CHILD AND ADOLESCENT INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH NETWORKS
Release Date: November 26, 2001
RFA: RFA-MH-02-011
National Institute of Mental Health
(http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 4, 2002
Application Receipt Date: April 10, 2002
THIS RFA USES "MODULAR GRANT" AND "JUST-IN-TIME" CONCEPTS. MODULAR
INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE USED FOR RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATIONS REQUESTING LESS THAN
$250,000 PER YEAR IN ALL YEARS. MODULAR BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED IN
SECTION C OF THE PHS 398 (REVISION 5/2001) AVAILABLE AT
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.
PURPOSE
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) seeks to encourage
collaborative partnerships among scientists from various disciplines to
facilitate interdisciplinary approaches to significant public health questions
in child and adolescent mental health. To this end, this Request for
Applications (RFA) is designed to create interdisciplinary networks for
fostering innovative approaches to research in child and adolescent mental
health. This RFA is in response to a report by the National Advisory Mental
Health Council"s Workgroup on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Intervention
Development and Deployment entitled "Blueprint for Change: Research on Child
and Adolescent Mental Health" (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/childhp/councildesc.cfm).
To develop effective solutions to problems in a field as complex as children"s
mental health, coordinated research efforts that integrate scientific advances
from a range of specialty areas are required. Interdisciplinary studies could
be brought to bear on issues of etiology, risk processes, intervention
development and implementation. While advances have been made in
understanding some of the basic psychological processes related to attention,
cognition, motivation, and stress, for example, their application to public
health questions about risk processes, the etiology of disorders, and clinical
interventions has yet to be realized, in part due to the challenges unique to
children"s mental health. Similarly, a growing research base on effective
treatments, preventive interventions, and services for youth with mental
disorders exists, but unresolved and important questions still remain about
those core processes that are related to outcomes and about the feasibility of
implementing the evidence-base in different service contexts.
This initiative serves as a catalyst for the Institute"s long-term commitment
to strengthening the research base on child and adolescent mental health.
Critical to these efforts is the recognition of the importance of linking
basic science and clinical intervention development, of accelerating the pace
of intervention development by repositioning such work within real-world
settings, and of realigning the evidence base with clinical and service
practice.
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, Child and Adolescent
Interdisciplinary Research Networks, 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/.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants are strongly advised to contact NIMH staff listed below, prior to
submission, to discuss the eligibility of a proposed application. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of intent by March 4, 2002.
Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign, for-profit and non-
profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible
agencies of the Federal government. Racial/ethnic minority individuals,
women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal
Investigators.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
This RFA will use two mechanisms to support two types of interdisciplinary
research partnerships: the R21 Exploratory Network grant award mechanism and
the R24 Developmental Network grant award mechanism. Responsibility for the
planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project will be solely that
of the applicant. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Future unsolicited
competing applications that stem from this network will compete with all
investigator-initiated applications and be reviewed according to the customary
peer review procedures. The earliest anticipated award date is September 30,
2002.
The R21 mechanism is designed to encourage new research directions and
exploration of approaches and concepts that are innovative to a particular
area. As such, it encourages newcomers to a field and also high-risk, high-
impact hypotheses, with fewer expectations regarding preliminary data than
other funding mechanisms. The R24 mechanism is designed for groups of
currently funded investigators working on a common problem. The goal is to
bring together investigators at different institutions and to provide
resources for collaborative and interactive activities that will further the
shared research goals and significantly enhance what could be accomplished
within the individual investigator"s grant support.
Specific application instructions have been modified to reflect "MODULAR
GRANT" and "JUST-IN-TIME" streamlining efforts that have been adopted by the
NIH. Complete and detailed instructions and information on Modular Grant
applications have been incorporated into the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001).
Additional information on Modular Grants can be found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
FUNDS AVAILABLE
The NIMH intends to commit approximately $2,000,000 in FY 2002 to fund new
and/or competitive continuation grants in response to this RFA. For the R21
grants, an applicant may request a project period of up to 3 years and a
budget for direct costs of up to $125,000 per year, this award is not
renewable. For the R24 grants, an applicant may request a project period of
up to 4 years and a budget for direct costs of up to $250,000 per year, this
award is also not renewable, and is not transferable to another institution.
Although the facilities and administrative (F&A) costs associated with all
contractual and consortium arrangements are considered as direct costs to the
applicant organization, for the purposes of this announcement only, these will
not count against the direct cost limits.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Background
The National Advisory Mental Health Council convened its first workgroup
focused exclusively on child and adolescent mental health in January 1999.
This workgroup was comprised of an interdisciplinary group of scientists,
providers and consumers with shared expertise in youth mental health. This
workgroup assessed the status of the NIMH portfolio and identified research
opportunities in the development, testing, and deployment of treatment,
service, and preventive interventions for children and adolescents in the
context of families and communities. Their findings and recommendations are
reported in the "Blueprint for Change: Research on Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Research" (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/childhp/councildesc.cfm).
The key recommendation by the workgroup relates to the need for inter-
disciplinary integration of knowledge in a range of scientific areas to
address some of the more vexing problems in children"s mental health,
including unresolved questions about etiology, risk processes, intervention
development and the implementation of effective interventions into practice
settings. The workgroup further recognized that if the form and function of
research are to be transformed to meet public health needs, partnerships must
be forged with groups sometimes considered outside the scientific arena,
including families, youth, providers, and other key stakeholders. The
complexity of the problems within children"s mental health, the impressive
research advances from the basic sciences, and the pressing need for effective
solutions for children with mental disorders, led the workgroup to suggest
several actions steps:
1. Linkages must be made among neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology,
behavioral science, and social sciences, and the resulting interdisciplinary
knowledge must be translated into effective new interventions.
2. Scientifically proven interventions must be disseminated to the clinics,
schools, and other places where children, adolescents, and their families can
easily access them. This requires an interdisciplinary science base that can
be translated, used and sustained in the community.
This RFA is designed to encourage unique partnerships with the goal of
fostering new approaches to diagnosis, functioning, assessments of risk,
development of new preventive strategies, treatments, and services, and the
implementation of interventions in real-world settings. The workgroup
recognized that different areas in the field of children"s mental health are
at varying stages of readiness for such collaboration. Consequently, this RFA
offers two types of interdisciplinary network arrangements. For investigators
who are just beginning to explore interdisciplinary research questions, there
is the Exploratory Network grant. For investigators who have already
initiated some collaborative partnerships and want to increase
interdisciplinary capability, there is the Developmental Network grant. Each
grant will be discussed below.
General Characteristics
All applications to this RFA must provide a cogent rationale as to why an
interdisciplinary approach is needed to address the chosen problem area. The
description of the topic(s) should include a compelling justification for the
interdisciplinary potential of the research collaboration, including the
relevance for clinical or practical utility, the theoretical progress that
will be accomplished through the cross-disciplinary networking, and the
reasons why an interdisciplinary approach will advance the field or answer
previously intractable questions. In all cases, a strong knowledge base should
already be available that is germane to the interdisciplinary effort.
Relevant areas of the basic sciences for an interdisciplinary focus may
include: animal models of human behavior, decision-making models, or behavior
change theories. Proposed candidate circuits and brain mechanisms that can be
directly tested through animal models, human neuroimaging, or genetic
comparisons could be appropriate. Relevant areas of the clinical or services
science appropriate for an interdisciplinary network might include:
methodology development (e.g., for assessing core mediational processes or
intervention effectiveness), models of assessment, specific paradigms for
collaborative partnerships to facilitate the uptake and sustainability of
scientifically-supported interventions. These areas should not be considered
exclusive and experts from any of them might be brought together to form a
network. The center of gravity for the network should revolve around the core
research questions for which interdisciplinary approaches are likely to yield
significant progress.
Applications must demonstrate that research partnerships among basic
scientists (e.g., developmental, behavioral, neuroscience, genetics), clinical
and/or services researchers, key stakeholders or others with relevant
expertise (e.g., from anthropology, social marketing, educational or school
psychology, history, organizational/industrial psychology, information theory,
health economy, etc.) exist or will be developed and nurtured. The minimum
collaborative arrangement would thus involve at least 3 investigators from
different scientific disciplines, although larger groups of actual and
potential collaborators are encouraged. Where appropriate, the involvement of
mental health stakeholders outside the scientific community is strongly
recommended. Networks are to be conceptualized by the nature of the research
goals and are expected to extend beyond geographical and departmental
boundaries. Collaborations among different institutions are strongly
encouraged. In all cases, applications should be clear about how
communication will occur across these boundaries so that the feasibility of
achieving a fully-developed collaborative research partnership is apparent.
Note that the Research Plan is limited to 15 pages for the R21 grants and to
25 pages for the R24 grants.
R21 Exploratory Network Grants for Interdisciplinary Research
R21 Exploratory Network grants provide an avenue for investigators to initiate
and explore potential research collaborations. These networks are defined by
the following characteristics:
o Initial development of collaborative work: Investigators need not
demonstrate any history of prior collaboration. However, those factors in the
investigators" background and/or institutional circumstances that would
facilitate success in collaboration should be clearly delineated.
o Clear plan for the development of the collaboration: Such efforts could
include travel among sites for informal meetings, workshops and small
conferences, consultants, and analyses of extant data sets, using new
methodologies or approaches. The purpose of these activities will be to shape
or refine conceptual frameworks for organizing additional interdisciplinary
research and to identify which specific research questions show greatest
promise for advancement.
o Pilot studies may be included (although not required) to demonstrate
feasibility of certain aspects of the research approaches and develop further
interdisciplinary research projects.
o Salary support for faculty, research assistants, and other professional
staff may be provided.
o Description of the anticipated longer-term goals or outcomes of the
collaboration and an anticipated timetable: Such goals might variously
include an application for a R24 developmental network grant or an R01-based
research collaboration.
R24 Developmental Network Grants for Interdisciplinary Research
R24 Developmental Network grants provide support for the development and
enhancement of interdisciplinary research capabilities and pilot projects. As
such, it is expected that the primary components of these projects will
involve activities designed to foster interdisciplinary approaches to defined
research questions. These networks are characterized by the following:
o Demonstrated ability to organize, administer, and direct the network: The
principal investigator should have a demonstrated history of organizing,
administering and directing collaborative, interdisciplinary research
activities. Further, the PI should propose a clear and feasible
organizational scheme, and show a minimum time commitment of 15 percent.
Other investigators must also allot a percentage of effort that is
commensurate with their role in the project. Prior research collaborations
among investigators under this network would be beneficial.
o Integration of ideas from diverse scientific and disciplinary realms: This
network should comprise a group of investigators who are interested in
integrating ideas from diverse scientific and disciplinary realms.
Participating researchers on this network should have external, peer-reviewed
research grant support from either an NIH institute or another source.
Although it is not necessary that all members of the project have independent
research funding, investigators (with the exception of non-scientist mental
health stake holders) are expected to demonstrate a strong record of
scientific productivity and innovation.
o Development of a specific set of hypotheses: The goals of the network
should define the interdisciplinary mission of the study, addressing relevant
theoretical and empirical literature from the scientific areas to be studied.
The potential for developing significant and innovative interdisciplinary
research should be demonstrated. Accordingly, the study should clearly
describe the scope and goals of intended future work, including scientific
goals and how this network will serve as a critical stepping stone for future
anticipated mechanisms of support (e.g., Collaborative R01 submissions) that
are expected to emerge from the developmental process.
o Seed money and start-up funds may be requested to support new, innovative
pilot projects that reflect: (1) research that is needed to facilitate the
translation of basic science findings to applied research issues, and (2)
research on clinical or services issues that incorporate the theories or
methods of basic science, or vice versa.
o Access to specialized resources and equipment: Funds may be used to
facilitate access to resources such as those for genomics, brain imaging,
electronic communication media, bioinformatics and computational services to
facilitate collaborative capabilities.
o Plans for interdisciplinary research apprenticeships to facilitate cross-
fertilization of knowledge: These networks should include opportunities for
at least two young investigators to be mentored in one or more areas of
specialization, and specifically address the application of basic research
principles to clinical or services issues. Project leaders are expected to
make maximum use of the variety of funding mechanisms available to foster the
development of junior scientists with expertise in interdisciplinary research
(e.g., minority supplements, mentored K awards). Specialized training of
personnel in cross-disciplinary concepts and approaches is strongly
encouraged.
Research Themes
The following are examples of broad research themes that might be the focus of
interdisciplinary efforts. They are not meant to be exhaustive or
restrictive, but to highlight areas of particular interest for advancing the
Institute"s research agenda on children"s mental health.
Core Components, Processes, and Mechanisms of Action of Therapeutic
Interventions
The past 25 years of clinical trials in child and adolescent mental health
interventions have yielded evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of
certain interventions. Further, research indicates that processes of
implementation such as fidelity and family engagement are linked to outcomes
of interventions. Thus, intervention-related changes may be due to key
processes or components of an intervention or factors related to the manner
and context of the intervention"s delivery. Yet, the active components and
processes by which such change occurs are not well understood. Conceptual
models or specific theories about how interventions achieve therapeutic change
are needed. Further it is important to identify the active ingredients or
processes of interventions and the causal mechanisms that mediate effective
and sustained benefits. Identifying core processes of interventions that
potentiate the outcomes of interests is important if consumers of research and
buyers of services are to make informed choices about how to improve the
efficiency of services. This network could focus on:
o Identifying key components or active ingredients that represent specific
components of an identified intervention that mediate change. The mechanism
of change may occur at multiple levels (e.g., decreased deviant peer
association (active ingredient) mediated by increased parental monitoring of
child activities (change in family interaction), leading to decrease in
aggression and change in neurochemical activity)
o Identifying key processes that mediate therapeutic change, maintenance of
gains, and relapse. Such key processes may be non-specific, and may or may
not draw directly upon knowledge about the disorder itself (e.g., therapeutic
alliance, client motivation, changes in expectations, attributional changes)
o Understanding how the implementation process (e.g., family engagement,
intervention x client fit, provider characteristics, organizational factors)
and service delivery context (e.g., home vs. school or primary care vs.
specialty clinic) may influence outcomes.
Functional Impairments in childhood mental disorders
Assessment of functioning has lagged behind the assessment of clinical
symptoms in children"s mental health research. The definition of what
constitutes functional impairments varies greatly across professional
disciplines and service systems involved in providing mental health care
(e.g., education, welfare, juvenile justice, primary care, substance abuse,
specialty mental health). In addition, the serious economic and societal
burden of childhood mental illness requires developmentally-appropriate tools
to help researchers, policymakers and other mental health stakeholders to (1)
assess the form, frequency, and severity of functional impairments, (2)
account for the relative importance of these impairments vis- -vis the
particular sociocultural contexts in which a child lives, and (3) project
future needs for mental health treatment and support.
Limited conceptual models and tools have been developed with which to examine
issues related to functioning. Both animal models and basic behavioral
studies can contribute to the assessment of functioning. There is a need for
detailed empirical study of specific social, cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral processes that are impaired in childhood disorders and their
relationship to broader areas of functioning (e.g., social and academic
functioning). For example,
o Identifying critical deficits in memory, attention, language, emotional
processing and regulation, social cognitive capacities, and dimensions of
child temperament. Specifying the nature of deficits in these domains to
identify genetic, biologic and experiential risk processes involved in the
etiology of these deficits
o Developing new assessment tools by taking advantage of knowledge in basic
and behavioral sciences. For example, animal models, biological measures,
measurement theory (i.e., Item Response Theory), and computerized adaptive
testing may be applied in developing new tools. Of particular interest are
psychometrically sound measures that are sensitive to intervention related
changes and usable in clinical settings
o Developing targeted interventions where researchers have already documented
specific cognitive and psychophysiological deficits and fMRI differences
associated with childhood mental disorders, understanding how those deficits
are related to specific functional problems and how such problems may be
addressed by interventions and rehabilitation.
Disorders of Mood Regulation
Mood disorders are among the most prevalent, recurrent, and disabling of all
illnesses. Childhood unipolar and bipolar mood disorders, while rare, can be
chronic and recurrent conditions. Adults often report onset of their
depressive disorder in late adolescence or earlier. Recent studies of
children and adolescents confirm that serious symptoms of mood disorders are
detectable. Further, these disorders are often associated with adverse and
chronic illnesses or disabilities and tend to be familial. While many risk
factors for mood disorders have been identified, these are correlates rather
than causal. The etiologic processes that give rise to unipolar and bipolar
disorders remain elusive, despite significant knowledge growth in the basic
sciences. Integrated models are needed to understand the interplay among
genetic, biologic and environmental risk processes involved in mood disorders
and their relationship to commonly comorbid conditions. Interdisciplinary
networks that can draw from the substantial knowledge and tools from diverse
fields such as epidemiology, genetics, developmental neuroscience,
developmental psychology, cognitive, behavioral and clinical science are
encouraged. Such networks might focus on:
o Understanding the mechanisms behind the well-documented sex disparity in
the prevalence of unipolar depression from puberty onward, including the role
of biologic changes (e.g., hormonal, morphological), social changes or their
interactions, the impact of early adverse experiences on the developing
stress-response system, and the neuropathophysiology of depression in the
developing brain to improve targets of intervention
o Developing interventions or service delivery models that are sensitive to
differences in the neuropathophysiology of depressed pre-pubertal children,
with attention to factors such as cognitive capacity, familial culture,
environmental adversity, comorbid conditions, or other factors that may
influence treatment course and outcome
o Clarifying the development of bipolar disorder through studies examining
the genetic and neurobiologic determinants of extreme mood lability in
childhood and environmental contributions to course, outcomes, and
cormorbidity with other mental disorders.
Dissemination and Implementation for Treatment and Prevention
Efficacious interventions for child emotional or behavior problems exist
(e.g., psychopharmacologic, psychosocial, integrated interventions), however,
these interventions are not commonly implemented into practice. Efforts to
disseminate knowledge to stakeholder groups or implement "evidence-based"
interventions have often failed partly due to their poor fit with the target
audience or setting context. "Dissemination" involves the targeted
distribution of information to a specific audience. "Implementation" is the
use of strategies to introduce or change practices within communities.
Current conceptual models, methods, and strategies have largely failed to
facilitate dissemination or implementation efforts to translate research to
practice. Interdisciplinary networks are needed to explore the complex nature
of such dissemination or implementation processes.
Community-based child mental health preventive or treatment services are often
provided outside of traditional mental health specialty care, however,
relevant stakeholders from these settings are often not involved in
intervention development or testing. These stakeholders (i.e., state/county
health administrators, family members, pediatricians, teachers, social
workers) will be critical to both the dissemination and implementation
process. Interdisciplinary networks on either dissemination or implementation
processes could draw from the substantial knowledge and tools of the
stakeholders listed above as well as more traditional research disciplines
(e.g., clinical scientists, social scientists, methodologists, economists,
anthropologists, public policy, information theory, marketing). Such
interdisciplinary networks could focus upon, but are not limited to, the
following:
o Understanding how messages about mental health treatments and prevention
can be created, packaged, delivered, and evaluated within a dissemination
study. Since dissemination is concerned with the transmission and reception
of messages, networks might draw upon the fields of information theory,
marketing, organizational theory, or learning.
o Understanding the specific contexts in which information on interventions
is disseminated or in which interventions are being implemented. Various
service providers (teachers, administration, social workers) and delivery
contexts (e.g. primary care) likely require unique information or intervention
delivery strategies.
o Understanding the process of implementing evidence-based interventions,
involving factors such as provider behavior change, decision-making, consumer
help-seeking and motivation, management and financing. The outcome of
implementation studies is the use of the intervention in real world settings.
o Clarifying factors that influence the sustainability of treatment or
preventive interventions. Networks might examine the impact of past
dissemination and implementation trials, as well as design pilot studies to
assess the sustainability of messages, treatments, and programs.
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 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 AMENDMENT "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
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html),
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines are 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 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
It is the policy of NIH 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 was published in the NIH Guide for
Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL
address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html.
Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the program staff
listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant
information concerning the policy.
REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants
for all investigators submitting NIH proposals for research involving human
subjects. This policy announcement is found in the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts Announcement dated June 5, 2000, at the following website:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.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. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may
be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
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.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this RFA in a public
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the
distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application should
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include
information about this in the budget justification section of the application.
In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed consent
statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential for wider
use of data collected under this award.
LETTER OF INTENT
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes a
descriptive title of the proposed research, 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 a letter of
intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of
a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to
estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Serene Olin by the letter of intent
receipt date listed in the heading of the RFA.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001) at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html must be used in
applying for these grants. This version of the PHS 398 is available in an
interactive, searchable format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo,
Telephone 301/710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
The title and number of the RFA must be typed on line 2 of the face page of
the application form and the YES box must be marked.
For the R24 mechanism, the background section must include a description of
already funded component projects that is sufficient to enable an assessment
of the degree to which the R24 grant would facilitate collaborative approaches
to the research problem. This section also should contain a rationale for why
this group of components and investigators was selected, and why the requested
consortium support is likely to significantly enhance progress on the research
problem, beyond what could be accomplished with the individual research grant
support. If some of the participating investigators are at the same
institution, a rationale must be provided explaining how this R24 mechanism
will enhance integration and collaboration amongst those participants, beyond
what would normally be expected of a group of investigators with shared
interests at the same institution. The Research Plan should contain a
description of the approaches and how they will be accomplished to further the
research goals. The principal investigator should describe how the activities
will be coordinated and made accessible to all participating components.
Applicants should also include specific plans for sharing data and materials
that may be generated through the consortium grant. The Resource section
should address existing intellectual and other resources.
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODULAR GRANT APPLICATIONS
The modular grant concept establishes specific modules in which direct costs
may be requested as well as a maximum level for requested budgets. Only
limited budgetary information is required under this approach. The
just-in-time concept allows applicants to submit certain information only when
there is a possibility for an award. It is anticipated that these changes will
reduce the administrative burden for the applicants, reviewers and NIH staff.
The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html is to be used in
applying for these grants, with modular budget instructions provided in
Section C of the application instructions.
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/label-bk.pdf.
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
Checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in one package to:
CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must be
sent to:
Jean Noronha, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6154, MSC 9609
Bethesda, MD 20892-9609
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
Applications must be received by 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.
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. The
CSR 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 the CSR and
responsiveness by the NIMH. Incomplete applications will be returned to the
applicant without further consideration. If the application is not responsive
to the RFA, CSR staff may contact the applicant to determine whether to return
the application to the applicant or submit it for review in competition with
unsolicited applications at the next review cycle.
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 NIMH in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the
initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and
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, assigned a priority score, and receive a second level
review by the National Advisory Mental Health 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 discuss the following aspects
of the application in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research
will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these
criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score,
weighting them as appropriate for each application. Note that the application
does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major
scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an
investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not
innovative but is essential to move a field forward.
(1) Significance: Will the collaborative activities supported by this
application further research on an important problem? If the aims of the
application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What
will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this
field?
(2) Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the
project and to the type of application, i.e., R21 or R24? Does the applicant
acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Are the
basic research components and research questions suitably chosen to represent
a feasible and potentially valuable interdisciplinary project?
(3) Innovation: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or
methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge
existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
(4) Investigator: Is the principal investigator appropriately trained and
well suited to carry out this work? Does the interdisciplinary network
involve basic and clinical/services expertise, other mental health
stakeholders and experts as appropriate? Is the work proposed appropriate to
the experience level of the principal investigator and collaborative
researchers?
(5) Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be
done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments
take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ
useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional
support?
Additional Review Criteria for the R24 grant mechanism:
o Will the proposed collaborative activities and/or resources significantly
enhance the ability of the investigators to address the goals of the component
projects?
o Do the component projects address a common problem and are they suitable
for a collaborative and integrative approach?
o Have the team members been assembled with respect to employing the
expertise needed to address the shared research problem, regardless of their
location?
In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:
o The adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their
subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated.
o The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the
proposed research.
o The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the
environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project
proposed in the application.
o The adequacy of the proposed plan to share data, if appropriate.
Schedule
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 4, 2002
Application Receipt Date: April 10, 2002
Peer Review Date: June/July 2002
Council Review: September 2002
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 30, 2002
AWARD CRITERIA
Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:
o scientific merit (as determined by peer review)
o availability of funds
o programmatic priorities
INQUIRIES
Inquiries concerning this RFA are strongly encouraged. The opportunity to
clarify any issues or answer questions from potential applicants is welcome.
Inquiries regarding programmatic issues may be directed to the individuals
listed on the following website:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/grants/MH02011rfacontacts.cfm
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
Joy Knipple
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-8811
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: jk173r@nih.gov
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.
93.242. Awards are made under authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the
Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered
under NIH grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts
74 and 92. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review
requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant 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.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
|
|
|
|
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
|
|
|
|
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®
|