EXPIRED
January 28, 2019
March 10, 2019
March 10, 2019 and October 20, 2019
April 10, 2019 and November 20, 2019, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
Not applicable
June/July 2019 and February/March 2020
Not Applicable for Fellowships
September 2019 and September 2020
November 21, 2019
Not Applicable
It is critical that applicants follow the Fellowship (F) instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
The objective of the KUH/NIDDK Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) is to attract truly outstanding graduate students, selected by their institution though a rigorous process, and recruit them to pursue a career as an independent researcher in kidney (K), urologic (U), or hematologic (H) disease. For more information about the KUH research programs, please visit: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/offices-divisions/division-kidney-urologic-hematologic-diseases.
The F99/K00 award is intended for individuals who require up to 2 years to complete their Ph.D. dissertation research training (F99 phase) and provide them with a stable transition into 3-4 years of mentored postdoctoral research (K00 phase). It is not expected that the F99 phase include Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic disease research. Thus, it is expected that the research direction of the K00 phase will be different from that of the F99 phase as the individual transitions into Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic disease research. Exceptional graduate students, including (but not limited to) engineers, statisticians, data scientists, imagers, biochemists and geneticists are encouraged to apply. It is anticipated that successful completion of this phased award will make the individual highly competitive for a subsequent NIDDK award (e.g., K99/R00, R01). Graduate students who are already involved in Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic disease research are encouraged to apply for the NIDDK F31 (PA-18-671).
The two award phases are intended to be continuous in time. A K00 award will be made only to a PD/PI who has successfully completed the F99 phase, secured a K, U, or H-focused postdoctoral appointment, and provided the NIDDK with a strong research and career development plan for the K00 phase.
Only one F99 application per domestic institution/organization is allowed per year. Applicants may be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States, have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status), or be a non-U.S. citizen with a valid U.S. visa.
Note: This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not allow applicants to propose to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow applicants to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a sponsor or co-sponsor.
See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.
Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.
New
The OER
Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on
these application types.
Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose independent clinical trials.
Note: Applicants may propose to gain experience in a clinical trial led by a sponsor/co-sponsor as part of their research training.
Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?
NIDDK intends to commit $250,000 in FY 2019 to fund up to 6 awards.
For the F99 phase, award budgets are composed of stipends, tuition and fees, institutional allowance, and some travel costs as described below. For the K00 phase, award budgets are composed of salary and fringe benefits, research and career development support, indirect costs, and travel costs as described below.
For the F99/K00 award, individuals may receive up to 6 years combined support for both phases, which includes up to 2 years in the F99 fellowship phase and up to 4 years in the K00 career development phase.
ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
Stipends are provided as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience.
The stipend level for F99 predoctoral fellows is the same as for the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellows. See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/resources/policy-notices
ALLOWABLE COSTS: K00 PHASE
NIDDK will contibute up to $50,000 in the first year toward the salary of the career award recipient. This will be increased to $53,000 for the second year, to $56,000 for the third year, and to $59,900 for a fourth year. Further guidance on budgeting for career development salaries is provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Confirmation of salary may be required prior to the issuance of an award. Fringe benefits, based on the sponsoring institution's rate and the percent of effort, are provided in addition to salary.
The total salary, however, may not exceed the legislatively mandated salary cap. See: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm.
ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
NIDDK will contribute to the combined cost of tuition and fees at the rate in place at the time of award, at the same level set for the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellowships; see: https://researchtraining.nih.gov/resources/policy-notices
ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
The applicant should request an institutional allowance to help defray the cost of fellowship expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books, and travel to scientific meetings. The annual institutional allowance level for the F99 phase is the same as that provided for the F31 Ruth L. Krischstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) awards (See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/resources/policy-notices) plus a one-time additional $1500 in the first year of the F99 award to defray travel costs to an institution during the second year to meet the proposed mentor and to discuss and prepare a postdoctoral research and career development strategy.
ALLOWABLE COSTS: K00 PHASE
The NIDDK will provide research development support for the award recipient. These costs may be used for the following expenses: (a) tuition and fees related to career development; (b) research expenses, such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel; c) travel to research meetings or training; and (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time.
NIDDK will contribute to the combined cost of tuition and fees an amount equal to 60% of the level requested by the applicant institution, up to $4,500 per year.
NIDDK will contribute up to $10,000 per year toward the research development costs of the award recipient, which must be justified and consistent with the stage of development of the candidate and the proportion of time to be spent in research or career development activities, plus a one-time additional $1500 in the first year of the K00 award to defray travel costs to attend a mandatory NIDDK K Awardees Workshop.
Salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative assistants, etc. is not allowed.
ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
NIH does not separately reimburse indirect costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) for fellowships. Costs for administering the F99 awards are part of the Institutional Allowance. See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/resources/policy-notices
ALLOWABLE COSTS: K00 PHASE
Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs.
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For-Profit Organizations
Governments
K00 Eligibility: Domestic institution/organization types listed above, including NIH Intramural Programs and other Federal laboratories, are eligible to submit K00 transition phase applications on behalf of F99 awardees. There is no limit on the number of K00 awardees that an organization may sponsor.
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.
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 applicant fellow with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her sponsor and 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. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.
Exceptional graduate students, including (but not limited to) engineers, statisticians, data scientists, imagers, biochemists and geneticists are encouraged to apply.
An applicant may be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States, have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status), or be a non-U.S. citizen with a valid U.S. visa. For applications submitted on behalf of non-U.S. citizens with valid U.S. visas, the visa status during each phase of the F99/K00 award must allow the PD/PI to conduct the proposed research at the applicant institution. For the F99 phase of the award, the applicant F99 institution is responsible for determining and documenting, in the nomination letter, that the applicant's visa will allow the applicant to remain in the U.S. to complete the F99 phase of the award, and that there are no known obstacles that would prevent the applicant from obtaining a visa for the K00 phase. For the K00 phase of the award, the U.S. institution at which the K00 phase of the award will be conducted is responsible for determining and documenting, in the transition application, that the PD/PI's visa will allow the PD/PI to remain in the U.S. for the duration of the K00 award. NIDDK may request verifying information as part of the pre-award process.
The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and be currently enrolled as a graduate student in the third or fourth year of a mentored PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., Dr. PH, ScD). The applicant must be at the dissertation research stage of training at the time of award, and must show evidence of extremely high academic performance in the sciences and a stated commitment to a career as an independent Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic research scientist. For more information about the K, U, and H research programs, please visit: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/offices-divisions/division-kidney-urologic-hematologic-diseases. The current dissertation research topic does not need to be focused on K, U, or H research.
The F99/K00 award may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional degree (e.g., DC, DMD, DNP, DO, DPM, DVM, ND, OD, or AuD). Students matriculated in a dual-degree program (e.g. MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD or DVM/PhD) are not eligible for the F99/K00 program.
If the applicant begins a postdoctoral position or completes all doctoral dissertation requirements before an F99 award is issued, the applicant becomes ineligible for an award.
Please note that the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs to attract and retain promising early-stage investigators in research careers by helping them to repay their student loans. Recipients of fellowship and career development awards are encouraged to apply for an extramural LRP award.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. This means that the NIH will not accept:
F99 awardees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. K00 awardees are required to have a full-time appointment at the applicant institution, and to commit a minimum of 9 person months (or 75% of their full-time appointment at the applicant institution) to their career development and research training. K00 awardees may engage in other duties (e.g., other research, training, clinical and teaching activities) as part of the remaining 25% effort not covered by the award, as long as such duties do not interfere with or detract from the proposed career development program.
Before submitting the application, the applicant must identify an F99 sponsor(s) who will supervise the proposed dissertation research training experience. The primary sponsor should be the applicant's primary dissertation research advisor and be committed both to the applicant's research training and to direct supervision of his/her research. It is not necessary for the sponsor to be engaged in K, U, or H research topics.
The sponsor should have a successful track record of mentoring predoctoral students. Applicants may identify more than one sponsor, i.e., a team of sponsors, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research and training program. When there is a sponsor team, one individual must be identified as the primary sponsor who will coordinate the applicant’s overall training program. The applicant must work with the primary sponsor(s) in preparing the application.
The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace 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 Fellowship (F) instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, 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.
Letter of Intent
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:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
John F. Connaughton, Ph.D.
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
?National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-7797
Email:NIDDKLetterofIntent@mail.nih.gov
All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
Instructions for Application Submission
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, with the following additional instructions:
Other Attachments:
Institutional Nomination Letter
The institutional nomination letter must include a description of a rigorous nomination process, including how eligible students were informed about the program, identified, and solicited and how the faculty evaluation and selection was conducted. The nominee is to be selected based on faulty evaluation of an applicant's protential and desire to become a successful independent Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic researcher.
The letter must confirm the eligibility of the applicant. If the applicant is not a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or permanent resident resident, the sponsoring institution must give assurance that the candidate's visa provides sufficient time to complete the F99 phase of the award at a U.S. institution, and that there are no known obstacles (e.g., home country requirement) to the candidate obtaining a visa at the time of the K00 transition. The letter must include the name of the primary sponsor and an affirmation of the institution's commitment to the applicant's training and research career goals. If the applicant's dissertation research involves another institution, a joint nomination letter may be submitted.
The letter should be provided by the head of the graduate program and be signed by this individual and the institution's Authorized Organizational Representative. If the applicant is being jointly nominated, the program head of the second institution should also sign.
This letter is limited to 2 pages.
The filename "Institutional Nomination Letter.pdf" must be used for this attachment and will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons
No other attachments are allowed.
The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
The PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form is comprised of the following sections:
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Fellowship Applicant Section
Applicant s Background and Goals for Fellowship Training
For F30 Only:
This section should address both phases of the F99/K00.
A. Doctoral Dissertation and Research Experience
Include a description of how the combination of past research experiences and the F99/K00 plans contribute to achieving the long-term career goal.
B. Training Goals and Objectives
Describe the long-term career goal and explain how the F99/K00 will enable the attainment of that goal. Describe how the current project and research experience will be leveraged for identifiying and pursuing a research question within the mission of KUH. For each phase, describe how the proposed research training and career development plan will enhance the applicant's knowledge, technical expertise, and professional skills, keeping in mind existing strengths as well as any gaps in existing skills. It is not expected that the F99 phase include K, U, or H research. Thus, it is expected that the K00 research direction will be different from the F99 research area as the individual transitions into K, U, or H research. Describe efforts and/or plans during the F99 phase that will prepare for the K00 transition. Include a strategy for identifying a K00 mentor.
C. Activities Planned Under This Award
Describe the scientific and professional development activities planned for each phase and explain how the activities will facilitate the transition to each subsequent career stage. Include a timeline with scientific, professional development, and career milestones.
Research Training Plan
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Specific Aims
All applicants must use these two Specific Aims:
Provide a detailed description of the research to be completed in the F99 phase. This phase is NOT expected to include K, U or H research.
Specific Aim 2: The Postdoctoral Research Direction.
Identify a Kidney, Urologic, or Hematologic research direction to be pursued during the K00 phase. For more information about the KUH research programs, please visit: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/offices-divisions/division-kidney-urologic-hematologic-diseases
Research Strategy
Specific Aim 1: Dissertation Research Project:
Significance
Provide an overview of the dissertation research, including the scientific question being addressed and its potential impact on the dissertation research field.
Approach
Provide an overview of the dissertation research, including the background, goal, rationale, and hypotheses of the research project(s). The Approach for this Aim should be organized into two sections:
1. A progress report on the dissertation research project thus far, including the approaches used, research outcomes obtained, and important methodologies learned;
2. A detailed research proposal for the work to be completed in the F99 phase, including experimental design, anticipated results, potential problems, alternative strategies, and potential follow-up studies.
Specific Aim 2: Postdoctoral Research Direction:
Significance
Explain the significance of the K00 research direction. Describe a specific question or observation that might be investigated. Explain how this question or observation is related to the applicant's research interests. Explain how this work might help advance K, U or H research.
Approach
Provide a general description of how the research might be conducted, including approaches and methodologies to be used, anticipated results, challenges that might arise and how to address them. Explain how your previous training will propel you onto a K-, U-, or H-focused research career path.
Sponsor(s), Collaborator(s), and Consultant(s)
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Follow the F31-specific instructions for Sections A through E. Additionally, in Section E., the Sponsor(s) should provide an assessment of the applicant's qualifications and potential for transitioning to the postdoctoral phase (K00) and for becoming a productive, independent researcher.
Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training Section
Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Follow the instructions for F31 applications.
Appendix
Limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
When involving NIH-defined human subjects research, clinical research, and/or clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:
If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. If gaining research experience in a clinical trial led by a sponsor/co-sponsor, provide the sponsor s ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (i.e., NCT number).
Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed with the following additional instructions:
Delayed Onset Study
Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
Applicants must carefully follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including the time period for when reference letters will be accepted. Applications lacking the appropriate required reference letters will not be reviewed. This is a separate process from submitting an application electronically. Reference letters are submitted directly through the eRA Commons Submit Reference Letter link and not through Grants.gov.
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. The F99/K00 award may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of this award.
Pre-award costs are generally not allowable for Fellowships.
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 How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.
Important
reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) and sponsor(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.
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 (SAM). 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. Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy. .
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
For this particular announcement, note the following:
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the fellowship will enhance the applicant s potential for, and commitment to, a productive independent scientific research career in a health-related field, in consideration of the scored and additional review criteria.
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.
Fellowship Applicant
Sponsors, Collaborators, and Consultants
Institutional Environment & Commitment to Training
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.
Protections for Human Subjects
For research that involves human subjects but does
not involve one of the 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 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.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan
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 individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) 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
Not Applicable
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.
Institutional Nomination Letter
Does the institutional letter adequately describe a rigorous process for selecting the applicant?
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the level of experience of the applicant, including any prior instruction or participation in RCR as appropriate for the applicant’s career stage, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the sponsor(s) and other faculty involvement in the fellow’s instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction (at least eight contact hours are required); and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee. See also: NOT-OD-10-019.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Not Applicable
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.
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 NIDDK 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:
Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.
Applications will be assigned 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 appropriate NIH Institute or Center. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
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 https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/index.html. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.html; and https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/laws-regulations-guidance/index.html. Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/index.html. Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.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.
The taxability of stipends is described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Institutional Allowances and No-Cost Extensions
Carry-over of unspent funds is not permitted between the first and second years of the F99 phase or from a partially completed year in the F99 phase into the K00 phase. Provisions for No-Cost Extensions do not apply.
Transition to the Postdoctoral Career Development K00 Phase
The F99/K00 award is intended to facilitate the successful transition to the postdoctoral career stage and movement into a K-, U-, or H-focused research area. Consequently, a requirement for the K00 phase award is successful completion of the doctoral research degree and subsequent transition to a Kidney-, Urologic-, or Hematologic-focused, mentored postdoctoral research position. Applicants are encouraged to expand their skill set and apply for postdoctoral positions at departments and institutions different from where they conducted their doctoral research. It is important for all applicants, but especially for those applicants who intend to stay at the predoctoral phase institution for the postdoctoral phase, to provide a plan by which they will separate from their Ph.D. sponsor.
The transition from the predoctoral phase to the postdoctoral phase is intended to be continuous in time and, except in unusual circumstances, NIDDK will not extend the F99 phase. To begin the K00 award phase of the grant, individuals must have been offered and accepted a postdoctoral appointment to carry out Kidney-, Urologic-, or Hematologic-focused research. Upon starting the K00 phase of the award, the F99 phase of the award is terminated.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the NIDDK Program Official as soon as a plan to assume a postdoctoral position develops, and not later than 6 months prior to the end of the F99 phase of the award.
An eligible K00 institution and mentor must have appropriate infrastructure to support the proposed research program and a history of external research funding. Foreign institutions are not eligible. Applicants may apply for Kidney-, Urologic-, or Hematologic-focused postdoctoral positions within the NIH intramural research program (IRP). However, should the individual accept such a position in the IRP, the postdoctoral phase will be supported directly by NIH intramural funds.
The K00 postdoctoral phase institution must submit the materials on behalf of the candidate for the K00 award no later than 12 weeks prior to the proposed start of the K00 award. The institution's Authorized Organizational Representative will email the application in PDF format using PHS 398 form to the NIDDK Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. The K00 application will be evaluated by NIDDK Program staff for completeness and responsiveness to the program.
Candidates who are not approved to transition will receive written notification from the awarding component communicating the rationale for the disapproval. This notification typically will be sent within 60 days of receipt of the K00 application.
Although the financial plans of NIDDK provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds.
Instructions for the K00 Transition Award
F99 awardees wishing to submit a K00 transition application must follow the Career Development (K) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in the Funding Opportunity Announcement to do otherwise, as described here.
The K00 Transition Application will include the following components:
Updated Project Summary and Abstract, Project Narrative, Bibliography & References Cited, Facilities & Other Resources, and Equipment sections;
Detailed budget pages for a non-modular budget: K00 budgets consist of salary and fringe benefits, combined cost of tuition and fees in an amount equal to 60% of the level requested by the applicant institution, up to $4,500 per year, other program related expenses, and indirect costs, as described in Part II, Section II of the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Other costs are not allowed.;
Updated sections of the PHS Career Development Award Supplemental Form, which should include:
An updated Research Plan section: the Specific Aims should be updated to reflect current plans for the K00 phase and the updated Research Strategy should be described in less than 3 pages;
A new Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultant, Collaborators Section that includes a plan for transitioning the candidate to the next stage of his/her career by the end of the project award period. The mentor should describe previous experience as a mentor, including type of mentoring (e.g., graduate students, career development awardees, postdoctoral students), number of persons mentored, and career outcomes. If the primary mentor has limited training experience, a co-mentor with a strong, successful track record as a mentor should be included; If the candidate is proposing to gain experience in a clinical trial as part of his or her research training, the mentor or co-mentor must include a statement to document leadership of the clinical trial including source of funding, NCT# and appropriate expertise to guide the candidate in any proposed clinical trials research experience.
An Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development: If the candidate is not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, the sponsoring institution must include information about the candidate's visa status and an assurance that the candidate's visa provides sufficient time to complete the K00 phase of the award at a U.S. institution;
Updated Protections for Human Subjects and Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children (as appropriate)
Updated Other Research Plan Sections (as appropriate), including:
Fellowships funded primarily for educational purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements and thus invention reporting is not required. More details, including exceptions for fellows training at NIH are provided in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually. The report is due two months before the beginning date of the next budget period and must include information describing the current year's progress as well as the research and training plans for the coming year.
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 carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.
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, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and 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)
General Grants Information
(Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH
grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred
method of contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding
Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
Tracy Rankin, Ph.D. for Kidney- and Urologic-focused
research
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-4748
Email: tracy.rankin@nih.gov
Terry Rogers Bishop, Ph.D. for Hematologic-focused research
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-7726
Email: terry.bishop@nih.gov
Peter J. Kozel, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-4721
Email: kozelp@mail.nih.gov
Mitchell Curling, Supervisory Grants Management Specialist
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-594-0417
Email: mitchell.curling@nih.gov
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 63A and 45 CFR Part 75.