Full Text HD-94-002

POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS

NIH Guide, Volume 22, Number 15, April 16, 1993

RFA:  HD-94-002

P.T. 04

Keywords: 
  Demography 
  Sociology 
  Migration 
  Computer Modeling 
  Human Reproduction/Fertility 
  Behavioral/Social Studies/Service 


National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  July 1, 1993
Application Receipt Date:  October 13, 1993

PURPOSE

The Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for
Population Research (CPR), National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) supports population research using a variety of
approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences.  DBSB supports
a fixed number of Population Research Centers which are designed to
provide either integrated groups of research projects and supporting
core services (P50) or core services and facilities in support of a
large number of active research projects that are supported by a
variety of NIH and outside funding sources (P30).  These centers are
given a commitment of five years of support and are renewable at five
year intervals.  Two existing center grants are due for competitive
renewal in FY 94.  This announcement is a solicitation for the
competition for center grants in this program.

BACKGROUND

DBSB supports a national network of population research centers that
provide both infrastructure and direct support of a wide range of
topics relevant to the causes and consequences of population change.
These centers are given a commitment for five years of support and are
subject to competitive renewal at which time they must compete with
other institutions in the field to win an additional five years of
support.  In FY 94 two centers are subject to competitive renewal and
it is anticipated that these centers will submit renewal applications.
The FY 94 competition will allow institutions to compete for awards.
Depending on quality of applications and resources available, DBSB
anticipates making two or three awards.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This RFA,
Population Research Centers, is related to the family planning,
educational and community based programs, maternal and infant health,
HIV infection and immunization and infectious diseases objectives of
the report.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People
2000" (Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325
(telephone 202-783-3238).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and
eligible agencies of the Federal government.

A center core grant (P30) must be predicated on the existence of a
substantial number of research grants that will be active on July 1,
1994, and that contain at least one NIH and two other federally funded
grants.  A minimum of three cores are required for each year of a
funded P30 grant.  Each core unit must provide essential facilities and
services for a least three federally funded research projects, at least
one of which is NIH funded. These grants must be active users of the
core facilities and services proposed in the center grant application.
The applications should be consistent with the guidelines contained in
P30 CENTER CORE GRANT GUIDELINES that are available from DBSB.
Cooperation between independent institutions is allowed in some
circumstances. In these instances core facilities may be located in
both institutions as long as they are cost effective and promote the
overall goals of the center program.  Please consult the statement of
clarification about center program principles that is available from
DBSB.

A specialized research center (P50) must have three or more related,
integrated, and high quality research projects that provide a
multidisciplinary, yet thematic, approach to the problems to be
investigated. These research projects may be accompanied by an
appropriate number and type of core facilities providing cost-effective
technical support.  The projects and theme of the center must be
relevant to the DBSB funding mission.  The applications should be
consistent with the guidelines contained in P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH
CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES that are available from DBSB.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The support mechanisms for this program are the Specialized Research
Center Grant (P50) and the Center Core Grant (P30).  Applications
should be consistent with the guidelines governing these two mechanisms
that are available from DBSB.  These centers are given a commitment of
five years of support and are renewable at five year intervals.
Renewals must be invited by a specific RFA that also will give
interested organizations a chance to compete with the incumbent for the
award.  Because population research center grants are complex entities,
it is strongly recommended that interested applicants contact the DBSB
staff for a personal consultation regarding the centers program.  The
current policies and requirements that govern the research grant
programs of NIH will prevail (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42,
Part 52 and Title 45, Part 74).  The total project period for
applications submitted to this RFA is five years.  The anticipated
award date will be July 1, 1994.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

DBSB anticipates funding at least two and possibly three centers in FY
94.  $2,300,000 of first year total cost support has been set aside for
this competition.  This is contingent on the approval of funds in the
FY 94 appropriations. New P50 applications should not request more than
$600,000 in first year direct cost support.  New P30 applications
should not request more than $500,000 in first year, direct cost
support and previously funded centers should not request more than 120%
of the Council approved amount in the last year of the old grant as the
first year of the renewal application.  Applications exceeding these
budget guidelines will be returned to the applicant unless they receive
written permission from NICHD to exceed them.  The award of a center is
dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high
scientific merit and the availability of funds to support new centers.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for
Population Research (CPR), National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) supports research on population dynamics using a
variety of approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences.
This RFA is specifically designed to stimulate the research community
to organize or to maintain population research centers of high quality
which will serve as a national research network that fosters
communication, innovation and high quality research.  Applications are
encouraged for the population research topics listed below:

1.  Fertility and Family Planning
2.  Social acceptability of measures for the biological regulation of
human fertility
3.  Sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, Aids, and
contraception
4.  Family and household dynamics
5.  Age at marriage and first birth, child spacing, family size and
fertility
6.  Status and roles of women in relation to fertility, with special
emphasis on implications for the U.S.
7.  Relation of economic development to population growth and decline
8.  Antecedents and consequences of stability or change in the size of
the U.S. population
9.  Population modelling for the projection and/or prediction of human
population change in the U.S.
10.  Migration of human population groups
11.  Population redistribution
12.  Population composition and structure
13.  Mortality of human population groups
14.  Population and physical environment
15.  Status of children
16.  Demographic aspects of health, morbidity, and disability in
pre-retirement populations

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must request travel funds to attend an annual meeting of the
directors of P50s and P30s in Bethesda, MD.

STUDY POPULATIONS

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NIH
POLICIES CONCERNING INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL
RESEARCH STUDY POPULATIONS

NIH policy is that applicants for NIH clinical research grants and
cooperative agreements will be required to include minorities and women
in study populations so that research findings can be of benefit to all
persons at risk of the disease, disorder or condition under study;
special emphasis should be placed on the need for inclusion of
minorities and women in studies of diseases, disorders and conditions
which disproportionately affect them.  This policy is intended to apply
to males and females of all ages.  If women or minorities are excluded
or inadequately represented in clinical research, particularly in
proposed population-based studies, a clear compelling rationale should
provided.
 The composition of the proposed study population must be described in
terms of gender and racial/ethnic group.  In addition, gender and
racial/ethnic issues should be addressed in developing a research
design and sample size appropriate for the scientific objectives of the
study.  This information should be included in the from PHS 398 (rev.
9/91) in Sections 1-4 of the Research Plan AND summarized in Section 5,
Human Subjects.  Applicants are urged to assess carefully the
feasibility of including the broadest possible representation of
minority groups.  However, NIH recognizes that it may not be feasible
or appropriate in all research projects to include representation of
the full array of United States racial/ethnic minority populations
(i.e., Native Americans (including American Indians or Alaskan
Natives), Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Hispanics).

The rationale for studies on single minority population groups should
be provided.  For the purpose of this policy, clinical research
includes human biomedical and behavioral studies of etiology,
epidemiology, prevention (and preventive strategies), diagnosis, or
treatment of diseases, disorders or conditions, including but no
limited to clinical trials.

The usual NIH policies concerning research on human subjects also
apply.  Basic research or clinical studies in which human tissues
cannot be identified or linked to individuals are excluded.  However,
every effort should be made to include human tissues from women and
racial/ethnic minorities when it is important to apply the results of
the study broadly, and this should be addressed by applicants.

For foreign awards, the policy on inclusion of women applies fully;
since the definition of minority differs in other countries, the
applicant must discuss the relevance of research involving foreign
population groups to the United States populations, including
minorities.

If the required information is not contained within the application,
the application will be returned.

Peer reviewers will address specifically whether the research plan in
the application conforms to these policies.  If the representation of
women or minorities in a study design is inadequate to answer the
scientific question(s) addressed AND the justification for the selected
study population is inadequate, it will be considered a scientific
weakness or deficiency in the study design and will be reflected in
assigning the priority score to the application.

All applications for clinical research submitted to NIH are required to
address these policies.  NIH funding components will not award grants
or cooperative agreement that do not comply with these policies.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by July 1, 1993, a letter
of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed center, the
name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator and
the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application
may be submitted.  The letter of intent is not binding, is not
required, and will not be considered in the review of the application.
The purpose of the letter of intent is to alert the program staff of
the proposed application so that the program may be of assistance in
explaining the complex nature of the mechanism and it allows NICHD
staff to estimate potential workload and avoid possible conflict of
interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. V. Jeffery Evans at the
address listed under INQUIRIES.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used in applying
for these grants.  The type of center grant requested (P30) must be
indicated on the face page of the application in item #2b.  The RFA
label available in the PHS 398 must be affixed to the bottom of the
face page.  Failure to use this label could result in delayed
processing of the application such that it may not reach the review
committee in time for the review.  In addition, the RFA title and
number must be typed on line 2a of the face page of the application
form and the YES box must be marked.  The PHS 398 is available from
most institutional offices of sponsored research and can also be
obtained from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research
Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Room 449,
Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301) 710-0267.

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

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

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

Susan Streufert, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Program
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 6100, Room 5E01
Bethesda, MD  20892

Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants by
October 13, 1993.  If an application is received after that date, it
will be returned to the applicant.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

The applications will be reviewed by the Population Research Committee
of the NICHD for scientific merit and the Institute's Advisory Council
for program relevance and policy issues before awards for meritorious
applications are made.  Review procedures and criteria are detailed in
P30 CORE CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES that are available from DBSB staff.

Applications may be triaged by an ICD peer review group on the basis of
relative competitiveness.  The NIH will withdraw from further
competition those applications judged to be non-competitive for award
and notify the applicant Principal Investigator and institutional
official.  Those applications judged to be competitive will undergo
further scientific merit review.  Only those applications that are
complete and responsive will be evaluated.

AWARD CRITERIA

The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1994.  Funding decisions will
be based on the IRG and NACHHD Council recommendations, program
relevance, and the availability of funds.

INQUIRIES

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

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and address the letter
of intent to:

V. Jeffery Evans, Ph.D., J.D.
Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 6100, Room 8B13
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-1174
FAX:  (301) 496-0962

Direct Inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Ms. Melinda Nelson
Office of Grants and Contracts
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 6100, Room 8A17
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-5481
FAX:  (301) 402-0915

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
No. 93.864 (Population Research).  Awards are made under authorization
of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410,
as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered
under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations, 42 CFR Part 52 and
45 CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental
review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health systems Agency
review.

.

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