Full Text DE-92-05

NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARD - INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING APPLICATIONS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 23, June 26, 1992

RFA:  DE-92-05

P.T. 44

Keywords: 
  Biomedical Research Training 
  Oral Diseases 
  Epidemiology 


National Institute of Dental Research

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  August 10, 1992
Application Receipt Date:  September 10, 1992

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) invites applications
proposing institutional training programs in basic and clinical
sciences pertaining to:  (1) oral biology and (2) epidemiology.
Applications in other areas of oral health research are also
acceptable.  Proposed training must be relevant to the goals of the
NIDR, as described in the NIDR Long-Range Research Plan for the
Nineties, "Broadening the Scope."  Availability of this publication is
described under INQUIRIES.

The primary objective of these training programs is to develop highly
qualified, clinical investigators by supporting postdoctoral training
of individuals with D.D.S., D.M.D., or equivalent clinical degrees, who
are committed to a career in oral health research.  Applications also
may include pre- and postdoctoral training for basic scientists and/or
short-term training for dental students in the proposed programs.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This Request
for Applications (RFA), NRSA - Institutional Training Applications, is
related to the priority area of oral health.  Potential applicants may
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No.
017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary Report:  Stock No.
017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202/783-3238).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted from domestic, public, and private
institutions.

Levels of Training and Trainee Eligibility

Several studies and advisory panels have emphasized the importance of
graduate-level training leading to the Ph.D. degree in order to prepare
dentists for productive careers in oral health research.  However,
training in oral health research is also appropriate for pre- and
postdoctoral basic scientists and for dental students during their
professional education.

Applications will be accepted to provide training at one or more of the
following levels, given in priority order:  (1) dentists pursuing a
Ph.D. or equivalent degree in basic science; (2) dentists pursuing
postdoctoral research training; (3) baccalaureate degree holders
pursuing a Ph.D. or equivalent degree; (4) Ph.D. degree holders
pursuing postdoctoral research training; and (5) pre-dental degree
students pursuing a short-term research experience, usually during, but
not limited to, the summer months.

Preference for post-doctoral trainees must be given to individuals who
have received, as of the beginning of an appointment, a D.D.S., D.M.D.,
or equivalent dental degree from an accredited domestic or foreign
institution.  Certification by an authorized official of the degree-
granting institution that all degree requirements have been met is
acceptable.

Predoctoral trainees must have received a baccalaureate degree as of
the beginning date of the appointment and must be enrolled in a
graduate program leading to the award of a Ph.D. or an equivalent
degree in biomedical or behavioral oral health research.

Trainees for short-term research experiences must be enrolled in a
program leading to a D.D.S. or equivalent degree.

Individuals who wish to interrupt their dental school studies for one
or more years to engage in full-time research training before
completing their professional degrees are eligible; however, prior
approval by the NIDR is required before an appointment can be offered,
as well as prior approval by the Institution.

Individuals with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree may be appointed to the
training grant.  However, in general, they are expected to apply for an
individual postdoctoral fellowship award (F32).

Trainees must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States
or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in
possession of the Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551 or I-151) at
the time of appointment.  Individuals on temporary or student visas are
not eligible.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National
Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant
(T32).  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of
the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant.  The total
project period for applications submitted in response to this RFA may
not exceed five years; awards are renewable, however.

Trainees may receive up to five years of support at the predoctoral
level and three years of support at the postdoctoral level, including
any combination of support from institutional training awards and
individual fellowship awards.  Extensions beyond these periods require
a waiver from the NIH.  Dentists requiring additional time to complete
training as a participant in a Ph.D. program may anticipate favorable
consideration of a waiver request, contingent upon certification of the
recipient's good academic standing.  It is expected that postdoctoral
trainees with the Ph.D., D.D.S., or equivalent degree will engage in at
least two years of research training.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The NIDR expects to make one or two institutional training awards in
response to this RFA.  This level of support is dependent on the
receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific and
educational merit.  Although this program is provided for in the
financial plans of the NIDR, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent
upon the availability of funds for this purpose.

Only one training award will be made to any institution unless the
training programs are in distinctly different areas of oral health
research.

PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS

The training program must provide opportunities for individuals to
carry out supervised biomedical or behavioral oral health research and
develop research skills.  Clinical programs must have strong
relationships with basic scientists that will assure dentists the
opportunity to acquire the necessary foundation for future independent
research.

The training program director will be responsible for the selection and
appointment of trainees and for the overall direction of the program.

Applicants may request as many postdoctoral, predoctoral, and/or
short-term trainee positions as can be justified.  However, five or
more positions for postdoctoral trainees over the five-year period must
be proposed.  Acceptance of postdoctoral trainees must be limited to
the first three years of the five-year award, i.e., two trainees the
first year, two the second year, and one the third year.  A similar
pattern is to be proposed by applicants requesting more than five
positions.  The number and types of positions awarded will be
determined by peer review, program needs, and the availability of
funds.

Training grants may not be used to support studies leading to a D.D.S.
or other similar professional degrees, or to support residencies, i.e.,
postgraduate training for dentists providing health care directly to
patients where the majority of their time is spent in non-research
clinical training.  However, if a specified period of full-time
research training is creditable toward specialty board certification,
the training grant may support such research training if the trainee
has shown a clear interest in a research career.  Since recently
graduated dentists usually have little or no prior research training,
the training must include a minimum of two years of basic research
training.

Additional information regarding "Availability of Short-term Research
Training Positions on Institutional National Research Service Awards
for Students in Health-professional Degree Programs" and "National
Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grants" is given
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 21, No. 11, March 20,
1992.

Stipends and Other Training Costs

For predoctoral and the short-term trainees, at all levels of
experience, the stipend is $8,800 per year ($734 per month).

For postdoctoral trainees, the stipend is determined by the number of
years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of appointment.
Relevant experience may include research (including industrial),
teaching, internship, residency, clinical practice, or other time spent
in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral
degree.

The postdoctoral stipends are as follows:

Years of Relevant Experience      Stipend

0                                 $18,600
1                                  19,700
2                                  25,600
3                                  26,900
4                                  28,200
5                                  29,500
6                                  30,800
7 or more                          32,300

Stipends may be supplemented by an institution from non-Federal funds.
Federal funds may be used for stipend supplementation only if
specifically authorized under the terms of the program from which the
supplemental funds are derived.  An individual may make use of Federal
educational loan funds or V.A. benefits when permitted by those
programs.  Under no circumstance may the condition of stipend
supplementation detract from or prolong the training.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986, Public Law 99-514, impacts on the tax
liability of all individuals supported under the NRSA program.  Degree
trainees may exclude only required course tuition, fees, books,
supplies, and equipment.  Non-degree trainees will be required to
report stipends and all monies paid on their behalf for tuition and
fees.  These statutory requirements went into effect January 1, 1987.

The NIH is not in a position to advise students or institutions about
their tax liability.  In any event, changes in the taxability of
stipends in no way alters the relationship between NRSA fellows,
trainees, and institutions.  NRSA stipends are not now, and never have
been, salaries.  Trainees supported under the NRSA are not in an
employer-employee relationship with the NIH or the institution at which
they are pursuing research training.

Tuition and fees, including medical insurance, are allowable trainee
costs if such charges are required of all persons in a similar training
status at the institution, without regard to their source of support.
Tuition at the postdoctoral level, if justifiable, is limited to that
required for specific courses in support of the approved training
program.  Annual increments in tuition costs beyond the first year of
a five-year award may not exceed six percent.

Trainee travel, including attendance at scientific meetings that the
institution determines to be necessary to the individual's training, is
an allowable trainee cost.

Institutional costs of $1,500 per year per predoctoral trainee and
$2,500 per year per postdoctoral trainee and $125 per month per
short-term trainee may be requested to defray the cost of training
related expenses, such as staff salaries, consultant costs, equipment,
research supplies, and staff travel.

Indirect costs based on eight percent of total allowable direct costs,
or actual indirect costs, whichever is less, may be requested.
Applications from State and local government agencies may request full
indirect cost reimbursement.

Payback Provisions

Trainees, including short-term trainees, must sign an agreement that
they will fulfill the payback requirements.  Trainees agree to engage
in biomedical or health-related behavioral research and/or teaching for
a period equal to the period of support in excess of 12 months.

Trainees must undertake the obligated service on a continuous basis
within two years after termination of support.  Individuals who fail to
fulfill the obligation through service must pay back the total amount
of funds paid to the individual for the obligation period plus interest
at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury.  Financial
payback must be completed within three years beginning on the date the
United States becomes entitled to recover such amount.

Under certain conditions, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
may extend the period for starting service or for repayment, permit
breaks in the period of service or repayment, or otherwise waive or
suspend the payback obligation of an individual.

Officials of the applicant organization responsible for recruitment of
trainees should familiarize themselves with the terms of the payback
service requirement and explain them carefully to prospective trainees
before an appointment to the training grant is offered.

For additional information, including the grounds for approving
extensions of support and payback provisions, refer to the announcement
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, "National Research Service
Awards - Guidelines for Individual Awards - Institutional Grants,"
Special Edition, Volume 13, No. 1, January 6, 1984.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by August 10, 1992, a
letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed
research training program, the name, address, and telephone number of
the Program Director, the identities of other key personnel and
participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in
response to which the application may be submitted.

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does
not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information
that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of applications.
It allows NIDR staff to estimate the potential review workload and to
avoid conflict of interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to:

Thomas M. Valega, Ph.D.
Special Assistant for Manpower Development and Training
Extramural Programs
National Institute of Dental Research
Westwood Building, Room 510
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-6324
FAX:  (301) 496-4180

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants contact program
staff early in the planning phase of application preparation.  Such
contact may help ensure that applications are responsive to this RFA.

Applications are to be submitted on form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91).
Application forms are available at most institutional business or
grants office, from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of
Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue,
Room 449, Bethesda, MD  20892, telephone (301) 496-7441, and from the
NIDR program administrator named above.

To identify the application as a response to this RFA, check "yes" on
item 2a of page 1 of the application and enter "RFA:  DE-92-05, NRSA -
INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING APPLICATIONS."  The RFA label available in
application form PHS 398 must be affixed to the bottom of the face
page.  Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of
the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time
for review.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
Checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in one package to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892-4500**

At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application
must also be sent to:

H. George Hausch, Ph.D.
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
Extramural Programs
National Institute of Dental Research
Westwood Building, Room 519
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7658

This RFA is for a single competition.  Applications must be received by
September 10, 1992.  If an application is received after that date or
deemed non-responsive to the RFA, it will be returned to the applicant
without review.  The Division of Research Grants (DRG) will not accept
any application in response to this announcement that is essentially
the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant
withdraws the pending application.  The DRG will not accept any
application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.  This
does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of
applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an
introduction addressing the previous critique.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by
the NIDR Special Grants Review Committee (SGRC), a standing NIH initial
review group.  Applicant interviews or site visits may be involved.

The following review criteria will be applied:

o  The proposed research training and program design; core curriculum;
prescribed set of courses or seminars; the manner in which individual
guided research activities will be selected; procedures for monitoring
trainee progress; the existence of a true training program, as
contrasted with fellowship training for an individual trainee; the
combination of different levels of training; the appropriateness of the
proposed number of trainees; the unique and/or innovative nature of the
training program; resources and facilities.

o  The qualifications of the program director and participating faculty
including the roles of specific preceptors; time commitment; current
research grant holdings and pending research grant activities; specific
experience in graduate research training.

o  Training environment:  evidence of a high level of ongoing
fundamental and clinical research activity; availability of equipment,
facilities, and clinical resources.

o  Selection of trainees:  plans for recruitment and criteria for the
selection of trainees, including minorities and women; how trainees are
assigned to preceptors.

o  Past training record:  for both new and renewal applications the
past performance of the program director and preceptors in training
scientists; reviewers will look for accomplishments or potential of the
faculty in the training of scientists who will make major contributions
to dental research, as indicated by success in obtaining individual
research grant support, recognition for outstanding scientific
accomplishment, and involvement of former trainees in academic,
clinically oriented, and laboratory research and their ongoing
productivity.  For renewal applications, the record in filling trainee
positions and the completion record of trainees will be considered.
Cumulative information on the career development of all former
trainees, including information about their minority status, will be
evaluated.

Attention must be given to recruiting women and individuals from
minority groups that are underrepresented nationally in these sciences.
A plan must be included for the recruitment of these individuals.
After review of the training grant application for scientific and
technical merit and assignment of a priority score, the SGRC will
comment on plans for recruiting women and individuals from
underrepresented minority groups to the training program.  In the case
of renewal applications, this will include the accomplishments in
recruiting women and individuals from underrepresented minority groups
and in training them for research positions.

Applications must include a description of formal and informal
activities related to instruction about the responsible conduct of
research to be incorporated into the proposed research training
program.  No awards will be made to applications lacking this
component.  The announcement of this requirement was published in the
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 18, No. 45, December 22, 1989.

Additional information regarding, "Modification of Existing Review
Criteria for NRSA Institutional Research Training Grants," is given the
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 21, No. 11, March 20, 1992.
Copies of the NIH Guide are available in the business or grants office
of most academic institutions and from the Office of Grants Inquiries,
Division of Research Grants (address noted in APPLICATION PROCEDURES).

Secondary review will be by the National Advisory Dental Research
Council.  Among the information the Council considers will be the
report of the SGRC on the plans for, and success in, recruitment of
women and individuals from underrepresented minority groups.

Review and Award Schedule

Applications will be processed according to the following schedule:

Application          Initial Review      Council         Earliest
Receipt Date         Group Meeting       Meeting         Award Date

Sep 10, 1992         Feb/Mar 1993        May/Jun 1993    Jul 1993

AWARD CRITERIA

The earliest award date will be July 1, 1993.

The NIDR will notify the applicant of the Council's action shortly
after its meeting.  Funding decisions will be made based on the SGRC
and Council recommendation, the need for research personnel in
specified program areas, and the availability of funds.

The NIDR appreciates the value of complementary funding from other
public and private sources, including foundations and industrial
concerns, for activities that will complement and expand those
supported by the NIDR.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to Thomas M. Valega,
Ph.D., Special Assistant for Manpower Development and Training (at the
address noted in LETTER OF INTENT).

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Theresa Ringler
Grants Management Officer
Extramural Programs
National Institute of Dental Research
Westwood Building, Room 518
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7437

Copies of the NIDR Long-Range Research Plan for the Nineties,
"Broadening the Scope," are available by a written request to NIDR,
P.O. Box 54793, Washington, DC 20032

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

NRSA Institutional Research Training Grants are made under the
authority of Section 487 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act as
amended (42 USC 288), Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part
66, is applicable to this program.  This program is also described in
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.121. This program is
not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

.

Return to RFAs Index

Return to NIH Guide Main Index

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)