Full Text HD-97-007
 
POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 23, July 18, 1997
 
RFA:  HD-97-007
 
P.T. 04

Keywords: 
  Population Studies 
  Demography 

 
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  August 14, 1997
Application Receipt Date:  November 7, 1997
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),
through the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center
for Population Research (CPR), invites applications for population
research Center Core Grants (P30) in support of a large number of
active research projects that are funded by a variety of NIH and
outside sources, or Specialized Research Center Grants (P50) in
support of an integrated group of research projects.
 
The primary purpose of these Population Research Centers is to
improve the understanding of the antecedents and consequences of
population structure and change, including fertility, mortality, and
migration, in an effort to develop knowledge that may ultimately
inform the formulation of population policies.  The center grant is
to provide a research environment which facilitates interdisciplinary
collaboration among investigators conducting population related
research.  Such research can cover a broad spectrum of scientific
approaches in the clinical, behavioral, and social sciences.  An
additional goal is to build a national network of Population Research
Centers that will encourage interaction among scientists in locations
throughout the United States to contribute to the integration and
coordination of population research.
 
One center may be supported in response to this announcement, and one
existing center grant is due for competitive renewal in fiscal year
1998.
 
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" (Full Report, Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or "Healthy
People 2000: Summary Report", Stock Number 017-001-00473-1) through
the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402-9325 (telephone 202-512-1800).
 
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 or local governments, and
eligible agencies of the federal government.  Racial/ethnic minority
individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply as Principal Investigators.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
The support mechanisms for this program are the P50 Specialized
Research Center Grant and the P30 Center Core Grant (see SPECIAL
REQUIREMENTS, below).  Applications should be consistent with the
guidelines governing these two mechanisms, which are available from
NICHD.  These centers are given a commitment of five years of support
which is renewable at five year intervals.  Renewals must be invited
by a specific RFA which also will give interested organizations a
chance to compete with the incumbent(s) for the award.  The
anticipated award date will be July 1, 1998. 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 direct costs requested for the first year should not exceed
$500,000 for a new Center Core Grant (P30) or $600,000 for a new
Specialized Research Core Grant (P50). Generally, NICHD requires that
renewal applications from existing P30 centers request initial year
direct costs that do not exceed 120 percent of the final year of
support indicated on the Notice of Grant Award for the preceding
project period, or $500,000 direct costs, whichever is greater.  For
purposes of this RFA, no renewal application may request initial year
direct costs exceeding 120 percent of the Council-recommended level
of direct costs for the final year of the preceding project period,
or $500,000 direct costs, whichever is greater.  Budgets of new and
renewal applications will be stringently reviewed within these
guidelines. Applications with budget requests exceeding these
guidelines will be administratively withdrawn by NICHD and returned
to the applicant.
 
FUNDS AVAILABLE
 
DBSB has funds available and anticipates funding one center in fiscal
year 1998.  This support is dependent upon the receipt of a
sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit.  Although
this program is provided for in the financial plans of the Institute,
awards pursuant to this RFA are also contingent upon the availability
of funds for this purpose.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
Background
 
This Request for Applications 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.  Projects and themes must be relevant to the DBSB funding
mission, and any projects proposed for core access that are deemed
non-relevant will be administratively withdrawn prior to review.
Therefore, advance consultation with staff is strongly advised prior
to the submission of an application. Examples of relevant population
research topics are listed below and centers may concentrate on any
combination of relevant topics:
 
1.  Antecedents and consequences of changes in population size,
structure, and composition, including the relationship of economic
development to population growth and decline; population modeling and
the projection and/or prediction of human population change; and the
interrelationship between population and the physical environment.
 
2.  Family and household dynamics, including issues related to
intergenerational relationships.
 
3.  Fertility and family planning, including issues related to union
formation and dissolution; births and birth spacing; family size;
gender in relation to fertility; social acceptability of measures for
the biological regulation of human fertility.
 
4.  Causes and consequences of migration of human population groups,
including issues related to international migration; and internal
spatial distribution.
 
5.  Demographic aspects of health, morbidity, disability, and
mortality, including issues related to the influence of early life on
later life development and outcomes; status of children; and the
interrelationship between health and socioeconomic status.
 
6. Social, demographic, and behavioral studies of sexual behavior,
sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and contraception.
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN
SUBJECTS
 
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups
and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported
biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects,
unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification are
provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research.  This new policy
results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of
Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous
policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Population, and
Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations) which
have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some new
provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should
read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as
Subjects in Clinical Research", which have been published in the
Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513), and reprinted
in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, Volume 23, Number 11,
March 18, 1994. Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or
from the program staff or contact person listed below.  Program staff
may also provide additional relevant information concerning the
policy.
 
Because P30 funds in general do not directly support research
projects, the issue of minority/gender representation will need to be
addressed at the individual project level (i.e. R01 level).  However,
the application will specifically need to address these issues for
any New Program Development projects or core units that focus on
subject recruitment.
 
LETTER OF INTENT
 
Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by August 14, 1997, a
letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed
research, brief description of the proposed center, the name,
address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the
identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and
the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application
may be submitted.  Although the 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 NICHD staff to
estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflicts of
interest in the review.
 
The letter of intent should be sent to:
 
Rose Maria Li, M.B.A., Ph.D.
Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch
Center for Population Research, NICHD
Executive Building/Room 8B13
6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 496-1174  FAX: (301) 496-0962
E-MAIL: lir@hd01.nichd.nih.gov
(for express mail use Rockville, Maryland 20852)
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) is to be used
in applying for these grants.  Application kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from
the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources,
National Institutes of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910,
Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone: 301-710-0267, email:
ASKNIH@odrockm1.od.nih.gov; and from the program administrator listed
under INQUIRIES.
 
Applicants for a Population Research Center grant must propose a
program with a theme relevant to the mission of the DBSB as outlined
above.  The program should consist of at least 10 externally funded
research projects grouped according to relevant topics.  These
projects must be of high quality, providing a multidisciplinary
approach to the problem(s) being investigated.  Each project is to be
summarized in accordance with the NICHD P30 Center Core Grant
Guidelines.
 
The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev 5/95) application form
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.
 
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
 
The Principal Investigator should be a scientist or science
administrator who can provide effective administrative and scientific
leadership.  The Principal Investigator will be responsible for the
organization and operation of the Population Research Center and for
communication with the NICHD on scientific and operational matters.
Scientific personnel and institutional resources capable of providing
a strong research base in the areas specified must be available.  In
addition, the institution and pertinent departments must show a
strong commitment to the Center's support.  Such commitment may be
provided as dedicated space, salary support for investigators or core
staff, dedicated equipment, or other financial support for the
proposed Center.
 
A center core grant (P30) must be predicated on the existence of a
substantial number of research grants which will be active on July 1,
1998.  A minimum of 3 cores is required for each year of a funded P30
grant.  Each core unit proposed for funding must provide essential
facilities and services for at least three federally funded research
projects at all times, at least one of which is funded by NIH.  These
grants must be active users of the core facilities and services
proposed in the center grant application.  Subprojects within a
program project (P01) will be considered as individual projects
comparable to an R01.
 
P30 applications should be consistent with the guidelines contained
in the NICHD P30 CENTER CORE GRANT GUIDELINES which are available
from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES, below.  As noted in
the GUIDELINES, descriptions of projects proposed for core support
that are not funded by NIH or NSF must provide sufficient detail in
the body of the proposal to permit review of the proposed project's
program relevance, scientific merit, and use of core services.
Information provided should address the scientific aims of the
project, significance, the populations under study, the research
design and methods, and anticipated uses of core services.  Advance
consultation with program staff about individual projects proposed
for core access is strongly advised.
 
P30 applications based on cooperation between independent
institutions are 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 DBSB STATEMENT OF CLARIFICATION about
center program principles which is available from program staff
listed below.
 
A specialized research center (P50) must have three or more related,
integrated, and high quality research projects that provide a
multidisciplinary, yet thematically related, 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
the NICHD P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES which are
available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES, below.
 
A detailed description of each core unit proposed as part of the
center must be provided with detailed budget and budget
justification.  The description of the core units proposed should
include a rationale to show how they will support the research effort
in a cost effective manner.  Facilities must be available for the
primary needs of the Population Research Center and require no more
than modest alteration and/or renovation.  Funds for new construction
will not be provided.  An applicant institution with other NIH P30 or
P50 support must clearly summarize any potential overlap in terms of
the science (projects), core services, budget, or an individual's
committed effort.
 
Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists working
within a Center, and attracting outstanding scientists in other
relevant fields to population research, are major goals of the DBSB
Population Research Center program.  Therefore, where appropriate,
the applicant may request "New Program Development" funds for direct
research support of up to three projects, not to exceed a total of
$50,000 per year or 10% of total direct cost, whichever is less.
Such funds might serve to heighten interdisciplinary collaboration by
incorporating a demographic dimension to funded projects otherwise
outside DBSB program areas, to attract new investigators to the
Center, to develop a new area or program of research, or to
facilitate the development of newly trained investigators' research
programs.  New Program Development projects should be comparable to
R01 research applications in their detail and development, and would
have access to core services.  Each such project can provide support
for only two years for any one investigator.
 
Applicants must request travel funds to attend an annual meeting of
the directors of P50s and P30s in Bethesda, MD.
 
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including
the Checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in one package to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040-MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
(for express mail, use Bethesda, MD 20817)
 
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application
must be sent to:
 
Susan Streufert, Ph.D.
Director,Division of Scientific Review
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E-03
MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
(for Express mail use Rockville, Maryland 20852)
 
Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants by
October 13, 1997.  If an application is received after that date, it
will be returned to the applicant without review.  The Division of
Research Grants (DRG) will not accept any application in response to
this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending
initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending
application.  The DRG will not accept any application that is
essentially the same as one already reviewed.  This does not preclude
the submission of substantial revisions of applications already
reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction
addressing the previous critique.
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by DRG
and responsiveness by NICHD staff.  Incomplete and/or non-responsive
applications will be returned to the applicant without further
consideration.  Applications that are complete and responsive to the
RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by the NICHD
Population Research Committee or a Special Review Committee of the
NICHD for scientific merit in accordance with the review criteria
stated below.
 
As part of the initial merit review, a process may be used by the
initial review group in which applications will be determined to be
competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit
relative to other applications received in response to the RFA.
Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be
assigned a priority score.  Applications determined to be
non-competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the
Principal Investigator and the official signing for the applicant
organization will be notified.  The second-level review will be made
by the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council
at its June 1998 meeting.  The anticipated date of award is July 1,
1998.
 
Review Criteria
 
See NICHD P30 Core Center Grant Guidelines or the NICHD P50 Center
Grant Guidelines.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1998.  Funding decisions
will be based on scientific and technical merit as determined by the
review committee, NACHHD Council recommendations, program relevance,
and the availability of funds.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged.  The opportunity to
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome.
 
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
 
Rose Maria Li, M.B.A., Ph.D.
Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch
Center for Population Research, NICHD
Executive Building/Room 8B13
6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
(for Express mail use Rockville, Maryland 20852)
Telephone: (301) 496-1174  FAX: (301) 496-0962
E-MAIL: lir@hd01.nichd.nih.gov
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Ms. Melinda Nelson
Office of Grants and Contracts, NICHD
Executive Building/Room 8A17
6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
(for Express mail use Rockville, Maryland 20852)
Telephone: (301) 496-5481  FAX: (301) 402-0915
E-Mail:  nelsonm@hd01.nichd.nih.gov
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.864 (Population Research).  Awards made are 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 grant 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 to Health Systems Agency Review.
 
The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant and
contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the
non-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.
 
.

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