NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

o Hispanic-serving Institutions

o Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

o Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

o Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

o Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization 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.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Applications for the Coordinating Center grant may be submitted by individuals located at the same institution as an applicant for the Clinical Sites submitted under RFA-RM-17-019 - Clinical Sites for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) , or any of the Core Laboratory FOAs (RM-17-017 - Model Organisms Screening Center for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U54), RFA-RM-17-016 - "Sequencing Core(s) for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01), and RFA-RM-17-015 Metabolomics for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01), but an individual may not be the PD/PI of another UDN application and a Coordinating Center application.

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

Buttons to access the online ASSIST system or to download application forms are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

It is critical that applicants follow the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

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.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Anastasia L. Wise, PhD
National Human Genome Research Institute
Telephone: 301-480-3517
Email: [email protected]

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Facilities and Other Resources:

Applicants should describe the relevant institutional environments which would facilitate the effective implementation of the proposed program. Applicants should also describe existing or planned resources that would be available to the Coordinating Center, such as participating and affiliated institutions and units, geographic distribution of space and personnel, and consultative and statistical resources.

Other Attachments: Please include the following information as an "Other Attachment."

Sustainability Plan

Propose a plan for sustainability to include:

• Sustainability of the model proposed and maintaining UDN infrastructure support.
• Assessment of sustainability as NIH Common Fund funding ramps down.

In this FOA, as in all FOAs related to the UDN, applicants are encouraged to creatively engage the scientific and operational problems that need to be addressed for the UDN to be a sustainable success. NIH recognizes that the approach to diagnosis and investigation developed by the UDN in Phase I is only one model, albeit a successful one. New ideas and alternative approaches proposed by the Coordinating Center are sought to refine and enhance the care of patients and the science generated from careful study of their cases. Within the framework of this FOA, there are a variety of approaches to network assessment, sustainability, and function that may ultimately be adopted by the Steering Committee and UDN. Applicants should discuss alternatives, defend the approaches they favor, and describe their willingness to implement approaches agreed upon by the UDN as a whole to move towards a sustainable UDN after Common Fund support ends in FY22.

The Responsibilities of the UDN Coordinating Center are described in Section VI.2, Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Applicants should indicate their willingness to cooperate with other awardees in the development and design of research approaches, procedures, policies and strategies to be applied to this program. Applicants should also describe their ability to adapt to unique needs and unexpected circumstances that may arise as the UDN evolves towards sustainability and NIH Common Fund support ramps down to end in FY22.

Applicants should describe how they will work with the other members of the UDN Steering Committee (SC) to define a mode of operation that best matches the capabilities of the selected sites, within broad guidelines of parity, openness, cost-effectiveness, and timeliness as defined by the Steering Committee, the NIH, and its Consultants.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

The PD(s)/PI(s) should be well-established in clinical research and at least one must devote at least 3.6 person months (30% of full-time professional effort) to this Program.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Specific Aims

List each aim for the Coordinating Center and how it supports the Objectives of this Research Program as described in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description.

Research Strategy

Describe how the PD(s)/PI(s) will carry out the following responsibilities in the continuation or implementation of the UDN Coordinating Center:

• Proposing, in collaboration with UDN investigators, protocols and operating guidelines that will define common and sustainable approaches to participant selection, data collection, laboratory investigation, and ultimate diagnosis.
• Assisting UDN sites in refining and implementing the resulting consensus framework network-wide.
• Aiding Clinical Sites and Core Laboratories in rigorous collection of phenotypic, covariate, and exposure data, standardizing approaches, defining and monitoring data quality standards, and collecting short and long term follow-up data on outcomes.
• Planning for, establishing, and maintaining efficient data systems necessary for timely collection, submission, and analysis of high-quality phenotypic, exposure, genomic, and other specialized clinical and laboratory data.
• Providing statistical expertise and advice to the UDN Steering Committee regarding optimal approaches to the analysis of UDN data.
• Supporting investigators as needed in preparing abstracts, presentations, and publications and in assisting the UDN in making the public and professionals aware of the program.
• Managing interactions amongst sites, including logistics of consultants and UDN Steering Committee meetings, facilitating participant selection, and creating a secure mechanism for exchange of participant information and inter-site data management.
• Disseminating resulting data and protocols consistent with patient privacy, confidentiality, and existing regulations on management of health information (such as FISMA and HIPAA).
• Promoting collaboration and data sharing by posting data from all UDN participants (~400 affected cases) in relevant databases such as ClinVar, dbGaP, and PhenomeCentral per year, with potential ramp down FY20-FY22. Data from sequenced family members should also be deposited in relevant databases such as dbGaP.
• Plans to maintain, improve, and make sustainable the UDN Manual of Operations (https://undiagnosed.hms.harvard.edu/udn-manual-of-operations/).
• Applicants should describe plans to continue or create their proposed Coordinating Center and a sustainable UDN as a whole, including collaboration in central collection and distribution of inquiries across sites, sharing of chart review, potential use of special participant evaluations at specific Clinical Sites to take advantage of local expertise, creation of sites with specific disease-area interests and skills, and transfer of participants among Clinical Sites based upon expertise, interest and geographic proximity to the participant. Applicants proposing a new Coordinating Center should also describe plans for timely transition of data and operations without interruption in Coordinating Center functions to UDN participants and investigators.
• Applicants should describe plans to provide timely process and substantive data to the UDN Steering Committee to permit early identification of problems and to report progress on an annual basis to Program Consultants. Applications should include plans to work with the UDN Steering Committee on an as needed basis to monitor record keeping, timeliness and accuracy of data entry. Applicants should describe plans for maintaining the UDN Coordinating Center functions as Common Fund support ramps down. Similarly, the approaches to evaluating the UDN diagnostic approach to determine which components increase the likelihood of a diagnosis being reached should be described and changes to the current UDN Phase I model explored as appropriate (for new applicants, information on the current Phase I UDN model can be found in the UDN Manual of Operations: https://undiagnosed.hms.harvard.edu/udn-manual-of-operations/).

Integration and collaboration are essential tasks for all UDN investigators who are chosen to participate in Phase II. The following recommendations should be considered when describing the concept of the UDN Coordinating Center:

• Applicants should describe prior experience of the team as a whole in working as part of a research network or other collaborative activities to meet individual and group goals, including examples of prior collaborative efforts and/or participation in networks or consortia.
• Applicants should describe their group experience with a single IRB (or central IRB as referred to in Phase I of the UDN). The UDN will use a single IRB at the NIH to accelerate IRB approval of network-wide protocols.
• Applicants should indicate their willingness to cooperate with other awardees in the development and design of research approaches, procedures, policies and strategies to be applied to this program.
• Applicants should describe plans for identifying and solving operational problems involving recruitment, data collection, quality assurance and refinement of protocols and the UDN Manual of Operations. Applicants should suggest plans that will assist in developing collaborations between clinical and laboratory scientists both within and outside the UDN.
• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project.
• Applicants should detail their team's experience and expertise (describing the synergy and expertise of the team as a whole not duplicative of the information provided in individual biosketches), proposed approaches, and ideas for potential alternatives to performing the various Coordinating Center tasks of this FOA. Additional tasks that are not detailed here but, in the applicant’s view, are essential to UDN operations should be noted and potential approaches described.
• Applicants should describe their plans for coordinating, facilitating and supporting the activities of the UDN in collaboration with the other UDN investigators and NIH program officials. Variation in performance of the UDN sites is likely; applicants should describe their approach to monitoring site performance, anticipating and resolving emerging issues, and assisting any poorly-performing sites.
• Applicants should articulate their plans for collaboration with other UDN investigators in the design, modification, and assessment of sustainability for data collection and management including the creation and/or modification of data forms, web-based data submission, informed consent documents, Coordinating Center policies and procedures for data collection, management, quality control, storage, analysis and security. This work will involve process variables such as recruitment rates, timely and accurate submission of data by the UDN sites and scientific variables such as phenotype, genotype, other laboratory results, and environmental data. Applicants should also describe plans for Memoranda of Understanding or other sharing agreements potentially needed for data and sample sharing within and outside the UDN.
• Applicants should describe their plans for back-up systems robust enough to prevent loss of data following diverse natural and human causes should be described along with ability to meet FISMA moderate requirements.
• Applicants should describe their experience and plans for data collection at all levels of participant involvement including inquiries, medical chart reviews and formal, detailed evaluations.
• Applicants should describe plans for assessing the outcomes of the UDN model.

In Phase II the Coordinating Center will also be tasked with developing a resource for linking UDN participants with researchers, network-wide training support, award and monitoring of gene function studies, and exploring pilot studies for the UDN.

• Applicants should describe plans to address the challenges of integrating clinical and research data in a virtuous cycle and linking participants to research studies in a systematic fashion. Applicants should propose plans for linking UDN participants with researchers.
• Applicants should propose plans for a system for award of gene function studies to follow-up on variants identified in the UDN through sub-contracts including infrastructure to support access to the UDN data, methods for data sharing and to encourage integration of clinical and research data, and a process for review of research proposals.
• Applicants should propose plans for balancing funding allocated towards gene function studies and UDN operations.
• Propose plans for pilot studies to explore innovation and sustainability for the UDN, such as evaluating the components of the UDN that need to be sustained, piloting new cutting-edge research methods, and testing the infrastructure needed to transition the UDN to post-Common Fund funding.
• Plans to assess the sustainability of community support for linking UDN participants with researchers and gene function research studies.

Bioinformatics Plan

Propose a plan for bioinformatics analysis to include:

• Plans for how bioinformatics infrastructure and capabilities and computational resources in place (or readily obtainable) as described in Facilities and Other Resources will be leveraged.
• Bioinformatics approaches and innovation to provide the best utilization of the data produced by the UDN including innovative approaches capable of identifying rare and novel diagnoses.
• Plans to collaborate with the UDN sites to support development and dissemination of bioinformatics tools and resources within the UDN and to the scientific community. Describe expertise and services available at the Coordinating Center to facilitate development and sharing of bioinformatics approaches to improve the UDN model and its dissemination.

Assessment, Dissemination, Outreach, and Training

Propose a plan for assessment, dissemination, outreach, and training to include:

• Assessing and disseminating data, protocols, consent materials, and methods developed for or derived from the UDN within and outside the Network.
• Developing and implementing appropriate educational and outreach materials for participants, clinicians, and other researchers.
• Training activities to expose students, fellows, staff, and faculty to the UDN model.
• Adhering to policies regarding data access, publication, and intellectual property established by the NIH and the Steering Committee for the UDN.

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

• All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, should address a Data Sharing Plan.
• Applicants should also describe plans for sharing of software and analysis tools.

Letters of Support: Applicants and their institutions should indicate their willingness to participate in a network that uses a single IRB. Institutional commitments to sustaining the Coordinating Center functions beyond NIH Common Fund support should be clearly documented.

Appendix:

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing PHS Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Guidelines for Applicants Experiencing System Issues. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy.

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is there a strong scientific premise for the project? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Additionally, for this FOA: Will this project make a significant contribution to the overall goals and objectives of the UDN and assist in the diagnosis of participants who suffer from rare or yet to-be-described diseases? Will the Coordinating Center’s conceptual design and overall operating plan provide the required strategy and resources to advance the diagnoses of rare or yet to-be-described diseases?

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

Additionally, for this FOA: Have the PD(s)/PI(s) and research team participated as a Coordinating Center in any collaborative, multi-center networks and do they have a track record of coordinating, working collaboratively, and disseminating findings? Do the PD(s)/PI(s) have the appropriate experience in managing complex, multi-site projects involving teams of scientists? Do the PD(s)/PI(s) and research team have experience collecting, analyzing, and publishing phenotypic and genomic data?

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Additionally, for this FOA: As new technologies become available, is the research team poised to recognize when they are sufficiently developed and validated to be added to the UDN protocols? Are the bioinformatics approaches described innovative and likely to provide the best utilization of the data produced for the UDN? Will this research advance the use of genomics, related technologies and the use of common data elements and protocols in clinical management of patients with rare or as-yet-undescribed diseases?

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?

Additionally, for this FOA: Do the project plan and bioinformatics plan propose cutting edge, innovative approaches capable of identifying rare and novel diagnoses? Will the Coordinating Center’s conceptual design and overall operating plan effectively investigate the underlying pathogenicity of the UDN’s rare and yet to-be-described diseases? Will the Coordinating Center’s design and operating plan provide ample opportunity for collaboration, integration, and interaction within the UDN in order to diagnose participants and investigate UDN disease phenotypes? Are plans for assessment, dissemination, outreach, and training proposed and feasible? Is a sustainability plan proposed and feasible? Are the plans for developing a resource for linking UDN participants with researchers, award and monitoring of gene function studies, and exploring pilot studies for the UDN feasible and sustainable? Is the plan for balancing funding allocated towards gene function studies and UDN operations appropriate? For applicants proposing a new Coordinating Center, are plans for timely transition of data and operations without interruption in Coordinating Center functions to UDN participants and investigators feasible?

If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

Additionally, for this FOA: Are the resources, equipment, and infrastructure available and in place (or readily obtainable) to allow quick continuation of Coordinating Center functions? Are the bioinformatics infrastructure and capabilities and computational resources in place (or readily obtainable) and adequate to support the project? Are institutional resources and infrastructure being committed or leveraged? Are plans for sustaining essential Coordinating Center services once Common Fund support ends, presented and substantiated by clear institutional commitments?

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Not applicable

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period. For existing UDN sites, how productive have their sites been and have they demonstrated leadership and collaboration in network-wide efforts?

Not applicable

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: (1) Data Sharing Plan; (2) Sharing Model Organisms; and (3) Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS).

For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the Center for Scientific Review, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
• Will receive a written critique.

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Council of Human Genome Research Institute . The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
• Inclusion of diverse and under-served populations such as disadvantaged or non-European ancestry groups.
• Inclusion of diverse practice settings such as community hospitals, primary care practices, specialty groups, and military or Veterans Administration hospitals.
• Inclusion of diverse geographic sites throughout the United States.
• Balance of unique or specialized capabilities.
• Ability to maintain UDN operations without interruption in Coordinating Center functions to UDN participants and investigators
• Plans for sustainability.

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. 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.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website. This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

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 and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights law. This means that recipients of HHS funds must ensure equal access to their programs without regard to a person’s race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, sex and religion. This includes ensuring your programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research.

For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA. HHS provides general guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/laws/revisedlep.html. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/index.html; and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/index.html. Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html. Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/about/rgn-hqaddresses.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697. Also note it is an HHS Departmental goal to ensure access to quality, culturally competent care, including long-term services and supports, for vulnerable populations. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.

In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Part 75, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for the UDN will be the cooperative agreement, 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. Awardee will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under this award, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current DHHS, PHS, and NIH policies.

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:

• Determining research approaches, designing protocols, setting project milestones, and conducting research.
• Participating in group activities, including a network-wide Steering Committee and working groups as needed.
• Refining and implementing the resulting consensus framework at their UDN site and network-wide, in collaboration with the Clinical Sites and NIH UDP.
• Providing protocols, reports and data in a timely fashion as agreed upon by the Steering Committee.
• Collecting and compiling all data from UDN participants for quality control and compilation in a network-wide dataset to be made available to all Clinical Sites (including the NIH UDP), as agreed upon by the UDN Steering Committee, and deposited in database repositories such as dbGaP.
• Preparing abstracts, presentations and publications and collaborating network-wide in making the public and professionals aware of the program.
• Assessing and disseminating data, protocols, consent materials, and methods developed for or derived from the UDN within and outside the Network.
• Developing and implementing appropriate educational materials for participants, clinicians, and other researchers.
• Adhering to policies regarding data access, publication, and intellectual property established by the NIH and the UDN Steering Committee.
• Abiding by common definitions, protocols, and procedures, as chosen by majority vote of the UDN Steering Committee.
• Accepting and complying with study policies established by NIH and with additional non-conflicting policies approved by the UDN Steering Committee.
• Submitting periodic progress reports in a standard format, as agreed upon by the Steering Committee and Common Fund UDN Working Group.
• Attending and participating in UDN Steering Committee meetings and accepting and implementing decisions by the Common Fund UDN Working Group, as appropriate.

NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:

The Project Scientist(s) will have substantial scientific and programmatic involvement during the conduct of this activity through technical assistance, advice, and coordination. However, the role of NIH staff will be to facilitate and not to direct the activities. It is anticipated that decisions in all activities will be reached by consensus of the UDN and that NIH staff will be given the opportunity to offer input to this process. The Project Scientist(s) will participate as members of the Steering Committee and will have one vote. The Project Scientist(s) will have the following substantial involvement:

• Participating with the other UDN Steering Committee members in addressing issues that arise with UDN planning, operation, assessment, and data analysis. The Project Scientist(s) will assist and facilitate the group process and not direct it.
• Serving as a liaison, helping to coordinate activities, including acting as a liaison to other NIH Institutes/Centers, and as an information resource for the awardees. The Project Scientist(s) will also help coordinate the efforts of the UDN with other groups conducting similar efforts.
• Attending all Steering Committee meetings as a voting member and all Working Group meetings, assisting in developing operating guidelines, quality control procedures, and consistent policies for dealing with situations that require coordinated action. The Project Scientist(s) will be responsible for working with the grantee as needed to manage the logistic aspects of the UDN.
• Reporting periodically on UDN progress to the Common Fund UDN Working Group and through it to the NIH Common Fund and to the National Advisory Council of Human Genome Research Institute.
• Serving on subcommittees of the Steering Committee and Working Groups as appropriate.
• Assisting awardees in the development, if needed, of policies for dealing with situations that require coordinated action.
• Providing advice in the management and technical performance of the award.
• Assisting in promoting the availability of the data and related resources developed in the course of this program to the scientific community at large.
• Participating in data analyses, interpretations, and, where warranted, co-authorship of the publication of results of studies conducted through the program.
• Other NIH Common Fund UDN Working Group staff may assist the awardee as designated by the Program Official.

Additionally, an agency program official or IC program director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice. The assigned Program Official may also serve as an NIH Working Group Project Scientist(s) to assist the awardee.

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

Close interaction among the participating investigators will be required, as well as significant involvement from the NIH, to manage, assess, and disseminate the UDN model. The awardees and the Project Scientist(s) will meet in person with the program Steering Committee on a quarterly schedule during the first year of Phase II UDN operations and subsequently three times per year and monthly on conference calls as needed to share information on data resources, methodologies, analytical tools, as well as data and preliminary results. PDs/PIs, key co-investigators and pre- and post-doctoral trainees, especially those who are members of under-represented minority groups or those from different but related disciplines, are eligible to attend these meetings.

The Steering Committee will serve as the main scientific body of the program. The Steering Committee will be responsible for coordinating the activities being conducted by the program. The Steering Committee membership will include PD(s)/PI(s) of each Clinical Site and the Coordinating Center award, the PD(s)/PI(s) of the Metabolomics Core, Model Organisms Screening Center, and Sequencing Core(s), other staff as needed (ex-officio) and the NIH Project Scientist(s). The Steering Committee may add additional members, and other government staff may attend the Steering Committee meetings as desired. Each Clinical Site (including the UDP), the Coordinating Center, the Metabolomics Core, the Model Organisms Screening Center, and the Sequencing Core(s) will have one vote and the NIH Program Scientist(s) together will have one vote.

The Steering Committee may establish working groups as needed to address particular issues, which will include representatives from the program and the NIH and possibly other experts. The UDN Steering Committee will have the overall responsibility of assessing and prioritizing the progress of the various working groups and other needed subcommittees.

The Coordinating Center Awardee agrees to work collaboratively to:

• Assist in refining a common approach to participants with Undiagnosed Diseases.
• Participate in network-wide processes for participant selection and assignment to specific Clinical Site for evaluation.
• Provide for secure, accurate and timely data submission.
• Participate in presenting and publishing new processes and substantive findings
• Assess and disseminate the UDN model.
• Participate in the governance of the UDN as a member of the Steering Committee.
• Interact with other relevant NHGRI and NIH activities, as needed, to promote synergy and consistency among similar projects.

Dispute Resolution:

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 Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution 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 dispute resolution procedure does not alter the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and DHHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 Award Term and Conditions for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)

Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and application packages)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726

Email: [email protected]

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)

Telephone: 301-945-7573

Anastasia L. Wise, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-480-3517
Email: [email protected]

James J. Li, PhD
NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Telephone: 301-806-8065
Email: [email protected]

Lisa Oken
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-594-5250
Email: [email protected]

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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 Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 75.