Participating Organization(s)	National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Components of Participating Organizations	National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Funding Opportunity Title	Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)
Activity Code	R01 Research Project Grant
Announcement Type	Reissue of RFA-GM-13-004
Related Notices	None
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number	RFA-GM-14-004
Companion Funding Opportunity	RFA-GM-14-003, R01, Research Project Grant RFA-GM-14-005, U54 Specialized Center- Cooperative Agreements
Number of Applications	See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	93.859
Funding Opportunity Purpose	The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to establish inter-disciplinary collaborative projects to advance studies of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells.  These collaborations are designed to integrate additional research strategies into NIGMS' research base of laboratories specializing in macromolecular function in living systems.  Grantees may use this funding opportunity to (i) complement each other's capabilities (for example, in biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, or pharmacology), where the innovation is in the biology rather than in the technology;  (ii) apply proven technologies that are technically challenging, expensive, or not yet widely used in cell biology and allied fields (for example, mass spectrometry, high-throughput screening);  (iii) develop, pilot, evaluate, and/or apply emerging technologies (for example, super resolution light microscopy);  (iv) carry out feasibility studies or upstream research and development of new technological concepts that are unproven, but potentially useful for study of macromolecular interactions.  This FOA invites unconventional research strategies, including exploratory, descriptive, and statistical approaches, and encourages discovery and hypothesis generation as research objectives.  This FOA uses the NIH multiple program director(s)/principal investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) model, the R01 activity, and the modular budget grant application format.

Posted Date	March 4, 2013
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)	April 30, 2013
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)	April 30,2013
Application Due Date(s)	May 30, 2013, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
AIDS Application Due Date(s)	Not Applicable
Scientific Merit Review	October/November 2013
Advisory Council Review	January 2014
Earliest Start Date	April 1, 2014
Expiration Date	May 31, 2013
Due Dates for E.O. 12372	Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

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

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

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to establish inter-disciplinary collaborative projects to advance studies on macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells.  This FOA uses the NIH multiple program director(s)/principal investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) model, the R01 activity, and the modular budget grant application model.

This FOA is based on an initiative approved by the National General Medical Sciences Advisory Council at its January 2011 meeting for research on macromolecular interactions in cells "in vivo", which in this FOA includes cells and tissues as well as organisms.  The Council-recommended program priorities for this FOA are involvement of NIGMS' research base of laboratories specializing in function in living systems, cross-disciplinary research coordination and collaboration, initiation of new lines of research, unconventional research approaches and strategies, participation of modestly funded laboratories, multi-institutional involvement, and scientific and budgetary flexibility.

This initiative comprises three FOAs for studies on macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function.  This FOA, "Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)", supports multiple-PD(s)/PI(s) R01s; its maximum budget is $250,000 direct costs per year.  A second FOA, "Research Networks for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (U54)" (RFA-GM-13-005), supports multiple-PD(s)/PI(s) specialized center cooperative agreements (U54); its maximum budget is $500,000 direct costs per year.  A third FOA, "Competing Revisions for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)" (RFA-GM-13-003), supports revisions (formerly "competing supplements") of funded NIGMS R01 and R37 projects; its maximum budget is $75,000 direct costs per year.  All three FOAs are intended to diversify and extend the scope and capabilities of existing NIGMS cellular, molecular and developmental biology, genetics, pharmacology and physiology research projects, rather than to support independent stand-alone projects.

Higher-order functions in cells depend upon precise organization and coordination of macromolecules and processes in space and time.  Most cellular functions are mediated by macromolecular complexes ranging in size from two to hundreds of subunits, many of which are regulated across the cell cycle and constantly remodeled in response to physiological state.  The roles played by individual components of complexes depend not only on their intrinsic biochemical properties, but also on their interactions with the surrounding environment.  While a wealth of information exists about individual cellular components from in vitro analyses, our knowledge and understanding of macromolecular interactions in whole cell contexts are limited.

Although important scientific questions and opportunities involving macromolecular interactions span a scientific spectrum ranging from whole animal physiology to molecular biophysics, some of the most important and difficult challenges lie in the analysis of molecular interactions in the context of whole cell organization and function.  In the last decade advances in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, proteomics, genetics, genomics, advanced microscopy, and structural, computational, and systems biology have opened up important new avenues for addressing these challenges.  There is a need to unite these developments with rigorous mechanistic dissection of cellular function, but the integration of these advances into NIGMS' biological research base has been limited.  A priority of this initiative is to advance this integration by involving biologists who specialize in the analysis of function in living systems in multidisciplinary applications of new technologies and research strategies.

This FOA is intended to accommodate unconventional research objectives and approaches that fall outside the traditional hypothesis-driven framework that is often favored in peer review.  The many applications responding to recent ARRA initiatives and to the Transformative R01, EUREKA and NIH Director's Pioneer Award programs reflect an unsatisfied demand by investigators not only to incorporate additional methods and approaches into their programs, but also to address discovery and hypothesis generation as research objectives.  Exploratory, descriptive, and statistical approaches will be increasingly important as cell biology addresses more complex problems.

To enable investigators to assemble the strongest combinations of multidisciplinary expertise, this FOA provides support for collaborations between investigators at different institutions.  Organizing effective collaborations between geographically separated groups requires more planning and overhead for coordination than are needed for research that is conducted locally.  These complications are compounded for larger collaborations.  To address these financial barriers, this FOA provides for shared personnel, travel, and meeting expenses.

This FOA addresses financial barriers to the diversification of research strategies and objectives in the study of macromolecular interactions.  The importance of adequate funding to support multi-disciplinary approaches is clear from the striking recent advances in this field made by well-funded laboratories.  Modestly funded investigators are a highly competitive scientific sector, but their financial options for responding to new research opportunities are limited.  This FOA is intended to leverage the scientific insights and skills of modestly funded laboratories (total support to the laboratory under $500,000/year direct costs) by providing for their involvement in collaborative opportunities.

This FOA utilizes the NIH multiple-PD(s)/PI(s) model and the R01 activity.  Each grant will be directed by a team of at least two PD(s)/PI(s) who head independent laboratories conducting research relevant to macromolecular interactions in cells that they can coordinate with the collaboration.  The PD(s)/PI(s) should hold (or have recently held) their own independent NIH, NSF, or similar support as a Principal Investigator, or have equivalent professional and scientific status in other fields, government, or industry.   In addition to current or recent grant support, PD(s)/PI(s) should also be well-enough established to have an independent track record of research publications from their own laboratories. 

A priority of this FOA is to support collaborations that can accomplish their goals on a total budget not exceeding $100,000 direct costs for multiple PD/PIs at a single institution, $175,000 for multiple PD/PIs at two institutions, and $250,000 for multiple PD/PIs at three or more institutions.  Budgets are modest because these grants are designed to link existing programs and utilize their infrastructure, rather than to stand alone as independent projects.  Support of projects whose scope and budget exceed these budgetary guidelines is not a priority for this FOA.

All qualified individuals are invited to participate as PD(s)/PI(s) in these collaborations; there are no restrictions on the research support or research specialization of any individual PD/PI.  However, a priority of this FOA is to support collaborations in which at least one of the PD(s)/PI(s) is a modestly funded investigator (total support to the laboratory under $500,000/year direct costs) who has been PD/PI of an NIGMS research grant that is active or has been active within the last four years, and who has a primary research specialization in molecular systems and mechanisms in live organelles, cells, tissues or organisms.  Other investigators, including well-funded investigators, investigators from other research fields (for example, technology experts), and investigators not supported by NIGMS, are also encouraged to participate as PD(s)/PI(s) and share in the scientific direction and funding of these collaborations. 

• These collaborations should advance the study of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in vivo (cells, tissues, or organisms).  Experimentation in vitro (for example, isolation, characterization, functional reconstitution) may be included, but must be part of a larger research strategy directed towards a functional understanding of complexes in vivo.  Research topics must be directly within the mission of NIGMS.
• This FOA invites multidisciplinary approaches, unconventional research strategies, and piloting of unproven technologies and approaches.  Applicants are encouraged to address discovery and hypothesis generation as research objectives.  Exploratory, descriptive, and statistical approaches are invited.
• The objective of this FOA is to link, complement and extend existing NIGMS research programs by initiating new lines of research that add new and distinct research objectives or approaches.  It aims to support team research built around common biological themes and goals arising from the research objectives of the PD(s)/PI(s), for example, around shared interests in the same cellular components, processes, or model organisms.  In addition to sharing expertise among the participating biologists, these projects can include technology experts who bring new approaches to bear on the common goals.
• The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate research coordination and collaboration by supporting a network-like organization that maximizes the number of laboratory-laboratory interactions.  It is expected that all PD(s)/PI(s) will participate actively in the research and engage in multiple interactions.  Although sharing of technologies and resources will be a key component of these collaborations, these grants are intended to function as networks rather than as core grants in which a large part of the research is conducted at a centralized resource or facility.  Groups of investigators who need to assemble in a fixed hub and spoke project organization to collaborate with a centralized resource, for example a screening or imaging center, should consult with the scientific contacts listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts about alternative support mechanisms.
• Each grant's PD(s)/PI(s) will choose their own framework for interaction, communication, and research coordination. The projects can support personnel who are shared by the project as a whole and link the participating laboratories through exchange of ideas and expertise.   It is hoped that the research activities of the personnel supported by these projects will promote cross-training in multi-disciplinary approaches.  It is also hoped that these grants will encourage the entry of scientists from other fields into biomedical research by providing support during their learning period.
• This FOA is designed to enable geographically separated investigators at different institutions to collaborate and coordinate their research.  Multi-institutional involvement is encouraged and is one of the program priorities of this FOA.  Project funds can be used to support meetings of laboratories for collaborative experiments, including expenses for laboratory rental and fees. 
• One of the goals of this FOA is to allow flexibility in adjusting research objectives and budgets within the scientific scope of the grant.  In contrast to the usual practice in which budgets and personnel are fixed in individual laboratories for the duration of the grant, it is expected that the internal deployment of funds will be adjusted by the PD(s)/PI(s) as the project progresses.   
• The intent of this FOA is to enable the participating laboratories to ask questions beyond their current capabilities.  To accomplish this, it will support research ranging from established approaches to the development and/or piloting of entirely new technologies.  Grantees may use this funding opportunity to (i) complement each other's capabilities (for example, in biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, or pharmacology), where the innovation is in the application rather than in the technology;  (ii) apply proven technologies that are technically challenging, expensive, or not yet widely used in cell biology and allied fields (for example, mass spectrometry, high-throughput screening);  (iii) develop, pilot, evaluate, and/or apply emerging technologies (for example, superresolution light microscopy);  (iv) carry out feasibility studies or upstream research and development of new technological concepts that are unproven, but potentially useful for study of macromolecular interactions.

The goal of this FOA is to advance studies on macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells.  The focus of this FOA is on understanding macromolecular interactions in vivo (cells, tissues or organisms); experimentation in vitro (for example, functional reconstitution) is included, but it must be coordinated with a research program on function in vivo.

Within the areas of interest the examples are illustrative, not comprehensive; unless excluded below, other research approaches within the area are eligible.  Potential applicants are strongly advised to consult with the scientific contacts listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts about research topics that are not an obvious fit to this FOA

• Physical and Functional Interactions in Cells.  Architecture, assembly, regulation, modification, localization, transport, disassembly and degradation of macromolecular complexes in cells.  Detection, quantitation, screening and mapping of physical and functional interactions and their dynamics, regulation, dependencies and locations.  Feasibility testing, development, or application of approaches for the detection of transient interactions and assemblies in living cells.
• Functional Reconstitution.  Isolation, characterization, composition, covalent modifications and assembly sequences of complexes not previously studied in vitro.  Approaches to problems of lability, heterogeneity, and non-physiological associations in the isolation of intact molecular complexes from cells. Pilot applications of advanced separation and analytical techniques to systems previously studied only in cells.  Feasibility testing, development, piloting, or application of new or high risk methods.
• Screening. All kinds of screening for macromolecular interactions and complexes: small or large scale, established or new approaches, in vivo or ex vivo.  Proteomic, genetic, genomic, chemical genetic, pharmacological or other screening approaches.  Feasibility testing, development, piloting, or application of new or high risk screening methods.
• Relating Functional and Physical Interactions.  General approaches for systematic mapping of the physical interactions and macromolecular complexes corresponding to networks and pathways. 
• Functional reconstitution in vitro.  New approaches to finding the functional correlates of physical interactions.  Reconciling results and combining information from traditional and high-throughput approaches.  Validation in living systems of physical interactions identified ex vivo. 
• Quantitative, Systems, Computational, and High-Throughput Approaches.  Systems and quantitative approaches to functional interactions.  Systematic experimentation (for example, high-throughput perturbations and measurements) to infer interactions.  Computational approaches for the discovery of interactions, including statistical analysis and data mining.  Machine learning approaches for experimental design and its optimization, approaches for prioritizing hypotheses for testing.
• Imaging and Spectroscopy.  Imaging and mapping of cells by microscopy; determination of molecular proximities in cells by light and electron microscopy, visualization of molecular organization at all scales within cells.  Correlation spectroscopy and microscopy.  Biosensors for detecting physical associations.  Single molecule and single cell detection.  Quantitative microscopy, tracking of dynamics.

Some research topics highly relevant to macromolecular complexes and interactions are already well-established or already targeted by other active NIGMS FOAs; these topics are not targeted for support under this FOA. 

• Well-studied complexes (not supported).  Many macromolecular complexes have already been isolated and their structure and function characterized extensively.  Because this research area is already well established, the Specific Areas of Research Interest of this FOA do not include studies on complexes that have already been isolated; rather its focus is on interactions in cells and complexes that have not previously been studied in vitro.
• Structural Biology of Isolated Molecules (not supported).  Structural analysis is highly relevant to macromolecular complexes and interactions, but this research area is already well established and is also supported by the NIGMS PSI: Biology program and active FOAs listed on the NIGMS website.  Therefore the Specific Areas of Research Interest of this FOA do not include high resolution structure analysis of isolated macromolecules and complexes, or the preparation of specimens for structure analysis.  This FOA will support electron microscopy (EM) of cells, but not EM structure analysis of isolated complexes.  A currently active NIGMS collaborative funding opportunity for structural analysis of isolated complexes is the Supplements for Collaborative Science program. 
• Computational Modeling of Known Systems (not supported).  Computational modeling is highly relevant to macromolecular complexes and interactions, but this research area is well-established and is supported by active NIH and NIGMS FOAs.  Computational approaches responding to the FOA should address the discovery of new molecules and interactions in conjunction with experimental approaches in vivo.  Cellular or molecular modeling based on known molecules and interactions and software and algorithm development are not a priority of this FOA and should be directed to other active FOAs listed on the NIGMS website.  The Supplements for Collaborative Science program is also available.

New Research Directions.  The purpose of this FOA is to diversify and extend the scope and capabilities of the PD(s)/PI(s)' research by introducing new methods and objectives, and not to increase funding for approaches already established in the PD(s)/PI(s)' laboratories.  Evidence (for example, preliminary results and publications) that most of the proposed research objectives and strategies are already well-established in the applicants' laboratories may lower the program priority of otherwise well-reviewed applications.  This is particularly true where prior work has already demonstrated feasibility for much of the work; work that has advanced to this stage is ready to compete for support through the parent R01 solicitation or other funding opportunities and is not a priority for this FOA.

Potential applicants should carefully note the priorities of this RFA in the Description subsection above for participating PD(s)/PI(s) on project teams and for budgets. This FOA has special application instructions, review criteria, and selection criteria for funding decisions.  Potential applicants should review the application instructions (Section IV below), the review criteria, and the selection criteria for funding decisions (Section V below).  Research topics must be within NIGMS' primary mission.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss the responsiveness of their PD(s)/PI(s) teams and their ideas to this FOA with the Institute Scientific/Research contacts listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts, and to send a letter of intent prior to submission.

Funding Instrument	Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
Application Types Allowed	New Resubmission of applications previously submitted to RFA-GM-13-004 The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards	NIGMS intends to commit $1,800,000 in FY 2014.
Award Budget	The maximum award budget is $250,000/year direct costs.
Award Project Period	The maximum award project period is 4 years.

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.

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

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

Governments

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

Other

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

Foreign Institutions

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

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

Applicant Organizations

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

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

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization’s eRA Commons account. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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

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

NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:

• To an RFA of an application that was submitted previously as an investigator-initiated application but not paid;
• Of an investigator-initiated application that was originally submitted to an RFA but not paid; or
• Of an application with a changed grant activity code.

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

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

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

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

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

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

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Vernon E. Anderson, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-3827
Email: [email protected]

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional.  Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

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

Each PD/PI must be assigned the "PD/PI" role in accordance with the instructions in the SF424 application guide, section 4.5 Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded Component. Note that the role of "Co-PD/PI" is not currently used by NIH or this FOA. Applicants are requested to not use these and similar titles and instead use the role descriptor "Collaborator" for key personnel who are not PD/PIs. Assigning an individual(s) the title of "Co-PI", "Co-PD/PI", or "Co-Investigator" will not identify the application as a Multiple PD/PI application, or identify the individual as a PD/PI.

Note that the PD(s)/PI(s) on the application must be registered in the Commons and hold PI accounts.

The maximum budget is $250,000/year direct costs.  Indirect costs associated with consortia do not count against this direct cost maximum; all indirect costs for consortia will be provided by NIGMS above and beyond the direct cost limit.  Consortia should be included in the budget request for all years in which subcontracts will be let, so that NIGMS can build in the associated indirect costs.  Applicants may request up to four years of support. 

This FOA will support collaborations comprising two or more PDs/PIs. The budgets for the collaborations supported under this FOA will be modest because these grants are designed to link existing programs and utilize their infrastructure, rather than to stand alone as independent projects. Applicants should propose to accomplish their goals on a direct costs budget not exceeding $100,000 if all of the multiple PD/PIs are at a single institution, $175,000 if all of the multiple PD/PIs are at two institutions, and $250,000 if the multiple PD/PIs are at three or more institutions. It is important that the scope of work proposed (and reviewed by the study section) matches the funds that are available.

Applicants should ensure that expenses of resource and data sharing are covered either in the budget or from other sources.  The budget may include funds for meetings of the participating laboratories and associated travel.

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

This FOA specifies several program priorities that applicants should NOT address in their research plans.  The dollar levels and sources of the investigators' grant support, the count of biologists on the team, and the institutional affiliations of the investigators will not figure in the scientific peer review; NIGMS staff will assess them using information sources other than the application.  It is especially important that applicants not address or discuss dollar levels of research support of the participating laboratories anywhere in the application.

Specific Aims

The Specific Aims should clearly define the goals and scientific scope of the project.  At the same time, they should be framed in a way that allows the collaboration flexibility to respond to scientific developments during the project period without changing the project's scientific scope. 

Research Strategy

Significance.  Follow the SF424 instructions from the perspectives of both the immediate biological field, and of the broader topic of macromolecular interactions in cells.  Identify the specific gaps in knowledge that will be addressed.  Identify challenges or barriers that the project will overcome.

Innovation.  Follow the SF424 instructions from the perspectives of both the immediate biological field, and the broader topic of macromolecular interactions in cells.  Explain what is unconventional and different about the project and the ideas behind it.  Identify research strategies that are new to the biological topic and/or the study of macromolecular interactions.

Approach.  The Approach should explain how this FOA's flexibility in adjusting scientific directions will be utilized.  As is usual for collaborative research, this Approach section should include the scientific interactions that will occur among investigators for the jointly conducted research activities, including how information will flow, be integrated, and be responded to.  Considerations of coordination between participants located at geographically separated sites should be addressed.  Applicants may organize the Approach section of the Research Project component into sections or subprojects, but no extra pages are allotted for this purpose.

The Research Strategy should describe: (i) how the research will be coordinated, (ii) how scientific progress will be tracked and evaluated and how scientific directions will be set, (iii) scientific interactions and meetings, (iv) how the shared personnel will be managed and their roles in communication and coordination, (v) plans for cross-training of investigators. It should describe how the collaboration will provide an environment that will support training of new scientists and provide opportunities for established scientists to re-orient their research. The plan may optionally describe plans to interact with the wider field and/or promote coordination and collaboration with non-members, but this is not required.

The Research Strategy section should include a section explaining the integration of the investigators into the project.  For each PD/PI or key collaborator,  subcontractor, or other essential person who will play a major role in directing parts of the research include a clearly marked section titled "Investigator's Scientific Role" with the investigator's name.  This section should describe (i) the investigator's scientific role in and contributions to the collaboration, (ii) the investigator's interactions with the other investigators, (iii) the investigator's qualifications for his/her role, referencing recent publications and relevant recent grant support related to their participation in the collaboration,  (iv) the contribution of the investigator's laboratory to the collaboration's resources and expertise.  This section may optionally also describe how the collaboration will enhance or extend the investigator's research.  This section, like the rest of the application, should address only scientific considerations and should not reference or discuss dollar levels of research support. 

Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan

It is important that the applicants devise a robust and workable management scheme and describe it clearly and completely. Useful guidance is posted at the NIH Multi-PD(s)/PI(s) webpages. Potential applicants are encouraged to consult the Institute Scientific/Research contacts listed in Section VI about their multiple PD(s)/PI(s) leadership plans.

Resource Sharing Plan

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modifications:

• The Resource Sharing Plan section of the application should explain how the project will follow all applicable NIH policies and guidance for sharing of resources and data.
• Resources.  Major categories of resources likely to be produced and the plans for sharing them should be described.  Where applicable, the plan should specifically address model organisms, cell lines, antibodies, methods, reagents, instructions for the preparation of reagents, computer algorithms, and software (including source code), or if any of these categories of resource are unlikely to be produced, this should be stated.
• Data.  The nature of data likely to be generated by the project that will not be included in publications should be described.  Categories that can be deposited in public databases should be identified and plans for sharing them should be described.  Identify categories of data for which public databases are not available, and describe the plans for sharing them.  If bulk data will be analyzed, and the conclusions but not the data published, plans for sharing the unreduced data should be described.  In all cases, the volume of data that will be produced should be estimated and the disposition of high-throughput data should be discussed.

Appendix

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.

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

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

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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

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

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.

Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for theSystem for Award Management (SAM). Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

For this particular announcement, note the following:

This FOA emphasizes the significance of the goals, biological and conceptual innovation, and the recent track record of the investigators. This FOA calls for approaches and strategies that are new to the biological investigators and their systems. For the investigator(s) criterion, the emphasis should be on the impact, quality and breadth of the investigators' recent publication records as indicators of the likelihood that they will be able to master the new skills needed, rather than on documentation of technical proficiency in specific techniques. For the approach criterion, the emphasis should be on the rationale, objectives and general strategy, rather than on demonstration of feasibility and experimental details. Assessments of technical risk should be considered together with and balanced against potential impact. For the innovation criterion, reviewers should consider whether the research strategies are new to the biological laboratories.

This FOA specifies several program priorities that should not be considered in the scientific review. These include the dollar levels and sources of the investigators' grant support, the count of biologists on the team, and the count of institutions. NIGMS staff will assess these considerations during the selection process using information sources other than the application.

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

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? 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?

Will the proposed research significantly advance our knowledge and/or understanding of the biological topic and of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in vivo (cells, tissues, and organisms)? Will the network catalyze the introduction of new concepts and research strategies to the biological field?

Investigator(s)

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

Do the applicants have a record of innovation and achievement on difficult problems? Do the impact, quality and breadth of the investigators' publication records indicate that they will be able to develop the proficiencies needed for their assigned roles and be resourceful enough to solve the kinds of problems expected to arise in the course of the research?

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?

How different are the proposed activities from the investigators' current research? Does the research have the potential to open new areas of opportunity and generate new hypotheses? What are the prospects for novel findings and new perspectives on the biological topic?

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? 

Does the application go beyond the testing of previously formulated mechanistic models of function? In this FOA's context of exploration and discovery for the generation of hypotheses, where outcomes and findings cannot be predicted, is the rationale sound? Are the objectives clearly defined? Is the strategy reasonable? In the context of this FOA's solicitation of unconventional approaches, which entail risk, do the potential benefits justify the risks?

Management and Coordination. Are the PD(s)/PI(s)' participation and roles justified? Are the investigators integrated into an effective team? Will the multiple-PD(s)/PI(s) leadership plan provide strong scientific direction? Are the plans for coordination of the jointly conducted research activities complete and sufficient? Is a robust framework for making scientific and budgetary decisions set forth? Have the applicants anticipated and addressed management issues and problems that may arise during the course of the project? Are the plans for monitoring progress adequate? Does the plan make provision for responding to scientific developments and opportunities?

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?

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

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. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

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. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

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. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

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

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Renewals

Not Applicable

Revisions

Not Applicable

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

Applications from Foreign Organizations

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

Select Agent Research

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

Resource Sharing Plans

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

Budget and Period of Support

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

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

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

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

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

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

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities. Program priority will be important in funding consideration.  Applications that further the objectives of this FOA and conform to its Specific Areas of Research Interest will have program priority.

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. 

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

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

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

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

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, SAM Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General  and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the annual Non-Competing Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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

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

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: [email protected]

eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding eRA Commons registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: [email protected]

Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics
Alexandra M. Ainsztein, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-0828
Email: [email protected]

Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology
Daniel E. Janes, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-0943
Email: [email protected]

Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry
Vernon E. Anderson, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-3827
Email: [email protected]

Division of Biomedical Technology, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology
Paul Brazhnik, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-451-6446
Email: [email protected]

Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-2881
Email: [email protected]

Earl C. Melvin
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Telephone: 301-594-3912
Email: [email protected]

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.