Full Text HL-94-018

NHLBI MINORITY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 29, August 5, 1994

RFA:  HL-94-018

P.T. 44, FF

Keywords: 
  Biomedical Research Training 
  Cardiovascular Diseases 
  Blood Diseases 
  Pulmonary Diseases 


National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Application Receipt Date:  October 20, 1994

PURPOSE

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) invites grant
applications for research training and career development programs
directed at developing the research capabilities of minority
individuals in areas relevant to cardiovascular, pulmonary, and
hematologic* diseases and resources.  The specific minority research
training and development programs encompassed under this request for
applications (RFA) include:  (1) the Minority Institutional Research
Training program; (2) the Minority School Faculty Development Award
program; (3) the Short-Term Training for Minority Students program;
and, (4) the Research Development Award for Minority Faculty program.
The purpose of these programs is to encourage the enhancement of
research skills by minority individuals and to increase the number of
minority individuals involved in research endeavors in the areas of
interest to the NHLBI.

* Within NHLBI, the term "hematologic" means research on thrombosis and
hemostasis, immunohematology, blood cell disorders, hematopoiesis,
thalassemia, sickle cell disease, transfusion medicine, blood resources
including blood component and derivative therapy, blood substitutes and
blood resource management, aspects of AIDS-products in AIDS prevention
and treatment, and AIDS-related bone marrow and hematologic disorders.
Other Institutes of the NIH are responsible for research on disorders
of white cells, including the leukemias and other blood malignancies,
and basic immunology related to the lymphoid system.  Therefore, NHLBI
cannot provide support for such studies.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

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

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Awards for the programs described in this RFA will be made to domestic
U.S. institutions or organizations, including minority institutions,
engaged in health related-research in areas related to heart, lung, or
blood disorders.  Candidates for the career development awards and
trainees appointed to the training programs must be either citizens or
noncitizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully
admitted to the United States for permanent residence.  Individuals on
temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Individual eligibility requirements for the specific grant awards
listed above are as follows:

Minority Institutional Research Training Program (T32).  Awards in this
program will be made to domestic minority institutions, each of which
will collaborate with a research center that has well-established
cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic research and research
training programs.  A minority school is defined as a domestic medical
or non-medical college, university or equivalent school in which
students of minority ethnic groups including Blacks, Hispanics,
American Indians, Asians, or Pacific Islanders comprise a majority of
the school's enrollment.  The program director at the minority school
will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees and
the overall direction of the training program.

Trainees appointed to the program will be placed with a mentor who is
an accomplished investigator at the cooperating research center and who
will assist the advisor at the minority institution in the trainee's
development and research plan.  Trainees must:  (1) be training at the
post-baccalaureate level (i.e., predoctoral level) in a relevant
biomedical or behavioral science and have made a strong commitment to
completing a doctoral degree, (2) be enrolled in a minority health
professional school, or (3) have a doctoral degree or equivalent in a
biomedical or behavioral science (i.e., postdoctoral level).

The collaborating research center should be a university, medical
school, or comparable institution that has strong, well-established
research and research training programs in areas relevant to heart,
lung, and blood diseases.  Cooperation between institutions is needed
to provide each trainee with a mentor who is recognized as an
accomplished investigator in cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic
research and who will assist the advisor at the minority institution in
the trainee's development and research plan.

Minority School Faculty Development Award Program (K14).  Awards in
this program will be made to domestic minority institutions on behalf
of individuals, each of whom will work with a mentor at a nearby
(within 100 miles) research center.  The mentor must be recognized as
an accomplished investigator in the area proposed and must provide
guidance for the awardee's development and research plan in research
areas related to heart, lung, or blood disorders.

The commitment of the institution to the faculty candidate's research
and development must clearly be presented in the application.  This
must include statement(s) from the Dean and departmental chair
indicating that the candidate will be provided with sufficient release
time from other duties to accomplish the research goals stated in the
application.

Candidates for this award are minority school faculty members who: (1)
are citizens of the United States, non-citizen nationals, or permanent
residents at the time of application, (2) have a doctoral degree or
equivalent in a biomedical or behavioral science, (3) wish to receive
specialized training in cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic
research, and (4) have the background and potential to benefit from the
training.  Each candidate must identify and complete arrangements with
a nearby mentor (within approximately 100 miles) who is recognized as
an accomplished investigator in the research area proposed and who will
provide guidance for the awardee's development and research plan.
Plans for the intensive training during the summer period (two to three
months) as well as during the academic years must be developed with the
mentor.

Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program (T35).  Awards in
this program will be made to domestic institutions or organizations,
including minority institutions, engaged in research in areas related
to heart, lung, or blood disorders.  These grants will support
short-term research training experiences of two to three months
duration for minority undergraduate students, minority students in
health professional schools, and minority graduate students.  The
grantee institution will be responsible for the selection and
appointment of trainees.  Special attention should be given to the
recruitment of individuals from minority groups that are
underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and behavioral sciences,
i.e., Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Pacific
Islanders.

Trainees must have successfully completed at least one undergraduate
year at an accredited school or university or have successfully
completed one semester at a school of medicine, optometry, osteopathy,
dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy or public health, or an
institution with an accredited graduate program, prior to participating
in the program.  Trainees appointed to the program need not be from the
grantee institution, but may include a number of minority students from
other institutions, schools, colleges, or universities.  These grants
are intended to introduce students to research that would not otherwise
be available through their regular course of studies.  For graduate
students, this may include graduate students in programs, such as
mathematics, where they would not normally be exposed to biomedical
research or  graduate students who may need a specialized research
experience to supplement their normal graduate education.  Individuals
holding Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral degrees in the
health sciences are not eligible.

Research Development Award for Minority Faculty (K14).  Awards in this
program will be made to domestic institutions or organizations,
including minority institutions, on behalf of individuals.  Individuals
applying for this program must have been awarded a doctoral degree
(Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., D.O.  degree or its equivalent), have a faculty
appointment at an accredited college or university at the time of
award, and be members of an underrepresented minority group.  For the
purpose of this program, underrepresented minority faculty members are
defined as individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group
that has been determined by the grantee institution to be
underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research.  In making grant
awards under this program, the NHLBI will give priority to projects
involving Black, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and other
ethnic or racial group members who have been found to be
underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research nationally.

Candidates must be nominated by an institution on the basis of
qualifications, interests, accomplishments, motivation, and potential
for performing quality research.  The candidate's academic background,
previous experience, and career goals should determine both the
necessary length and the kind of program that is appropriate.  Each
candidate must identify a sponsor(s) who is an accomplished
investigator in the research area proposed, who is engaged in research
in areas related to heart, lung, or blood disorders, and has experience
in developing independent investigators.  The sponsor is not required
to be affiliated with the applicant institution.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National
Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional research training grant
(T32), Short-Term Training grant (T35), and Career Development Award
(K14).  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of
the proposed training and career development programs will be solely
that of the applicant.  The total project period for an application in
response to this RFA may not exceed five years.  The anticipated award
date is May 1, 1995.  Funding beyond the first year of the grant is
contingent upon satisfactory progress during the preceding year and the
availability of funds.  Indirect costs will be awarded based on eight
percent of total direct costs exclusive of equipment and tuition and
fees.

Specific characteristics of each program are as follows:

Minority Institutional Research Training Program (T32).  Minority
Institutional NRSA Research Training programs may support predoctoral,
postdoctoral, and short-term trainees in health professional schools.
The stipend level for predoctoral and short-term trainees is $10,008
per year, and stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees range from
$19,608 to $32,300 per year.  Stipends may be supplemented from
non-Federal sources.  Training related expenses ($1,500 annually for
predoctoral trainees and $2,500 annually for postdoctoral trainees),
tuition and fees, and travel expenses ($800 per trip) may also be
requested for trainees, although the levels may vary depending on the
type of training to be supported.  The trainees may be appointed for 9
to 12 months (for short-term trainees, the period of appointment may be
of 2 to 3 months duration) at any time during the course of the budget
period after acceptance as a full-time student.  A strong interest in
a cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic research career must be
evident.

Minority School Faculty Development Award Program (K14).  The awardee
may receive salary support up to a maximum of $50,000 per year plus
fringe benefits for five years.  All funds must be used to support the
awardee.  Awardees must commit 100 percent effort during the summer
and/or off quarter periods and at least 25 percent effort during the
academic year.  In addition to the salary requested for the candidate,
support for up to 10 percent of the mentor's salary during the summer
experience may also be requested.  Up to $20,000 per year will be
provided for research support.  Details regarding the apportionment of
these funds between the minority institution and the research center
must be worked out with the mentor at the research center and agreed to
by representatives of both institutions.  If funds are to be
transferred to the mentor's institution for any purpose, arrangements
for the transfer or conduct of activities should be formalized in a
contract or written agreement with the mentor's institution and
submitted as part of the application.  The award is non-renewable and
may not be transferred to another institution or another faculty
member.  The indirect cost rate on subcontract costs for the mentor's
institution may not exceed eight percent of total costs.

Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program (T35).  Institutions
may request support for short-term training programs for at least four
and not more than 24 trainees per year.  Trainees may be minority
undergraduate, graduate, or health professional students.  The stipend
level for trainees is $834 per month.  Stipends may be supplemented
from non-federal funds.  Training-related expenses up to $125 per month
per trainee may be requested.  In addition, up to $500 per trainee may
be requested to cover domestic travel to and from the training site and
up to $250 per month per trainee may be requested to cover the cost of
housing at the training site.  Trainee tuition and fees, where
necessary to the research training, must be covered by the Training
Related Expenses.

Research Development Award for Minority Faculty (K14).  The awardee may
receive salary support up to a maximum of $50,000 plus fringe benefits
per year for five years.  All funds must be used to support the
awardee.  A minimum of 80 percent effort must be devoted to the
research program.  The remainder may be devoted to other teaching,
clinical, or administrative pursuits that are consistent with the
program goals, i.e., the candidate's development into an independent
biomedical scientist or the maintenance of the teaching and clinical
skills needed for an academic research career.  In addition to the
salary request for the candidate, support for up to five percent of the
sponsor's salary may be requested.  Up to $30,000 per year will be
provided for research support.  Substitution of another sponsor and/or
a change of institution may be permitted with the prior approval of the
NHLBI.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of
support for the entire program is expected to be approximately $2
million in fiscal year 1995.  The actual amounts for the specific
mechanisms may vary, depending on the response to the RFA and
availability of funds, but the anticipated number of awards for each
mechanism is as follows:

Minority Institutional Research Training Program:    2 new awards
Minority School Faculty Development Award Program:   3 new awards
Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program:  10 new awards
Research Development Award for Minority Faculty:    12 new awards

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Many studies have emphasized the need for minority individuals to
participate in modern research activities to develop their
investigative talents.  Whereas approximately 12 percent of the U.S.
population is Black, less than 0.25 percent of individuals holding a
Ph.D. degree in biomedical science are Black.  Furthermore, the number
of doctorates, both M.D.s and Ph.D.s, awarded to other ethnic minority
groups, such as Native Americans or Hispanics, is proportionally lower
than for Blacks.  There are existing programs at the NIH that are
designed to answer this need.  These include the Minority Biomedical
Research Support Program, the Minority Access to Research Careers
Program, and the Minority Research Supplements Program.  Even though
these programs appear successful in meeting their specific objectives
and career development goals, minority graduate students, health
professional students, and postdoctoral students in minority schools
need further opportunities to develop biomedical and behavioral
research skills and become productive investigators.

While there is strong interest in the scientific community in
attracting minority students into research careers, few minority
students opt for science degrees and research careers, and few minority
graduates of health professional schools go on to investigative
careers.  The shortage of qualified minority investigators in academic
research positions may even exacerbate the situation due to a lack of
visible role models for students.  One method of addressing this
problem is by attracting minority students to research opportunities
and by providing them with research training to develop their research
capabilities in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic disease
areas.  In addition, by increasing the research capabilities of
minority faculty members and faculty members at minority institutions,
these individuals may serve as role models for minority undergraduate
and graduate students, and stimulate these students to become more
cognizant of research opportunities in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and
hematologic disease areas.

The present RFA is designed to offer research training and career
development opportunities for minority individuals and encourage their
participation in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic research.
The Minority Research Training and Career Development programs are
intended to:

o  Bolster the participation and research capabilities of minority
individuals in research areas relevant to heart, lung, and blood
diseases.

o  Increase the pool of qualified minority investigators pursuing
research in heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood disease and
transfusion medicine.

Specific objectives for the individual programs are as follows:

The Minority Institutional Research Training Program is intended to:

o  Train graduate students, health professional students, and
postdoctoral students at minority schools that have the potential to
develop a meritorious program in cardiovascular, pulmonary, or
hematologic research for research careers in areas relevant to these
diseases.

o  Stimulate cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases and
hematologic resources research, prevention, control, and education by
offering minority school graduate students, health professional
students, and postdoctoral students the opportunity to enhance their
research capabilities in these areas.

The Minority School Faculty Development Award is intended to:

o  Encourage the development of faculty investigators at minority
schools in areas relevant to cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic
diseases and transfusion medicine.

o  Stimulate cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic disease
research, prevention, control, and education by offering minority
school faculty members the opportunity to enhance their research
capabilities in these areas.

The Short-Term Training for Minority Students program is intended to:

o  Provide minority undergraduate students, graduate students, and
students in health professional schools exposure to opportunities
inherent in research careers in areas relevant to cardiovascular,
pulmonary, and hematologic diseases.

o  Attract highly qualified minority students into biomedical and
behavioral research careers and increase the already short supply of
minority investigators.

The Research Development Award for Minority Faculty is intended to:

o  Encourage research-oriented minority faculty to develop independent
research skills and gain experience in advanced methods and
experimental approaches in the basic and applied sciences relevant to
heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases and transfusion medicine.

o  Increase the pool of highly trained minority investigators who can
use advanced technologies to address the major problems in heart, blood
vessel, lung, blood diseases, and transfusion medicine.

STUDY POPULATIONS

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 is 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 Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion
of Minorities in Study Populations), which have been in effect since
1990.  The new policy contains some 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 also may obtain copies of the policy from the program
staff listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide
additional relevant information concerning the policy.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398
(rev.  9/91).  Application kits are available at most institutional
offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Office of
Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of
Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone
301-710-0267.

Guidelines and supplemental instructions for each of the specific
programs may be obtained from NHLBI staff listed under INQUIRIES.

The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) application form
must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application.
Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the
application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for
review.  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.

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

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

Two additional copies of the application must be sent to:

Scientific Review Administrator
NHLBI Research Training Review Committee
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Westwood Building, Room 550
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 594-7450

Applications must be received by October 20, 1994.

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 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

All applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by
the Research Training Review Committee of the Division of Extramural
Affairs, NHLBI, followed by a second level review by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council.

The following criteria will be considered when assessing the merit of
career development applications, including the Minority School Faculty
Development Award and the Research Development Award for Minority
Faculty.

o  Candidate -- The candidate's overall competence as demonstrated by
academic record and performance, potential for a career in independent
research, and commitment or interest in pursuing an academic research
career.

o  Sponsor(s) -- The sponsor's accomplishments in the scientific
research area(s) proposed, experience and track record in training
investigators, and commitment for the duration of a candidate's
research development.

o  Environment -- The applicant institution's ability to provide
adequate facilities, resources, and opportunities necessary for the
candidate's training, and the institutional commitment to the
candidate.  If different from the applicant institution, the quality
and extent of interaction of the faculty in the basic and clinical
sciences, and the quality of the research and research training
programs at the sponsor's institution.

o  Career Development Plan -- The adequacy of the research career
development plan, based on the candidate's past research experience,
training, and career goals.

o  Research Project -- Scientific merit of the proposed research
project and its appropriateness as a vehicle for developing the
candidate's research skills.

o If applicable, adequacy of adherence to NIH policy concerning the
inclusion of women and minorities in clinical research study
populations.

The following criteria will be considered when assessing the merit of
a research training grant application, including the Minority
Institutional Research Training program and the Short-Term Training for
Minority Students program.

o  Adequacy of faculty, facilities, and resources for the proposed
research training;

o  Commitment of the relevant faculty and the institution to the goals
of the training program and the caliber of preceptors as researchers
including successful competition for research support;

o  Past research training record for the program director and
designated preceptors in terms of the success of trainees pursuing
research activities;

o  Objectives, design, and direction of the research training program.

AWARD CRITERIA

The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

o  Technical merit of the application as determined by peer review
o  Availability of funds
o  Program balance among the research areas of the announcement

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 program guidelines, supplemental
instructions, or programmatic issues to:

John Fakunding, Ph.D.
Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Federal Building, Room 3C04
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-1724

LeeAnn Jensen, Ph.D.
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Federal Building, Room 5C04
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-8387

Mary Reilly, M.S.
Division of Lung Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Westwood Building, Room 640A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 594-7466

Thomas Blaszkowski, Ph.D.
Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Federal Building, Room 208A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-1841

James P. Kiley, Ph.D.
National Center for Sleep Disorders Research
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Building 31, Room 4A11
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7443

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Jane Davis
Division of Extramural Affairs
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Westwood Building, Room 4A15C
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 594-7436

AUTHORITY AND REGULATION

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
numbers 93.837, 93.838, and 93.839.  Awards are made under the
authority of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public
Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 288) and
administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations at 42 CFR
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.

The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant
recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of
all tobacco products.  This is consistent with the PHS mission to
protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American
people.

.

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