and Human Services (HHS)
EXPIRED
Part I Overview Information
Department of Health and Human Services
Issuing OrganizationComponents
of Participating Organizations
National Center for
Research Resources (NCRR), (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov)
Announcement Type
New
Request for Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-RR-09-007
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
A list of Frequently Asked Questions and information concerning frequently asked questions as well as information about a web seminar to answer questions from potential applicants can be found at http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/recovery.
Table of Contents
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism 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, Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter
of Intent
B. Sending an Application to the
NIH
C. Application Processing
D. Application Assignment
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements and Information
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
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contacts
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 Recovery Act appropriated $1.0B for grants or contracts under section 481A of the Public Health Service Act to construct, repair, or renovate existing non-Federal research facilities. In addition, the Recovery Act appropriated $300M for shared instrumentation and other capital research equipment. The availability of renovated facilities and the next generation of instruments will speed the translation of basic research to treatments and cures. These purchases and renovations are expected to stimulate the economy by creating and/or maintaining American jobs. Applications with little or no effect on American jobs are not likely to be funded. Furthermore, it is expected that green technologies and design approaches will be employed when possible. When preparing an application, the impact of the renovations or the equipment on the environment must be considered.
Four related FOAs have been released in response to the Recovery Act, two for instrumentation and two that allow construction, renovations and repairs to extramural facilities.
For shared instruments in the range of $100,000 to $500,000, apply using PAR-09-028 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-028.html).
For instruments in the range of $600,000 to $8M, apply using the high end instrumentation FOA PAR-09-118. Note that the upper limit for funds requested in the high end instrument program has been significantly raised.
To renovate or repair core facilities respond to this FOA. Funds requested under that FOA can range from $1M to $10M.
To make major alterations and renovations to existing buildings, add to existing buildings, complete uninhabitable shell space in existing buildings, or construct new facilities respond to RFA-RR-09-008. Funds requested under that FOA can range from $2M to $15M.
New construction or activities that would change the footprint of an existing facility (e.g. relocation of exterior walls, roofs, floors, or the attachment of fire escapes) are not supported under this FOA.
The biomedical and behavioral research community needs broad access to technologies that facilitate the research enterprise. Core facilities are key components in support of that access. At some research institutions, multiple similar core facilities have been established over time. In some cases, these facilities are currently fully utilized and/or the cores provide specialized services to subsets of the research community on campus. In other cases, core consolidation could create a more robust core facility for the institution. This FOA is meant to support core alterations and renovations in either situation.
In addition to funds for alterations and renovations, this FOA anticipates support for general equipment for core facilities. Such equipment could include autoclaves, dishwashers, cold rooms or other common general equipment. Equipment that is needed by a particular community of researchers who may not be served by an existing core facility also can be requested. Examples include dental chairs, dental lighting, core clinical instruments, dental instrument sterilization bays, or digital radiographic capabilities to serve the needs of dental and craniofacial researchers. Equipment needed by researchers in other areas such as, but not limited to, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professions also can be requested. Specialized equipment that costs more than $100,000 such as mass spectrometers, confocal microscopes, or magnetic resonance imagers may not be requested in this FOA. Such requests should be submitted to one of the equipment FOAs discussed above.
The acquisition and installation of fixed equipment such as casework, fume hoods, large autoclaves, upgrading HVAC systems for the research areas, cage washers, animal ventilated racks, static racks, downdraft tables, sterilizing equipment, and other large equipment that are connected to building structure and services, or biological safety cabinets are allowed. However, any equipment requested need not be built into the wall of the core facility.
For High-Technology Equipment: The planning for and inclusion of new or unique medical and scientific technology, such as linear accelerators, positron emission tomography, and lithotripsy, may require special consultants. The design must be developed to reflect the equipment selection, as well as recommendations and guidance of the respective manufacturers.
For Magnetic Resonance Imaging Facilities: The planning, design, and installation of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system in a facility requires extreme care to
ensure that the magnet is sufficiently isolated from ferromagnetic and radio frequency influences of the impacted environment and that the surrounding environment is isolated from the effects of the magnetic field. Selection of the proper location for the magnet is extremely important and must be addressed in the earliest stages of planning and designing the MRI system. The specific guidance of the manufacturer of the selected equipment must be followed. Consultants should be used to verify specific requirements.
No facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or continuation costs will be awarded. The NIH reserves the right to conduct site visits when deemed essential. This may include site visits during the application/proposal evaluation process and/or visits during the renovation at the completion of the project.
Sustainable Design
In keeping with requirements for federally funded facilities, grantees are encouraged to implement the following listed primary elements of sustainable design in federally funded facilities. Sustainability is the outcome of an integrated process of facility development and operation incorporating a balance of life-cycle cost, environmental impact and occupant health and safety, security, and productivity. At a minimum, the following primary elements of sustainable design shall be considered in all projects.
1 Integrated design.
2 Commissioning.
3 Optimization of energy performance.
4 Energy efficiency.
5 Measurement and verification.
6 Protection and conservation of water.
7 Indoor water.
8 Outdoor water.
9 Enhancement of indoor environmental quality.
10 Ventilation and thermal comfort.
11 Moisture control.
12 Day lighting.
13 Low-emitting materials.
14 Protection of indoor air quality during renovation.
15 Reducing the environmental impact of materials.
16 Maximizing recycled and bio-based content.
17 Construction waste reuse and recycling.
18 Minimizing use of ozone depleting compounds.
In addition to incorporating the primary elements of improvements and repair projects, all improvements and repair projects, that have a total project cost equal to or greater than $10M and/or impacting 40% or more of the overall floor area, must obtain certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or the Green Building initiative’s Green Globes System Certification rating system.
If the project cannot meet the minimum requirements for certification of the design or construction under LEED or Green Globes, the awardee can request a variance.
Sustainable Design References
Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Policy for Sustainable and High Performance Buildings. December 2007. http://www.hhs.gov/asam/ofmp/hiperfbldngpol.pdf
Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Real Property Asset Management Plan. http://www.hhs.gov/asam/ofmp/ramp.doc
Executive Order 13101: Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisitionhttp://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=1998_register&docid=fr16se98-113.pdf
Executive Order 13123: Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=1999_register&docid=fr08jn99-171.pdf
Executive Order 13134: Developing and Promoting Biobased Products
and Bioenergy.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/1999.html#13134
Executive Order 13148: Greening the Government through Leadership in Environmental Management. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=fr26ap00-129.pdf
OMB Circular A-11, Section 55-Energy and Transportation Efficiency
Management.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a11/current_year/s300.pdf#search=%22
OMB%20Circular%20A-11%20Part%207%22
OMB Circular A-11, Part 7
(Section 300), Planning, Budgeting, Acquisition, and Management of Capital
Assets.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a11/current_year/s300.pdf#search=%22
OMB%20Circular%20A-11%20Part%207%22
The Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, Memorandum of Understanding. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/Guiding_Principles.pdf
Green Building Initiative Green Globes System. http://www.thegbi.org
US Green Building Council. http://www.usgbc.org
Whole Building Design Guide http://www.wbdg.org
Funds for alterations and renovations over $500,000 are considered major alterations and renovations and must follow the terms in Part II of the NIH Grants Policy Statement for Construction Grants. For this reason, the word construction appears in this FOA. However, no new construction will be supported under this FOA.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
1. Mechanism of Support
This FOA will use the G20 award mechanism. The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts (see SF424 (R&R) Application Guide).
2. Funds Available
The Recovery Act has made $1.0B available for grants or contracts under section 481A of the Public Health Service Act to construct, repair or renovate existing non-Federal research facilities. Those funds will be allocated to awards under this FOA and RFA RR-08-008.
In addition, the Recovery Act has made $300M available for shared instrumentation and other capital research equipment. Those funds will be allocated to equipment requested under this FOA, to equipment requested under the high end instrumentation program, PAR-09-118, and to equipment requested under the shared instrument program (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-028.html).
The expected direct cost amount for individual awards under this FOA is between $1M and $10M.
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) designate support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
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.
Funds for alteration and renovation will not be released under an award until final architectural drawings, specifications, and updated cost estimates are approved by NCRR. Funds for design and funds for equipment are available upon receipt of the Notice of Award (NoA).
The grantee is required to begin the design phase immediately upon receipt of the notice of grant award. Initial Schematic Designs must be submitted to NCRR no later than 4 months following the receipt of the Notice of Award. The NCRR expects to review those documents in 4 weeks or less. Design Develop documentation, incorporating comments from the review of the initial Schematic Design, must be received within 8 months of the release of the Notice of Award. NCRR expects to review those documents in 4 weeks or less. The final Construction Document is due no later than 14 months following the release of the Notice of Award. Following approval of the final construction document, all funds will be released. All funds must be obligated within 5 years from the initial date of award.
The Schematic Design documents shall include a complete description of all systems proposed for the project. This is to include updated design criteria, methodology, redundancy, key features, and preliminary equipment sizes based on building gross square feet area. Updated system diagrams for all systems shall also be included. In addition, a copy of updated calculations and updated cost estimate shall be included.
The Design Development documents shall include an updated description of all systems proposed for the project. This is to include updated design criteria, methodology, redundancy, key features, and equipment sizes based on room by room calculations. A copy of all calculations shall be included in this submittal. Updated system diagrams for all systems and utilities shall also be included. These diagrams shall include preliminary sizing of all pipe and ductwork mains. In addition, the following must be included in this submission: copy of all heating and cooling load calculations, building energy model and life-cycle cost analysis, updated cost estimate, outline specifications, preliminary renovation phasing plans, ductwork and piping floor plans with sizing for all mains in every area of the building, equipment layout, control diagrams, equipment details, room pressurization analysis, control diagrams, draft specification sections for all equipment and work including controls and commissioning, and other documents indicated in other sections of this document.
The final Construction Documents shall include: a copy of final room by room ventilation calculations, heating and cooling load calculations including all equipment sizing calculations, final energy model and life cycle analysis report, complete and fully sized riser diagrams and system diagrams for all systems and utilities, fully sized piping and ductwork floor plans, equipment lay out and details, control diagrams, final pressurization analysis, renovation phasing plans, final specifications including controls and commissioning, final cost estimate, and any other relevant documents.
At each of these design review stages, two hard copies of the documentation as well as an electronic copy must be submitted. Grantees may submit multiple stages (Schematic Design together with Design Development or Design Development together with Construction Design) at their own risk if this would expedite the review process. Advertisement for renovation bids and renovation may be initiated only after receipt of approval for the final construction documents from NCRR.
Early in the design process, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the "NIH Grants Policy Statement," which is available online at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part9.htm#_Toc5460015 5.) The sections related to public policy requirements and construction (i.e., Part III) are particularly relevant. The Policies and Guidelines documents from the NIH Office of Research Facilities are also helpful. http://orf.od.nih.gov/PoliciesAndGuidelines/FacilitiesPoliciesandGuidelines/default.htm
Section III. Eligibility InformationThe following organizations/institutions are eligible to apply:
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI 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.
The PD/PI must be a highly placed institutional individual who has responsibility for the allocation of space for biomedical and behavioral research and research training, e.g. Dean, Provost, Center or Institute Director, etc.
Only one PD/PI may be designated on the application.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility CriteriaNumber of Applications. An institution is defined as an organization with a separate IPF code identifier. Each institution is expected to submit no more than two applications under this FOA, provided each application is distinct
Resubmissions. Resubmission applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Renewals. Renewal applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.
Section IV. Application and Submission InformationTo
download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, use the Apply for
Grant Electronically button in this FOA or link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow
the directions provided on that Web site.
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PDs/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Registered
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Both the PDs/PI and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.
Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.
1. Request Application InformationNote: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.
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 SubmissionPrepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. Some fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application has several components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in the following components:
Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Budget
Information for Construction Programs (SF-424)
PHS398
Cover Page Supplement
PHS398
Checklist
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
See Section IV.3.A. for details.
3.A.
Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening
Date: August 17, 2009
(Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Application
Due Date(s): September 17, 2009
Peer
Review Date(s): February 2010
Council
Review Date(s): May 2010
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 2010
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is not required for the funding opportunity.
3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH
To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow Steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
3.C. Application ProcessingOnce an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any errors have been addressed, and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two weekdays (Monday Friday, excluding Federal holidays) to view the application image to determine if any further action is necessary.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the CSR and responsiveness by the IC. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.
There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR/SO receives the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR/SO and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.
Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on the application status in the Commons.
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.
4. Intergovernmental ReviewThis initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
5. Funding RestrictionsAll 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. 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 renewal award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project, and 2) 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 renewal 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 the NIH Grants Policy Statement).PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
The NIH requires the PD(s)/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the PROFILE Project Director/Principal Investigator section, Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component.
Organizational DUNS
The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Research & Related Senior/Key Person Component
Include information about the PD/PI, the core facility director, the project manager, and any other key persons in this component. G20 applications must specify a Facilities Person in the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile component or applicant will receive the following error message: A Facilities Person must be identified for this application. Please provide the information for this person after the PD/PI on the Senior/Key Person page. Specify a project role of Other or Other Professional , and an Other Project Role Category of Facilities Person .
Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF-424C)
You MUST provide an entry for the Total Estimated Project Funding , Total Federal and non-Federal Funds (both non-zero), and Estimated Program Income , all on the SF 424 RR Cover. (If the non-Federal funds are truly zero, enter $1).
Project Narrative Sections
Page limitations of the Project Narrative Sections are listed below. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
PROJECT NARRATIVE (assemble in order shown below): The entire Specific Aims, Background, and Renovation and/or Equipment plans are limited to twenty pages. Line drawings and tables do not count toward this limit. Upload this information using the Project Narrative Attachment in the Other Project Information Component.
Specific Aims: This section must not exceed one page. The Specific Aims should (1) summarize any request for alterations and renovation including the associated square footage and (2) list all requested equipment.
Background: The Background and Significance section must not exceed three pages. This section must:
(1) Identify the similar core facilities and provide information about the usage of these facilities. This can be done in a table or in a bulleted list. If more than one similar core facility exists at the institution, include a justification for keeping these cores separate.
(2) The overall management of core facilities at the institution must be described, and a discussion of how this proposal fits into that overall vision must be included.
(3) Describe past institutional support of this core facility. This might include support for technicians, equipment purchased by the institution, support for core director, and previous alterations and renovations supported by the institution.
Renovation and/or Equipment Plans: The Renovation/Equipment Plan can be up to 16 pages (or more) as long as the number of pages in the Specific Aims, Background, and Renovation/Equipment sections totals no more than 20 pages. The page limits in this section do NOT include the requested tables or line drawings.
Significance and Need: Begin with two tables containing (1) active and (2) pending grants (from the NIH and other sources) that will be affected by the core renovation. These tables should have the following columns: grant title, principal investigator, grant number, funding source, annual amount of funding, start and end dates. These tables do not count toward the page limits.
Describe the current status of the core (age of equipment, how the core is managed, deficiencies in the current core, and number of users). Describe how the requested alterations and renovations will correct these deficiencies and problems. Explain how the proposed improvements will expand, improve, or maintain existing research and research support activities. Describe the modifications to the existing facility to accommodate the proposed functions and the requested equipment. Future scientific needs that would be accommodated as part of the improvement also should be described.
Project Management and Institutional Commitment: Describe the administrative structure and oversight for the project. Describe the ongoing institutional commitment to the core facility.
Design Considerations: If alterations and renovations are requested use this subsection to list in tabular format the size (dimensions) and square footage of each component (e.g., room, alcove, cubicle, laboratory etc.) that will be directly affected by the renovation project.
Engineering Criteria: Provide information about the mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and utilities in each component. Include information about the number of air changes per hour, electrical power, light levels, hot and cold water, steam, MEP requirements, fire protection requirements, biohazard and radiation safety requirements, chemicals used, major scientific equipment to be installed including environmental rooms, density of fume hoods, building population, number of workstations, security/surveillance and building automation systems.
Architectural Criteria: Provide architectural criteria such as the width of corridors and doors and surface finishes. Architectural criteria should also address quality of life issues (e.g. natural lighting, noise, vibration), a planning module (laboratory neighborhood concepts, central support core concepts, material management), and planning concepts and functional relationships and zoning of the renovated area. Sufficient information must be provided to allow the evaluation of plans for BSL-3/ABSL-3 designs, animal facility designs, and designs for clinical facilities.
Line Drawings: Include floor plans for alterations and renovations. The line drawings must fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Do not submit blueprints. All floor plans must be legible with the scale clearly indicated. The floor plans must indicate the location of equipment and illustrate safety clearances and workspace. If applicable, submit both existing and proposed drawings. The drawings should indicate size dimensions, function, and the net and gross square feet for each room. The total net and gross square feet of space to be renovated should also be given. The plan should indicate the location of the proposed renovation area in the existing building. Changes or additions to existing mechanical and electrical systems should be clearly described in notes made directly on the plan or attached to the plan. The line drawings must indicate egress routes. The drawings must indicate the functional layout of the proposed facility showing the location of entries and exits, clearances, and the location of fixed equipment. The line drawings do not count toward the page limits. Note that applications over 40 pages (including Tables and Line Drawings) will receive the following warning (but not an error): The Program Narrative (Other Project Information, Project Narrative attachment) is limited to 40 pages.
Equipment: List and justify all equipment, fixed and movable. Equipment should be relevant to the operation of the core and should serve an identified user group. Information such as the manufacturer, model number, size, capacity, total cost, and location in the core facility should be included. Quotes for equipment should be provided in the Other Attachments section below; these quotes should not contain service contracts.
Project
Timeline: Show plans to complete the project within three years
following the approval of designs.
OTHER ATTACHMENTS
In the Other Attachments section, include the following, each as a separate attachment. NOTE: Each attachment must be given a file name using the headings below (e.g., Environmental_Analysis_Form).
(1) Environmental Analysis Form (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/resinfra/environmental_Analysis_Form.pdf ).
(2) Budget Justification and Vendor Quotes: The next attachment should be all vendor quotes and the budget justification. A justification must be provided for each piece of equipment.
(3) Certification of Title to Site: Applicants must include a legal opinion describing the interest the applicant has in the performance site. The legal opinion should describe any mortgages or other foreclosable liens on the property, including the principal amount of the mortgage (and rate of interest); the dates of the mortgage; the terms and conditions of repayment; the appraised value of the property; and any provisions designed to protect the Federal interest in the property. The facility must be utilized for biomedical or behavioral research purposes for which it was improved for at least 10 years beginning on the date of beneficial occupancy of the space. Any lease agreement must cover a time period sufficient for the usage requirement and be a minimum of 10 years in length from the completion of the facility.
(4) In a separate brief attachment, applicants must include an estimate of the number of American jobs that are expected to be created or maintained by this project. In this document, applicants must also briefly summarize their plans to implement green/sustainable design principals.
The following documents are likely to be useful when responding to this FOA.
NIH Grants Policy Statement (03/01/01) Part II- Subpart B (construction grants) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part9.htm#_Toc54600155.
Please refer to this document for a representative list of allowable and unallowable costs.
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, CDC/NIH, 5th Edition, http://www.cdc.gov/OD/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/bmbl5toc.htm. Appendix A is particularly useful.Information about the Select Agent Rule and related matters. http://www.selectagents.gov/
NIH Model Commissioning guide http://des.od.nih.gov/eWeb/research/farhad2/Commissioning/nih_cx_guide/ComGuideTitle.htm
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating "Just-in-Time" information concepts, and with the following additional requirements:
Appendix Materials
This FOA does not allow appendix material. Additional supplementary material will not be accepted after the receipt of the application.
Resource Sharing Plan(s)
Not applicable to the G20 mechanism.
Section V. Application Review InformationOnly the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection ProcessAs part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:
Applications submitted in response to this FOA will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The mission of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system. Applications will receive a priority score based, among other pertinent factors, including those below, on the following criteria: (1) The scientific merit of the total program and its component parts to be carried out in the facility; (2) The administrative and leadership capabilities of the applicant's officers and staff;(3) The organization of the applicant's research program and its relationship with the applicant's overall research programs; (4) The anticipated effect of the project on other relevant research programs and facilities in the geographic area, and nationwide; (5) The need for the project or additional space; and (6) The project cost and design.
Overall Impact. Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the institution involved. Reviewers will consider the criteria listed below. Major strengths and weaknesses will be summarized based on these criteria.
Significance and Need. Is there sufficient justification for improving this core facility? To what extent will the proposed change in the research environment facilitate the applicant institution’s ability to conduct, expand, improve, or maintain biomedical or behavioral research? Does the proposed A&R increase efficiency in the use of energy, water, or materials to reduce adverse impacts on the environment?
Project Management and Institutional Commitment. Is the administrative approach to managing the core facility appropriate? Does the core facility manager have the ability to interact with appropriate institutional officials to see that the ongoing needs of the core are satisfied?
Personnel. Does the PD/PI have the scientific and fiscal administration skills necessary to complete this project on time and within budget? Is the administrative approach to managing the core facility appropriate? Does the project manager(s) have the appropriate experience and background suited to the proposed project?
Design Considerations. Does the plan indicate the proposed renovation area in the building, including associated room adjacencies, traffic patterns for the movement of people, animals, and materials (clean and dirty) through the facility, and relative location of needed ancillary areas (e.g. changing rooms for animal facilities)? Are the total net and gross square feet of space to be renovated provided? Does the design implement sustainable design principals? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented?
Engineering Criteria: Do the engineering criteria include information about the mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems, and utilities in the renovation? Are the number of air changes per hour, electrical power, light levels, hot and cold water, and steam appropriate for the project?
Architectural Criteria: Are the architectural criteria such as the width of corridors and doors and surface finishes appropriate for the project?
Line Drawings: Is the function of the space indicated? Do the line drawings indicate the size dimensions, function, and net and gross square feet for each component? Are the line drawings at a scale adequate to explain the project? Do the plans indicate the changes to be made to the space? Are changes or additions to existing mechanical and electrical systems clearly described and adequate to the project? Are the line drawings drawn to scale to indicate adjacencies and operational relationships of equipment? Is the location of major equipment, fume hoods, sinks, showers, and other major items indicated in the drawings? Are areas to be demolished indicated?
Equipment: Are requests for equipment justified? Will the requested equipment remedy identified deficiencies or fill gaps in the core facility? Will the requested equipment serve an identified user group? Is the location of the equipment indicated in the line drawings?
Timeline: Are the proposed timeline and sequence of construction reasonable?
Environment. Is the institution committed to using the renovated space for biomedical or behavioral research? Does the institution have a history of adequate support for this core facility? Has the institution provided evidence of future commitments to this core facility? Has the institution provided evidence that it will be able to provide the resources to complete this project on time and within budget?
Additional Review Criteria. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and technical merit, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Biohazards. 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.
Additional Review Considerations. As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Budget and Period Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget, vendor quotes, and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed project.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award DatesNot Applicable
Section VI. Award Administration InformationA 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.
The terms of the NoA will reference the requirements of the Recovery Act.
In addition to the standard NIH terms of award, all funding provided under the Recovery Act will be subject to the HHS Standard Terms and Conditions for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The full text of these terms approved for NIH awards can be found in the following document: Standard Terms and Conditions for AARA Awards.
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 Section IV.5.,
Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
The NIH Extramural Developing and Improving Institutional Animal Resources grant (G20) requires all funds to be obligated within three years after the design phase is concluded.
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.In particular, the Public Policy Requirements for Construction Awards set forth in the NIH Grants Policy Statement apply to all awards under this FOA. Those requirements include but are not limited to:
1 Elimination of Architectural Barriers to the Handicapped: The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended, the Federal Property Management Regulations 101-19.6 (41 CFR 101-19.6), and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards issued by the General Services Administration (41 CFR 101-19.6, Appendix A) set forth requirements to make facilities accessible to, and usable by, the physically handicapped and include minimum design standards. All new facilities constructed with NIH grant support must comply with these requirements.
2 Historic Properties/Archaeological Sites: under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, and the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1960, as amended, the Secretary of the Interior has compiled a National Register of Historic Places sites and buildings of significant importance to U.S. history. The statutes require that, before approval of a construction grant application (or other applications as specified by NIH), NIH take into account the effect on these sites of the proposed construction (or other) project. The applicant must determine whether activities using NIH financial assistance will affect a property listed in the National Register. If a designated historic property will be affected, the applicant must obtain clearance from the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office before submitting the application. Failure to obtain this clearance will delay NIH action on an application.
3 National Environmental Policy Act (including Public Disclosure): The NIH shall determine the amount of review, if any, required under NEPA to assess the potential environmental impacts of the actions taken under the grant. If NEPA applies, the application must be accompanied by the applicant’s own separately bound environmental analysis to facilitate review and evaluation for environmental concerns before approval or other action on the application. The NIH shall inform the grantee what additional reviews, if any, are required.
4 Flood Insurance: The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended (Public Law 93-234), provides that no Federal financial assistance to acquire, modernize, or construct property may be provided in identified flood-prone communities in the United States, unless the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and flood insurance is purchased within 1 year of the identification. The flood insurance purchase requirement applies to both public and private applicants for NIH support.
5 Clean Air and Clean Water Act: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. and EO 11738 provide for the protection and enhancement of the quality of the nation’s air resources to promote public health and welfare and for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation s waters.
6 Safe Drinking Water Act: 42 U.S.C. 300h-3 provides for the protection of underground sources of drinking water that have an aquifer, which is the sole source of drinking water. Specifically, no grant may be entered into for any project that the EPA Administrator determines may contaminate such aquifer.
Immediately upon completion of the alteration and renovation, the grantee shall, at a minimum, provide the same type of insurance coverage as it maintains for other property it owns, consistent with the minimum coverage specified in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
3. ReportingThe funds to support this FOA have been made available under the Recovery Act. Grantees must comply with the requirements set forth in the Recovery Act, including, but not limited to, the reporting requirements described in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act, as well as applicable OMB guidance regarding the use of Recovery Act funds.
To protect the Federal interest in real property that has been has undergone major renovation with NIH grant funds, grantees shall record a Notice of Federal Interest (NFI) in the appropriate official records of the jurisdiction in which the property is located. The time of recordation shall be when renovation begins. Fees charged for recording the NFI may be charged to the grant.
An annual progress report is required for the 10 years of Federal interest in the facility as a condition of the award and must include a list of publications "originating from the use" of this project facility. This list should be limited to those scientific papers acknowledging NCRR support including grant numbers. Failure to comply with the 10-year utilization requirement will result in recovery of the Federal Share of funds used to renovated the facility in accordance with Title VII of the Recovery Act and 45 CFR 74.32.
In addition, grantees must comply with the requirements set forth in the Recovery Act, including, but not limited to, the quarterly reporting requirements of Section 1512 of the Recovery Act as specified in HHS Standard Terms and Conditions for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The full text of these terms approved for NIH awards can be found at the following document: Standard Terms and Conditions for AARA Awards.
Recovery Act-related reporting requirements will be incorporated as a special term of award.
A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required when an award is relinquished or when an award is terminated.
Section VII. Agency ContactsWe 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 (program), peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s):Direct inquiries about scientific and programmatic issues to:
Willie
D. McCullough, Ph.D.
Division
of Research Infrastructure
National Center for Research
Resources
Democracy
One, Room 940
6701
Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Telephone:
(301) 435-0766
Fax:
(301) 480-3770
Email:
[email protected]
Direct inquiries about project design issues to:
Esmail
Torkashvan, P.E.
Division
of Research Infrastructure
National Center for Research
Resources
Democracy
One, Room 928
6701
Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Telephone:
(301) 435-0766
Fax:
(301) 480-3770
Email:[email protected]
2. Peer Review Contact(s):
Barbara
J. Nelson, Ph.D.
Office
of Review
National Center for Research
Resources
Democracy
One, Room 1080
6701
Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Telephone:
(301) 435-0806
Fax:
(301) 480-3660
Email:
[email protected]
Irene
Grissom
Office
of Grants Management
National Center for Research
Resources
Democracy
One, Room 1036
6701
Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874
Telephone:
(301) 435-0836
Fax:
(301) 480-3777
Email:
[email protected]
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. No. 111-5): http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf
Standard Terms and Conditions for Recovery Act Awards: The full text of these terms approved for NIH awards can be found in the following document: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/NIH_HHS_ARRA_Award_Terms.pdf
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/.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) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.
Healthy People 2010:
The 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 FOA is issued under the Recovery Act, Pub. L. No. 111-5.
This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and to Departmental regulations at 42 CFR Part 52b and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) is authorized under Sections 481A of the Public Health Services Act, as amended by Sections 303 and 304 of Public Law (PL) 106-505, to make grants or contracts to public and nonprofit private entities to expand, remodel, renovate, or alter existing research facilities.
Any awards resulting from this FoA will be subject, as applicable, to the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. Secs 276a to 276a-7).
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/.
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