RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IN MINORITY INSTITUTIONS (RIMI)
RELEASE DATE: February 9, 2004
RFA Number: RFA-MD-04-003 (This RFA has been modified, see RFA-MD-05-004)
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
(http://www.nih.gov/)
COMPONENT OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION:
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD)
(http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov/)
CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER (S): 93.389
LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE: March 22, 2004
APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: April 19, 2004
THIS RFA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
o Purpose of this RFA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism(s) of Support
o Funds Available
o Eligible Institutions
o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Special Requirements
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Letter of Intent
o Submitting an Application
o Supplementary Instructions
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Receipt and Review Schedule
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations
PURPOSE OF THIS RFA
The Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) Program focuses
on building research capacity in predominantly minority-serving academic
institutions that offer one or more baccalaureate and/or master's degrees in
the life sciences and other areas related to health. The RIMI program seeks
to facilitate the integration of teaching and research at predominantly
minority-serving academic institutions with the ultimate aims of: 1)
developing sustainable research programs, and 2) enhancing the overall
quality of the educational experience for students in the life sciences and
related areas.
The intent of this RIMI research infrastructure grant program is to
strengthen the research environment of predominantly minority-serving
academic institutions through grant support to develop and/or expand existing
capacities for institutional and/or individual faculty initiated basic,
biomedical, social, and/or behavioral research programs. Applicants have the
flexibility to consider for example, research efforts that address areas of
disparities in healthcare among racial and ethnic minorities and the
medically underserved that reside in the Southwest Border States; rural
communities, such as the Appalachia Region, Mississippi Delta, and Frontier
States; and urban centers of the Nation. More specifically, this RFA MD-04-
003 is intended to help non-research intensive minority-serving institutions,
solidify and strengthen their infrastructure and capacity to conduct
biomedical and behavioral science research. Thus, the overarching objectives
for this RFA are to:
o Establish a research program, with special emphasis on eliminating health
disparities, that will strengthen an institution's basic science, biomedical,
social, or behavioral research infrastructure and capabilities;
o Enhance individual faculty members research training so that they can
successfully compete for independent research funding, especially funding in
areas that address health disparities; and
o Encourage and facilitate research and mentoring interactions between the
biomedical research faculty of grantee and mentoring institutions by
establishing a partnership, using a mentoring/collaborative agreement model,
with an institution(s) that grants doctoral degrees in public health,
clinical services and the biomedical and/or behavioral sciences.
It is expected that the use of a mentoring/collaborative agreement model will
contribute to an increased enrollment of graduate students from the grantee
institution into doctoral programs at the mentoring institution. When
employing this type of research infrastructure strengthening approach, such
collaborations must be clearly described, with measurable objectives and
expected outcomes, and documented in the application.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Background
Historically, the RIMI Grant Program was developed and implemented in
response to recommendations resulting from the proceedings of three regional
conferences that were convened by the former NIH Office of Research on
Minority Health (ORMH), February 1992. This meeting produced the Minority
Programs Fact-Finding Teams Recommendations publication. These
recommendations gave guidance for future development of policies on the
support for minority programs and initiatives at the NIH. One of the overall
recommendations stated that NIH must continue and, where possible, expand
programs at institutions with significant or predominant enrollment of
minorities . The fact-finding team further concluded that this enhancement
will allow some of these institutions to become research intensive
institutions that could provide quality research training in the health
sciences field and conduct innovative faculty research. Public Law 106-525
also gave notice of a national need for minority scientists in the fields of
biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and health services research. The statute
recognized that the inclusion of underrepresented minorities and women in the
scientific, technological and engineering workforce will enable society to
better address its diverse needs. In addition, the NCMHD acknowledges that
RIMI-eligible and other predominantly minority-serving academic institutions
play an important role in the early training of minority scientists. Thus,
continued support for the development of sustainable research programs at
non-research intensive institutions of higher education, is expected to have
a three-fold impact on the discovery of new knowledge in science and
technology, possible refinement and greater understanding of the nature of
health disparities; and the development of a knowledge infrastructure that
contributes to the intellectual development of researchers and health
professionals that are trained at such institutions. History has shown also
that many of healthcare researchers and future professionals who graduate
from minority institutions are likely to devote their careers providing
biomedical and behavioral services in minority communities. (Public Law 106-
525; Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology, Supplement 4,
http://bob.nap.edu/html/fedfunds/).
Under this RFA, the NCMHD will support programs that facilitate two types of
primary activities:(1) institutional research development to strengthen
institutional infrastructure and enhance the capacity of individual faculty
members to undertake basic science, biomedical, social and/or behavioral
research; and (2) individual faculty investigator research project support in
order to develop research scientists to conduct small grant research
activities that can lead to successful applications for future funding under
more traditional research grant mechanisms. Therefore, this grant program
will establish building blocks that support the NIH-NCMHD long-term strategy
to create a cadre of biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social science
researchers that possess the understanding and the competency necessary to
engage in leading innovative research that will contribute to reducing and
eliminating health disparities in the United States.
In order to achieve this goal, however, there are clearly defined capacity
gaps and shortfalls that must be closed and/or removed. Many of these areas
of concerns have resulted from the lack of research training capacity and/or
strong infrastructure at many of the nation’s non-research intensive academic
training institutions, especially predominantly minority-serving academic
institutions.
Accordingly, the RIMI Program encourages the participation of predominantly
minority-serving institutions in the research enterprise through the support
of activities that build and/or expand research infrastructure, and expand
the range of research expertise at such institutions, as well as contribute
to strengthening the research skills of individual faculty members. The
areas of concentration for this RFA are captured in three major program
areas: 1) capacity-building, 2) research, and 3) career development. The
programmatic objectives for these areas are the following:
o To encourage the use of enterprising methods in building research
infrastructure, including but not limited to: developing and implementing
innovations for increasing time commitment to research related activities,
developing thematic approaches to or building marketable institutional niches
in research; developing innovations in addressing shortfalls in research
infrastructure in minority institutions; providing technical assistance in
research, and decreasing the digital divide with respect to computer
technology.
o To identify/address barriers to effective research administration.
o To encourage the creation of supportive research environments by emulating
institutions that have demonstrated successful approaches to procurement
processes, development/use/support of core resources, innovative offices of
sponsored research, research grants administration, etc.
o To foster basic and applied biomedical/behavioral research, as well as
clinical and social research investigations.
o To promote health research, including but not limited to:
o Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research
o Translational Research
o Epidemiological Studies
o Research that advances knowledge of the biological mechanisms by which the
broader environment contributes to disease and disease progression.
o To develop the capacity for identifying appropriate use of research
methodologies and their applications.
o To enhance research related skills, including the development of grant
applications, writing peer-reviewed research papers for publication,
management of research programs, etc.
o To facilitate investigator networking through research interest or working
groups aimed at facilitating collaborative research project development and
raising awareness of emerging technologies and areas of emphasis in research.
A number of recommendations for consideration were provided in the Mid-Term
Evaluation of previously established RIMI Programs. The activities described
below represent efforts to convert those recommendations to potential RIMI
program components for consideration. They are:
Institutional Role Modeling: One possible approach to alleviating barriers
to success in key areas is to identify a role model institution to emulate,
particularly as related to best practices for addressing such barriers (i.e.
release time for research, procurement challenges, grants administration and
enhancing and developing effective offices of sponsored research, etc.). In
particular, RIMI institutions may benefit from developing a mentoring
relationship between its Office of Sponsored Program and such an entity at a
collaborating institution. Support for institutional role modeling and
related training activities are allowable costs.
Renovations: This RFA will provide up to $150,000 in year one of the award
as a one-time cost expenditure for renovations and alterations, providing the
alterations and renovation projects are relevant to the scope of the proposed
research and at the applicant institution. Requested research
equipment/instrumentation for laboratories must be justified on the basis of
the proposed scientific projects. This RFA will not provide support for the
completion of shell space, or for equipment intended for teaching or non-
research related purposes. Additional opportunities for the renovation and
modernization of facilities will likely be made available through competitive
supplements to funded RIMI programs.
Collaborative Intra- and Inter-Departmental Activities: Allowable costs for
technical support on research subprojects can be used to encourage intra-
and/or inter-departmental collaborations. In such cases, the total level of
faculty support on a project may not exceed 75 percent effort. For example,
if the PI of a project requests 50 percent effort, a co-investigator on the
project may request up to 25 percent effort. In such cases, no technical
support may be provided beyond that obtained through the potential use of
shared resources or through student assistance on the project.
Productivity Incentives: Pending the availability of funds, RIMI supported
faculty members that publish papers in a peer reviewed journal (or minimally
have manuscripts approved for publication in peer-reviewed journals) during a
given budget period may request support for travel to a scientific meeting in
the annual non-competing renewal application. If there is more than one
author, support may be requested for two authors on the publication. For
each new peer-reviewed research project funded by a public or private agency,
the RIMI program may request support for attendance at a domestic scientific
meeting for the PI and Co-PI.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
This RFA will use the NIH Exploratory Grant (P20) award mechanism.
Applicants will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing
the proposed project. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. The anticipated
award date is September 30, 2004. This RFA will not use the just-in-time
concepts. In addition, because it is anticipated that direct costs for each
year will exceed $250,000, applicants are advised to follow the instructions
for non-modular research grant applications (see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm). This program does
not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy
Statement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/part_i_1.htm.
FUNDS AVAILABLE
The NCMHD intends to commit approximately $2 million in FY 2004 to fund two
to three new and/or competitive continuation grants in response to this RFA.
An applicant may request a project period of up to five years and a budget
for direct costs of up to $650,000 per year. Because the nature and scope of
the proposed research and related capacity building activities will vary from
application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of
each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the NCMHD provide
support for this program, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the
availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious
applications. In the first year of support for the new 5-year project period
a one-time allocation of $150,000 for renovations may be added to the
$650,000 maximum. F&A costs will be provided.
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS
You may submit (an) application(s) if your institution has any of the
following characteristics:
o Domestic predominantly minority-serving academic institutions that offer
one or more baccalaureate and/or master's degrees in the life and related
sciences are eligible to compete for support under this initiative. Health
professions schools that award the M.D., D.D.S., Pharm. D., D.V.M. or
equivalent degrees and other institutions or programs that award the Ph.D. or
other equivalent degrees are ineligible to apply. However, such institutions
may serve as collaborating research institutions.
o Public or private predominantly minority-serving institutions, such as
universities and colleges.
o Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply for a RIMI Grant.
An institution may no longer apply for and/or receive two RIMI Grant awards.
An applicant institution can be awarded only one RIMI Grant. Existing RIMI
grantees are not eligible to apply for a new RIMI grant.
An applicant institution can submit only one grant application in response to
this announcement.
INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
The President of the applicant institution or a designated representative
with the skills and knowledge to provide leadership and authority to make
high-level decisions regarding faculty time commitment and research
administration-related decisions must serve as the Principal Investigator.
This is a special requirement of the RIMI program. Such a policy is intended
to ensure that the capacity building activities proposed in the application
are consistent with the vision and mission of the applicant institution.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Program Governance
The governance structure must include a Principal Investigator (PI), Program
Director (PD), and a RIMI Advisory Committee.
Program Director
The PD must be nominated by and be responsible to the PI. Moreover, the PD
must be willing and able to devote the time and effort necessary for
effective implementation and management of the RIMI program. He/she should
be a knowledgeable and experienced biomedical, bio-behavioral, or social
scientist and an effective administrator.
RIMI Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee should consist of eight to twelve members and must
include a cross-section of qualified faculty and appropriate members external
to the institution; its role is to advise the PI and PD. The Committee
should possess, among its members, the experience and knowledge to provide
appropriate guidance for the program and identify and recommend expert
consultation from other sources, including the Research Infrastructure in
Minority Institutions leaders in relevant scientific disciplines and other
fields as needed. If applicable, one or more of the external members should
represent the collaborating institution(s). It is essential that the
Committee be knowledgeable about the applicant institution's strengths and
weaknesses in biomedical and related research, capabilities and needs, and
overall goals. Guidance from such a group ensures the critical input
necessary to develop and maintain a competitive RIMI program. The Committee
should oversee progress toward the full implementation of the institution's
plan for developing research infrastructure and for developing and enhancing
collaborative relationships among institutions and faculty members.
Competing or conflicting interests must be carefully considered when
developing the operational procedures for the Committee. The Committee
should meet at least twice annually.
Institutional Research Infrastructure
The plans for enhancing research infrastructure must be consistent with the
long-range goals of the applicant institution. The application must describe
how requested resources will be used to implement the institutional plan.
When appropriate, the applicant should discuss what role the collaborative
partnerships will play in creating and maintaining an environment and
framework suitable to achieve the objectives of the RIMI program. The NCMHD
recognizes that the nature and scope of applications from the various
institutions will vary widely, depending on individual institutional
settings. Note that funds may be used for faculty expansion (i.e.,
recruitment of additional faculty who complement the scope of the proposed
program) -- up to $100,000 per year for each position. Such funds may be
used for salary, supplies, and equipment costs.
Developmental/Collaborative Research
The purpose of the research core is to facilitate the development of
independent investigators and/or sustainable research programs, such as
health disparities research activities. Institutions may provide up to 50
percent release time for subproject investigators, thus permitting a
significant time commitment to the research enterprise. The requested
support for a developmental/collaborative research core must not exceed 50
percent of the total direct costs of the RIMI grant award.
A plan describing the long-term goals for transitioning RIMI research support
to competitive grant support through applications submitted by faculty
members to relevant NIH Institutes and Centers is strongly encouraged. The
plan should include measurable objectives, measures of success with specific
milestones and expected outcome(s).
Sub-project Investigators
Prospective subproject investigators must have a full-time faculty
appointment at the applicant institution. The proposed research plan for
each subproject should include the following:
o The name of the candidate
o Career development plan, including plans for developing a sustainable
research program
o Comprehensive Description of Proposed Research plan
o Name and brief background description of the Mentor/collaborator
o Description of the Research environment
o Statement of Institutional commitment
o Description of Needed Technical Support
o Budget
Shared Resources
A shared resource core activity or facility is intended to enhance
opportunities for investigators at the applicant institution to take
advantage of new technologies that could enhance and broaden their research
initiatives. While, research per se is not conducted as part of the shared
resource core, quality assurance activities that evaluate the operation,
resources, quality and utilization of the core and that are directed at
problem identification and improvement of core functioning are appropriate.
Some examples of support that shared resource cores typically provide are: a)
technology that implements automation of large batch preparations; b) tissue
and/or cell culture facilities; c) complex instrumentation, e.g., electron
microscopy, mass spectrometry, electro-physiology; d) animal care and
preparation; e) information processing, data management, and statistical
services, networking activities such as the establishment of scientific
working groups, etc.
The rationale for the establishment of shared resource cores is projected use
by RIMI and/or non-RIMI investigators (e.g., MBRS Score (Support of
Continuous Research Excellence)) at the grantee institution. Accordingly,
the minimum requirement for establishing a shared resource core is
significant usage by two or more investigators with RIMI and/or independently
supported, peer-reviewed projects.
WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES
We encourage inquiries concerning this RFA and welcome the opportunity to
answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three
areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management
issues:
o Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:
DeLoris L-James Hunter, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Research and Training Activities
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Telephone: (301) 402-1366
FAX: (301) 480-4049
Email: Hunterd1@mail.nih.gov
o Direct your questions about peer review issues to:
Lorrita Watson, Ph.D.
Review Branch
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Telephone: (301) 402-1366
FAX: (301) 480-4049
Email: WatsonL@ncmhd.nih.gov
o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:
Bryan S. Clark, MBA
Chief, Grants Management Office
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Telephone: 301.402.1366
Email: ClarkB@ncmhd.nih.gov
LETTER OF INTENT
Each prospective applicant is asked to submit a letter of intent that
includes the following information:
o Descriptive title of the proposed research
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator
o Names of other key personnel
o Participating institutions
o Number and title of this RFA
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 the
letter provides will allow staff to estimate the potential review workload
and plan the review.
The letter of intent is to be received by the date listed at the beginning of
this document. The letter of intent should be sent to:
Lorrita Watson, Ph.D.
Review Branch
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 402-1366
FAX: (301) 480-4049
Email: WatsonL@ncmhd.nih.gov
SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION
Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). Applications must have a DUN and
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the
Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative
agreements. The DUNS number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or
through the web site at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/. The DUNS number
should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form. The PHS
398 document is available at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive
format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267,
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS
Applicants should thoroughly review and follow the instructions accompanying
the PHS 398 Form and the following:
o Face Page
Item 1. Title of Project. The title should reflect the overall research
emphasis of the RIMI Program.
Item 2. Response to a Specific RFA. Check "YES" and type in the number and
title of this announcement.
Item 6. Dates of Proposed Period of Support. Up to five years of support may
be requested. The start date should be September 30, 2004.
o Form Page 2, Description, Performance Site(s) and Key Personnel.
Program Overview. Provide an overview of your proposed program, including the
objectives and specific aims and areas of emphasis. Summarize your approach
for enhancing the proposed areas of emphasis.
Performance Sites. Include all locations, whether at the applicant site or
the collaborating institution(s)
Key Personnel. Under key personnel, include the Principal Investigator, the
Program Director, and any other individuals with a significant role in
carrying out the RIMI action plan. This should also include personnel at the
collaborating institution, if applicable.
o Form Page 3, Table of Contents.
o Modify the table of contents to reflect the content and sequence outlined
in the modified instructions in the RFA.
o Form Page 4, Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period, and
o Form Page 5, Budget for Entire Period.
Consolidated RIMI Budget. The consolidated budget should consist of a
compilation of the individual budgets for the administrative core and each
area of emphasis. Except in the first year of the project, direct costs may
not exceed $650,000 per year. (See the section on Renovations: Use form pages
4 and 5).
Budgets for Areas of Emphasis. Use form pages 4 and 5 to develop separate
budgets for the administrative core and each area of emphasis. For each area
of emphasis (e.g., facility improvement, developmental/collaborative
research, etc.), include the salary support for its director as well as the
costs of the activities (i.e., laboratory renovation, research subprojects,
etc.) that support that area of emphasis. Support for staff from the
applicant institution, if applicable, should be listed as personnel and
support for other personnel should be listed under consultants (including
consulting fees and travel expenses, or under consortium/contractual costs).
Include in the following in the administrative budget: the Principal
Investigator, the Program Director, administrative support personnel and
other budgetary items needed for central coordination of the program. The
need for each budget item requested and its cost must be thoroughly
documented in the section labeled: Justification.
o Form Page 6, Biographical Sketch.
Include for the Principal Investigator and the Program Director in this
section. Biographical sketches for other key personnel, including specific
activity or project leaders, should be included in the section describing
that activity. The biographical sketch should list the most recent or
significant publications, and overall, must not exceed four pages per person.
Page Limitations. DO NOT EXCEED 35 PAGES FOR ITEMS 1-3 OF THE CAPACITY
BUILDING PLAN.
All tables, graphs, charts, figures and diagrams must be included in the 35-
page limit.
Applicants are encouraged to be succinct and are reminded that there is no
requirement to use the 35 pages allotted to items 1-3 of the Capacity
Building Plan. In addition to the 35-page limit, applicants may use up to 10
pages (excluding the biographical sketches, budget pages, and references) to
describe each of the research sub-projects under item 3, Research
Infrastructure in Minority Institutions.
Institutional Setting and Overview of General Plan -- Limit the narrative for
items 1 and 2 to a total of 15 pages.
Capacity Building Plan -- Do not follow the outline in Form PHS 398. Develop
according to the following format. Maximum of eight pages for items 1a-1c.
Description of Applicant Institution:
o Provide a brief history of the institution and its mission, including
developmental milestones over the last 10 years.
o Summarize the major resources (physical, human and financial) for
biomedical and related research. Include the number of faculty involved and
number of students in the health and related sciences.
o Discuss the role that research is intended to play in enabling your
institution to accomplish its mission.
o Describe your institution's long-term objectives and specific aims in
enhancing its research infrastructure.
Description of the Collaborating Institution. Provide a brief summary of the
resources of the collaborating institution (research, core laboratories, and
other research facilities) and discuss how the proposed partnership
facilitates the achievement of your institution's research agenda. In
particular, indicate the area of emphasis to which the partnership
contributes most significantly.
Plan for Expanding the Capacity for Biomedical and Related Research. Discuss
briefly each area of emphasis for the current project period (e.g., faculty
development, physical plant improvement, research administration,
procurement, student entry into graduate programs, etc.), indicate the
specific objectives associated with each goal area (area of emphasis), and
describe briefly the action plan for accomplishing these objectives. For
example, for each area of emphasis identified, provide the following:
o Description of the area of emphasis
o Objectives under the area of emphasis
o Action plan(s) for accomplishing the objectives (i.e., describe the
proposed activities or program components for achieving the indicated
objectives) and a timetable for implementing the proposed activities.
o Measures of success for tracking progress toward accomplishing your
institution’s objectives in the relevant area of emphasis.
o The percentage of your overall budget that will be allocated to achieving
the objectives in the indicated goal area (area of emphasis).
Progress From the Previous Project Period - Maximum of Seven Pages
(COMPETITIVE RENEWAL APPLICATIONS ONLY)
Describe the accomplishments during the previous project period within the
context indicated below. Where appropriate, information may be presented in
tabular format.
Areas of Emphasis. For each area of emphasis supported (e.g., faculty
recruitment, developmental/collaborative research, etc.) describe the
objectives and the action plans for accomplishing the objectives. Indicate
measures of success and describe the progress made in accomplishing the
objectives in terms of the measures of success. For example, an important
measure of success for an institution's research capacity is the amount of
research dollars garnered by the institution during a given period. An
important measure of faculty productivity may include the number of
publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at scientific meetings,
and/or the overall number of student contact hours per semester during a
given period.
Note that if "student pursuit of doctoral programs" was considered as an area
of emphasis, the following section also applies.
Although the RIMI program provides no direct support for student
participation in research, the RIMI program may sponsor mentoring activities
such as: graduate school workshops, GRE preparation training, and counseling
activities. Such activities should be designed to facilitate the minority
students' pursuit of enrollment in doctoral programs. One question the
applicant may want to address is: Are there an identifiable linkages between
the availability of RIMI support and the number of students who pursue
doctoral programs, in particular at mentoring institutions or in the
departments that are directly supported by RIMI funding?
o Effectiveness of your partnership in terms of its impact on your research
agenda. Be sure to discuss its strengths and indicate areas where
improvements can be made.
o Impact of RIMI support on the institution's capacity to compete
successfully for research support. How many of the RIMI supported
investigators have submitted grant applications for research and related
support? Has the institution's overall funding success rate for grant
applications changed since the onset of funding support through the RIMI
program? Can such increases, if any, be directly linked to activities
supported by the RIMI program?
o Barriers to success and needed program adjustments. Please identify any
barriers to the successful implementation of the institution's plan for
enhancing research infrastructure. Also, identify areas of concern that the
institution plans to address in the competitive renewal application.
o Institutional incentives for research that may have been developed and
implemented during the previous RIMI project period, and how research at the
institution has impacted the academic experience of its students, in
particular those in the RIMI supported departments.
Proposed RIMI Program -- Maximum of 20 pages.
Organizational Structure and Administrative Core Activities. (Limit narrative
to 5 pages.)
o Outline the organizational structure of the institution, showing how the
RIMI PD interfaces with the administrative structure. Describe the lines of
authority and indicate how the proposed structure will allow the PD to best
accomplish the goals and objectives identified for the RIMI program.
o Describe the qualifications of the faculty member selected for this PD,
including his/her scientific training, biomedical research experience,
administrative leadership skills, and commitment to the RIMI initiative.
o Describe how the Advisory Committee functions, in particular its roles and
responsibilities, available resources, its frequency of meetings and
reporting requirements. Also describe the composition of the Committee. In a
tabular format, list the names and titles of the members, including their
institutional affiliations. Identify the expertise that each member
contributes to this commit.
o Institutional Commitment. Provide evidence of the applicant institution's
commitment to biomedical and related research and to enhancing its research
environment. Examples might include the availability of research space, cost
sharing, promotion and tenure policies emphasizing the importance of
research, an institutional strategic plan that complements the RIMI
initiative, sponsorship of an office of sponsored programs, ongoing
collaborations with research-intensive institutions, participation in PHS
research and training activities, and any other activity that encourages
faculty and student involvement in biomedical research.
o Evaluation Plan. Describe the plan for evaluation of the RIMI Program. One
way of evaluating the program is to develop a performance plan based on the
strategic plan for the RIMI Program. Describe the measures of success that
would be key in your performance plan.
o Collaborative Agreement(s). Describe the essential elements of the
collaborative agreements between the applicant institution and its
partner(s). When there is only one partner, the collaborator must be a
doctoral degree-granting institution. In cases where there is more than one
partner, only one of the collaborators must meet the aforementioned
criterion.
If modifications, improvements, or expansion of these agreements are planned,
describe these in detail. Address any anticipated or potential problems and
describe proposed alternative plans to resolve them. Include a copy of the
current MUA(s) in this section of your application.
Areas of Emphasis - Limit narrative to 15 pages.
Provide a separate detailed plan for EACH AREA OF EMPHASIS. In describing
each area of emphasis, follow the PHS 398 instructions (pp. 17 -20) for the
Research Plan and use form page 2 and forms 4 through 8. Be sure to address
the important items noted below:
o Narrative. Clearly describe the objectives, needs, and rationale for the
approach selected, implementation timetable in the context of available
resources, alternatives considered, and overall program goals. Explain the
management structure, and outline the corporate plan to achieve non-RIMI
institutionalize support over time.
o Shared resources/facilities. Shared resources/facilities may comprise an
independent area of emphasis or activity component within an area of
emphasis. Identify the user community and explain in detail the nature and
extent of utilization by each participant, current and proposed.
o Developmental/Collaborative Research. Whether an independent area of
emphasis or an activity component within an area of emphasis, in addition to
the above, clearly describe the importance and relevance of the proposed
collaborative projects to the institution's RIMI program goals. Also for each
research subproject supported, address the following:
Candidate
Career development plan
Research plan
Mentor/collaborator
Environment
Institutional commitment
Technical Support (up to 50% support for a technician)
Budget (up to 50% effort for the PI and support for supplies small
instrumentation, etc.)
Limit the description of EACH research project to be supported to 10 pages,
excluding the biographical sketches, references, and budget pages. This is in
addition to the 20-page maximum allotted to describing the plans for and
management of the Areas of Emphasis.
Appendix. List in the Table of Contents any items included in the Appendix.
USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001)
application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the
application. Type the RFA number on the label. 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 2 of the face page of the application form and
the YES box must be marked. The RFA label is also available at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/labels.pdf.
SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of
the application, including the appendices, checklist, and three signed
photocopies, in one package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application and all
copies of the appendix material must be sent to:
Lorrita Watson, Ph.D.
Review Branch
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 800 MSC 5465
Bethesda, MD 20892-5465
Telephone: (301) 402-1366
FAX: (301) 480-4049
APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received on or before the
application receipt date listed in the heading of this RFA. If an
application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant
without review.
Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and funding
assignment within 8 weeks.
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) 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.
However, when a previously unfunded application, originally as an
investigator initiated application, is to be submitted in response to an RFA,
it is to be prepared as a new application. That is, the application for the
RFA must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements
made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the
previous unfunded version of the application.
PEER REVIEW PROCESS
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and
for responsiveness by the NCMHD. 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 an appropriate peer review group
convened by the NCMHD in accordance with the review criteria stated below.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:
o Undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications under
review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score
o Receive a written critique
o Receive a second level review by the NCMHD National Advisory Council.
REVIEW CRITERIA
The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health. In
the written comments, reviewers will be asked to evaluate the application in
order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a
substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. The scientific review
group will address and consider each of the following criteria in assigning
the application’s overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each
application.
o Significance
o Approach
o Innovation
o Investigator
o Environment
Note that a research project does not need to be strong in all categories to
be judged likely to have a major scientific impact. For example, an
investigator may propose to carry out work that by its nature is not
innovative, but important and is essential to advance the science in the
specific field of study, such as areas related to the elimination of health
disparities.
SIGNIFICANCE: Does the proposed project address current areas of emphasis in
the relevant field, such as health disparities research? If the proposed
aims of the proposed study are achieved, how will this scientific knowledge
be advanced?
APPROACH: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of each of
the research components? Does the PI acknowledge potential problem areas and
consider alternative approaches?
INNOVATION: Does the research employ novel concepts, approaches or methods?
Are the aims original and innovative? Do the concepts challenge existing
paradigms or propose to develop new methodologies or technologies?
INVESTIGATORS: Is the investigator appropriately trained, well suited and/or
mentored to carry out the proposed scientific investigation?
ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done
contribute to the probability of success of the project? Does the proposed
research take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or
employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional
support?
APPROPRIATENESS OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND DURATION, including the
justification for requested items in terms of the aims and methods of the
proposed research studies will be evaluated.
Accordingly, the following are additional considerations for each of the
proposed research projects.
Areas of Emphasis: Assessments of each area of emphasis will be based the
specific evaluations of the proposed core action plans (i.e., planned core
activities) for that area and the feasibility of Research Infrastructure in
Minority Institutions achieving what is proposed for the overall area with
the resources requested. Accordingly, the criteria for review of the proposed
plan for each area of emphasis include:
o Appropriateness of the plan for developing the area of emphasis, including
objectives, proposed core activities or action plan, implementation strategy
and timetable, and involvement of the advisory committee in the planning
process.
o Adequacy of proposed mechanisms or activities proposed for addressing the
expressed needs in the area of emphasis.
o Adequacy and appropriateness of administrative and/or scientific
leadership for implementing and managing the resources, including
collaborative and consultative arrangements.
Note that the above assessments should be made for each area of emphasis in
the proposed continuing RIMI Program.
Also, if applicable, the review of the proposed individual research projects
in the Developmental/Collaborative Research" area of emphasis will not be
based entirely on the traditional considerations for peer evaluation of
scientific merit. But, reviewers will also take into consideration the
preliminary nature of the proposed studies and, in a broader sense, the
extent to which the proposed research activity will contribute to the goals
of the RIMI program.
Overall RIMI Program
Major factors to be considered in the overall assessment of the plans for the
proposed continuing RIMI Programs include:
o Adequacy of the planning process, including the assessment of current
biomedical research capabilities, concept development and involvement of
advisory resources in the planning process.
o Appropriateness of the organization and administrative structure
established to accomplish RIMI program goals.
o Qualifications, experience and commitment of the PD, and his/her ability
to provide effective leadership in implementing the institutional RIMI plan.
o Appropriateness of the RIMI Advisory Committee and other consultative
resources for guiding the implementation of the institutional research
infrastructure development plan.
o Adequacy of institutional commitment to biomedical research.
o Appropriateness and adequacy of the institution’s evaluation plan,
including availability of expertise, and time and resource allocation.
o Appropriateness of requested budget and proposed project period.
ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA: In addition to the above criteria, the following
items will be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the
priority score:
PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS FROM RESEARCH RISK: The involvement of human
subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation
in the proposed research will be assessed. (See criteria included in the
section on Federal Citations, below).
INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES AND CHILDREN IN RESEARCH: The adequacy of
plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups
(and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria in the sections on Federal Citations,
below).
CARE AND USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS IN RESEARCH: If vertebrate animals are to
be used in the project, the five items described under Section f of the PHS
398 research grant application instructions (rev. 5/2001) will be assessed.
ADDITIONAL REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
BUDGET: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period
of support in relation to the proposed research.
RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 22, 2004
Application Receipt Date: April 19, 2004
Peer Review Date: July-August 2004
Council Review: September 2004
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 30, 2004
AWARD CRITERIA
Award decisions will be based on:
o Scientific Merit of the Application (as determined by peer review)
o Availability of funds
o Programmatic Priorities
REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS:
HUMAN SUBJECTS PROTECTION: Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and
others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained.
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm
SHARING RESEARCH DATA: Starting with the October 1, 2003 receipt date,
investigators submitting an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in
direct costs in any single year are expected to include a plan for data
sharing. Guidelines and additional information on this requirement can be
found at the following web location
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing. Investigators should seek
guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional
policies, local IRB rules, as well as local, state and Federal laws and
regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the data
sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the
scientific merit or the priority score.
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: It is the policy of
the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations
must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research projects unless a
clear and compelling justification is provided indicating that inclusion is
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of
the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).
All investigators proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines
for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research -
Amended, October, 2001,"published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
on October 9, 2001 at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html;
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB
standards; clarification of language governing the NIH-defined Phase III
clinical trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a)
all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of
plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by
sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable;
and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group
differences.
INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of
21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported
by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include
them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for
receipt dates after October 1, 1998.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion of children as participants in
research involving human subjects that is available at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm.
REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS: (if
applicable) NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject
participants for all investigators submitting NIH proposals for research
involving human subjects. You will find this policy announcement in the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement, dated June 5, 2000, at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS (hESC): Criteria for federal funding of research
on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html. Only
research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem
Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (see http://escr.nih.gov).
It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide, in the project
description and elsewhere in the application as appropriate, the official NIH
identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)to be used in the proposed research.
Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without
review.
PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: The
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to
provide public access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first produced in a
project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2)
cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action
that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed
through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope
of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
STANDARDS FOR PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION: The
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to
the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information ,
the Privacy Rule, on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal
regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable
health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for
Civil Rights (OCR). Those who must comply with the Privacy Rule (classified
under the Rule as covered entities ) must do so by April 14, 2003 (with the
exception of small health plans which have an extra year to comply).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside
with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website
(http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including
a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on Am I a covered
entity? Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH
processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants,
cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES: All applications and proposals
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations.
Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs)
should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because
reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites. Furthermore,
we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they
directly access an Internet site.
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010: The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy
People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This
RFA is related to one or more of the priority areas.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS: This program is described in the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of the Public
Health Service act, Title III, Part A (Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285)
and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52
and 45 CFR, Part 74.
All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and
other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH
Grants Policy Statement can be found at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free
workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products. In addition,
Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in
certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.
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