Department
of Health and Human Services
Participating
Organizations
National
Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)
Title: Women and Sex/Gender Differences in Drug and
Alcohol Abuse/Dependence (R01)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PA-03-139,
which was previously released June 16, 2003.
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 weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Program
Announcement (PA) Number: PA-07-329
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: March
15, 2007
Opening Date: March 15, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be
submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not
applicable.
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully
submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization).
Application Submission/Receipt
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS.
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply,
please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply,
please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates
apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Additional Information To Be Available Date (URL
Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: May 8, 2010
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not
Applicable
Additional
Overview Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Part I Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism 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. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission, Review, and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Submitting an Application
Electronically to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
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
Historically, in drug and alcohol
abuse/dependence research, as in other fields of public health research,
participants largely have been male. Research findings emerging in the past
few years, however, clearly are establishing the importance of studying issues
specific to women and studying male-female differences in all areas of drug
abuse research. From basic studies of molecular genetics and neurotransmitters
to studies of epidemiology, etiology, and prevention/treatment interventions,
the scientific and clinical importance of analyzing data separately for males
and females is becoming more and more evident.
Accumulating epidemiological and clinical research indicates that the predictors of drug abuse and dependence are often gender-based, as are factors associated with drug abuse and dependence progression. Depression, conduct disorder, physical and sexual abuse, prenatal drug exposure and family dysfunction are among the variables differentially predictive of drug use, abuse, and dependence in males and females. In some cases, predictors are ‘gender-sensitive;’ that is, they are stronger for either males or females. In other cases, predictors are ‘gender-specific;’ that is, they apply only to males or to females. The implications of these types of gender-based differences in risk factors for prevention and treatment interventions are largely unexplored; however, these differences raise the possibility that interventions that are designed to target gender-based risk factors and that are guided by well-established sex/gender differences in psychosocial and cognitive development could improve outcomes for both males and females.
Animal and human laboratory research has shown that males and females often differ in their biological responses to drugs. Animal studies, for example, have found male-female differences in the motor-activating effects of stimulants, speed of acquisition of drug self-administration, the amount of drug self-administered, the percentage of subjects that acquire self-administration, escalation of drug self-administration, motivation for self-administration, and the tendency to relapse following drug cessation. Human and animal pharmacokinetic studies often report male and female differences, as do studies of adverse effects of abused drugs. Both human and animal studies have established that the menstrual/estrous cycle is a determinant of drug action, both pharmacokinetic and behavioral. A growing number of brain-imagining studies are reporting male-female differences. Despite the important progress made in laboratory sex/gender-based research, the work is just beginning and many questions remain unaddressed.
Numerous male-female differences in cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence have been reported, including differences in the use patterns and dependence susceptibility, cessation rates and relapse rates, effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapies and other pharmacotherapies, the role of non-nicotine factors, nicotine metabolism, and pharmacogenetics. Indeed, research on male-female differences in nicotine dependence has exceeded that of other drugs of abuse and thus may serve to guide research on other abused drugs. Nevertheless, many gaps remain in our understanding of male-female differences in the nature of nicotine addiction and its prevention and treatment, including issues specific to females such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and weight control issues.
According to 2006 surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among reported HIV cases that progress to a diagnosis of AIDS, drug abuse is associated with a greater percentage of cases among women than among men. Among individuals diagnosed with AIDS, 36 percent of women are injection drug users (IDUs) whereas 21 percent of men are IDUs. An additional 14 percent of women with AIDS, compared with nine percent of men with AIDS, report having sex with IDUs. Thus, drug abuse is directly or indirectly associated with 50 percent of the reported AIDS cases in women compared to 30 percent of the cases in men. Among non-injection drug users, there are male-female differences in HIV risk behavior; for example, women who use crack cocaine are more likely to engage in sex for drugs or money than men who use crack. Recent research suggests that male-female differences exist in some fundamental aspects of the HIV/AIDS disease process; for example, an HIV-infected woman with half the amount of virus circulating in the bloodstream as an infected man will progress to a diagnosis of AIDS in about the same time as the man despite comparable immune parameters (e.g., CD4 counts). Additionally numerous male-female differences in HIV risk factors in drug abusers have been identified and there is evidence that HIV risk reduction interventions may impact men and women differently. Histories of sexual and physical abuse appear to have more consistent effects on subsequent drug use and HIV risk among women than men. Although drug abuse plays a greater role in HIV among women than men, major gaps remain in knowledge regarding male-female differences in the role of drug abuse in HIV/AIDS and the unique needs of women. In general, the conceptual links between particular types and patterns of drug use and HIV exposure are poorly documented, which makes it difficult to evaluate and intervene on motivational factors in drug use and HIV risk. More attention to gender differences in drug use, HIV risk behavior, and associated factors would enable the development of more effective HIV prevention interventions.
Male-female differences are emerging in various aspects of drug abuse treatment research including barriers to treatment, treatment entry characteristics, treatment and services needs, and predictors of treatment engagement, retention, and outcomes. Additionally, research sometimes finds that treatments are not equally efficacious in males and females. These male-female differences in treatment research, along with research showing male-female differences in the determinants and predictors of drug abuse, raise the possibility that treatments shown to be equally effective for males and females could be improved by the addition of gender-based approaches that are informed by this growing body of research.
The extant literature on male-female differences in drug abuse strongly suggests that males and females are likely to differ in many aspects of drug abuse yet to be explored and that in the long run, identifying and understanding such differences can improve our understanding of the nature and etiology of drug abuse and have implications for tailoring prevention and treatment interventions to maximize outcomes for both males and females. Although progress has been made in knowledge of male-female differences in drug abuse and issues unique to women, noteworthy gaps remain. Often, studies fail to include sex/gender analyses, and only a small proportion of animal research includes female subjects thus providing no opportunity to analyze data for sex differences. Thus, in all areas of drug abuse, research is needed that examines male-female differences and issues specific to females.
TERMINOLOGY. In scientific literature on differences between males and females, the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Typically, however, distinctions are made as in the 2001 Institute of Medicine report, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter? (http://lab.nap.edu/openbook/0309072816/html/1.html , page 1), wherein sex is defined as “the classification of living things, generally as male or female according to their reproductive organs and functions assigned by their chromosomal complement, and gender as a person’s self-representation as male or female, or how that person is responded to by social institutions on the basis of the individual’s gender presentation. Gender is shaped by environment and experience.” Thus, sex is a biological construct whereas gender is a psychosocial construct. This distinction notwithstanding, epigenetic research reveals that biological factors often unfold in ways that are influenced by the environment, and thus can obviate this distinction between sex and gender. Therefore, because it is often not known a priori whether a male-female difference is sex-based or gender-based or both, in this program announcement ‘sex/gender difference’ will be used generically to refer to male-female differences regardless the origins of the differences, although a search for those origins is a major focus of this announcement. In non-human animal research, however, the term ‘sex difference’ is the preferred term. Additionally, researchers are encouraged to recognize that a sex/gender difference is sometimes only a proxy for an unidentified independent variable(s). Thus, finding a sex/gender difference typically should be regarded as a first step in a search for such variables as their identification will shed light on the phenomenon under study.
NIDA’s Areas of Research Interest:
Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
I. MECHANISMS AND ORIGINS: Sex/gender differences in the basic behavioral, biological, and genetic mechanisms underlying drug abuse and dependence; and laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical studies of sex/gender differences in the determinants of initiation, progression, and maintenance of drug use and dependence.
II. CONSEQUENCES AND IMPACT: Laboratory (both human and animal), field, and clinical research aimed at (1) identifying male-female differences in the consequences of drug use, abuse, and addiction following acute use, chronic use, as well as residual effects following prolonged abstinence, and (2) examining drug-related consequences that are unique to females.
III. PREVENTION AND PREVENTION SERVICES: Using input and involvement of both researchers and practitioners, design, develop and test the efficacy/effectiveness of sex/gender-based prevention strategies that are informed by sex/gender-based theories (e.g., psychosocial, biological, developmental) and empirical findings on the risk and protective factors related to drug abuse initiation, progression, transition, and maintenance.
IV. TREATMENT AND TREATMENT SERVICES: Using input and involvement of both researchers and practitioners, develop and test the efficacy/effectiveness of sex/gender-based treatment strategies (including behavioral treatment and pharmacotherapies) that are informed by relevant sex/gender-based theories (e.g., biological, psychosocial, developmental) as well as empirical findings on gender differences in drug abuse including, e.g., sex/gender differences in risk factors, psychopathology and factors affecting treatment entry, completion, and outcomes. Examine gender-based issues related to the effective and efficient delivery of drug abuse treatment services.
V. HIV/AIDS and RELATED INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Based on the input and involvement of both researchers and practitioners, develop and evaluate sex/gender-based interventions directed at preventing and treating HIV/AIDS and related infectious diseases among drug using populations and those at risk for drug use at every age level.
CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
In addition to the above areas of research on male-female differences and issues unique to women, several research considerations and topic areas apply to many areas of research. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
Secondary Data Analyses
Under this announcement, investigators may request funds to perform secondary data analyses of either their own data sets or other data sets that are publicly available.
Revision (formerly “competing supplemental”) Applications
NIDA welcomes applications that request a revision (formerly competitive supplement) to their active NIDA grant in order to pursue research on women and sex/gender differences that is relevant to the parent grant, but which reflects a significant expansion of the scope or research protocol of the parent grant. The duration of the supplement may not exceed the end date of the active parent grant. For other requirements and instructions, see Section 2.8 on page 27 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_General_Ver2.pdf
NIAAA’s Areas of Research Interest:
Alcohol-related problems including alcohol use disorders (abuse and dependence) represent a significant public health problem that is associated with considerable harm to the individual and society. Epidemiological surveys indicate that, among women, alcohol dependence has not declined, while alcohol abuse has increased. Despite the fact that alcohol use is more prevalent among men than women, whether there are genetic and biological mechanisms for these differences in drinking patterns is unknown. Women become intoxicated faster than men, achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol, and appear to eliminate alcohol from the blood faster than men. These findings may be due to various physiological processes and fluctuations in gonadal hormonal levels that affect the rate of alcohol metabolism making women more susceptible to alcohol’s effects. Consequently, women’s health may be more adversely affected than men’s with the experience of adverse effects that include but are not limited to intentional/unintentional injuries (e.g., suicide, traffic-related injuries, falls), acute or chronic health effects (e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome, increased risk for certain cancers, liver disease, brain damage, alcohol-induced organ damage), social and/or interpersonal problems (e.g., sexual assault, physical abuse, violence), and mental health problems (e.g., mood and anxiety disorders).
Research findings suggest that there are certain high risk groups (e.g., racial/ethnic) and vulnerable populations (e.g., underage and younger drinkers) for which more research is needed that examines etiological issues, complexities of drinking pattern trajectories, genetic risks, neurobehavioral processes, environmental influences, other drug and/or psychiatric comorbidity, strategies for early identification, and the development of effective prevention interventions.
NIAAA is interested in the research areas in this FOA exemplified in sections I. Mechanisms and Origins, II. Consequences and Impact, III. Prevention and Prevention Services, and V. HIV/AIDS and Related Infectious Diseases as they relate specifically to alcohol consumption. The research areas of particular interest to NIAAA include, but are not limited to, the following:
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION:
NEUROSCIENCE:
PUBERTAL AND HORMONAL PROCESSES:
NIAAA has a special interest in sex/gender differences in drinking patterns that become apparent during puberty, and the mechanisms underlying these differences. Specifically, we are interested in research that will increase our understanding of 1) the degree to which hormonal changes at puberty interact with neurodevelopmental processes to promote sex effects in alcohol use and misuse, and 2) the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on these interactive processes. Research areas of include the following:
Revision (formerly “competing supplemental”) Applications
NIAAA welcomes applications that request a revision (formerly competitive supplement) to their active NIAAA grant in order to pursue research on women and sex/gender differences that is relevant to the parent grant, but which reflects a significant expansion of the scope or research protocol of the parent grant. The duration of the supplement may not exceed the end date of the active parent grant. For other requirements and instructions, see Section 2.8 on page 27 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_General_Ver2.pdf
Special Considerations
HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Policy for the National Institute on Drug Abuse: In light of recent significant advances in rapid testing for HIV and in effective treatments for HIV, NIDA has revised its 2001 policy on HIV counseling and testing. NIDA-funded researchers are strongly encouraged to provide and/or refer research subjects to HIV risk reduction education and education about the benefits of HIV treatment, counseling and testing, referral to treatment, and other appropriate interventions to prevent acquisition and transmission of HIV. This policy applies to all NIDA funded research conducted domestically or internationally. For more information see http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/organization/nacda/CouncilStatement.html.
National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse Recommended Guidelines for the Administration of Drugs to Human Subjects: The National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA) recognizes the importance of research involving the administration of drugs with abuse potential, and dependence or addiction liability, to human subjects. Potential applicants are encouraged to obtain and review these recommendations of Council before submitting an application that will administer compounds to human subjects. The guidelines are available on NIDA's Web site at http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/organization/nacda/CouncilStatement.html.
National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Recommended Guidelines on Ethyl Alcohol Administration in Human Experimentation: The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recognizes that research involving the administration of alcohol to human subjects is a critical experimental approach that is essential to address fundamental questions on the etiology, treatment and prevention of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. However, ethical principles exist that must be adhered to in the conduct of such research. Potential applicants are encouraged to obtain and review these recommendations of Council before submitting an application that will administer alcohol to human subjects. The guidelines are available on NIAAA’s Home Page at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/Resources/ResearchResources/job22.htm
See Section VIII, Other Information
- Required Federal Citations, for policies related
to this announcement.
Section
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This Funding
Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will use the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism.
The applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA uses “Just-in-Time” information concepts. It also uses the modular as well as the non-modular budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).
Specifically, if you are a U.S. organization and are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs), use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5.4, “Modular Budget Component,” of the Application Guide).
U.S. applicants requesting more than $250,000 in annual direct costs and all foreign applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the Research & Related Budget component found in the application package for this FOA. See NOT-OD-06-096, August 23, 2006.
2.
Funds Available
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 Institutes and Centers (ICs) provide support for
this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon
the availability of funds and the submission 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.
F&A costs requested by consortium participants are not
included in the direct cost limitation. See NOT-OD-05-004,
November 2, 2004.
Section III.
Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit an
application(s) if your institution/organization has any of the following
characteristics:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
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.
More than one PD/PI, or multiple PDs/PIs, may be designated on the application for projects that require a “team science” approach that clearly does not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a single PD/PI or multiple PD/PI grant is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for multiple PD/PI grants will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. The NIH review criteria for approach, investigators, and environment have been modified to accommodate applications involving either a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs. When considering multiple PDs/PIs, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PD/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
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 Criteria
Applicants may submit more than one
application, provided each application is scientifically
distinct.
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and
SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for
this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp 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 eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization 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 PD/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.
Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.
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 Information
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R)
application forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA
through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: 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 301-435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-0088.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Prepare 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. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, 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 Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget or Research & Related
Budget, as appropriate (See Section IV.6., “Special Instructions,”
regarding appropriate required budget component.)
Research
& Related Budget (required for foreign applications)
Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s)
Form
Foreign Organizations (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)
NIH policies concerning grants to
foreign (non-U.S.) organizations can be found in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.
Applications from foreign organizations must:
Proposed research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs
When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact” PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs, but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above.
Information for the Contact PD/PI should be entered in item 15 of the SF424 (R&R) Cover component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of “PD/PI.” Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the “Credential” field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.
All projects proposing Multiple PDs/PIs will be required to include a new section describing the leadership of the project.
Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, a new section of the research plan, entitled “Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan” (Section 14 of the Research Plan Component in the SF424 (R&R)), must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.
If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award.
Applications Involving a Single Institution
When all PDs/PIs are within a single institution, follow the instructions contained in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Applications Involving Multiple Institutions
When multiple institutions are involved, one institution must be designated as the prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. When submitting a detailed budget, the prime institution should submit its budget using the Research & Related Budget component. All other institutions should have their individual budgets attached separately to the Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form. See Section 4.8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the subaward budget form.
When submitting a modular budget, the prime institution completes the PHS398 Modular Budget component only. Information concerning the consortium/subcontract budget is provided in the budget justification. Separate budgets for each consortium/subcontract grantee are not required when using the Modular budget format. See Section 5.4 of the Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
3.
Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A. for details.
3.A.
Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: March 15, 2007
(Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov).
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not
applicable.
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
Peer Review
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
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 Processing
Applications may be submitted on or
after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov
no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the
applicant institution/organization) on the
application submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the receipt
date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not
reviewed.
Once 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 business days to view the application image.
Upon receipt, applications
will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of
applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR receives
the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR 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 their application status in the Commons.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an “Introduction” addressing the previous critique. Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
4.
Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5.
Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and
conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee
may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and
expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the
initial budget period of a new or competing renewal (formerly “competing continuation”)
award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and would be
allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific
expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain
NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any
costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial
budget period of a new or competing 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.
6.
Other Submission Requirements
PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
The NIH requires the PD/PI(s) 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.”
PHS398 Research Plan Component Sections
Items 2-5 of the PHS398 Research Plan component are limited to 25 pages. While each section of the Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. 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.
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:
Special Instructions for Modular Grant applications
R01 applications from U.S. institutions/organizations requesting up to $250,000 per year in direct costs (excluding consortium F&A costs) must be submitted in a modular budget format. Additional information on modular budgets is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm. When submitting a modular budget, the applicant organization will include only the PHS398 Modular Budget component. See Section 5.4 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instructions regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
Foreign organizations may not submit modular budgets. See NOT-OD-06-096.
Special Instructions for Applications Requesting $500,000 (direct costs) or More Per Year
Applicants requesting $500,000 or
more in direct costs for any year (excluding consortium F&A costs) must
carry out the following steps:
1) Contact the IC program staff at least 6 weeks
before submitting the application, i.e., as you are developing plans for the
study;
2) Obtain agreement from the IC
staff that the IC will accept your application for consideration for award;
and,
3) Include the PHS398 Cover Letter
component with the application to identify the staff member and IC who agreed
to accept assignment of the application.
This policy applies to all new applications, competing renewal (formerly “competing continuation”) applications, resubmission (formerly “revised/amended”) applications, and revision (formerly “competing supplemental”) applications. See NOT-OD-02-004, October 16, 2001.
APPENDIX MATERIALS
IMPORTANT NOTE: NIH has published new limitations on grant application appendix materials to encourage applications to be as concise as possible while containing the information needed for expert scientific review. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-018.html.
Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Note: While each section of the PHS398 Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to monitor better formatting requirements such as page limits. 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.
Foreign Applications (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)
Plan for Sharing Research Data
The
precise content of the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being
collected and how the investigator is planning to share the data. Applicants
who are planning to share data may wish to describe briefly the expected
schedule for data sharing, the format of the final dataset, the documentation
to be provided, whether or not any analytic tools also will be provided,
whether or not a data-sharing agreement will be required and, if so, a brief
description of such an agreement (including the criteria for deciding who can
receive the data and whether or not any conditions will be placed on their
use), and the mode of data sharing (e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a
disk or posting data on their institutional or personal Web site, through a
data archive or enclave). Investigators choosing to share under their own
auspices may wish to enter into a data-sharing agreement. References to data
sharing may also be appropriate in other sections of the application.
Applicants requesting more than $500,000 in direct
costs in any year of the proposed research must include a plan for sharing
research data in their application. The funding organization will be
responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the
rationale for not sharing research data may be assessed by the reviewers.
However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the
determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
Sharing Research Resources
NIH
policy expects that grant recipients make unique research resources readily
available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific
community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing
research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared
or explain why sharing is not possible.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any
related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding
organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The
effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the
administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3.,
“Reporting.”
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2.
Review and Selection Process
Applications
submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the ICs 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:
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.
Note that
an application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely
to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For
example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its
nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.
Significance: Does this study address an
important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will
scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect
of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services,
or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, well-reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, is the leadership approach, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure, consistent with and justified by the aims of the project and the expertise of each of the PDs/PIs?
Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches or methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area?
Investigators: Are the PD/PIs and other key personnel appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level(s) of the principal investigator(s) and other researchers? Do the PD/PIs and investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?
Environment: Do(es) the scientific environment(s) in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment(s), or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
2.A.
Additional Review Criteria
In addition to the above
criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the
determination of scientific merit and the priority score:
Resubmission Applications (formerly “revised/amended” applications): Are the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group adequate? Are the improvements in the resubmission application appropriate?
Protection
of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and
protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed
research will be assessed. See the “Human Subjects Sections” of the PHS398
Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of
plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and
subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects
will also be evaluated. See the “Human Subjects Sections” of the PHS398
Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals
are to be used in the project, the adequacy of the plans for their care and use
will be assessed. See the “Other Research Plan Sections” of the PHS398 Research
Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially
hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the
proposed protection is adequate.
2.B. Additional Review Considerations
Budget and Period of Support: The
reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested
period of support in relation to the proposed research may be assessed by the
reviewers. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the
budget.
Applications from Foreign Organizations: Whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources will be assessed.
2.C.
Sharing Research Data
Not Applicable
2.D. Sharing Research
Resources
NIH policy expects that grant
recipients make unique research resources readily available for research
purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after
publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing
research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared
or explain why sharing is not possible.
Program staff will be responsible
for the administrative review of the plan for sharing research resources.
The adequacy of the resources
sharing plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by Program
staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding
applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as
part of the administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590), See Section VI.3.,
“Reporting.”
Model
Organism Sharing Plan: Reviewers are asked to assess the sharing plan in an administrative note. The sharing
plan itself should be discussed after the application is scored. Whether a
sharing plan is reasonable can be determined by the reviewers on a case-by-case
basis, taking into consideration the organism, the timeline, the applicant's
decision to distribute the resource or deposit it in a repository, and other
relevant considerations.
3.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not
Applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1.
Award Notices
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 NIH eRA Commons.
If the application is under
consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time"
information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH
Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards,
Subpart A: General.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award
(NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the
grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative
and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email
notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.
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
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.
3.
Reporting
When multiple years are
involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in
the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
We encourage your inquiries
concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer
questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas:
scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:
1.
Scientific/Research Contact(s):
Cora Lee Wetherington, Ph.D.
Women & Gender Research
Coordinator
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Blvd., Rm 4282, MSC 9555
Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 (For overnight mail: Rockville, MD 20857)
Phone: (301) 435-1319
Fax: (301) 594-6043
E-mail: wetherington@nih.gov
Mariela C. Shirley, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Division of Epidemiology and
Prevention Research
National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane
Room 2086 MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Federal Express: Rockville, MD 20852-1705
Phone: 301-443-9787
Fax: 301-443-8614
Email: shirleym@mail.nih.gov
2. Peer Review Contact(s):
Not Applicable
3. Financial/Grants Management Contact(s):
Yinka Abu
Grants Management Branch
National
Institution on Drug Abuse
6101
Executive Blvd., Suite 270
Bethesda, MD 20892-8403
Telephone:
(301) 443-6710
Fax: 301-594-6847
Email: abuy@nida.nih.gov
Ms. Judy Fox
Chief, Grants
Management Branch
National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers
Lane
Room 3023 MSC
9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Phone:
301-443-4704
Fax:
301-443-3891
Email: jfox@mail.nih.gov
Section
VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(Phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The
establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for
multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks
to the participants (“NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring,” NIH Guide
for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking
$500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a
plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their
institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and local IRB rules,
as well as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy
Rule. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan but will not factor the
plan into the determination of the scientific merit or the priority score.
Access to Research Data through
the Freedom of Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first
produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds
and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an
action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be
accessed through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic
scope of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity in a
public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the
distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application should
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include
information about this in the budget justification section of the application.
In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed consent
statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential for wider
use of data collected under this award.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model
organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to
elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH
Grants Policy Statement. Beginning October 1, 2004, all investigators
submitting an NIH application or contract proposal are expected to include in
the application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and
distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH
funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will
permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public
funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a
cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications
where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical
Research:
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of
minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All
investigators proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines
for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research” (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB
standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical
trials consistent with the SF424 (R&R) application; and updated roles and
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all
applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans
to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b)
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses,
as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research,
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical
reasons not to include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human
subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion
of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human
Subject Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of
human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can
be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov/). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this
information will be returned without review.
NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to
the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov/) at PubMed
Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript upon
acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or in
part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as
the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all
modifications from the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts
resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research projects or 2) previously
supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or
after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant
and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts,
Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to
peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole
or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters,
editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from
non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.
For more information about the Policy or the
submission process, please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov// and view
the Policy or other Resources and Tools, including the Authors' Manual.
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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 HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of
the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR
website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/)
provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text
and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information
on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review,
funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and
research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH
funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses
(URLs) 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 Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of
"Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting
priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the
authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as
amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and
45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in
which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan
repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to
pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception,
infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important
component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers
by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered by the
burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for
eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged.
The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP
recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must
commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40
hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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