NIDDK SHORT-TERM EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (R25)

RELEASE DATE:  March 19, 2003

RFA:  DK-03-014 (This RFA has been modified, see RFA-DK-06-008)

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
 (http://www.niddk.nih.gov/)

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER(S):  
93.847 (DEM), 93.848 (DDN), and 93.849 (KUH)   NIDDK

LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE:  April 16, 2003

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE:  May 14, 2003

THIS RFA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose of this RFA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism(s) of Support 
o Funds Available 
o Eligible Institutions 
o Eligible Program Directors 
o Trainee Eligibility Requirements 
o Special Requirements 
o Where to Send Inquiries 
o Letter of Intent 
o Submitting an Application 
o Peer Review Process 
o Review Criteria 
o Receipt and Review Schedule 
o Award Criteria 
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE OF THIS RFA

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 
Short-Term Education Program for Minority Students is designed to provide 
short-term research education for underrepresented minority high school 
and/or undergraduate students to expose them to research in the areas of 
diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, and digestive, 
liver, urologic, kidney, and hematologic diseases.  By providing an early 
research experience it is hoped that many of these students will pursue a 
career in biomedical research. Underrepresented minority and ethnic groups 
include Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and 
Pacific Islanders, and other racial and ethnic groups determined by the 
institution to be underrepresented in the health-related sciences.  

The grant provides support for two to three consecutive months of research 
training in the laboratories of experienced investigators as well as the 
opportunity to participate in research forums, guest lectures, student 
presentations, special courses, and social activities.  The awards are 
intended for any institution that has access to highly motivated minority 
high school and/or undergraduate students. The institution may design a 
program specifically for high school students, undergraduate students, or 
both.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

There is a need for programs designed to increase the number of minority 
students in the pipeline for biomedical research careers. The scientific 
community is interested in attracting qualified minority students into 
research careers, but few minority students opt for science degrees and 
research careers, and fewer minority graduates of health professional schools 
pursue research careers.  The shortage of qualified minority investigators in 
academic research positions exacerbates the situation since this means there 
are few visible role models for students.  One way to address this problem is 
to expose minority students to research opportunities early in their 
education and to provide them with research training opportunities to develop 
both their research capabilities and their interest in pursuing a career in 
research.

The NIDDK Short-Term Education Program for Minority Students is intended to 
offer research-education opportunities for minority students in an effort to 
encourage them to pursue a research career in an area of science relevant to 
the interests of the NIDDK.  NIDDK supports research in the areas of 
diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, and digestive, 
liver, urologic, kidney, and hematologic diseases and recognizes the need for 
a diverse workforce, representative of the population, to pursue this 
research.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the Educational Research Project Grant (R25) award 
mechanism.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the 
proposed education project will be solely that of the applicant.  The total 
project period for an application submitted in response to this RFA may not 
exceed five years.  Funding beyond the first year of the grant is contingent 
upon satisfactory progress during the preceding year and availability of 
funds.  The anticipated award date is September 30, 2003.

This RFA uses just-in-time concepts.  This program does not require cost 
sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/part_i_1.htm.  

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The NIDDK intends to commit $200,000 in FY 2003 to fund 3-5 grants in 
response to this RFA.  An applicant may request a project period of up to 5 
years and a budget for direct costs of up to $40,000 per year. Although the 
financial plans of the NIDDK provides support for this program, awards 
pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the 
receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. It is not known, 
at this time, if this RFA will be reissued. 

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS

You may submit (an) application(s) if your institution has any of the 
following characteristics:

o For-profit or non-profit organizations 
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, 
and laboratories 
o Units of State and local governments
o Eligible agencies of the Federal government  
o Domestic or foreign

Only one application per health professional school may be submitted in 
response to this solicitation.  Although an institution may have more than 
one NIDDK Short-Term Education Program for Minority Students, they may not be 
in the same school.  The applicant institution must have the available 
research facilities, personnel, and support for the program in the areas of 
diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, and digestive, 
liver, urologic, kidney, and hematologic diseases.  

Minority institutions with adequate staff and resources in these areas are 
encouraged to apply.  These grants will support short-term research education 
experiences for a duration of two to three consecutive months for minority 
high school and/or undergraduate students.  The grantee institution will 
determine which racial and ethnic groups are underrepresented in biomedical 
or behavioral research and will be responsible for the selection and 
appointment of trainees. 

ELIGIBLE PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to 
initiate and carry out the proposed education program is invited to work with 
their colleagues and their institution to develop an application for support. 
Individuals from racial/ethnic minority groups, women, and persons with 
disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.

TRAINEE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

High school students (who will have completed the 10th grade) and 
undergraduate students who will have completed at least one year at an 
accredited school or university (including baccalaureate schools of nursing) 
at the time their research experience would begin, and who are in good 
academic standing at their school, are eligible to participate in the 
program.  Institutions must adhere strictly to these requirements when 
selecting trainees.  These grants are intended to introduce students to 
research that would not otherwise be available to them through their regular 
course of studies.  

Trainees appointed to this program must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen 
nationals, or legal permanent residents (i.e., in possession of the Alien 
Registration Receipt Card or other legal verification of such status).  Non-
citizen nationals are generally persons born in possessions of the United 
States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or 
student visas and individuals holding Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M. or equivalent 
doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible.

Trainees appointed to the program may be from the applicant institution or 
from other institutions, schools, colleges, or universities where such 
training experiences are not available.  The only requirement for student 
selection is that the trainees fulfill the eligibility requirements stated 
above.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Provisions of the Award

Institutions may request support for at least 3, but not more than 10 
trainees, per budget period, based on a full-time three-month appointment.  A 
trainee must be appointed for a minimum of 8 weeks, and up to a maximum of 
twelve weeks during a single budget period. Institutions are encouraged to 
appoint a trainee for more than one budget period, i.e., two or more 
successive summer research experiences.  A student may be appointed, in 
special circumstances, to more than one 3-month period during a budget period 
provided prior approval is obtained from the staff of the NIDDK.  All 
research training must be full-time during the specific sequence.  It is 
expected that most programs will be designed to provide a summer research 
experience, but other innovative program designs and time schedules will be 
considered.  The requested number of short-term trainees must be justified in 
the application.

Funds may be requested for:

o Stipends - The grantee institution must set the stipend level of the 
students appointed to the program and must justify the stipend level in the 
budget section of the application.  

o Education-related Expenses - Up to $183 per month per trainee may be 
requested yearly; and may be used for faculty, laboratory and secretarial 
assistance; supplies and equipment; consultant costs; and tuition and fees.  

o Travel Expenses - The institution may request up to $1000 per year per 
trainee to cover the cost of travel to support an educational experience away 
from the grantee institution  or to a scientific meeting.   In cases of 
extreme hardship, a one-way travel allowance will be provided for travel 
between the trainee's residence and the education institution.  Travel 
requests will be subject to the Initial Review Group (IRG) and NIDDK review.  
Applicants may share travel costs among trainees so that the $1000 allotted 
for a local trainee may be reprogrammed to trainees needing higher cost 
reimbursement.    

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research:  The application must 
include a description of plans to provide instruction in the responsible 
conduct of research (RCR).  The Public Health Service policy on RCR  
(http://ori.hhs.gov/policies/RCR_Policy.shtml#rcr) describes nine core 
instructional areas that comprise RCR:  data acquisition, management, 
sharing, and ownership; mentor/trainee responsibilities; publication 
practices and responsible authorship; peer review; collaborative science; 
human subjects; research involving animals; research misconduct; and conflict 
of interest and commitment.  Plans for RCR training must describe the 
proposed subject matter, format, frequency and duration of instruction.  No 
award will be made if an application lacks this component. See the NIH 
website http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics for resources and information on 
this topic.

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

We encourage inquiries concerning this RFA 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:

o Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:

Lawrence Agodoa, M.D.
Director, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institutes of Health
6707 Democracy Blvd, Room 653
Bethesda, MD 20892-5454
Telephone:  (301) 594-1932
FAX:  (301) 594-9358 
E-mail:  la21j@nih.gov

o Direct your questions about peer review issues to:

Francisco O. Calvo, Ph.D.
Chief, Review Branch
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
6707 Democracy Blvd., Room 752
Bethesda, MD  20892-5452
Telephone:  (301) 594-8897
FAX:  (301) 480-3505
E-mail:  fc15y@nih.gov

o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:

Mr. George Tucker
Deputy Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
6707 Democracy Blvd., Room 718
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 594-8853
FAX:  (301) 480-3504
Email:  Tuckerg@extra.niddk.nih.gov

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes 
the following information:

o a descriptive title of the proposed program
o the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator 
o the names of other key personnel 
o participating institutions
o number and title of this RFA. 

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not 
enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it 
contains allows NIDDK staff to estimate the potential review workload and 
plan the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent by April 16, 2003 to:

Francisco O. Calvo, Ph.D. 
Chief, Review Branch
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
6707 Democracy Blvd., Room 752
Bethesda, MD 20892-5452
(Courier use Zip 20817)
Telephone:  (301) 594-8897
FAX:  (301) 480-3505
E-mail:  fc15y@nih.gov

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application 
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001).  The PHS 398 is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive 
format.  For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, 
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/2001) 
application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the 
application.  In addition, the RFA title (NIDDK Short-term Education Program 
for Minority Students) and the number RFA-DK-03-014 must be typed on line 2 
of the face page of the application form, and the Yes box marked. Failure to 
use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such 
that it may not reach the review committee in time for review.  In addition, 
the RFA title and number must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the 
application form and the YES box must be marked. The RFA label is also 
available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf.

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

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

At the time of submission, two (2) additional copies of the application and 
all appendices must be sent to:

Francisco O. Calvo, Ph.D.
Chief, Review Branch
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
6707 Democracy Blvd., Room 752
Bethesda, MD 20892-5452
(Courier use Zip 20817)
Telephone:  (301) 594-8897
FAX:  (301) 480-3505
E-mail:  fc15y@nih.gov

APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received on or before the 
application receipt date listed in the heading of this RFA.  If an 
application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant 
without review. 

Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an 
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and funding 
assignment within 8 weeks.
 
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in 
response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending 
initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.  
However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an 
investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to an RFA, 
it is to be prepared as a NEW application.  That is the application for the 
RFA must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements 
made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes.  While the 
investigator may still benefit from the previous review, the RFA application 
is not to state explicitly how.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and 
responsiveness by the NIDDK.  Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications 
will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated 
for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group 
convened by the Review Branch, Division of Extramural Activities, National 
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in accordance 
with the review criteria stated below.  As part of the initial merit review, 
all applications will:

o receive a written critique  
o undergo a process in which all applications will be discussed and assigned 
a priority score, 
o receive a second level review by the National Diabetes, and Digestive and 
Kidney Diseases Advisory Council.

Review Considerations

The application should provide a summary of the training program including 
its objectives, the types of research activities available, the faculty who 
will participate, the schools, universities, and/or geographic area to be 
included in recruitment efforts, a mentoring plan, and any special activities 
or experiences to be provided to the trainees.  It should also describe the 
administrative structure of the program and the distribution of 
responsibilities within it, plans for recruiting, selecting, and assigning 
trainees to research activities, duration of training and months in which it 
will occur, description of a typical student program including percent time 
to be spent in various activities, and additional support or services to be 
provided by the applicant institution.  

All applications must include a description of formal or informal activities 
or instruction related to the responsible conduct of research that will be 
incorporated into the proposed research education program.

REVIEW CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered when assessing the merits of the 
proposed NIDDK Short-Term Education Program for Minority Students.

o Design of the proposed education program; 

o Qualifications, dedication, and previous training record of the program 
director and participating faculty, particularly with regard to prior 
experience with high school and undergraduate students;  

o Adequacy of facilities, environment, and resources for the proposed 
research training; 

o Recruitment and selection plans for trainees, and the availability of high 
quality candidates; 

o Methods for retaining promising students in the program and methods for 
tracking students; 

o Commitment of the institution and participating faculty to the goals of the 
education program; and 

o Procedures for evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the 
impact of the program on the students involved.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research:

o Quality of the proposed training in responsible conduct of research 

ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA:  In addition to the above criteria, your 
application will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS FROM RESEARCH RISK:  The involvement of human 
subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation 
in the proposed research will be assessed. (See criteria included in the 
section on Federal Citations, below).
 
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.  Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be 
evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria in the sections on Federal Citations, 
below).

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

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

RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 16, 2003
Application Receipt Date:  May 14, 2003
Peer Review Date:  July/August 2003
Council Review:  September 2003
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:  September 30, 2003

AWARD CRITERIA

Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:

o Scientific and training merit (as determined by peer review)  
o Availability of funds 
o Programmatic priorities.

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

Applicants may wish to place data collected under this RFA 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.

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

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010: The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to 
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy 
People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This 
RFA 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 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 NIH Grants 
Policy Statement can be found at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.

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.

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