Frequently Asked Questions about the MBRS SCORE Program relate to the following topics:
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
New SCORE Program
Q. I have heard that the SCORE program has changed. How different is it from the “old” program?
A. The Support of Competitive Research (same acronym, revised name) program will continue to be a developmental program that seeks to increase the research competitiveness of faculty at minority-serving institutions and the research capabilities of these institutions. To achieve this goal, the upgraded SCORE program now allows the submission of individual investigator proposals. Even though individual investigators are now able to apply independently for SCORE awards, it is expected that each institution will have a plan to: 1) determine which faculty members are best suited for SCORE participation based on their developmental goals and needs and 2) track the number of submitted/awarded individual SCORE applications to keep the total number under the maximum allowed of 25 per institution.
Q. What are the submission dates for SCORE SC1, SC2, and SC3 applications?
A. The application submission/receipt dates for the SCORE program (individual application awards) are the standard receipt dates, i.e. January 25, May 25 and September 25. Since applications must be submitted electronically they must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) in order to be considered “on time.”
Q. Are there program priorities for funding?
A. NIGMS program staff will consider the following in making funding decisions:
- Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review and recommendations of the NIGMS Advisory Council
- Availability of funds
- Relevance to program priorities
- Potential contribution to achieving the MBRS goal of increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups who participate in biomedical and behavioral research
Q. Will the SC1 and SC2 awards be under expanded authority?
A. Yes. The new SC 1 and SC2 awards are under modified expanded authorities and must follow the guidelines provided in the SC1 and SC2 announcements (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MBRS/).
Q. Will the SC3 awards be under expanded authority?
A. Yes. The new SC 3 awards are under modified expanded authorities with the exception of the Modified Financial Reporting Requirements, described in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 25, Number 22, July 5, 1996. A Financial Status Report will continue to be required 90 days after the end of each budget period. Carry forward of unobligated balances is not allowed without prior written approval from NIGMS.
Institutional Award
Q. Is there a cap on the number of individual investigator awards that an institution may submit/hold?
A. Yes. Eligible institutions may submit/hold a maximum of 25 individual investigator-initiated SCORE awards.
Eligibility to Participate in SCORE for Current SCORE grantees
Q. Our institution has a funded SCORE grant and would have been eligible to submit a supplement in the Fall of 2006. Could additional projects be submitted under the new SCORE mechanisms?
A. Supplemental subprojects will no longer be accepted for the existing S06 grants. However, institutions whose SCORE grants were funded in Fiscal Year 2006 may add investigator-initiated projects up to the maximum allowable number of 25. PIs at these institutions must apply individually under one of the three new SCORE mechanisms.
Q. Does the program director at an institution whose SCORE program was funded in Fiscal Year 2006 have to submit a "progress report" and/or an institutional component with the new investigator-initiated projects?
A. No. The program directors at these institutions do not need to submit an institutional component/ progress report with the new applications.
Eligibility of Individual Principal Investigators (PIs)
Q. Do the new PIs at an institution whose SCORE program was funded in Fiscal Year 2006 have to apply for support for only the time remaining on existing SCORE grant?
A. No. The new PIs are not limited by the time remaining on the existing institutional SCORE grant. They may apply for the full length of time allowed under each new mechanism.
Q. Who is eligible to apply for SCORE individual awards at a SCORE-eligible institution?
A. Only full-time individuals on regular faculty appointments may apply for SCORE individual awards if they are seeking to develop their research competitiveness and transition to non-SCORE support. Research instructors, research assistant professors, research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, etc., are not eligible to apply for SCORE individual awards as well as individuals who are considered to be fully developed as demonstrated by their record of publications and external support (see next question).
Q. Which investigators are considered to be fully developed for the purposes of the SCORE developmental program and the individual award mechanisms?
A. The following investigators (PIs) are considered to be fully developed and are not eligible to apply for any of the SCORE individual awards:
- Faculty who have had a track record of non-SCORE external support
- Faculty who have current R01 or equivalent NIH support, NSF support, or other significant Federal support or foundation grants
- Retired or emeritus professors
- Endowed or distinguished professors
- Faculty who are productive co-investigators (co-PIs) of major program projects (e.g. P01, P20, U54, etc.)
- Faculty who have received grants based on their distinguished research accomplishments or special research recognition awards (e.g. PECASE awardees)
Q. I am a new investigator at a minority-serving institution (MSI) planning to apply for SCORE and I'm having difficulty figuring out which mechanism is best for me. What are the major differences between the SC1, SC2, and SC3 mechanisms?
A. The SC1, SC2, and SC3 SCORE investigator-initiated research awards are designed to allow the support of investigators at various stages of research development.
SC1 Research Advancement Award - At the high end, this award supports investigators seeking research competitiveness at MSIs with the ultimate goal of making the transition to major non-SCORE support. The developmental goals of SC1 participants must be included in the application, and must match the expectations of the SC1 mechanism. Generally, this mechanism is not for investigators who are seeking a less intense developmental path.
SC2 Pilot Project Award - This award mechanism is for new investigators at MSIs who wish to establish a line of research within the NIH mission but need preliminary data. Proposed projects may be for 1-3 years and are non-renewable. It is the expectation of the SC2 mechanism that the preliminary data generated will allow a beginning investigator to apply to either the SC1 or SC3 SCORE mechanism. Investigators with previous SCORE support, who have been otherwise productive and whose research has reached a dead-end and are interested in transitioning to a new research field, may also apply for the SC2 award. The PI is required to include in his/her application a progress report on the previously funded SCORE project.
SC3 Research Continuance Award - This mechanism is intended for investigators who still aim to improve their research competitiveness within an environment and circumstances that may require them to work at a less intense pace than with a SC1 mechanism. The proposed projects must be of limited scope in a given biomedical/behavioral field within the NIH mission. These grants are renewable.
For full details of each mechanism, as well as funding levels, please review the complete program announcements at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MBRS/.
Q. Do PIs need to include developmental objectives/plan in a SCORE individual award application?
A. Yes, all of the SCORE individual award applications require that a Principal Investigator (PI) provide his/her developmental objectives including a plan and timeline to achieve them. The developmental objectives must be consistent with the goals of each individual mechanism (see SC1, SC2 and SC3 program announcements at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MBRS/ for further details).
The PI’s developmental objectives must be included in the Specific Aims section under a separate subheading (“PI’s Developmental Objectives”). This should address the PI’s career goals as related to the increased research competitiveness and productivity and development of independent research program.
The PI’s developmental plan should be indicated as a separate subheading (“Developmental Plan and Timeline”) within the Research Design and Methods Section. The plan must justify the need for development and provide an explanation of how the proposed project and the time devoted to it will help the PI further his/her research competitiveness and significantly improve his/her productivity. A timeline for the transition to non-SCORE support must be provided. The developmental plan should show a logical progression from the candidate’s current support to the SCORE (SC1, SC2, SC3) support and to transition to non-SCORE support.
Q. Who should apply for the SC3 mechanism?
A. The SC3 mechanism is for investigators who seek to continue to develop at a less intense pace than the SC2 and SC1 mechanisms. Therefore, it is the appropriate mechanism for PIs who are interested in performing projects of limited scope and publishing their research results. Investigators who have modest research support ($ 75,000 or less) from other external sources (except developmental support, see below) may also apply for this kind of mechanism.
Q. Are investigators from non-SCORE-eligible institutions eligible for SCORE funding?
A. No. However, they can serve as consultants or collaborators, if their role is strongly justified by the scope of the proposed research (See question on role of consultants and collaborators below).
Q. I have an AREA or R03 grant and I am at a SCORE-eligible institution. Am I eligible for SCORE support?
A. Yes. An investigator with an AREA or R03 grant may submit an SC3 application, provided that: 1) the SC3 application is scientifically different from the AREA or R03, and 2) the investigator presents clear developmental goals aimed at improving their research competitiveness. Investigators with AREA or R03 grants may not submit an SC2 or SC1 application.
Q. What about PIs with K01 or other K awards at SCORE-eligible institutions. Are they eligible to apply for SCORE funding?
A. A. No. PIs with K01, K14, other K awards, or any other individual developmental awards (including those that are part of a program project) must first complete their funded project before submitting an application to any of the SCORE individual award mechanisms.
Q. I have an NIH R21 grant and I am at a SCORE-eligible institution. Am I eligible to submit an SC1 application?
A. Recipients of R21 awards are considered to be at a relatively advanced stage of development. Therefore, they are eligible to apply for one cycle of SC1 funding for up to 4 years to help them transition to major non-SCORE support. As required by NIH policy, an SC1 application must be different from the work already funded by an R21 award. Current R21 grantees are not eligible to apply for the SC2 or SC3 SCORE mechanisms.
Q. I am at a SCORE-eligible institution and have R01 support. Am I eligible to apply for a SCORE individual award?
A. No. PIs of R01 grants are considered fully developed and are not eligible to apply for any individual SCORE award.
Q. Are PIs with NSF or other federal non-NIH support or a history of NSF or other federal non-NIH support eligible to apply for SCORE individual awards?
A. PIs that have a track record of NSF or other federal research support are considered to be fully developed for the purposes of SCORE. However, PIs who have recent modest NSF or other federal research support ($75,000 or less) are eligible to apply for the SC3 award.
Q. Is a PI between R01 grants at a SCORE participating institution eligible to apply for a SCORE individual award?
A. The SCORE individual awards are for faculty in development. R01 investigators are considered to be fully developed for the purposes of SCORE and are not eligible to apply for any SCORE individual mechanism. SCORE individual awards are not intended to provide funding between R01 grants.
Q. Can a SCORE individual application have multiple investigators (co-PIs, co-investigators)?
A. No. The SCORE individual mechanisms seek to develop the research competitiveness of an individual PI. The new modality of multiple PIs or Co-PIs does not apply to SCORE individual awards.
Q. Is a PI who currently has SCORE S06 subproject support and had one R01 previously eligible to apply for an SC1 award?
A. PIs who have had one 5- or 4-year cycle of R01 support are at fairly advanced stages of development. These PIs may apply for one cycle of SC1 support for up to 4 years because they should be able to transition to non-SCORE support sooner than less advanced investigators.
Q. Are faculty members at SCORE institutions who are participating in major developmental NIH institutional grants (e.g. G11, G12, U54, INBRE, SNURP, etc.) eligible to apply for SCORE individual awards?
A. No. Faculty members (at any stage of development) who have other developmental funds are not eligible to apply for a SCORE individual award until they complete the funded developmental projects.
Q. Can a research instructor, research assistant professor, or a research scientist apply for a SCORE individual award?
A. No. As specified in the SC1, SC2, and SC3 program announcements, only fulltime individuals on regular faculty appointments may apply for individual SCORE awards. Research track appointments are not considered regular fulltime faculty appointments. Thus, research assistant instructors, research assistant professors, and research scientists are not eligible to apply for SCORE individual awards.
Q. Can co-PI of NIH project grants (U01/P01) apply for SCORE individual awards?
A. No. Co-PIs of P01/U01 or any other NIH research project grant are considered to be fully developed and are not eligible to apply for any of the SCORE investigator-initiated awards.
Q. Can a postdoctoral fellow apply for a SCORE individual research award?
A. No.
Mentor Selection (SC2)
Q. I am a new faculty member at a SCORE-eligible institution who is planning to submit an SC2 application. Am I required to have a mentor since I will use the techniques that I learned in graduate school and during my postdoc?
A. Mentorship from an experienced investigator in the proposed research area is required to facilitate a PI's research development. Please note that the role of the mentor in the PI's research and faculty development plan must be explained in the proposal and that the mentor's biographical sketch must be included in the application.
Q. Is it reasonable to include my Ph.D. or postdoctoral advisor as a mentor or collaborator in a SCORE individual award application?
A. Including your Ph.D. or postdoctoral advisor as a research mentor or collaborator may be interpreted by the reviewers as a PI's lack of independence. Therefore, it is advisable for PIs, especially new ones, to seek recognized scientists in the field as mentors and not someone with whom they have had close research ties.
Role of Consultants or Collaborators
Q. What is the expected role of a consultant or a collaborator on a SCORE individual award?
A. Consultants from outside the applicant institution are individuals who have committed to contributing intellectually to the scientific project development or its execution, but are not committing any specified measurable effort (in person months). These individuals are typically presented as “effort of zero person months” or “as needed.” This would also be the appropriate way of designating the role/effort of mentor on a project.
Collaborators, who are recognized experts in a field from the applicant institution or another institution, generally provide expertise (i.e., effort in person months) in a very specific aspect of the execution of the proposed project in which the PI does not have any experience or has limited experience, (e.g., with a research protocol, running a test on some samples, etc.).
Consultants and collaborators must have their own research support. SCORE funds cannot be used to fund a consultant or collaborator's research project or to pay their effort in person months. However, consultants can be paid a modest honorarium and collaborators can be paid a fee for service. Please note that letters from the proposed consultants and/or collaborators specifying their role in the project and their biographical sketches must be included in the grant application.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Q. Are postdoctoral fellows allowed on SC awards?
A.Postdoctoral fellows may only be requested on SC1 awards provided that: 1) the research proposed justifies the need for their particular expertise and 2) their participation in the proposed research project will further their professional career. It is also required that the postdoctoral fellow be employed in a research–rich environment in which he/she will have opportunity to be an independent thinker and to develop by participating in mentoring activities and interacting with other postdocs, Ph.D. students, and research faculty. Justification for a postdoctoral fellow and his/her specific role/time on a project is required as part of “personnel justification” in the modular budget format. This justification must include: 1) a mentoring plan for the postdoctoral fellow which should detail the mentoring activities he/she and other postdoctoral fellows at the institution will be engaged in (e.g., career counseling, grant writing, training in research ethics, teaching, etc.); 2) a description of the postdoctoral fellow’s involvement in the project as well as his/her anticipated time commitment and other obligations; 3) a brief description of the number of postdoctoral peers/PhD students/research faculty with whom he will be able to interact in the lab, and 4) a brief narrative of the track record of the PI in training postdoctoral fellows, particularly from underrepresented groups.
Progress Reports
Q. Are PIs who do not have a currently funded SCORE subproject but had SCORE S06 support previously required to include a progress report as part of a SCORE individual application?
A. Any PI who has received SCORE S06 subproject support must include a progress report indicating the extent to which the proposed objectives were accomplished. It is in the best interest of PIs who have had a gap in funding to demonstrate to the reviewers in the progress report section of the application any research accomplishments that they have achieved with SCORE support.
Non-responsive Applications
Q. What are the most common reasons why an application is found to be non-responsive to the SC1, SC2, or SC3 program announcements?
A. The most common reasons why SC1, SC2, or SC3 applications are found to be non-responsive are given below:
- Research proposal outside of the NIH mission
- Non-compliant with the application forms and instructions (e.g. excessive number of pages)
- Lack of institutional data
- Lack of the PI's developmental objectives
- PIs who are fully developed and thus not eligible to apply for SCORE
- PIs who are not at a SCORE eligible institution
- For SC2 applications, lack of a mentor, his/her biographical sketch and of explanation of the mentor's role in the PI's development plan
- Co-PIs or co-investigators (which are unallowed)
- Lack of budget page or personnel justification
- Lack of a progress report if a PI has had previous SCORE support
- Lack of an introduction in revised applications
- Applications from institutions not eligible to participate in SCORE
Q. What happens if an application is not responsive to a program announcement?
A. Generally, the application is returned to the applicant without review.
Electronic Submission of Individual Applications
Q. Can a SCORE individual award application be submitted in paper?
A. No. All applications for the SCORE program must be submitted electronically as of January 2008 submission date (please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details).
Modular Budget and Budget Justifications
Q. Can I use a non-modular budget for a SCORE individual award application?
A. No. Modular budgets are required of all SCORE individual applications.
Q. Which costs must be justified in an individual SCORE application modular budget?
A. Justifications must be provided for all personnel (including consultants and collaborators) involved in the project including the amounts to be paid to each based on the scope of their participation (e.g., person/months, if applicable). In addition, request of equipment of over $25,000 must be justified and a price quote must be attached to the application.
Planning Phase of Individual SCORE Applications
Q. What should faculty planning to submit an individual SCORE award next year start doing now?
A. Before submitting an application it is advisable to ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do you want to perform your studies? Do you possess the needed expertise? Do you need consultants/collaborators?
- What is so important about your work?
- What will you add to the field?
- Will you generate new technologies?
- Will you change the thinking in your field?
- Who else is working in the field? How will your work differ from them?
Once you have answered these questions it may also be useful to consider the following:
- Can you articulate well your overall short and long term goals?
- Can you list clearly your specific aims for the proposal you have in mind? Are they achievable in 1, 2, 3, or 4 years?
- Can you articulate your developmental objectives?
CRISP
Q. My area of research may not fit the NIH mission. Where can I find information on the scientific areas funded by NIH?
A. The Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) allows you to perform searches of descriptions (abstracts) of funded grants using specific key words. Information on how to use this database can be found at http://report.nih.gov/crisp.aspx.
Preparing an NIH Grant Application
Q. Where can I find information on how to prepare an NIH grant application?
A. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Web site at (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/default_grants.htm has grant tutorials and also offers an annotated R01 application. The MORE Division offers a grant writing workshop every year. For more information on this see http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Application/MOREGrantWritingWorkshop.htm.
Contact for Additional Information
Q. Who should an applicant contact for additional questions regarding the SCORE individual investigator-initiated award program policies, review process, budget and grants issues?
A. For program policies regarding proposal application and submission that are not related to existing grants:
Hinda Zlotnik, Ph.D.
Chief, MBRS Branch
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Room 2AS.37
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Tel: 301-594-3900
Fax: 301-480-2753
e-mail: zlotnikh@nigms.nih.gov
Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
A Resubmission application must have an Introduction which is limited to three pages. The Introduction must summarize the substantial additions, deletions, and changes. The introduction must also include responses to the overall criticisms and issues raised in the summary statement. It should not be used to rebut each point raised by each one of the reviewers. The introduction must be inserted just before the very beginning of the Research Plan (see the PHS 398 instructions at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.pdf)
