and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National
Institutes of Health (NIH), ( http://www.nih.gov/)
Components of Participating
Organizations
Office of Rare Diseases, NIH (ORD, NIH) ( http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov)
Title: Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for
the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (U54)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of RFA-RR-03-008,
which was previously released February 27, 2003. See companion FOA RFA-OD-08-001 for the Rare Disease Clinical Research Consortia.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
The ORD anticipates holding a pre-application meeting in March, 2008 to which all interested prospective applicants are invited. Program and review staff will make presentations to explain the goals and objectives for the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network and answer questions from the attendees. A Grants Management Specialist will be available to answer financial questions. A Notice with the date and time of the meeting will be issued in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html.
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview
Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Part I
Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility
Information
1. Eligible Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and
Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application
Information
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt and Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of
Intent
B. Sending an Application to
the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review
Considerations
C. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
3. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
A. Cooperative Agreement Terms
and Conditions of Award
1. Principal
Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
2. NIH
Responsibilities
3. Collaborative
Responsibilities
4. Arbitration
Process
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal
Citations
Part II
- Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
The NIH ORD and NINDS invite new and renewal applications (U54) for the RDCRN Data Management and Coordination Center (DMCC). In a companion FOA, the NIH ORD, NIAMS, NIDDK, NICHD, NINDS, NIA, NIAAA, NCI, NIDCR and NHLBI invite new and renewal applications (U54) for the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (RDCRCs) component of the Rare Diseases Research Network (RDCRN). The purpose of the Network is to facilitate clinical research in rare diseases through support for 1) collaborative clinical research in rare diseases, including longitudinal studies of individuals with rare diseases, clinical studies, and/or phase I, II and II/III trials; 2) training of clinical investigators in rare diseases research; 3) pilot and demonstration projects; 4) a test bed for distributed clinical data management that incorporates novel approaches and technologies for data management, data mining, and data sharing across rare diseases, data types, and platforms; and 5) access to information related to rare diseases for basic and clinical researchers, academic and practicing physicians, patients, and the lay public. The purpose of the DMCC is to provide the infrastructure and support necessary to address the issues listed in item 4) and 5).
Each RDCRC will perform collaborative clinical research in rare diseases, train new investigators in rare diseases research, and provide content for an internet resource site on rare diseases. Each RDCRC will consist of a consortium of clinical investigators, institutions, and relevant organizations, including patient support organizations, focused on a subgroup of rare diseases. Use of the resources available at institutions with a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) or General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) should be incorporated into each RDCRC if available at the applicants institutions. The focus of each RDCRC can be on particular defects, e.g., lysosomal storage diseases, amino acid metabolism defects; particular organ systems, e.g., primary immune deficiencies, mental retardation syndromes; or other groupings. Since rare diseases are diverse, the nature of clinical research that is feasible varies. The individual Consortia will be responsible for the design and implementation of their clinical studies. The DMCC will provide the data management and analysis infrastructure and support necessary for the RDCRCs to function optimally. The DMCC will work with each Consortium to integrate protocols, forms, and research tools into the Network.
Background
Approximately 25 million people in the United States are affected by an estimated 6,000 rare diseases or conditions leading to significant morbidity and mortality. 'Rare disease' is defined through an Amendment to the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 (Orphan Drug Act, P.L. 97-414; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Amendments, P.L. 98-551) as a condition affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans or a disease with a greater prevalence but for which no reasonable expectation exists that the costs of developing or distributing a drug can be recovered from the sale of the drug in the United States.
An NIH ORD Special Emphasis Panel, composed of academic scientists, representatives of voluntary patient support groups, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and device industries, and other Federal agencies, made recommendations on the special research and health care issues posed by rare diseases. These recommendations encompassed four major areas: 1) Stimulating Research on Rare Diseases and Conditions with specific emphasis on clinical research and training of clinical research
scientists, establishing diagnostic and treatment centers with informatics support, and promoting the collaboration of the voluntary patient support groups, health care systems, and industry; 2) Utilizing
Research Resources with the NIH-supported GCRCs, the development of a centralized information database containing research resources, made available to research investigators, physicians, and patients for their use; 3) Coordination of Rare Diseases Research and Development Activities, with a primary responsibility of ORD to coordinate activities and act as a liaison between the rare diseases community and the NIH, including the public, and intramural and extramural investigators at the NIH ICs and other Federal agencies, manufacturers, and voluntary organizations; and 4) Identifying Emerging Opportunities in Rare Diseases Research, specifically through the establishment of specialized research and diagnostic centers to attract the interests of industry to promote advances and products for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of rare diseases. These recommendations are contained within the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Report on Steps to Coordinate Rare Diseases Research Programs," January 2001 (http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/html/reports/fy1999/SEP.html).
In November 2002, the Rare Disease Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-280) directed ORD, NIH to support regional centers of excellence for clinical research into, training in, and demonstration of diagnostic, prevention, control, and treatment methods for rare diseases. This law provides the legislated mandate for this FOA to address the needs of rare disease clinical research.
Investigations into rare diseases offer promising leads for scientific advancement. Many rare diseases represent single gene defects whose abnormalities in specific genes or proteins offer insight into normal biologic function. Other rare diseases are complex, resulting from the interaction of two or more genes. Understanding the pathogenesis of rare diseases may advance our understanding of more common medical disorders.
Despite the advances and opportunities for research in rare diseases, difficulties remain in clinical diagnosis and management. Diagnoses may be straightforward with well-described phenotypes or difficult with poorly defined criteria. There are insufficient characterizations of the courses of many rare diseases. Treatment can be equally challenging with many questions concerning appropriate and best clinical management. Rare diseases pose unique challenges to identification and coordination of resources and expertise for small populations dispersed over wide geographic areas. Rare diseases research requires collaboration of scientists from multiple disciplines sharing research resources and patient populations. Rigorous characterization and longitudinal assessment is needed to facilitate discovery of biomarkers of disease risk, disease activity, and response to therapy. In addition, systematic assessment could resolve controversies concerning current treatment strategies. Well described patient populations will be important to bring promising therapies to the clinic.
Purpose
This initiative, along with companion announcement RFA-OD-08-001, will support the continuation of a collaborative and coordinated network of RDCRCs comprised of investigators and patient support groups committed to investigation of rare diseases working in partnership with leaders in technology to enhance communication and sharing of resources in a multidisciplinary approach. The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) will focus on the collection of clinical information to develop biomarkers and new approaches to diagnosis, prevention, and treatment and promote the training of new clinical investigators in rare diseases research. The Network will support a comprehensive and integrated approach to data collection, storage, and management, and the integration of clinical data with other unique data, including genetic, imaging, pathologic, and laboratory data. This will incorporate new approaches to distributed computing and federated databases.
Each RDCRC within the Network will include a consortium of clinical investigators, institutions, CTSAs or GCRCs (if available at the applicants institutions), and relevant organizations, including patient support organizations, for the study of a subgroup of rare diseases relevant to the interests of the participating ICs. Each RDCRC will identify and recruit patients for clinical studies. The development and maintenance of patient registries may be appropriate and necessary core activities of an RDCRC in some cases. The Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC), formerly called the Data and Technology Coordinating Center (DTCC), is a collaboration between database and computational/computer science innovators. The DMCC will provide a scalable coordinated clinical data integration of developed and publicly available datasets for data mining at RDCRCs, web-based recruitment and referral, and a user-friendly resource site for the public. The DMCC will provide a management system for the collection, storage, and analysis of RDCRC data, as well as a portal and tools for research scientists and clinicians. In addition, the DMCC will provide logistical and administrative assistance for Network activities; produce and/or maintain Network Operating Policy and Procedures, documents, worksheets, and data collection forms; and monitor Network compliance while addressing privacy and confidentiality issues related to database management, distributed computing, and multi-level data sharing. The DMCC will serve as a Network resource, working with and providing expertise for the Consortia.
Organization of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network
The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) is a cooperative network composed of several Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortia (RDCRCs) and a single DMCC to facilitate clinical research in rare diseases. A Steering Committee composed, at a minimum, of the Principal Investigator (Director) of each RDCRC, the Principal Investigator (Director) of the DMCC, and the Office of Rare Diseases Program Coordinator will establish the procedures for the function of the RDCRN, as outlined in section "Steering Committee." The reissuance of the RDCRC RFA is open to new as well as existing consortia. Therefore, the DMCC must be able to work, under the guidance of the Steering Committee, with groups that have existing registries and patient databases as well as with those that have no pre-existing infrastructure.
The RDCRN will require cooperation among the ORD Program Coordinator, the participating IC Project Scientists, Directors of the RDCRCs and their collaborators, and the Director of the DMCC to maximize their effectiveness. A number of issues need to be addressed in the cooperative agreement applications, including those highlighted in Organization of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network and below under Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This funding
opportunity will use the NIH
U54 award mechanism. As an
applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and
executing the proposed project.
This funding
opportunity uses the just-in-time budget concepts. It also uses the non-modular
budget format described in the PHS 398 application instructions (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
A detailed categorical budget for the "Initial Budget Period" and the
"Entire Proposed Period of Support" is to be submitted with the
application.
The NIH U54 is a cooperative agreement award mechanism. In the
cooperative agreement mechanism, the Principal Investigator retains the primary
responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the
proposed project, with NIH staff being substantially involved as a partner with
the Principal Investigator, as described under the Section
VI. 2. Administrative Requirements, "Cooperative Agreement Terms and
Conditions of Award". Plans to continue the RDCRN, including
the DMCC, beyond the current funding opportunity are indefinite.
2. Funds Available
The
NIH ORD intends to commit approximately $875,000 in total cost (i.e. direct
cost plus Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs) in FY 2009 to support
a Data Management and Coordination Center (DMCC) that will provide necessary
functions for the support of up to seven new and/or renewal grant applications in response to
the companion RFA-OD-08-001. If additional Institute funds become available,
approximately 10 consortia may be funded through the companion FOA.
Should this happen, the ORD intends to commit approximately $1.25 million in
total cost to support the DMCC. An applicant must request a project period for five years.
Section
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit (an)
application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics:
For Foreign Institutions: Foreign institutions may not submit applications, but collaborators at foreign institutions are allowed. Consortium agreements with foreign institutions can be proposed as long as the appropriate federal-wide assurances for the protection of human subjects are in place (see http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/) and the activities at the foreign site(s) do not exceed 49 percent of the direct costs of the overall budget. NIH provides limited facilities & administrative (F&A) costs (8 percent of total direct costs less equipment) to foreign institutions and international organizations to support the costs of compliance with NIH requirements, including, but not limited to, protection of human subjects, animal welfare, and research misconduct. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement (Revised December 2003) at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed project is invited to work with their institution to develop an
application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic
groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply
for NIH support.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
There is no requirement for cost sharing or
matching.
The
most current Grants Policy Statement can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
An applicant organization may submit only one application under this
FOA.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application
Information
The PHS 398 application
instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. Applicants must use the currently approved version of
the PHS 398. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301)
710-0267, Email: [email protected].
Telecommunications for
the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be
prepared using the most current PHS 398 research grant application instructions
and forms. Applications must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number as the universal identifier when applying for Federal grants or
cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling (866)
705-5711 or through the web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/.
The D&B number should be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398
form.
The title and number of this funding opportunity must
be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box
must be checked.
Requirements for the RDCRC structure are provided in the companion FOA. Applicants should keep in mind the RDCRC structure as the DMCC application is developed. Specific instructions for preparing the DMCC application are provided in Section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements.
DMCC
To accomplish the program goals of the RDCRN, the DMCC must serve as a core resource to the Network and be able to provide the following services and activities:
1) Provide a secure, customizable, scalable coordinated clinical data management system for the collection, storage, and analysis of diverse data types from clinical researchers working on many different types of rare diseases in geographically disparate locations;
2) Provide a portal and tools for integration of developed and publicly available datasets for data mining at RDCRCs;
3) Provide for web-based recruitment and referral;
4) Provide a user-friendly resource site for the public, research scientists, and clinicians;
5) Provide support for a comprehensive and integrated approach to data collection, storage and management, and the integration of clinical data with other unique data, including genetic, imaging, pathologic, and laboratory. This support should include developing and/or adapting new technologies and technological advances to facilitate data collection, storage, and management;
6) Incorporate new approaches to distributed computing and federated databases;
7) Address privacy and confidentiality issues related to database management and distributed computing and allow multiple levels of data sharing;
8) Provide logistical and administrative assistance in arranging meetings of the Steering Committee and providing other operational support for the Network (e.g., communications, subcommittee meetings). The DMCC will prepare, distribute, and maintain minutes of the meetings;
9) While the consortia will be responsible for the training necessary at the onset of new clinical protocols, this training must be done in conjunction with DMCC personnel so that all new forms and documents can appropriately be incorporated into the Network data management system;
10) Produce and maintain all Network documents, including Network Operating Policy and Procedures manuals;
11) Develop and maintain a "listserv" interactive email system for communication within the Network;
12) Develop worksheets and study data forms, as needed, for the collection of data in multi-center studies, verify all data, develop tests, and maintain software for within-form edit checks at data entry. For worksheets, forms, or other tools developed within a consortium, the DMCC will work to integrate the developed products into the Network data management system;
13) Develop uniform investigative clinical research protocols for data (and specimen) collection in collaboration with the Steering Committee;
14) Provide support services for the production of reports, graphics, and other materials as required;
15) Monitor Network protocol adherence, data collection and data submission, and report violations to the Steering Committee as well as other required entities;
16) Work with the individual Data and Safety Monitoring Boards to establish protocols for Adverse Events notification and reporting;
17) Coordinate site visits for auditing individual consortia sites;
18) Provide scalable infrastructure. The RDCRN is a pilot project and its size and scope may expand in the future. A successful applicant must have the ability and resources to expand its operations to meet such future needs.
The DMCC will develop and make available a secure, customizable coordinated clinical data management system for collection, storage, and analysis of diverse data types from multiple diseases and geographically disparate locations. The DMCC should develop and provide (as needed) a user friendly system for web based recruitment and referral, tools for cross disease data mining, and a portal for access and integration of publicly available data resources. The DMCC should have computational sophistication for scaling the systems and tools to allow incorporation into a distributed, national clinical information network. The DMCC must address privacy and confidentiality issues related to database management and distributed computing and allow multiple levels of data sharing. The DMCC must also be able to work with consortia that have preexisting infrastructure (registries, patient databases, etc.) as well as those that are starting de novo. The Steering Committee will provide scientific and technical assistance and guidelines with respect to quality control, uniformity of data collection, management of the collective rare diseases database, and data analysis.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be
received on or before the receipt date described below (Section
IV.3.A).
3.A. Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Letter of Intent Receipt
Date: March
22, 2008
Application Receipt
Date: April
22, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): August-November 2008
Council Review Date: October 2008
Earliest Anticipated
Start Date: January
2009
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants
are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
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 by the date listed above and at the beginning of this document.
The letter of intent
should be sent to:
David J. Eckstein, Ph.D.
Office of Rare Diseases
National Institutes of Health
6100 Executive Boulevard, 3B-01
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 7518
Telephone: (301) 402 4336
Fax: (301) 480 9655
[email protected]
3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH
Applications must be prepared using the research grant applications found in the PHS 398 instructions for preparing a research grant application. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and five signed photocopies in one package, including appendices to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)
Personal deliveries
of applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html).
3.C. Application
Processing
Applications must be received on or before the
application receipt date described above (Section IV.3.A.).
If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the
applicant without review. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for
completeness by the CSR and responsiveness by the ORD and NINDS. Incomplete and/or
non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not
accept any application in response to this funding opportunity 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 submitted as an investigator-initiated
application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to
be prepared as a NEW application. That is, the application for the funding
opportunity 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.
Information on the status of an application should be
checked by the Principal Investigator in the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not
subject to intergovernmental
review.
5. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are
subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations
described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The Grants Policy Statement can be
found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
Pre-award costs are
allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur
obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning
date of the initial budget period of a new or competing continuation award if
such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and would be allowable under
the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures
would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval
before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be
incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period
of a new or competing continuation award.
The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a
competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make
the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made
for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award
costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs
result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not
impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the
approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project.
See NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part6.htm.
6. Other Submission Requirements
Awardees must agree to the "Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award" in subsection 2.A. of Section VI. "Award Administration Information".
Follow the instructions in PHS 398 application kit. Additional instructions and recommended formats for providing the information requested for this FOA are described below.
PHS 398 is required for all U54 applications. Each budget unit for project should be written in the style and within the page limitation described in the PHS 398 instruction kit. To assist in developing DMCC grant applications and aid in the review of these applications, the applicant should assemble the component units following the format described below.
I. Abstract Page: Description, Performance Sites, Key Personnel (PHS 398 Form, page 2)
Describe the overall proposed data management and coordination program, indicating the resources available and the approaches to be taken to meet the required services and activities.
II. Table of Contents (PHS 398 Form, page 3)
The Table of Contents should specifically list the locations of the overall budget, biographical sketches and various narrative sections.
III. Budgets and Supporting Form (PHS 398 Form, pages 4 and 5)
Justify and document all costs for the initial and future years as instructed in the forms.
Note that this grant mechanism is not intended for the acquisition of costly equipment which should be funded through other sources. Under unusual circumstances, where costly items of equipment are requested, the application must document available equipment within the institution and provide clear justification.
IV. Biographical Sketches
Biographical sketches are required for all professional level personnel who are listed with a measurable effort (including consultants) in the DMCC application. The forms found in PHS 398 should be used. After the budget pages, put the Principal Investigator (PI) biographical sketch first, followed by the other individual biographical sketches in alphabetical order.
V. Overall Data Management Program, Leadership & Resources
Using continuation pages, substitute the following for the Research Plan instructions of Form PHS 398. It is important to provide a succinct, yet comprehensive overall plan for providing the support necessary for a successful Data Management and Coordination Center.
The section on Overall Research Plan, Leadership and Resources should not exceed 10 pages.
1. DMCC Program Introduction and Statement of Objectives
Describe the proposed program, including any plans for improving, augmenting, or changing the current RDCRN DTCC program. This description must include a detailed plan for addressing the DMCC responsibilities outlined in Section IV.2 Content and Form of Application Submission. The ability to carry out the proposed program must also be addressed.
2. DMCC Technical and Administrative Leadership:
The emphasis in this section should be on the qualification of the DMCC leadership. Describe the qualifications of the PI of the application to lead the program. Qualifications and role of the Co-PI, if any, should also be included in this section.
3. Multidisciplinary Team
Describe the nature of the multidisciplinary team necessary to provide the internet, technical, and statistical resources required to maintain the DMCC. Include plans and approaches for interacting with a consortium of clinical investigators, institutions, and relevant organizations, including patient support organizations, focused on multiple subgroups of rare diseases. Describe the team s experience, if any, working together in support of clinical consortia or networks.
4. Environment and Resources
Briefly describe the features of the institutional environment that are or would be relevant to the effective implementation of the proposed program. As appropriate, describe available resources, geographic distribution of space and personnel, and consultative resources.
5. Institutional Commitment
Each DMCC applicant must provide a statement that addresses how the institutional commitment will be established and sustained, and how the DMCC efforts will be given a high priority within the institution. The institutional commitment may be in the form of support for recruitment of scientific talent, provision of discretionary resources to the DMCC Director, assignment of space, cost sharing of resources, and/or other ways proposed by the applicant institution. Letters from a high-level institution official(s) (e.g., Dean of the School of Medicine, President, and Vice President for Research) should be attached confirming this commitment. The institution that submits the U54 application must receive a formal written agreement(s) from the other participant organization(s), if any. This agreement should clearly delineate the institutional commitment of the participating organization(s) (in the ways outlined above) to the DMCC Program.
VI. Appendix Material(s)
If there is appendix material it must included with the submission of the application. The appendix material, along with all required copies of the application, must be sent to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for
express/courier delivery; non-USPS service)
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Appendices: Applicants may voluntarily provide the appendix on five identical CDs; if submitting CDs it is not necessary to include paper appendix.
(see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-031.html.) Applicants must follow the instructions in recent NIH guide notices about what is allowable in appendix material: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-051.html and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-018.html.
Resource Sharing Plan(s)NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research an important means to enhance the value of, and advance research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. If the final data/resources are not amenable to sharing, this must be explained in Resource Sharing section of the application. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.
(a) Data Sharing Plan: Regardless of the amount requested, investigators are expected to include a brief 1-paragraph description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data-sharing is not possible. Applicants are encouraged to discuss data-sharing plans with their NIH program contact. See Data-Sharing Policy or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-032.html.
(b) Sharing Model Organisms: Regardless of the amount requested, all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated are expected to include a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing is restricted or not possible. See Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.
(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further information see Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088, and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria
described below will be considered in the review process.
The following will be
considered in making funding decisions:
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that are
complete and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by CSR in
accordance with the review criteria stated below.
As part of the initial
merit review, all applications will:
The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria 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 an 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.
Data Management and Coordination Program
Significance: Does this proposal provide a
significant contribution to the support of the RDCRN? If the aims of the
application are achieved, how will the activities of the Network be advanced?
What will be the effect of these efforts on the methods, technologies, or
services provided to the Network?
Approach: Are the designs, methods, and
analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate
to support the RDCRN? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas
and consider alternative tactics? Is the proposed plan appropriate for the
state of knowledge, current capabilities and resources for the rare diseases
research community? Is the structure of the program sufficiently
multidisciplinary in order to meet the needs of the RDCRN as well as the needs
of the rare disease community?
Innovation: Is the proposal original and
innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or
methodologies; employ an innovative approach or overcome a critical barrier to
progress in the field? Does the proposal develop or employ novel concepts,
approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area? Are there novel methods for
recruitment and outreach to health professionals, researchers, and community or
patient organizations?
Investigators: Is the Principal Investigator
(and Co-Principal Director, if any) appropriately trained and well suited to
carry out this work? Does the DMCC Director have experience in leading a core
facility such as the DMCC? Is the work proposed appropriate to the
experience level of the principal investigator and other significant
contributors? Does the DMCC team bring complementary and integrated expertise
and experience to the project? Are the significant contributors committed to the
collaborative and cooperative nature of this program? Are the scientific qualifications and involvement of
the Principal Investigator (DMCC Director) and Co-Principal Investigator (if
any) as well as his/her scientific and administrative leadership capabilities
and time commitment presented and sufficient for the requirements of the
proposed DMCC? Does the DMCC Director have the ability to expand
operations to meet the needs of a growing RDCRC Network?
Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does the proposed plan provide unique features to support the RDCRN? Is there evidence of institutional support? Is the institutional leadership committed to this program and its goals in terms of providing specific assets specifically for the program, such as faculty support, specific equipment, dedicated space, or financial support as a few examples? Do the plans for integrating the activities of DMCC into the RDCRN give confidence and sufficient evidence that such efforts are likely to be effective? Are resources available from the institution to allow expansion of DMCC activities to accommodate growth of the RDCRC Network?
Progress for Renewal Applications:
2.A. Additional Review Criteria:
In addition to the above
criteria, the following items will continue to 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 the Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form
398).
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 will be assessed. Plans
for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated (see the
Research Plan, Section E on Human Subjects in the PHS Form 398).
2.B. Additional Review
Considerations
Budget: The reasonableness of the
proposed budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed
program. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of
the budget.
2.C. Resource Sharing
Plan(s)
When relevant, reviewers
will be instructed to comment on the reasonableness of the following Resource
Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of
resources. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed resource sharing
plan(s) into the determination of scientific merit or priority score, unless
noted otherwise in the FOA. Program staff within the IC will be responsible for
monitoring the resource sharing.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
N/A
Section
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review of
the application is completed, the Principal Investigator (DMCC Director) will
be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
If the application is under consideration for funding,
NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For
details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms
and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).
A formal notification in the form of a Notice
of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA
signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all
administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated
via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business
official (designated in item 12 on the Application Face Page). If a grantee is
not email enabled, a hard copy of the NoA will be mailed to the business
official.
Selection of an application for award is not an
authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the
NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the
extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section
IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and
cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of
the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II:
Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
The following Terms and
Conditions will be incorporated into the award statement and will be provided
to the Principal Investigator as well as to the appropriate institutional
official, at the time of award.
2.A. Cooperative Agreement
Terms and Conditions of Award
The following special
terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable OMB
administrative guidelines, HHS grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts
74 and 92 (Part 92 is applicable when State and local Governments are eligible
to apply), and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The administrative and funding instrument used for
this program will be the multiproject cooperative agreement (U54), an "assistance"
mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which
substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated
during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the
NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by
involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a
partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a
dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant
role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a
whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees
and the NIH as defined below.
2.A.1. Principal
Investigator Rights and Responsibilities
The Principal Investigator of DMCC will have the primary responsibility for defining the details of the project within the guidelines of the RFA-OD-08-002 and for performing the scientific activity, and agree to accept close coordination, cooperation, and participation of the NIH staff in those aspects of the scientific and technical management of the project described below. Specifically, awardees have primary responsibility as described below.
RDCRC Director and the DMCC Director (formerly DTCC Director)
The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortia Directors (RDCRC Directors) and Data Management and Coordinating Center Director (DMCC Director) are the persons responsible for the overall management of their RDCRC (Consortium) and coordination with the other Consortia. The relationship between the Consortia and the Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) should be one of equal partners in the Network. Each Consortium Director must devote at least 2.4 months/calendar year to this program.
Collaboration and Coordination
The collaboration between the DMCC and the investigators within each of the Consortia is necessary for the success of the Network.
Steering Committee Membership and Meeting Attendance
The DMCC Principal Investigator will be designated the DMCC Director. The DMCC Director will be a voting member of the Network Steering Committee and participate in all Committee activities and decisions including, but not limited to, conference calls and special subcommittees as may be necessary. The Steering Committee shall be responsible for determining the frequency of meetings and scheduling the time and location. The Steering committee will establish the procedures for the function of the Consortia network, as outlined in section "Steering Committee."
Data Coordination and Management and Sharing
The awardees will have primary rights to all data developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with HHS and NIH policies. The DMCC will develop a data management system with the input of the Steering Committee. All Consortia will place their data at the DMCC, which will also offer analysis expertise for Network investigators. The intention of the NIH is that the data collected within this Network will be become a resource for the Rare Disease Community and will be made available to the scientific community. Criteria and mechanisms for data sharing among investigators within the Network and with the scientific community will be developed by the Steering Committee.
Publication and Presentation of Study Findings
Early publication of major findings is encouraged. Publications and oral presentations of work performed under this agreement will require appropriate acknowledgment of the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network and NIH support. The Steering Committee will establish the procedures and criteria for presentation and publication of data developed within the Consortia Network.
Federally Mandated Regulatory Requirements
Each institution participating in the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network is required to meet DHHS regulations for the protection of human subjects and FDA requirements for the conduct of research using investigational agents. At a minimum, these include:
Awardees will
retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed
under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with
current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
2.A.2. NIH
Responsibilities
An
NIH Project Scientist from NINDS will have substantial programmatic
involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as
described below.
One
representative from ORD will be designated to serve as the Program Coordinator
for this cooperative
agreement. The ORD Program Coordinator and the NINDS Project Scientist will have substantial scientific/programmatic involvement during the conduct of this activity through technical assistance, advice and coordination above and beyond normal program stewardship for grants, as described below.
Steering Committee Membership and Meeting Attendance
The ORD Program Coordinator and the NINDS Project Scientist will serve on the Steering Committee and will participate in all Committee activities, including, but not limited to, meetings, conference calls, subcommittees, and special committees. They will assist in development of operating policies, quality control procedures, and policies that require cooperative action. However, while the ORD Program Coordinator and NINDS Project Scientist will attend Steering Committee Meetings, their cumulative votes may not exceed 33 percent.
Monitoring Performance
The ORD Program Coordinator and NINDS Project Scientist will assist the Steering Committee in the development of procedures for monitoring the performance of the DMCC. This includes participation in periodic on-site monitoring with respect to compliance with Network operations protocols and requirements. The NIH will also provide assistance to the DMCC in identifying technology resources, provide oversight of activities, including security and privacy issues.
Publication and Presentation of Clinical Studies Findings
The NIH staff may contribute, through review, comment, analysis, and/or co-authorship, to reporting results of the clinical studies and trials/studies to the investigator community and other interested scientific and lay organizations. Co-authorship by the NIH staff will be subject to approval in accordance with the NIH policies regarding staff authorship of publications resulting from extramural awards.
The Government, via the ORD Program Coordinator, NINDS Project Scientist and NINDS Program Official, will have access to data generated under this Cooperative Agreement and may periodically review the data and progress reports. Information obtained from the data may be used by NIH staff for the preparation of internal reports on the activities of the clinical studies. However, awardees will retain custody of and have primary rights to all data developed under these awards.
Normal Program Stewardship
In addition, an NINDS Program Official will be responsible for normal programmatic stewardship and monitoring of this award. The Program Official will not serve as the substantively involved NINDS Project Scientist. He/she may receive input and recommendations from other NIH staff in monitoring the award.
2.A.3.
Collaborative Responsibilities
All
investigators within each Consortium and the DMCC must be willing to work
cooperatively and collaboratively both within their consortium and with other
Consortia. Each Consortium is expected to send two Consortium
participants to three 2 day meetings in the first year to the Washington, D.C.
area and biannually thereafter.
Steering Committee
A Steering Committee will be established to serve as the main governing body of the cooperative network. At a minimum, the Steering Committee will be composed of one representative from each of the Consortia, one representative from the DMCC, the ORD Program Coordinator, and other participating IC Project Scientists. All members are expected to actively participate in all Steering Committee activities. The combined vote of NIH membership may never exceed 40 percent.
The Chairperson of the Steering Committee will be selected by the Steering Committee from among the non-Federal members during one of the early meetings of the Committee to be convened by the NIH Research Coordinator. All major decisions will be determined by the Steering Committee. The Committee will meet at least three times during the first 12 months of the program and at least semi-annually thereafter. As needed, the Steering Committee may establish subcommittees for special purposes. It is expected that most of the work of the Steering Committee will be performed in these subcommittees. All Consortia and the DMCC must abide by decisions of the Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee will have responsibility for facilitating the conduct of the clinical studies, promoting trans-Consortium collaboration, establishing and updating the content of the web resource site, and establishing procedures for reporting results of Consortium studies. The Steering Committee will provide scientific and technical assistance and guidelines with respect to quality control, uniformity of data collection, management of the collective rare diseases database, and data analysis.
Each full member
will have one vote. Awardee members of the Steering Committee will be required
to accept and implement policies approved by the Steering Committee.
2.A.4.
Arbitration Process
Any disagreements
that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the
award) between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to arbitration. An
Arbitration Panel composed of three members will be convened. It will have
three members: a designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff
voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant
area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement,
the first member may be chosen by the individual awardee. This special
arbitration procedure in no way affects the awardee's right to appeal an
adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulations
42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulations 45 CFR Part 16.
3. Reporting
Awardees will be
required to submit the PHS Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590
annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm)
and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Copies (paper or electronic) of publications (in press or in print) that are developed as a result of this support must be provided to NIH (ORD and relevant institute). NIH must be acknowledged by the awardee (via inclusion of grant number) as the source of support for the work in all publications and presentations.
NIH encourages all grantees to submit to the NIH National
Library of Medicine's (NLM) PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the
author's final manuscript upon acceptance for publication, resulting from
research supported, in whole or in part, from NIH. The author's final
manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication,
and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process (http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-022.html).
The Public Access website (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/)
provides instructions on submitting manuscripts.
Section VII. Agency Contacts
We
encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity 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:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
Direct inquiries regarding scientific/research and programmatic matters
to :
NINDS
Randall R. Stewart, Ph.D.
Program Director for Channels, Synapses and Circuits
SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Neuroscience Center, Room 2135
6001 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523
(For courier delivery: Rockville, MD 20852)
phone 301-496-1917
fax 301-402-1501
e-mail [email protected]
ORD
Issues that
remain after consultation with NINDS program staff that are not addressed in
this FOA may be addressed to:
David J. Eckstein, Ph.D.
Office of Rare Diseases
National Institutes of Health
6100 Executive Boulevard, 3B-01
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 7518
Telephone: (301) 402 4336
Fax: (301) 480 9655
Email: [email protected]
2. Peer Review Contacts:
J.
Fernando Arena, M.D., Ph.D.
Health of the Population (HOP) Integrated Review Group
Center for Scientific Review
6701 Rockledge Drive Room 3135, MSC 7770
Bethesda, MD 20892-7770 (20817) for overnight mail)
Telephone: (301) 435-1735
FAX: (301) 480-3962
Email: ail: [email protected]
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Tijuanna
Decoster
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 3258, MSC 9537
Bethesda, MD 20892-9537
Telephone: (301) 496-9231
Fax: (301) 402-0219
Email: [email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
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).
Data and Safety
Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety
monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic
toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II);
efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should
be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring
boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving
interventions that entail potential risks to the participants (NIH Policy for
Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research
Data:
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 or state why this is not
possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their
institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and 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.
Policy for Genome-Wide
Association Studies (GWAS):
NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association
studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and
disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this
policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic
variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic
associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the
presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of
the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to
provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the
repository is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access)
is governed by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or
Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-088.
For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to
support efforts that encourage sharing of important research resources
including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to
elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the
application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and
distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH
funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will
permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public
funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a
cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications
where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
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 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 funding opportunity 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.
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 (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 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 Clinical Research:
The NIH maintains a
policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included
in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are
scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.
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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
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 applications for research involving human subjects and
individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available 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 (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.
NIH Public Access Policy
Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH
Public Access Policy, investigators funded by the NIH must submit or have
submitted for them to the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), an
electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance
for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after
the official date of publication. The NIH Public Access Policy is
available at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html). For
more information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
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).
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. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, internet addresses
(URLs) must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal
articles. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation,
Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide any other information necessary for 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 FOA 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 Sections 301
and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and
under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. 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.
Loan Repayment
Programs:
NIH encourages
applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals
who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical,
pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas.
The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the
next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research
career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is
not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications
are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing
the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP
awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week
based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further
information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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