and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), (http://www.niehs.nih.gov)
National Institute of Cancer (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov)
Title: Limited Competition: Continuation of Studies on Early Environmental Exposures and Human Puberty (U01)
Announcement Type
This is a modified reissue of RFA-ES-03-001
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
Key Dates
Release Date: October 23, 2009
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: November 23, 2009
Application Receipt Date: December 23, 2009
Peer Review Date: March 2010
Council Review Date: May 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2010
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): N/A
Expiration Date: December 24, 2009
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Part I Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the NIH
C. Application Processing
D. Application Assignment
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
2. NIH Responsibilities
3. Collaborative Responsibilities
4. Arbitration Process
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations
Part II - Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Purpose
The purpose of this limited competition FOA (Limited Competition: Continuation of Studies on Early Environmental Exposures and Human Puberty) is to invite applications from investigators currently supported under Collaborative Project 2 ( epidemiology project ) of an existing Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center to apply for continued support of the ongoing longitudinal study of early environmental exposures and human puberty. This FOA is being announced in parallel with two other solicitations that together will constitute the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) Network. RFA-ES-09-009, Environmental Influences during Windows of Susceptibility in Breast Cancer Risk (U01), solicits applications for laboratory or epidemiological studies on environmental influences on breast cancer risk. RFA-ES-09-010, Coordinating Center for the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (U01 supports a Coordinating Center to oversee storage, management, and analytical support for data collected in the continued epidemiology studies (this RFA) and facilitate collaboration among researchers, breast cancer advocates, and community partners involved in BCERP projects. Each BCERP grant will involve community engagement. Collectively, the BCERP will form a network of multi-disciplinary teams drawn from the individual research projects that will work collaboratively to conduct high-quality, transdisciplinary research focused on the impacts of environmental exposures on pubertal development, other critical developmental time points and breast cancer risk. The BCERP Network will also develop and implement strategies to translate and communicate these research findings to appropriate stakeholders.
This FOA is a limited competition open only to the existing, funded epidemiology projects of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers to support completion of follow-up of an established cohort of girls through female maturation, with the goal of identifying determinants of pubertal and developmental milestones associated with long-term risk of breast cancer. Continued follow-up is essential to maximize research opportunities and to produce a comprehensive model of how environmental exposures, genetics, and lifestyle factors act independently and together to influence the pubertal transitional period. It is anticipated that each application will include plans for continued follow-up of the existing cohorts as well as propose novel site-specific and cross-site hypotheses to be examined over the next five years (additional details provided below). All study sites will use similar methods to collect data on markers of physiologic changes during the pubertal process and for assessments of environmental stressors of importance to future breast cancer risk, including chemical, physical, and social environmental exposures, lifestyle behaviors, nutrition and anthropometric markers. In addition, pooled analysis of genetic polymorphisms of interest will be included to fully explore relevant gene environment interactions.
A team-science approach, involving both research investigators and breast cancer advocates, is essential to the success of these projects. Using a shared conceptual framework, scientists and COTC members, representing multiple disciplines, will work collaboratively on understanding the role that the environment has on pubertal and developmental milestones that have been shown to be associated with breast cancer risk. Each application must include specific plans for COTC activities, including but not limited to, assisting in study participant follow-up and development and implementation tools and materials to translate/communicate study findings into meaningful messages for the public. Another major role of the COTC will be to ensure presentation of the concerns of breast cancer advocates in formulating research questions. Representatives from the COTC will also be expected to work collaboratively with community partners and members of parallel research studies and dissemination activities (including a national Key Messages contract) that make up the BCERP Network in supporting the development of key messages resulting from research findings that may be disseminated locally or nationally. These U01s will not exceed 5 years.
Background
Recent compelling evidence indicates that breast cancer is an environmental disease. While exposure to environmental agents are of intense interest to both researchers and community members, including women with breast cancer, well conducted studies of adult women have revealed little regarding possible environmental causes of breast cancer. The study of windows of susceptibility in the etiology of breast cancer is of increasing interest and refers to specific time periods in which breast tissue may be most vulnerable to the effects of environmental exposures and may directly or indirectly affect the risk of developing breast cancer. Specific windows exist when physiologic changes occur in the mammary gland including gestation, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation - that likely represent time periods of particular susceptibility to environmental factors and it is possible that these associations may influence breast cancer risk. Thus, research focused on these critical periods of development seeks to improve our understanding of the roles of environmental factors and their interplay with genetic susceptibility.
The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers (RFA-ES-03-001) were established in 2003 following a series of expert workshops and town meetings with the engaged breast cancer community, including the National Breast Cancer Coalition, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute. The overarching goal of the program was to address gaps in knowledge about the developmental biology of the normal mammary gland and the physiology and genetic regulation of sexual maturation as well as the impact of environmental stressors on these processes. A critical over-arching aspect of the program was collection of data on environmental factors that could impact these processes. The specific aims were to:
The existing program broadly addressed multiple factors that may influence pubertal onset and long-term risk of breast cancer. As currently structured, the Centers work collaboratively on two projects: a longitudinal epidemiological study examining the environmental determinants of pubertal onset in young girls ( Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Puberty ) and laboratory-based studies using animal and in vitro models to understand underlying biological mechanisms ( Environmental Effects on the Molecular Architecture and Function of the Mammary Gland across the Lifespan ). In addition, a Community Outreach and Translation Core translated research findings into public health messages for lay audiences as well as policy maker. For a discussion of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers research questions, a description of the conceptual framework for the etiology of breast cancer, and the rationale for a focus on puberty, see Hiatt RA, Haslam SZ, Osuch J. 2009. The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers: Transdisciplinary research on the role of the environment in breast cancer etiology. Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.0800120. [Online 16 June 2009].
The BCERP has been groundbreaking in its transdisciplinary approaches, methodologies, and practices that utilize multiple forms of expertise including researchers, community members and advocates in an integrated fashion so as to generate new hypotheses and tools. The program optimized involvement of breast cancer advocates and other community partners in the research process to consider the etiology of environmental impact(s) on breast cancer at the genetic, metabolic, and cellular levels, as well as individual, physical and social levels.
Structure of BCERP Network
In the second phase of the BCERP, the aims of the program remain the same. However, the center structure will be separated into its component elements (biology and epidemiology, each with a community partner/COTC) and a Coordinating Center. All members of the BCERP Network are expected to perform as a transdisciplinary/multidisciplinary network. Each of the individual research projects are required to have community input to encourage bi-directional communication between the breast cancer advocacy community and researchers as well as to provide outreach activities supporting translation of research findings to their constituencies and policy makers.
To foster cross-project collaborations, members of the BCERP Network will be required to participate in Network interactions including, but not limited to, regularly scheduled face-to-face meetings for the exchange of information among and across research projects, and, where appropriate, subcommittee teleconferences or web-based communications. Aside from its data coordinating function, the Coordinating Center will facilitate collaborations between and among the research projects and community groups as well as coordinate the Network interactions (face-to-face, teleconferencing, web-based).
Governance of the BCERP Network will be through a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from all funded grants, community partners and COTC members, and the Coordinating Center as well as NIH program staff. A series of Steering Committee sub-committees will be established, including an Epidemiology Subcommittee. The first collaborative effort of this subcommittee will be to integrate appropriate study elements from each awarded application under this limited competition FOA into one cohesive protocol (with NIH approval) to be carried out at each study site. The Epidemiology Subcommittee will be comprised of the necessary senior investigators from each epidemiology study site as well as liaisons from the Windows of Susceptibility and community partner/COTC subcommittees. (See section, below, on Program Governance)
Research Objectives and Requirements for Limited Competition: Continuation of Studies on Early Environmental Exposures and Human Puberty
The goal of these studies is to identify determinants of pubertal and developmental milestones that have been associated with long-term risk of breast cancer. This FOA is intended to support completion of the epidemiological studies of the current cohort of girls initially recruited as part of the existing Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers. The investigative team at each site will consist of researchers and members of the COTC, which must include representatives of breast cancer survivor and advocate organizations and may also include other local community members, health professionals, and stakeholders as appropriate. The COTC will assist with participant retention, build and promote partnerships among researchers, community members, and other stakeholders, ensure participation of breast cancer advocates in formulating research questions, and develop and implement tools and materials to communicate study findings to the public and policy makers.
I. Epidemiology Project
The goal of the epidemiology project supported by this FOA is to examine the determinants of puberty in girls, integrating how environmental, chemical, genetic, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors act independently and together to impact pubertal and developmental milestones that have been associated with later breast cancer risk. All study sites will use the same methodologies to collect data on markers of breast development and other physiologic changes of sexual maturation, assessment of environmental stressors of importance to future breast cancer risk, including lifestyle behaviors, nutrition and dietary supplements, anthropometry, chemical and physical environmental exposures, and psychosocial factors. All applications must include plans for the following activities:
Applicants should plan to collect both blood and urine samples for biomarker analysis. In cases where blood and/or urine samples cannot be collected, applicants should provide justification for omission of collection of that biospecimen and should describe how comparable data will be obtained. In addition, all applications must include a strategy for investigating gene variants of interest. When choosing genetic polymorphisms to study, applicants should consider incorporating research findings from the current BCERP laboratory-based investigations implicating important gene pathways relevant to breast development and future cancer risk. Although it is unlikely that any individual study site will have enough power to study in detail relevant gene-environment interactions, applicants are to include and justify such hypotheses to be evaluated for the combined analyses of data.
Applicants are also encouraged to include plans to examine novel biomarkers of exposure effects, hormone levels, breast development, ovarian function, metabolic function, menstrual cycle function, dietary intake and physical activity, other measures of skeletal and sexual maturation.
Each application should include a detailed description of the study design and methods, including but not limited to the following:
The Epidemiology Subcommittee of the Steering Committee will review plans from each site after awards are made and integrate all of the meritorious study elements into one cohesive protocol that will be carried out at each study site. All study sites must agree on and use the same methods (or similar methods that can be validly harmonized post-collection) to collect and analyze these data. In the event that individual project site principal investigators cannot reach agreement on critical aspects of the project, such as common protocols, then the Steering Committee, in consultation with NIH Project Staff will make final and binding decisions on how to proceed.
Cross-site collaboration
Study sites will continue to maintain a repository of stored logical biological specimens. It is anticipated that analyses of biospecimens to determine body burdens of a standardized set of chemical exposures (to be determined by the Epidemiology Subcommittee of the Steering Committee) will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Costs for these assays should not be budgeted within the applications and funds will be transferred directly by NIH to the CDC. At the time of the initial Epidemiology Subcommittee meeting, NIH staff will inform the investigators of the approximate amount of funds available for such assays and the subcommittee will determine the set of chemical exposures to be examined. Analyses of genetic variation, hormone levels, and other novel biomarkers proposed by the applicant should be incorporated into the proposal’s study design and included in the budget. The Epidemiology Subcommittee will decide over the course of the study which analyses are necessary and appropriate for the pooled analysis across sites. Such investigation will likely include genetic analyses of the biosamples and will be performed in concert by a provider to be agreed upon by the Epidemiology Subcommittee.
Each study site should identify areas of expertise and capabilities in areas such as epidemiology, exposure assessment of chemicals and other exposures in biological and environmental media, biostatistics, clinical assessments, clinical laboratory determinations, and genetics, as proposed in their applications. All expenses to conduct such work should be incorporated within the proposal. It is recognized that all areas of expertise or the capabilities to direct and perform all areas may not be resident in each site. Applicants are encouraged to form collaborations or consortia for the purposes of obtaining needed expertise and capacity. After award, the Steering Committee will recommend to NIH Program Staff the responsibility of each site for specific scientific areas and activities, i.e. chemical exposure assessment, dietary analysis, hormone analysis. A description of relevant experience and expertise in areas for consideration, with supporting publications, should be included in the application. The decisions will be based on expertise and capacity to do the needed work. The U01 cooperative agreement mechanism allows for budget adjustments if necessary in order to fund the assigned tasks.
In order to facilitate cross-site projects, investigators must submit all data collected for cross-site projects to the BCERP Network Coordinating Center (See RFA-ES-09-010) that will oversee storage, management and analytical support across all three sites. This includes data collected from questionnaires and diaries, clinical examinations, and biomarker and genetic analyses. Investigators are required to submit both data collected under the current grant award period and data that will be collected during this next phase of the program.
Cross-site data collected from questionnaires, results of biospecimen and genetic analyses will be submitted to the BCERP Coordinating Center that will oversee storage, management and analytical support across all three sites.
II. Community Outreach and Translation Core (COTC)
Members of the COTC are an integral part of the investigative team for research projects supported under this RFA. The overarching aims of the COTC are to build and promote partnerships and collaborations among the researchers and the breast cancer and environmental advocacy communities, other local community members and public health professionals; ensure representation of the concerns and views of breast cancer advocates in formulating research questions and study design, identifying the environmental stressors of high and relevant importance to the community and representing the community perspective to ensure acceptability as the study design is modified and/or new study protocols are developed in the second phase of the program; and develop and implement materials and tools to translate/communicate study findings into meaningful messages for the public and policy makers. Other goals of the COTC may include, but are not limited to, assisting with study participant follow-up.
Each application should include a specific plan and set of integrated activities for the COTC. The COTC should be a logical outgrowth of the scientific focus of the research project and exhibit the potential for mutual benefit due to interactions between COTC members, investigators and community and target groups. The COTC is not intended to give medical, legal, political, social, or economic advice. Examples of proposed COTC activities might include, but are not limited to:
A team-science approach, in which scientists, breast cancer advocates, and other members of the COTC draw upon their unique strengths to accomplish research aims and goals, is required. Evidence of such collaboration must be provided in the application and subsequent progress reports. Team members should identify common research aims and goals, and should have consensus regarding their collaborative priorities. The active participation of the community, breast cancer advocacy groups and/or other community or faith based organizations will be expected, especially in activities which translate research findings into useful information for the public. Support for the COCT members and activities should be commensurate with the level of their efforts on the proposed activities and fully justified in the submitted application.
Representatives from the COTC will also be expected to work collaboratively with all the members of the BCERP Network. The COTC members are encouraged to collaborate with community partners associated with other research studies being conducted as part of the BCERP Network, in supporting communication, outreach, and translation of research findings from the BCERP. COTC participation will also be sought in the development of Network Key Messages resulting from the breadth of research findings emanating from the Network as a whole.
Researchers and members of the COTC are expected to participate in annual BCERP Integration Meetings and annual National Conferences on Extended Environmental Exposures that will be coordinated by the BCERP Coordinating Center. The projects should budget accordingly for these meetings.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This funding opportunity will use the U01 award mechanism(s).
The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts. It also uses non-modular budget formats described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
This funding opportunity will use a cooperative agreement award mechanism. In the cooperative agreement mechanism, the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with the Principal Investigator, as described under the Section VI. 2. Administrative Requirements, "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award".
2. Funds Available
NIEHS and NCI plan to make three awards in response to this announcement. Each award is limited to $650,000 direct costs per year. Applicants may request up to five years.
The estimated amount of funds available for support of 3 projects awarded as a result of this announcement is $2.9M for fiscal year 2010. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Facilities and administrative costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible organizations are limited to the current recipients of the Collaborative Epidemiology Project 2 (Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Puberty) of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers awards funded initially in response to RFA-ES-03-001.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH programs.
More than one PD/PI, or multiple PDs/PIs, may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans, policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a grant with a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations, and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple PDs/PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. When considering multiple PDs/PIs, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PDs/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
PDs/PIs for the BCERP Limited Competition epidemiology study (this RFA) or a Windows of Susceptibility study (See RFA-ES-09-009) may not be the same PDs/PIs for the Coordinating Center (See RFA-ES-09-010) but may be members of the same institutions.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Number of Applications. Each eligible institution may submit only one application.
Resubmissions. Resubmission applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Renewals. Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Information
The PHS 398 application instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version of the PHS 398. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be prepared using the most current PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms. Applications must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/. The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs
When multiple PD/PIs are proposed, use the Face Page-Continued page to provide items 3a 3h for all PD/PIs. NIH requires one PD/PI be designated as the contact PD/PI for all communications between the PD/PIs and the agency. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PD/PIs, but has no special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above. The contact PD/PI may be changed during the project period. The contact PD/PI should be listed in block 3 of Form Page 1 (the Face Page), with all additional PD/PIs listed on Form Page 1-Continued. When inserting the name of the PD/PI in the header of each application page, use the name of the Contact PD/PI, et. al. The contact PD/PI must be from the applicant organization if PD/PIs are from more than one institution.
All individuals designated as PD/PI must be registered in the eRA Commons and must be assigned the PD/PI role in that system (other roles such as SO or IAR will not give the PD/PI the appropriate access to the application records). Each PD/PI must include their respective eRA Commons ID in the eRA Commons User Name field.
All projects proposing Multiple PDs/PIs will be required to include a new section describing the leadership plan approach for the proposed project.
Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, a new section of the research plan, entitled Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, and should include communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.
If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award.
Additional information is available in the PHS 398 grant application instructions.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be received on or before the receipt date described below (Section IV.3.A). Submission times N/A.
3.A. Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: November 23, 2009
Application Receipt Date: December 23, 2009
Peer Review Date: March 2010
Council Review Date: May 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2010
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
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.
The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed in Section IV.3.A.
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Linda Bass, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 530, Room 3074
P.O. Box 12233, K3-03
530 Davis Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: (919) 541-1307
FAX: (919) 361-4606
Email: [email protected]
3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH
Applications must be prepared using the forms found in the PHS 398 instructions for preparing a research grant application. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three signed photocopies in one package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Personal deliveries of applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application and all copies of the appendix material (on CD only) must be sent to:
Linda Bass, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 530, Room 3074
P.O. Box 12233, K3-03
530 Davis Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: (919) 541-1307
FAX: (919) 361-4606
Email: [email protected]
3.C. Application Processing
Applications must be received on or before the application receipt date) described above (Section IV.3.A.). If an application is received after that date, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CSR and for responsiveness by the reviewing Institute. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application. That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.
Information on the status of an application should be checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
5. 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 Grants Policy Statement can be found at NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project, and 2) would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award.
The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project (see NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.)
6. Other Submission Requirements
Awardees must agree to the "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award" in Section VI.2.A.
In order to facilitate cross-site projects, investigators must submit all data collected for cross-site activities (as designated by the Epidemiology Subcommittee of BCERP Network Steering Committee) to the BCERP Network Coordinating Center, including data collected via subject-centric questionnaires and diaries, clinical examinations, and biomarker and genetic analyses. Investigators are required to submit both historical data collected under the previous grant award period and data collected during this next phase of the program.
Researchers and COTC members are required to participate in the Annual BCERP Network meeting as well as the annual integration meeting and should include funds to cover travel.
COTC members are required to participate in the development of key messages, on both the local and national level, resulting from published research findings.
Research Plan Page Limitations
The research plan, including specific aims, background, preliminary studies and research design and methods sections, should be no more than 25 pages.
Appendix Materials
All paper PHS 398 applications submitted must provide appendix material on CDs only. Include five identical CDs in the same package with the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-031.html.
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value of, and advance research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this must be explained in Resource Sharing section of the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Investigators seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year are expected to include a brief 1-paragraph description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data-sharing is not possible. Applicants are encouraged to discuss data-sharing plans with their NIH program contact. See Data-Sharing Policy or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-032.html.
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Regardless of the amount requested, all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated are expected to include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. See Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further information see Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that are complete and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NIEHS and in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/), using the review criteria stated below.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:
The mission of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Overall Impact. Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following five core review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Core Review Criteria. Reviewers will consider each of the five review criteria below in the determination of scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Significance. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Investigator(s). Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Innovation. Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Approach. Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Environment. Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
In addition to the above review criteria, the following criteria will be applied to applications in the determination of scientific merit and the impact/priority score.
Overall assessment of the research-community partnership. Is there evidence of a partnership between research scientist and community members, including evidence that community partners have been involved in formulating research questions? Does the proposed study benefit from unique features of the scientific and community members as a collaborative research team? Is the partnership adequate to ensure success of the proposed project?
Collaborative Strengths: Are there adequate plans for effective interaction and coordination with the other BCERP Network components, the Steering Committee and the NIH? Do the investigators state their willingness to collaborate and share information among members of the BCERP Network? Do the investigators state their willingness to abide by the priorities and policies agreed upon by the Steering Committee for collaborative studies?
Additional Review Criteria
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects. For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.
For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children. When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children.
Vertebrate Animals. The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia.
Biohazards. Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
Additional Review Considerations
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Select Agents 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).
Applications from Foreign Organizations. Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Resource Sharing Plans. Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan (http://grants.nih/gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm); 2) Sharing Model Organisms (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html); and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-088.html).
Selection Process
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not Applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
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.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the Notice of Award will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official (designated in item 14 on the Application Face Page). If a grantee is not email enabled, a hard copy of the Notice of Award will be mailed to the business official.
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. See Also Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the Notice of Award. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm) and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
The following Terms and Conditions will be incorporated into the award statement and will be provided to the Principal Investigator as well as to the appropriate institutional official, at the time of award.
2.A. Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable OMB administrative guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and the NIH as defined below.
2. A.1. Principal Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
The Principal Investigator (PI) will have the primary responsibility for:
Overseeing the budget and activities of the Limited Competition epidemiological study, as detailed, above. The Principal Investigator is expected to cooperate with the BCERP investigators and community partners, and NCI and NIEHS Program Officials and Staff, and the Coordinating Center, when appropriate, in the design and conduct of protocols, analysis of data, and reporting of results of research undertaken by the BCERP.
The PI will agree to accept the participatory and cooperative nature of the collaborative research process.
The PI will agree to common protocols to be determined by the Epidemiology Subcommittee of the Steering Committee and cooperate with the data coordinating center in establishing and maintaining centralized information management system to store, clean, and analyze data that will be used in publications and public presentations of research performed at the three Limited Competition epidemiological study sites. The PI will submit questionnaires (and other data collection tools as appropriate) and/or electronic data to the Coordinating Center for processing, cleaning and storage and submit results of biomarker and genetic analysis to the Coordinating Center for all collaborative projects (as designated by the Epidemiology subcommittee). Finally, the PI will assist the Coordinating Center in preparing, designing, and disseminating operational manuals, data collection forms, databases (including the creation of derived variables), and results summaries for BCERP projects and protocols as needed.
The PI will participate as a member of the Steering Committee.
The PI will comply with Coordinating Center needs, as directed by NIEHS and NCI Program Officials and Staff and the Steering Committee, in monitoring BCERP progress.
The PI will assist the Coordinating Center in compiling for the Steering Committee, necessary monthly and quarterly reports of research activities (including, but not limited to, subject follow-up), meeting summaries, and quarterly research site performance reports.
The PI will fully comply with federal regulatory requirements, including but not limited to those relating to human subjects protections, informed consent, and reporting of adverse events.
The PI will ensure training of study site personnel as needed for standardization of collaborative protocols across sites and for accurate and timely data entry.
Awardees will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
2. A.2. NIH Responsibilities
One or more NIEHS/NCI Program Official will be substantially involved the BCERP Network as NIH Project Scientists. NIH Project Scientists will have substantial scientific and programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards.
NIEHS/NCI Project Scientist(s) will have the following responsibilities:
In addition to the Project Scientist(s), a designated NIEHS Program Official will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice. The NIEHS Program Official may recommend withholding support, suspension, or termination of a U01 award for lack of scientific progress or failure to adhere to policies established by the Steering Committee.
2.A.3. Collaborative Responsibilities
A Steering Committee will serve as the governing board for the BCERP Network. The Steering Committee will monitor and assess progress of epidemiologic and mechanistic studies and partnerships; determine the need for redirection in scientific focus in order to accommodate new knowledge and recommend new opportunities and directions for the BCERP.
The Steering Committee will be comprised of the Principal Investigator and one COTC member from each project in RFA-ES-09-008 - Continuation of Studies on Early Environmental Exposures and Human Puberty, representatives of the supported investigators and community partners of the related program RFA-ES-09-009; Environmental Influences during Windows of Susceptibility & Breast Cancer Risk, the PI of the BCERP Coordinating Center (RFA-ES-09-010) and NIEHS and NCI program staff. Each represented NIH Institute will have one collective vote. NIH staff can not serve as Steering Committee Chair. Other guidelines for the Steering Committee, such as a quorum, will be determined at its initial meeting.
The Steering Committee will serve as the governing board for the BCERP. The Steering Committee will monitor and assess progress of epidemiologic and mechanistic studies and partnerships; determine the need for redirection in scientific focus in order to accommodate new knowledge and recommend new opportunities and directions for the BCERP. Among its activities, the Steering Committee will share and review annual progress among the components of the BCERP and recommend to NIH activities in need of budget adjustments, novel opportunities for further exploration, research and partnership aims that indicate promise or are lagging in progress, or other priorities that will assist the BCERP program as a whole in reaching its optimal transdisciplinary potential. In the event that individual project site principal investigators can not reach agreement on critical aspects of the project, such as common protocols, then the Steering Committee, in consultation with NIH Program Staff will make final and binding decisions on how to proceed. Though the Steering Committee will make recommendations, NIEHS and NCI Staff will have final approval and all proposed changes and activities must comply with NIH, DHHS, and Federal Guidelines.
Each Steering Committee member will have one vote. Awardee members of the Steering Committee will be required to accept and implement policies approved by the Steering Committee.
2.A.4. Dispute Resolution
Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to arbitration. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened. It will have three members: a designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual awardee. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulations 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulations 45 CFR Part 16.
3. Reporting
Awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or when an award is terminated.
We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
NIEHS:
Caroline Dilworth, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 530, Room 3069
P.O. Box 12233 (K3-12)
Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: (919) 541-7727
Email: [email protected]
NCI:
Gary L. Ellison, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
Executive Plaza North, Room 5108
6130 Executive Blvd, MSC 7324
Bethesda, MD 20892-7324
Telephone: 301-402-1853
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Linda Bass, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 530, Room 3074
P.O. Box 12233 (K3-03)
530 Davis Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: (919) 541-1307
FAX: (919) 361-4606
Email: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
NIEHS:
Aaron Nicholas
Grants Management Branch
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 530, Room 3053
P.O. Box 12233 (K3-11)
530 Davis Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560
Telephone: (919) 541-7823
Fax: (301) 451-5334
E-mail: [email protected]
NCI:
Crystal Wolfrey
Chief
Cancer Control and Population Sciences Grants Branch
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Suite 243
Bethesda, MD 20892-7340
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 496-8634
FAX: (301) 496-8601
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf) as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm), and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm) as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks to the participants (NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and local IRB rules, as well as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule.
Policy for Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access) is governed by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088. For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Access to Research Data through the Freedom of Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm. Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity in a public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application should include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include information about this in the budget justification section of the application. In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under this award.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm). At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm). All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm. The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human Subject Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-116.html. Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s) to be used in the proposed research.
NIH Public Access Policy Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html) investigators must submit or have submitted for them their final, peer-reviewed manuscripts that arise from NIH funds and are accepted for publication as of April 7, 2008 to PubMed Central (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after publication. As of May 27, 2008, investigators must include the PubMed Central reference number when citing an article in NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports that fall under the policy, and was authored or co-authored by the investigator or arose from the investigator’s NIH award. For more information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, internet addresses (URLs) must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide any other information necessary for the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372. 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 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
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