information that justified the institution's creation and describes its main functions and services provided.

For institutions whose mission statement does not explicitly state that they were founded to educate any of the underrepresented groups mentioned above but have a demonstrable historical track record of recruiting, retaining, training, and graduating underrepresented students, the institution must provide information and current figures compared to baseline data from ten years ago that show how the institution's historical track record of training and graduating underrepresented students in biomedical and behavioral-related sciences has improved or maintained a high level of success over the past decade and how much it has contributed to an increase in the national pool of undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds who have pursued or are pursuing biomedical research careers.

Enhancing Biomedical Workforce Statement: Fostering workforce diversity is a key strategy to uphold the quality of scientific innovation and discovery. NIH encourages institutions to diversify their trainee and faculty workforce to enhance the participation of individuals from groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical sciences (e.g., see the Notice of NIH's of Interest in Diversity). For the purposes of this announcement, the applicant must include an Enhancing Biomedical Workforce Statement. The statement should include a description of the applicant’s commitment to workforce diversity in the biomedical sciences. In addition, applicants should include a description of past and present leadership, mentoring, and outreach activities to enhance workforce diversity, including efforts involving groups identified as underrepresented in the U.S. biomedical research enterprise. The applicant should describe ongoing and planned outreach, mentoring activities, and actionable milestones to enhance workforce diversity in the applicant’s laboratory, institution, and/or research program. Describe planned activities during the grant period designed to develop or enhance skills of talented scientists from a wide variety of demographic groups and any actions planned to promote inclusive and equitable scientific biomedical research environments. Future goals, activities, and milestones should include a description of how the effectiveness and impact of these activities will be monitored and evaluated. The interventions identified should be evidence-based and designed to lead to improved quality of research and/or foster scientific innovation in the laboratory, institution, and research program.

The filename provided for each “Other Attachment” will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded

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

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

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

PHS 398 Training Subaward Budget Attachment(s)

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

Training and Research & Related (R&R) Budget

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

• Both the Training Budget Component and the R&R Budget Component are required for a complete application.
• Include all personnel other than the Training PD(s)/PI(s) in the Other Personnel section, including clerical and administrative staff.
• Use the section on Participant/Trainee Support Costs to include all allowable categories of funds requested to support participants in the program.

PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan

The PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan Form is comprised of the following sections:

• Training Program
• Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record
• Other Training Program Sections

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

Particular attention must be given to the required Training Data Tables. Applicants should summarize, in the body of the application, key data from the tables that highlight the characteristics of the applicant pool, faculty mentors, the educational and career outcomes of participants, and other factors that contribute to the overall environment of the program.

Training Program:

Background

Describe which R90 and T90 components of this FOA are included in the application. Provide the rationale for the proposed program, relevant background history, and the need for the program proposed.

Program Administration. Describe the acknowledged strengths, leadership and administrative skills, training experience, scientific expertise, and active research of the PD/PI. Relate these strengths to the proposed management of the training program. Describe the planned strategy and administrative structure to be used to oversee and monitor the program. If there are multiple PDs/PIs, then the plan for Program Administration is expected to synergize with the “Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan” section of the application.

Institutions with existing programs must explain what distinguishes this program from the others, how their programs will synergize with one another, if applicable, and make it clear that the pool of faculty, potential trainees, and resources are robust enough to support additional programs. Further, institutions with existing programs in computational neuroscience or with a significant computational neuroscience component must significantly and substantially expand upon and address any real or apparent overlap with existing programs. When a program administrator position is planned, a description of the scientific expertise, leadership, and administrative capabilities essential to coordinate a program for developing investigators must be included in the application.

Proposed Training. Provide an overview of the proposed program. Describe how the trainees will be provided opportunities to acquire state-of-the art scientific knowledge and innovative methods, and to participate in significant research projects that are relevant to the goals of the training program. Outline the objectives of the program and the program activities that will be used to meet these objectives. Submit program information detailing how the applicant plans to operationalize the outcomes and/or demonstrate that understanding has occurred

Describe for whom the training program is intended, including the training level(s) of the trainees, the academic and research background needed to pursue the proposed training, and, as appropriate, plans to accommodate differences in preparation among trainees. Include information about planned courses, mentored research experiences, and any activities designed to develop specific technical skills or other quantitative skills essential for the conduct of cutting-edge computational neuroscience and behavioral research. Describe how trainees will be educated in the human health- and disease-related aspects of their research training including but not limited to the appropriate use of statistical tools and analysis, design considerations including sex, and the importance of authenticating key computational models as well as biological and/or chemical resources as applicable.

Describe a program plan that includes didactic training, supervised laboratory experience, and programmatic activities that may include, but are not restricted to, journal clubs, seminar series, and an annual retreat. Also include plans for determining the educational experience and needs of trainees and for monitoring their progress to accomplish the desired goals. Describe programmatic activities that will ensure that students have a thorough understanding of experimental design, fundamentals of conducting rigorous research studies, formulating research questions, interpreting results, statistical tools, and the use of, and value of, quantitative principles and approaches for computational neuroscience research. Clearly describe the format of the training in the principles of scientific rigor (e.g., whether this includes face-to-face discussions, didactics, or a combination), as well as the specific subject matter to be taught, level of faculty participation, and duration and frequency of instruction.

For undergraduate and predoctoral trainees, the program should provide career-stage appropriate professional development skills training, career guidance, and the use of IDPs to ensure that trainees obtain a working knowledge of various potential career directions that make strong use of the knowledge and skills gained during research training and the steps required to transition successfully to the next stage of their chosen career. If appropriate for a student's chosen career, the program should encourage and provide time and guidance for predoctoral trainees to compete for individual fellowships or other independent predoctoral and/or postdoctoral research training support.

For programs that propose a short-term research education component, any didactic training must be well structured and appropriately justified for the duration of the research education experience. The short-term component should address a key audience and scientific/education areas and/or topics of significant importance for the field of computational neuroscience. The program should describe innovative approaches and the latest best practices to improve the knowledge and skills of the intended audience. Short-course participants may include scientists at any stage of the career continuum.

Program Evaluation. Describe a plan to review and determine the quality and effectiveness of the training program. This plan should include the metrics to be evaluated (including program activities completed, degree completion (if applicable), publications, fellowships/honors, and subsequent positions) as well as plans to obtain feedback from current and former trainees to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements. Specified evaluation metrics should be tied to the goals of the program.

Institutional Environment and Commitment to the Program. The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program including assurance that sufficient time will be allowed for the PDs/PIs and other Program Faculty to contribute to the proposed program, and for undergraduate and predoctoral trainees to devote the time required to the research training activities specified in the application. The application must include a signed letter, on institutional letterhead, that describes the applicant institution’s commitment to the planned program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program. This commitment may also include features such as PD/PI salary, stipend or tuition support for individuals involved in the proposed training program, or other commitments essential to a successful training program. Institutions with ongoing research training, student development, or career development programs that receive external funding should explain what distinguishes the proposed program from existing ones at the same trainee level, how the programs will synergize, if applicable, whether trainees are expected to transition from one support program to another, and how the training faculty, pool of potential trainees, and resources are sufficiently robust to support the proposed program in addition to existing ones.

The applicant institution must document the requisite administrative/technical capacity and support for the management of a collaborative multisite research education and research experience project. All collaborative arrangements must be clearly described, and agreements must be included in the application. Each of the collaborative sites must include all of the following:

• Letter of institutional commitment
• Description of their research education experience and resources
• Research funding of participating faculty
• Plan for how the research education and research experience activities will be integrated across the different sites that comprise the collaborative educational partnership

The application must also document the feasibility of any proposed collaborative program by describing the direct lines of communication and site-specific administrative, research education, and research experience responsibilities across the partnering institutions. Remote partnerships are allowable; however, applications for which integration is seriously compromised by geographical separation or other constraints are discouraged from applying. Although undergraduate education/training support may not be provided from NIH-supported T32 programs, the applicant should also include information describing other current federally funded undergraduate research education and research training programs across the collaborating sites

Applications must describe any unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements that may be leveraged to the advantage of the proposed research experiences program. Describe efforts to enhance diversity and promote inclusion through an environment that promotes the success of individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives (i.e. institutional and departmental environments in which scholars from all backgrounds feel integrated into and supported by the biomedical community).

Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity: Applications must include a description of plans to enhance recruitment, including the strategies that will be used to enhance the recruitment of prospective trainees from underrepresented backgrounds and may wish to include data in support of past accomplishments. For details see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html).

Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record:

Program Faculty. The application must include information about the program faculty who will be available to serve as preceptors/mentors and provide guidance and expertise appropriate to the level of trainees proposed in the application. Describe the complementary expertise and experiences of the proposed Program Faculty investigators, including their active research and other scholarly activities, as well as experience mentoring and training individuals at the proposed career stage(s). For any proposed Program Faculty lacking research training experience, describe a plan to ensure successful trainee guidance by these individuals. Describe the criteria used to appoint and remove faculty as Program Faculty and to evaluate their participation.

The proposed Program Faculty should be able to demonstrate success in research training as determined by the success of former trainees in seeking further career development and in establishing productive scientific careers. Because this funding opportunity requires an undergraduate research training component, success in the research training of undergraduate students should be emphasized.

Trainee Candidates. Describe, in general terms, the size and qualifications of the pool of trainee candidates including information about the types of prior course work and research training and career level required for the program across all participating institutions. Do not name prospective Trainees. Describe specific plans to recruit candidates and explain how these plans will be implemented (see also section on Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity). Describe the nomination and selection process to be used to select candidates who would be offered admission to the program and criteria for trainees’ reappointment to the program. Institutions should address how the applicant pool for the proposed research training program is distinct from, or relates to, that for existing federal and non-federal training grants.

Undergraduate Trainee Recruitment plan: Applicants must describe how they will recruit students to the program from a wide variety of departments and majors across all participating institutions.

Short-Course Participant Recruitment Plan: Applicants should describe how short-course participants will be recruited from both outside and inside the sponsoring institution(s), as appropriate for the focus of the course proposed.

​​​​​Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Appendix:

Limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to theSF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.

PHS Assignment Request Form

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

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

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

4. Submission Dates and Times

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

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

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

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

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The National Research Service Award (NRSA) policies apply to this program. An NRSA appointment may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored fellowship, traineeship, or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Note, however, that pre-award costs are not allowable charges for stipends or tuition/fees on institutional training grants because these costs may not be charged to the grant until a trainee has actually been appointed and the appropriate paperwork submitted to the NIH awarding component. Any additional costs associated with the decision to allow research elective credit for short-term research training are not allowable charges on an institutional training grant.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, 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 . Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.

Section V. Application Review Information

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

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

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed training program will prepare individuals for successful, productive scientific research careers and thereby exert a sustained influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed.

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of the merit of the training program and give a separate score for each. When applicable, the reviewers will consider relevant questions in the context of proposed short-term training. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact.

Training Program and Environment

• Are the research facilities and research environment conducive to preparing trainees for successful careers as biomedical research scientists?
• Are the objectives, design, and direction of the proposed research training program likely to ensure effective training?
• Do the courses and research experiences provide opportunities for trainees to acquire state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and innovative methods, and to participate in significant research projects that are relevant to the goals of the training program?
• Is the proposed training program likely to ensure trainees will be well prepared for research-intensive and research-related careers?
• Is the level of institutional commitment to the training program, including administrative and research training support, sufficient to ensure the success of the program?
• If multiple sites are participating is this adequately justified in terms of the educational and research experiences provided?
• Where appropriate, is there evidence of collaboration and buy-in among participating programs, departments, and institutions?
• Is it clear how the proposed training program is distinguished from other externally funded training programs at the institution?
• Are the responsibilities and structure of the internal institutional advisory committee with regard to the provision of input, guidance and oversight of the proposed program likely to be effective? Are there means in place to modify any portions of the proposed program based on recommendations from the internal institutional advisory committee?
• Undergraduate and Predoctoral Training: Does the proposed training program provide broad-based, integrated research training and research experience in significant research questions in computational neuroscience? Are appropriate courses available or planned to provide a broad curriculum that spans the breadth of neuroscience and computational approaches? Does the training program provide a strong foundation in experimental design, including principles that promote scientific rigor? Are appropriate programmatic activities incorporated into the training program? Does the approach for educating undergraduate students ensure that that they will have adequate support to successfully complete the cross-disciplinary training proposed?
• Short-term Research Education: If a short course or workshop component is proposed, does the proposed program clearly state its goals and objectives, including the educational level of the audience to be reached, the content to be conveyed, and the intended outcome? Does the program address a key audience and scientific/education areas and/or topics of significant importance for the field of computational neuroscience? Is the proposed course or workshop developing or utilizing innovative approaches and the latest best practices to improve the knowledge and skills of the intended audience? Does the program demonstrate how its implementation will advance the objectives of this funding opportunity, and is the approach feasible?

Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s))

• Does the PD/PI have the scientific background, expertise, and administrative and training experience to provide strong leadership, direction, management, and administration of the proposed research training program?
• Does the PD/PI plan to commit sufficient effort to ensure the program’s success?
• For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs:
  • Is a strong justification provided that the multiple PD/PI leadership approach will benefit the training program and the trainees?
  • Is a strong and compelling leadership approach evident, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure consistent with and justified by the aims of the training program and the complementary expertise of the PDs/PIs?

Preceptors/Mentors

• Are sufficient numbers of experienced preceptors/mentors with appropriate expertise and funding available to support the number and level of trainees (including short-term trainees, if applicable) proposed in the application?
• Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records as researchers, including recent publications and successful competition for research support in areas directly related to the proposed research training program?
• Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records of training individuals at the level of trainees (including short-term trainees, if applicable) proposed in the program? Are appropriate plans in place to ensure that preceptors lacking sufficient research training experience are likely to provide strong and successful mentoring?

• If the program will support clinical trial research experience for the Trainees, do the mentor(s) who will supervise the Trainee(s) have the expertise, experience, resources, and ability to provide appropriate guidance and help the Trainee(s) to meet the timelines?

• Are the mentors drawn from across departments/programs at the participating institutions to provide an integrative training experience?
• Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records of training undergraduate students?
• Do the preceptors/mentors have strong records of training predoctoral students?

Trainees

• Is a recruitment plan proposed with strategies likely to attract well-qualified trainees for the training program?
• Is there a competitive applicant pool of sufficient size and quality, at each of the proposed levels (predoctoral, postdoctoral and/or short-term), to ensure a successful training program?
• Are there well-defined and justified selection and re-appointment criteria as well as retention strategies?

• Does the provided Enhancing Biomedical Workforce Statement (and, if applicable, collaborative partnership plans) demonstrate a commitment to workforce diversity in the biomedical sciences?
• Is a recruitment plan proposed with strategies likely to attract well-qualified candidates for the training program from a variety of scientific backgrounds?
• Is there a competitive applicant pool of sufficient size and quality, at each of the proposed levels (predoctoral, undergraduate, or short-course participants if applicable) and from the participating departments and programs, to ensure a successful training program?
• If a short-term research education component is proposed, does the program have access to and the ability to recruit high quality, short-course participants from the applicant institution or other institutions?
• Undergraduate Trainees:Are there adequate plans to encourage participation of students with diverse educational backgrounds (specifically, the quantitative, biological, and behavioral sciences)?

Training Record

• How successful are the trainees (or, for new applications, other past students/postdoctorates in similar training) in completing the program?
• Has the training program ensured that trainees are productive (or, for new applications, other past students/postdoctorates in similar training) in terms of research accomplishments, publication of research conducted during the training period, and subsequent training appointments and fellowship or career development awards?
• How successful are the trainees (or, for new applications, other past students/postdoctorates in similar training) in achieving productive scientific careers as evidenced by successful competition for research science positions in industry, academia, government or other research venues; grants; receipt of honors, awards, or patents; high-impact publications; promotion to scientific leadership positions; and/or other such measures of success?
• To what extent do trainees’ subsequent positions in industrial, academic, government, non-profit, or other sectors benefit from their NRSA-supported research training and directly benefit the broader biomedical research enterprise?
• Does the program propose a rigorous evaluation plan to assess the quality and effectiveness of the training? Are effective mechanisms in place for obtaining feedback from current and former trainees?

• Undergraduate Training: Is there evidence that other past undergraduate students in similar training are likely to pursue a research career in computational neuroscience?

Protections for Human Subjects

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Vertebrate Animals

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Biohazards

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Training in Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility

Does the plan for Instruction in Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility describe how the program will provide training in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, relevant experimental methods, consideration of relevant biological variables such as sex, authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation, appropriate to field of study and the level and prior preparation of the trainees?

Renewals

Not Applicable

Revisions

Not Applicable

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity

Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment of prospective individuals from underrepresented groups. The plan will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the consensus of the review committee will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the specific characteristics of the training program, the level of trainee experience, and the particular circumstances of the trainees, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g., lectures, coursework and/or real-time discussion groups, including face-to-face interaction? (A plan involving only on-line instruction is not acceptable.); 2) Subject Matter – Does the plan include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics? 3) Faculty Participation - Does the plan adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? For renewal applications, are all training faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders during the past project period named in the application? 4) Duration of Instruction - Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least eight contact hours of instruction? 5) Frequency of Instruction – Does the plan meet the minimum requirements for RCR, i.e., at least once during each career stage (undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels) and at a frequency of no less than once every four years?

For renewal applications, does the progress report document acceptable RCR instruction in the five components described above? Does the plan describe how participation in RCR instruction is being monitored? Are appropriate changes in the plan for RCR instruction proposed in response to feedback and in response to evolving issues related to responsible conduct of research?

Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.

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).

Budget and Period of Support

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

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by NIDA in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

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

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

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

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

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

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

Section VI. Award Administration Information

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

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

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:

• Federalwide Research Terms and Conditions
• Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment
• Acknowledgment of Federal Funding

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

Should the applicant organization successfully compete for an award, recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex (including gender identify, sexual orientation, and pregnancy). This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency and persons with disabilities. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html

HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA.

• Recipients of FFA must ensure that their programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS provides guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.
• Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.
• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/shguide.html; and https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/upload/fs-sex.pdf. For information about NIH's commitment to supporting a safe and respectful work environment, who to contact with questions or concerns, and what NIH's expectations are for institutions and the individuals supported on NIH-funded awards, please see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment.htm.
• Recipients of FFA must also administer their programs in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws. Collectively, these laws prohibit exclusion, adverse treatment, coercion, or other discrimination against persons or entities on the basis of their consciences, religious beliefs, or moral convictions. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/index.html.

Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697.

In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 and 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants." This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

Institutional NRSA training grants must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants.

The taxability of stipends is described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Policies regarding the Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA payback obligation are explained in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

As specified in the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, Kirschstein-NRSA recipients incur a service payback obligation for the first 12 months of postdoctoral support. Policies regarding the Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA payback obligation are explained in the NIH Grants Policy Statement; and more details are in the Frequently Asked Questions. Officials at the recipient institution have the responsibility of explaining the terms of the payback requirements to all prospective trainees before appointment to the training grant. Additionally, all trainees recruited into the training program should be provided with information related to the career options that might be available when they complete the program. The suitability of such career options as methods to satisfy the NRSA service payback obligation should be discussed.

Not Applicable.

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted.

Failure by the recipient institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.

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

The institution must submit a completed Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271) for each trainee appointed or reappointed to the training grant for 8 weeks or more. Recipients must submit the PHS 2271 data electronically using the xTrain system. More information on xTrain is available at xTrain (eRA Commons). An appointment or reappointment may begin any time during the budget period, but not before the budget period start date of the grant year.

• Additionally, a completed Payback Agreement Form (PHS Form 6031) must be submitted for each postdoctoral trainee in his or her first 12 months of support.

• A notarized statement verifying possession of permanent residency documentation must be submitted with the Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271). Individuals with a Conditional Permanent Resident status must first meet full (non-conditional) Permanent Residency requirements before receiving support.

A final RPPR, the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report, and Termination Notices for all Trainees, are required for closeout of an award as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. NIH FOAs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 45 CFR Part 75.301 and 2 CFR Part 200.301.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 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 (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH will assess the program’s overall outcomes, gauge its effectiveness in enhancing diversity, and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program. Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a) continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with modifications, or (c) discontinue the program.

The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

For programs involving undergraduate students:

• Successful completion of an undergraduate degree in a STEM field
• Pending application for and/or enrollment in an advanced degree program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field

For programs involving graduate students:

• Successful completion of a STEM graduate program
• Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source

For programs involving postdoctorates and early career investigators:

• Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source 

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten on-time submission, and post-submission issues)

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

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

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

John Fedota, Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-402-0812
Email: john.fedota@nih.gov

James Gnadt, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-9964
Email: gnadtjw@mail.nih.gov

Neeraj Agarwal
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: 301-435-8155
E-mail: agarwalnee@nei.nih.gov

Anissa Brown, PhD
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: 301-594-4805
Email: anissa.brown@nih.gov

Guoying Liu
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Phone: (301) 594-5220
E-mail: liug@mail.nih.gov

James Churchill, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-3621
Email: james.churchill@nih.gov

Elizabeth Powell, Ph.D.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Telephone: 301-443-0786
Email: elizabeth.powell3@nih.gov

James W Gnadt
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Phone: 301-496-9964
E-mail: gnadtjw@mail.nih.gov

Emrin Horgusluoglu, Ph.D.
National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 240-383-5302
Email: emrin.horgusluoglu-moloch@nih.gov

Molly V. Wagster, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: (301) 496-9350
E-mail: wagsterm@nia.nih.gov

Jonathan Hollander, PhD
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Phone: 984-287-3269
E-mail: jonathan.hollander@nih.gov

Dharmendar Rathore, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-402-6965
Email: dharmendar.rathore@nih.gov

Ericka Wells
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-827-6705
Email: ericka.wells@nih.gov

Karen Robinsonsmith
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Phone: (301) 451-2020
E-mail: kyr@nei.nih.gov

Diana Rutberg, MBA
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: 301-594-4798
Email: rutbergd@mail.nih.gov

Katie Ellis
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Phone: 301-451-4791
E-mail: kellis@mail.nih.gov

Terri Jarosik
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-3858
Email: tjarosik@mail.nih.gov

Lauren Early
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Phone: 301-443-2434
E-mail: earlyle@mail.nih.gov

Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Email: ChiefGrantsManagementOfficer@ninds.nih.gov

Debbie Chen
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-594-3788
Email: debbie.chen@nih.gov

Kathleen Moy
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Phone: 301.827.2856
E-mail: kathleen.moy@nih.gov

Jenny L Greer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Phone: 984.287.3332
E-mail: jenny.greer@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 63A and 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200.