ENROLLING WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN HIV/AIDS RESEARCH TRIALS

RELEASE DATE:  September 4, 2003

PA NUMBER:  PAS-03-168 

Updates:

-June 5, 2006 (NOT-AI-06-038) – See notice for final submission date for 
applications for this PAS

-March 2, 2006 (NOT-OD-06-046) – Effective with the June 1, 2006 submission date, 
all R03, R21, R33 and R34 applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using 
the electronic SF424 (R&R) application. This announcement will stay active for 
only the May 1, 2006 AIDS and AIDS-related application submission date for these 
mechanisms. The non-AIDS portion of this funding opportunity for these mechanisms 
expires on the date indicated below. Other mechanisms relating to this announcement 
will continue to be accepted using paper PHS 398 applications until the stated 
expiration date below, or transition to electronic application submission. Parent 
R03 (PA-06-180) and R21 (PA-06-181) funding opportunity announcements have been 
issued for the submission date of June 1, 2006 and submission dates for AIDS and 
non-AIDS applications thereafter. Applications relating to R33 and R34 activities 
must be in response to NIH Institute/Center (IC)-specific announcements.

-See correction NOT-AI-04-052

RECEIPT DATE:  Standard AIDS Receipt Dates

EXPIRATION DATE for R03 Non-AIDS Applications: March 2, 2006
EXPIRATION DATE for R03 AIDS and AIDS-Related Applications: May 2, 2006 
EXPIRATION DATE for All R01 Applications: September 2, 2006, unless otherwise stated

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
 (http://www.nih.gov)

COMPONENTS OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID/NIH) 
 (http://www.niaid.nih.gov)
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) 
 (http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ 
 
CATALOGUE OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBERS:
No. 93.855, Immunology, Allergy, and Transplantation Research
No. 93.856, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research
No. 93.361, Nursing Research

THIS PA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose of the PA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism of Support
o Eligible Institutions
o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Special Requirements
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Submitting an Application
o Supplementary Instructions
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE OF THIS PA 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) gives 
special consideration for funding to scientifically meritorious applications 
in response to Program Announcements (PA).  Our Program Announcements 
identify areas of ongoing research emphasis for the NIAID.  In this PA, the 
Division of AIDS (DAIDS), NIAID, solicits applications to study innovative 
strategies for enrolling women and racial/ethnic minorities into HIV/AIDS 
clinical research trials.

This PA is being issued by NIAID with set-aside funding.  The National 
Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) also has an interest in and supports 
research on health promotion in diverse populations and on the care of 
patients with HIV/AIDS.  

It is the policy of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that woman and 
minorities be included in NIH-supported clinical research (see "INCLUSION OF 
WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH," elsewhere in this PA).  These 
populations are frequently underrepresented in clinical trials, and there is 
a need to identify and correct barriers to participation by these groups.    
Racial/ethnic minorities include:
-  African American/Black
-  Hispanic/Latino
-  Asian and Pacific Islanders
-  American Indian/Alaska native

Individuals may fall into more than one of the above categories.

The goal of this initiative is to support projects that will identify factors 
negatively impacting the recruitment of women and minorities, and plan and 
develop mechanisms and interventions that will facilitate the recruitment and 
retention of these populations in research trials.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This PA seeks innovative and practical approaches to access, enroll and 
retain women and racial/ethnic minorities in HIV/AIDS research trials in the 
US.  

Barriers to participation in clinical trials exist both on the community and 
the individual level.  Barriers among individuals include, but are not 
limited to:
- language issues
- inaccessibility of the research site due to factors such as travel 
distance, lack of transportation, and inconvenient clinic hours
- family responsibilities
- inability of research site to co-ordinate other health care needs (e.g., 
dental, eye, and psychiatric care and case management)
- fear and distrust of health care, research or governmental involvement
- lack of information
- lack of incentives for participation both on the part of the researcher and 
individual
- concerns about trial design
- concerns about time commitment

Barriers at the community level include:
- lack of perceived involvement in all stages of planning and development of 
clinical research
- lack of relevance to women and minorities
- lack of targeted outreach efforts
- lack of funding
- cultural differences between the researchers and the target populations

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-43) legislatively mandated 
the inclusion of women and members of minority groups in all research studies 
supported by NIH.  The resulting modifications to the NIH guidelines on 
inclusion, published in March 1994, require that women and minorities and 
their subpopulations be included in all human subject research supported by 
NIH; that women and minorities and their subpopulations be included in Phase 
III clinical trials in numbers adequate to allow for valid analyses of 
differences in intervention effect; that cost is not allowed as an acceptable 
reason for excluding these groups; and that NIH initiate programs and support 
to recruit and retain women and minorities and their subpopulations as 
volunteers in clinical studies.  While public law now mandates the inclusion 
of women and minority groups as subjects in clinical research, NIH 
acknowledges that barriers exist that affect adequate recruitment and 
retention of racial and ethnic minorities and women into clinical trials.  
This PA aims to support projects that will increase the number of women and 
minorities who participate in clinical trials for HIV/AIDS, relative to the 
incidence data, and advance the body of scientific knowledge that will 
improve the diagnosis, treatment, and development of preventive strategies in 
women and minorities.

Examples of activities that may be supported through this PA include, but are 
not limited to:

o  studies identifying methods to characterize community-specific barriers 
and/or individual-specific barriers to research trials, implementing 
community-specific pilot interventions, and assessing their impact
o  pilot projects exploring mechanisms in which clinical trials could be 
conducted in primary care settings, neighborhood clinics, methadone clinics, 
migrant health centers, community health centers, local health departments, 
or hemodialysis centers
o  pilot projects or simple clinical trials that address barriers to 
enrollment present in the design and implementation of research trials
o  pilot projects exploring mechanisms in which clinical trials could be 
conducted in community centers, housing projects, places of worship, or in 
individuals' homes that would specifically address geographic accessibility, 
travel, and time commitment and social barriers such as childcare
o  pilot projects exploring the role of mass media communication, 
multicultural, personalized, and targeted ethnic marketing and advertising 
approaches, the Internet, videotapes, focus groups and workshops, "grass 
roots" organizations, peer mentoring, inclusion of other family members, and 
other mechanisms used to inform and educate the targeted populations about 
participation in clinical trials, the role of institutional review boards and 
community advisory boards, and other research-related activities
o  pilot projects not described above which present innovative solutions to 
overcoming barriers

Collaborations between research institutions and community groups are 
strongly encouraged.

MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT

This PA will use NIH individual research project grant (R01) and/or Small 
(Pilot) Research Project Grant (R03) awards.  The total requested project 
period for an application submitted in response to this PA may not exceed 
five years for an R01 and three years for an R03. The applicant will be 
solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed 
project.  

NIAID uses R03 grants to support small, highly innovative or pilot projects. 
Applicants for R03 grants may request up to $50,000 annual direct costs for a 
period not to exceed three (3) years 
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-108.html). 
Funds and time requested should be appropriate for the research proposed. 
Applicants may not request travel or large equipment. R03 awards are not 
renewable.

This PA uses just-in-time concepts.  It also uses the modular budgeting as 
well as the non-modular budgeting formats (see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).  Specifically, if 
you are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 
or less, use the modular budget format.  Otherwise follow the instructions 
for non-modular budget research grant applications.  This program does not 
require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/part_i_1.htm.  

DAIDS anticipates making between 5 and 10 awards with this announcement.  The 
period covered by the award will be for up to 3 years for R03s and up to 5 
years for R01s.  

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS  (see correction NOT-AI-04-052)

Domestic applicants may submit (an) application(s) if their institution has 
any of the following characteristics:
 
o For-profit or non-profit organizations 
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, 
and laboratories 
o Units of state and local governments
o Eligible agencies of the Federal government  
o Domestic or foreign institutions/organizations
o Faith-based or community-based organizations
o Tribal governments

Collaboration between research institutions and community-based organizations 
is strongly encouraged.

INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry 
out the proposed research is invited to work with their institution to 
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial 
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are strongly 
encouraged to apply for NIH programs.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS 

When clinical studies or trials are a component of the research proposed, 
NIAID policy requires that studies be monitored commensurate with the degree 
of potential risk to study subjects and the complexity of the study. AN 
UPDATED NIAID policy was published in the NIH Guide on July 8, 2002 and is 
available at: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-AI-02-032.html. 
The full policy, including terms and conditions of award, is available at: 
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/pdf/clinterm.pdf.

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

We encourage inquiries concerning this PA and welcome the opportunity to 
answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into two 
areas: scientific/research and financial or grants management issues:

o Direct questions about scientific/research issues to:

NIAID:

Matthew Murguia
Division of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 4143, MSC-7620
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7620
Telephone: (301) 435-7164
FAX: (301) 402-1505
Email: mm768e@nih.gov

Kimberly Howell, M.A.
Division of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 5222, MSC-7624
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7624
Telephone: (301) 402-0346
FAX: 301-435-9282
Email: kh314m@nih.gov

NINR:

Martha L. Hare, Ph.D., R.N 
National Institute of Nursing Research 
6701 Democracy Boulevard
One Democracy Plaza, Room 710
Bethesda, MD 20892-4870, Courier: 20817
Phone: 301-451-3874 
Fax: 301-480-8260
Email:  mh421d@nih.gov

o Direct questions about financial or grants management matters to:

Laura Eisenman
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 2117, MSC-7614
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7614
Telephone: (301) 402-5541
FAX: 301-480-3780
Email: le55d@nih.gov 

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application 
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001).  Applications must have a Dun and 
Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the 
Universal Identifier when applying for Federal grants or cooperative 
agreements. The DUNS number can be obtained by calling (866) 705-5711 or 
through the web site at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com. The DUNS number should 
be entered on line 11 of the face page of the PHS 398 form.  The PHS 398 is 
available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an 
interactive format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 
(301) 435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES: Applications submitted in response to this program 
announcement will be accepted at the standard AIDS application deadlines, 
which are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/dates.htm. Application 
deadlines are also indicated in the PHS 398 application kit.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODULAR GRANT APPLICATIONS: Applications requesting 
up to $250,000 per year in direct costs must be submitted in a modular budget 
grant format. The modular budget grant format simplifies the preparation of 
the budget in these applications by limiting the level of budgetary detail. 
Applicants request direct costs in $25,000 modules. Section C of the research 
grant application instructions for the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html includes step-by-step 
guidance for preparing modular grants. Additional information on modular 
grants is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATIONS REQUESTING $500,000 OR MORE PER YEAR: 
Applications requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year must 
include a cover letter identifying the NIH staff member within one of NIH 
institutes or centers who has agreed to accept assignment of the application.   

Applicants requesting more than $500,000 must carry out the following steps:
   
1) Contact the IC program staff at least 6 weeks before submitting the 
application, i.e., as applicant is developing plans for the study; 

2) Obtain agreement from the IC staff that the IC will accept the application 
for consideration for award; and,
  
3) Identify, in a cover letter sent with the application, the staff member 
and IC who agreed to accept assignment of the application.  

This policy applies to all investigator-initiated new (type 1), competing 
continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended or revised 
version of these grant application types. Additional information on this 
policy is available in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, October 19, 
2001 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-004.html. 

SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH: Submit a signed, typewritten original of 
the application, including the checklist, and five signed photocopies in one 
package to:

Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)

APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be sent on or before the receipt 
dates described at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm.  The CSR will 
not accept any application in response to this PA that is essentially the 
same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws 
the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is 
essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the 
submission of a substantial revision of an unfunded version of an application 
already reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction 
addressing the previous critique.

Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an 
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and funding 
assignment within 8 weeks.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Applications submitted for this PA will be assigned on the basis of 
established PHS referral guidelines.  Appropriate scientific review groups 
convened in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures 
(http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm) will evaluate applications for scientific 
and technical merit.  

As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

o Undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have 
the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under 
review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score
o Receive a written critique
o Receive a second level review by an appropriate national advisory council 
or board.

REVIEW CRITERIA

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of 
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  In 
the written comments, reviewers will be asked to evaluate the application in 
order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a 
substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.  The scientific review 
group will address and consider each of the following criteria in assigning 
the application's overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each 
application.

o Significance 
o Approach 
o Innovation
o Investigator
o Environment

The application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged 
likely to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority 
score. For example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work 
that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field 
forward.

SIGNIFICANCE: Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of 
the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What 
will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive 
this field?

APPROACH: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and 
analyses/evaluations adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate 
to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem 
areas and consider alternative tactics?  

INNOVATION: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? 
Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing 
paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?

INVESTIGATOR: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well-suited to 
carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level 
of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)?  

ENVIRONMENT: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done 
contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take 
advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful 
collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?  

ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA:  In addition to the above criteria, the following 
items will be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the 
priority score:

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS FROM RESEARCH RISK: The involvement of human 
subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation 
in the proposed research will be assessed. (See criteria included in the 
section on Federal Citations, below).  
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES AND CHILDREN IN RESEARCH: The adequacy of 
plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups 
(and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the 
research will be assessed.  Plans for the recruitment and retention of 
subjects will also be evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria in the sections on 
Federal Citations, below).

CARE AND USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS IN RESEARCH: If vertebrate animals are to 
be used in the project, the five items described under Section f of the PHS 
398 research grant application instructions (rev. 5/2001) will be assessed.  

ADDITIONAL REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS 

SHARING RESEARCH DATA: Applicants requesting more than $500,000 in direct 
costs in any year of the proposed research are expected to include a data 
sharing plan in their application. The reasonableness of the data sharing 
plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the 
reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data-sharing plan 
into the determination of scientific merit or priority score. (See 
instructions and URL to policy in the Federal Citations, below.)

BUDGET:  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period 
of support in relation to the proposed research.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications submitted in response to a PA will compete for available funds 
with all other recommended applications.  The following will be considered in 
making funding decisions:  

o Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review
o Availability of funds 
o Relevance to program priorities

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 

HUMAN SUBJECTS PROTECTION: Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that 
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with 
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against 
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and 
others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained.
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm 

DATA AND SAFETY MONITORING PLAN: Data and safety monitoring is required for 
all types of clinical trials, including physiologic, toxicity, and dose-
finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (phase II), efficacy, 
effectiveness and comparative trials (phase III). The establishment of data 
and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical 
trials involving interventions that entail potential risk to the 
participants. (NIH Policy for Data Safety and Monitoring, NIH Guide for 
Grants and Contracts, June 12, 1998: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).  

SHARING RESEARCH DATA:  Starting with the October 1, 2003 receipt date, 
investigators submitting an NIH application seeking more than $500,000 or 
more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a plan for 
data sharing or state why this is not possible.  
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing Investigators should seek 
guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional 
policies, local IRB rules, as well as local, state and Federal laws and 
regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the data 
sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the 
scientific merit or the priority score.

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: It is the policy of 
the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their sub-populations 
must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research projects unless a 
clear and compelling justification is provided indicating that inclusion is 
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of 
the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).

All investigators proposing clinical research should read the AMENDMENT "NIH 
Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical 
Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide for Grants and 
Contracts on October 9, 2001 
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); 
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical 
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB 
standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical 
trials consistent with the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and 
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community.  The policy 
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) 
all applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of 
plans to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by 
sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; 
and b) investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting 
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group 
differences.

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS: 
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 
21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported 
by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include 
them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for 
receipt dates after October 1, 1998.

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion of children as participants in 
research involving human subjects that is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm

REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS: NIH 
policy requires education on the protection of human subject participants for 
all investigators submitting NIH proposals for research involving human 
subjects.  This policy announcement is in the NIH Guide for Grants and 
Contracts Announcement, dated June 5, 2000, at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS (hESC): Criteria for federal funding of research 
on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.  Only 
research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem 
Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (see http://escr.nih.gov).   
It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide, in the project 
description and elsewhere in the application as appropriate, the official NIH 
identifier(s)for the hESC line(s)to be used in the proposed research.  
Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without 
review. 

PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: The 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been revised to 
provide public access to research data through the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA) under some circumstances.  Data that are (1) first produced in a 
project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2) 
cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action 
that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed 
through FOIA.  It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope 
of this amendment.  NIH has provided guidance at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.

Applicants may wish to place data collected under this PA in a public 
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the 
distribution for an indefinite period of time.  If so, the application should 
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include 
information about this in the budget justification section of the 
application. In addition, applicants should think about how to structure 
informed consent statements and other human subjects procedures given the 
potential for wider use of data collected under this award.

STANDARDS FOR PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION:  The 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final modification to 
the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information", 
the "Privacy Rule," on August 14, 2002.  The Privacy Rule is a federal 
regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
(HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable 
health information, and is administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for 
Civil Rights (OCR). Those who must comply with the Privacy Rule (classified 
under the Rule as "covered entities") must do so by April 14, 2003  (with the 
exception of small health plans which have an extra year to comply).  

Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside 
with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website 
(http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including 
a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered 
entity?"  Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH 
processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, 
cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.

URLs IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES: All applications and proposals 
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. 
Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) 
should not be used to provide information necessary to the review because 
reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites.   Furthermore, 
we caution reviewers that their anonymity may be compromised when they 
directly access an Internet site.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010: The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to 
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy 
People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA 
is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople 

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance at 
http://www.cfda.gov/ in the following citations: No. 93.855, Immunology, 
Allergy, and Transplantation Research, No. 93.856, Microbiology and 
Infectious Diseases Research, and No. 93.361, Nursing Research.  Awards are 
made under authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service 
Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered under NIH grants 
policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.  This 
program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of 
Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

The NIH Grants Policy Statement is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm. This document includes 
general information about the grant application and review process; 
information on the terms and conditions that apply to NIH Grants and 
cooperative agreements; and a listing of pertinent offices and officials at 
the NIH.  All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost 
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy 
Statement.

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.

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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