Supplemental Guidelines for the Ruth
L. Kirschstein
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
Revised May 2007
This document contains instructions for preparing applications
for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Institutional National Research Service Awards (T32). These
instructions must be used for all T32 applications submitted
to the NHLBI effective with the January 25, 2007 receipt date,
and are to be used in conjunction with the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) T32 Program Announcement (PA-06-468), the
PHS 398, referenced under General Information,
VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications,
and the NHLBI Notice of Change in Submission Dates, NOT-HL-07-109.
Looking ahead: As part of the Department
of Health and Human Services' Implementation of e-Government,
during FY 2006 and FY 2007 the NIH will gradually transition
each research grant mechanism to electronic submission through
Grants.gov and the use of the SF 424 Research and Related
(R&R) forms. Therefore, once the transition is made for
a specific grant mechanism, investigators and institutions
will be required to submit applications electronically using
Grants.gov. For
more information and an initial timeline, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-067.html.
NIH will announce each grant mechanism change in the NIH
Guide to Grants and Contracts (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html).
Specific funding opportunity announcements will also clearly
indicate if Grants.gov submission and the use of the SF 424
(R&R) is required. Investigators should consult the NIH
Forms and Applications Web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm)
for the most current information when preparing a grant application.
The T32 mechanism has not yet converted to electronic submissions.
Also included in this document are:
- Frequently Asked Questions for T32 applications;
- Guidance on Recruitment of Minority Trainees; and
- Sample Mentorship Evaluation Form
All potential applicants, whether applying for new or renewal
awards, are encouraged to consult with NHLBI program staff
listed under General Information, VII.
Staff Contacts early in the preparation process.
Contents:
-
Additional documents:
Frequently
Asked Questions Recruitment
of Minority Individuals into NRSA Training Grants Sample:
Mentorship Evaluation Form [PDF file, 67 K, 4 pages]
General Information
I. Introduction
The NHLBI reviewed its research training and career development
programs in November 1999 to ensure that they will produce
the research workforce needed for the future of heart, lung,
blood, and sleep disorders research. A workshop and other
deliberations have identified specific areas needing increased
emphasis in NHLBI's Institutional National Research Service
Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants (T32s), which are the
cornerstone of NHLBI training activities. The workshop
report can be found at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/train-rev.htm.
Areas of training to receive increased emphasis by NHLBI
include:
- providing multidisciplinary training and exposure of
trainees to collaborative research;
- developing new investigators with the necessary competencies
and breadth of expertise needed for the future of biomedical
research;
- ensuring that trainees receive adequate mentorship,
and that mentorship is taught and evaluated;
- recruiting and retaining such investigators in the scientific
workforce and ensuring adequate representation of the
nation’s diversity in that workforce; and
- providing a continued flow of qualified physician-scientists
able to translate findings freely between the basic and
clinical spheres.
To ensure that T32 applications address these areas of emphasis,
the NHLBI has set forth the following specific requirements
and review criteria.
II. Special
Requirements and Provisions
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Special NHLBI Programmatic Emphases: |
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Multidisciplinary training |
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a. |
At all stages of education and training,
Program Directors should foster broad, multidisciplinary
approaches to research, including encouragement of interaction
and collaboration among trainees in related disciplines.
This could include travel by trainees to other laboratories
outside the applicant institution to receive training
in specialized disciplines, methodologies, or technologies. |
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b. |
Program Directors should encourage new trainees to widen
the scope of their interests and capabilities, to avoid
too narrow a focus too early in their careers and to develop
the flexibility needed for pursuing rapidly evolving scientific
advances. |
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c. |
NHLBI encourages development of novel programs of research
training, to emphasize multidisciplinary team approaches,
networking, and collaboration, emphasizing the competencies
needed for the future of biomedical research. |
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d. |
NHLBI encourages development of “virtual”
research training centers, to link (electronically or
through other means) multiple institutions with unique
or specific expertise to address a common problem. Program
Directors are encouraged to broaden training experiences
beyond a single institution (in academia and industry)
using both long and short-term training experiences. Such
experiences might include exchanges of faculty and students.
Plans should be described for how interactions among participants
will take place. |
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Necessary competencies |
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a. |
Applicants are encouraged to identify scientific disciplines
and evolving areas of scientific need which are currently
under-represented and to design and implement training
programs in such disciplines. Documentation of available
opportunities in such fields and of the lack of qualified
scientists to realize these opportunities should be included
to justify emphasis on these evolving areas. |
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b. |
Programs in disciplines related to clinical research
should also include training in bioethics, clinical trials
and behavioral science. When possible and appropriate,
training programs should include training in state-of-the-art
technologies, integrative approaches, and such mathematically-based
areas as bioinformatics, computational biology, and statistics. |
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c. |
Training at the pre- and postdoctoral levels should
include “survival skills” such as grant and
manuscript writing, public speaking, obtaining funding,
mentorship (that is, providing skills that will enable
current trainees to train subsequent “generations”
of scientists), and establishing research collaborations
in a multidisciplinary setting. |
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Mentorship |
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a. |
NHLBI encourages “group mentorship,” where
multiple senior partners in team-based research lend their
individual expertise to the trainee, as appropriate to
the trainee's level of development and under the overall
guidance of the Program Director. |
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b. |
Program Directors should provide a detailed mentoring
plan for the “typical” trainee and should
describe the process by which specific plans will be developed
for future trainees, including a description of approaches
to be used in mentoring and methods for evaluating and
reporting effectiveness of the mentoring program in annual
progress reports. Formal evaluation by trainees is encouraged
(see Sample: Mentorship Evaluation
Form). Formal evaluation of trainees by their mentors
or advisory committees is also encouraged. |
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c. |
Applicant institutions should demonstrate their support
of mentoring, in terms of institutional administrative
support, protected time for mentoring, and departmental
support for student activities. They should detail the
steps taken to ensure that trainees are aware of what
they may expect from their mentors and institutions and
what in turn is expected of them. |
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d. |
Consideration should be given to including as mentors
or co-mentors junior faculty who have established active,
independent research programs early in their careers.
The mentoring abilities of dynamic young investigators
may need to be documented in ways other than a long track
record of producing seasoned independent investigators,
but the value of such individuals as role models should
not be underestimated. |
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e. |
Where possible and practical, the training experience
should be broadened by encouraging the active participation
of scientists and laboratories in industry settings. This
could include industry scientists acting as mentors on
training grants or providing short-term experiences in
industry settings for trainees. Cost sharing in such partnerships
on the part of industry is encouraged. |
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Workforce diversity |
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a. |
NHLBI encourages vigorous efforts to recruit and retain
underrepresented minority trainees in its NRSA programs.
Once all training positions are filled, including an adequate
representation of minority trainees, institutional NRSA
training grants funded by NHLBI may request an administrative
increase to support training of an additional underrepresented
minority trainee or a person with a disability. Procedures
for requesting these increases are available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/t32slotpros.htm.
NHLBI encourages the recruitment of eligible individuals
from the full spectrum of minority groups, but with special
emphasis on those underrepresented in biomedical research,
including African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics, American
Indians, Alaska Natives, and non-Asian Pacific Islanders.
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b. |
The NRSA program has a program for limited part-time
training for trainees beginning families and facing other
unique pressures, which is described in the NIH T32 Program
Announcement PA-06-468 (see General Information, VI.
Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications). |
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5. |
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Clinical research |
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a. |
NHLBI encourages development of physician-investigators
with necessary skills to translate research findings from
the laboratory and clinical research program into clinical
practice. |
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b. |
Programs of clinical relevance should be established
for PhD scientist-trainees, with an emphasis on postdoctoral
training and course work in human biology and behavioral
science, to facilitate their subsequent engagement in
human subjects research or clinical trials. |
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c. |
Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative approaches
to training physicians and non-physicians in clinical
research skills in the context of NHLBI clinical networks
and multicenter studies. Such training can be facilitated
by building on existing study infrastructure and ongoing
activities. Programs that foster translational research
skills bridging basic and clinical research are encouraged. |
B. NHLBI Provisions of Award
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Support may be requested for predoctoral
training, postdoctoral training, or a combination of both
as defined under the NRSA guidelines. In addition, applicants
may request support for short-term (that is, 2-3 months’
duration) research training positions for students enrolled
in a program leading to a clinical doctorate or a masters
or doctorate in a physical or quantitative science such
as physics, chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. |
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2. |
NHLBI will not award costs through the tuition and fees
category for items such as malpractice insurance, computer
fees, or radioactive waste disposal. |
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Up to $1,400 per trainee per year may be requested for
trainee travel (for pre- and post-doctoral trainees only). |
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Stipend increases are reviewed annually and will be
incorporated into future year commitments. Actual funding
levels for each budget period will be determined annually
following NHLBI staff evaluation of the non-competing
renewal application. |
C. Special NHLBI Programmatic Requirements:
Recruitment of Minority Individuals
NHLBI is strongly committed to ensuring diversity in its
research training programs. Each application must include
plans for the active recruitment of minority individuals.
Detailed instructions on preparing the minority recruitment
portion of the application can be found on page 67 in the
PHS-398, referenced under General Information, VI.
Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications.
While it is appropriate to describe minority recruitment
activities supported by the applicant institution (i.e.,
Office of Minority Affairs, etc.), this type of activity
is generally not specific to an individual training grant.
Applicants should also describe their personal involvement
in recruitment efforts for the specific application (visits
to minority institutions, personal follow-up of potential
applicants and interviewees, etc.) Emphasis should be on
recruitment of minorities underrepresented in the behavioral
and biomedical sciences, including African Americans/Blacks,
Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and non-Asian
Pacific Islanders.
III. Application
Procedures
A. Application Receipt and Award Dates:
Receipt dates for competing applications:
- January 25 - The NHLBI will accept all types of competing
T32 applications (new, renewal/competing continuation, resubmission/amended)
on this date.
- May 25 - This date has been eliminated; after 5/25/07
no T32 applications of any type will be accepted.
- September 25 - Only resubmission/amended T32 applications
will be accepted on this date.
Award Date:
New competing awards for T32 grants will be issued as early
as February. Competing Renewals will usually follow the dates
of the last non-competing award end date.
According to NIH policy, applications for NRSA Institutional
Grants who are requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs
for any year must obtain, prior to submission, NHLBI agreement
to accept their applications for consideration. This policy
applies to new competing, renewal/competing continuation,
and resubmission/amended applications. Requests must be received
by the NHLBI no later than 6 weeks prior to the January 25
receipt date. Without this advance acceptance, applications
will be returned by the Center for Scientific Review. Assistance
for requesting NHLBI acceptance and further details about
this policy can be obtained at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/500kweb.htm.
B. Where to Send the Application:
The signed original and five complete photocopies of the
application (with full Appendix materials) should be submitted
to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH, at the following
address:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service
Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, Maryland 20817 (for express/courier service;
non-USPS service)
Personal
deliveries of applications are no longer permitted (see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html.)
To expedite the review process conducted by NHLBI, one additional
signed complete photocopy of the application should be sent
to:
Chief, Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research Activities
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Two Rockledge Center, Suite 7214
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7924
Bethesda, MD 20892-7924
Bethesda, MD 20817 (express/courier service)
Prior to submission, applicants are strongly encouraged to
contact the appropriate program director to discuss preparation
and review of the application (see General Information, VII.
Staff Contacts).
IV. Review Procedures
and Criteria
A. Review Procedures:
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Center
for Scientific Review (CSR) and the NHLBI for completeness
and conformance to all eligibility requirements and special
provisions and requirements. Incomplete or ineligible applications
will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.
Applications judged to be complete and eligible will be evaluated
for merit by a peer review group convened by the NHLBI Division
of Extramural Research Activities. NHLBI has several specific
review criteria related to its areas of emphasis, as described
below, which will be used in addition to the peer review criteria
stated in the NIH T32 Program Announcement (PA-06-468), referenced
under General Information, VI. Other Documents
Required for Preparing Applications. Applications will
receive a second-level review by the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Advisory Council to ensure that they meet the broad
programmatic needs and priorities of the NHLBI.
B. Review Criteria:
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Mentoring Plans: The quality
of mentoring plans will be evaluated and reflected in
the priority score based on: |
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Adequacy and appropriateness of specific
mentoring plan (for individual trainees) or representative
plan (and proposals for tailoring it to needs of multiple
trainees), to include: |
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Identification of primary mentor and secondary
mentors or advisors and specific areas in which they will
provide guidance; |
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Description of specific time commitment of primary mentor
to trainee/candidate and how it may change as needed during
the training period; |
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Adequacy and appropriateness of steps taken to ensure
that trainees are aware of what they may expect from their
mentors and institutions and what in turn is expected
of them. |
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iv. |
Timeline for training and career development with specific
milestones for acquiring necessary scientific knowledge
and for developing research and communication skills,
logical reasoning, independent thinking, ability to collaborate,
collegial relationships with professional community, responsible
scientific behavior, and career planning (including planned
publications and future grant support); |
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Provisions for facilitating transition of trainee to
a more independent status; |
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Relationship of mentoring plan to candidate’s
stated career goals and career development plan (for a
single candidate) or to representative training plan (for
multiple trainees). |
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Experience and expertise of the mentor(s)
in providing training and career development. |
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Experience and expertise of the mentor(s)
in a scientific discipline aligned with the career plans
of the trainee. |
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Training Environment: The
training environment will be evaluated in regard to the
adequacy and appropriateness of plans to pursue the Special
NHLBI Programmatic Emphases described above, including: |
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Adequacy and appropriateness of plans for
training in scientific competencies needed for the future
of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research, including: |
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Didactic courses, hands-on research participation,
and other training experiences in areas of scientific
need which currently are or are anticipated to be under-represented.
Such programs should be justified by documentation of
scientific opportunities in the proposed area and demonstration
of expected lack of qualified personnel to pursue them
in the near future. |
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ii. |
"Survival skills," such as seminars or courses
on grant and manuscript writing, public speaking, obtaining
funding, mentorship skills and establishing research collaborations
in a multidisciplinary setting. |
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Training in state-of-the-art technologies, integrative
approaches, and such mathematically-based areas as bioinformatics
and statistics where relevant, and demonstration of close
integration of such training in the overall training program.
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Evidence of multidisciplinary approaches
to research training, designed to produce trainees able
to bridge disciplines and move rapidly into new disciplines
as they emerge, including: |
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Involvement and integration of mentors from multiple
related disciplines in providing a coordinated training
program to individual trainees. |
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Exposure of trainees to multidisciplinary research environments
and their inclusion in such environments when feasible
and appropriate. |
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Evidence of collaboration and interaction among training
programs and trainees in related disciplines, to include
exchanges of faculty and trainees, linking of multiple
institutions, or other approaches, with clear plans for
how productive interactions among participants will be
established and monitored. |
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Adequacy and appropriateness of plans for
training in clinical research, to include: |
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Plans for effective use of NHLBI center programs, clinical
networks and multicenter studies to provide opportunities
for training clinical investigators and PhD scientists
in collaborative clinical research. |
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Didactic courses, hands-on research participation, and
other training experiences in disciplines fundamental
to clinical research such as bioethics, clinical trials
and behavioral science. |
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Programs of clinical relevance for PhD scientist-trainees,
with an emphasis on postdoctoral training and course work
in human biology and behavioral science. |
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The level of institutional commitment, including: |
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Institutional administrative support; |
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Protected time for mentoring; |
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Trainees’ stipend supplementation from institutional
sources; |
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Departmental support for student activities. |
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Minority Recruitment Plan:
The plan must be specific for the program under review
and will be evaluated and reflected in the priority score,
including: |
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Adequacy of the plan for recruiting minority
individuals into the proposed training program. |
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For competing continuation applications, track record
of the plan in recruiting minorities. |
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For revised or competing continuation applications,
modifications of the plan since the last review to overcome
deficiencies. |
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Career Experience of Past Trainees:
The past training records of both the program and the
designated preceptors are evaluated in regard to success
of former trainees in seeking further career development
and in establishing productive scientific careers. Evidence
of a productive scientific career is not limited to successful
competition for research grants but can also include a
receipt of special honors or awards, a record of publications,
receipt of patents, promotion to scientific positions,
and any other measure of success consistent with the nature
and duration of the training received. |
V. Award Criteria
Shortly after review of the competing application by the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council, the NHLBI
will notify the applicant of his/her funding status. Awards
are made based on the availability of funds each fiscal year,
the degree of merit as determined by peer reviewers and the
program priorities of the NHLBI.
VI. Other Documents Required
for Preparing Applications
In addition to this document, there are four other documents
necessary for the preparation of the NHLBI T32 application:
1. |
Ruth
L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)
Institutional Research Training Grants (T32)” Program
Announcement PA-06-468, issued in the NIH GUIDE FOR
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, June 16, 2006, available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-468.html. |
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2. |
PHS
398 application kit with particular attention paid
to Section IV, Instructions for Preparing Institutional
National Research Service Award Applications, available
at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html. |
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3. |
Specific NHLBI funding guidelines for NRSA programs
are described in “NHLBI
Funding and Operating Guidelines: NRSA and Career Awards”
(includes information on Limits on Full-Time Training
Positions, Receipt Dates, and Stipend Levels) available
at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/nrsa.htm. |
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4. |
"Notice
of New NIH Policy for Funding of Tuition, Fees, and Health
Insurance on Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awards" available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-093.html. |
Additional Helpful Resources
Excellent guides to professional mentorship are available
and prospective Program Directors are encouraged to use them
in developing their training programs.
VII. Staff Contacts
Programmatic or scientific issues: For more
information and/or advice about the objectives and scope of
this award, eligibility requirements, structure and organization
of grant applications and peer review trends, please contact
the scientific staff in the relevant Division as listed below.
For applicants in the area of sleep disorders research, contact
the Division most relevant to the training program being proposed.
For training in the program areas of the Division of Cardiovascular
Diseases, contact:
Dr. Michael Commarato
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7940
Tel: 301-435-0535
Fax: 301-480-7971
Email: commaram@nhlbi.nih.gov
For training in the program areas of Division of Lung Diseases,
contact:
Ms. Ann Rothgeb
Division of Lung Diseases
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7952
Tel: 301-435-0202
Fax: 301-480-3557
Email: rothgeba@nhlbi.nih.gov
For training in the program areas of the Division of Blood
Disease and Resources, contact:
Dr. Henry Chang
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7950
Tel: 301-435-0067
Fax: 301-480-0867
Email: changh@nhlbi.nih.gov
For training in the program areas of the Division of Prevention
and Population Sciences, contact:
Dr. Charlotte Pratt
Division of Prevention and Population Sciences
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7936
Tel: 301-435-0382
Fax: 301-480-5158
Email: prattc@nhlbi.nih.gov
Fiscal Issues:
For more information about the appropriate procedures for
dealing with issues that involve budget and period of support
of the award or that involve any other issues requiring approval
by the NHLBI or post award actions, please contact the Grants
Administration official listed below:
Ms. Beckie Chamberlin
Division of Extramural Research Activities
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7926
Tel: 301-435-0183
Fax: 301-451-5462
Email: chamberr@nhlbi.nih.gov
Preparation Instructions
Follow the instructions in the PHS 398, Section IV, Instructions
for Preparing Institutional National Research Service Award
Applications. In addition, instructions and formats specific
to NHLBI T32 applications are summarized below. Suggested
tabular formats for presenting the required data are located
in Section C of these instructions.
The tables may also be useful as a framework for the narrative
sections.
A. Background
Describe the scope and nature of the training program and
the importance of these research areas to the needs of biomedical
research and the breadth and depth of research training (i.e.,
skills that will be developed and opportunities for scientific
cross-fertilization and interdepartmental contacts). Give
the rationale for the proposed research training program as
well as relevant background and history. This may include
a brief description of both current and past training programs
and their relation, if any, to the proposed program. Describe
the amount of participation expected in formal course work,
seminars, etc., within the framework of the program. In addition,
give essential features that distinguish this as a program,
rather than merely an aggregate of individual fellowship awards.
B. Program Plan
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Program
Administration |
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Describe the Program Director’s relevant scientific
background, research, experience in research training
and qualifications for providing leadership for the program.
Indicate the program director's percent of effort in the
proposed program. Describe the administrative structure
of the program, its relationship to the research training
program, the distribution of responsibilities within it,
and the mechanisms to be utilized by the Program Director
to obtain continuing advice on the operation of the program.
If advisory committees (both internal and external) are
to be used for the program, a description of the composition
of the committees, their function and responsibilities,
and the frequency of meetings of the committees may be
provided. |
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Program Faculty |
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Present evidence that the faculty members listed have
diversified research competence and training experiences,
provide opportunities for research training which complement
the aims of the training program, are competent and able
to provide research training, and as a group manifest
stability and cooperation. The roles of more junior faculty,
if they are identified as trainers, should be justified.
Independent research support (Table 4), involvement in
other training support (whether as program director or
faculty member, Table 2), and experience in training (Table
5a) should be delineated clearly for each member of the
core training faculty. |
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3. |
Proposed Training |
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Indicate how the individual disciplinary and/or departmental
components in the program are integrated and coordinated
for the program and for an individual trainee's experience.
For training programs emphasizing research training for
physicians (primarily those programs in clinical departments),
describe the interactions with basic science departments
and scientists. In addition, include plans for ensuring
that the training of these physicians will provide a substantive
foundation for a competitive research career. This may
include an indication of the duration of the research
training. Describe fully any trainee access to and responsibility
for patients, including percent of effort. |
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Describe predoctoral, postdoctoral, and short-term training
components separately. For predoctoral and postdoctoral
trainees indicate the training offered, the duration of
training (i.e., the usual period of time to complete the
training offered) and fields in which trainees will be
qualified upon completion of training. For postdoctoral
trainees, provide a breakdown of anticipated trainees
by degree (M.D., Ph.D., etc.). Describe course work and
research opportunities available and the extent to which
trainees will participate directly in research. For short-term
training components, include a description of the duration
of training and months in which it will occur, special
activities to be made available to all trainees (i.e.,
seminar activity), and plans for assigning trainees. |
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Provide representative examples of individual trainee
programs. Include curricula, degree requirements, didactic
courses, laboratory experiences, qualifying examinations,
and other training activities, such as seminars, journal
clubs, etc. Describe how the preceptor and research projects
are chosen by the trainee, how each trainee's program
will be guided and how the trainee's performance will
be monitored and evaluated. |
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Justification should be provided for the length of the
training and for differential treatment due to the degree
(M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent) which a trainee holds. Moreover,
all facets of the training program, including short-term
and predoctoral training (if proposed) and the process
by which trainees are assigned to preceptors, should be
described clearly. It is required that trainees, other
than short-term trainees, in the program be appointed
for at least two years. |
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The number of trainee positions proposed should be dependent
on the applicant pool for the training program and the
number of faculty participating in the program. The existence
of a large applicant pool (relative to the number of positions
requested) from which to choose trainees should help to
ensure that high quality applicants will be appointed
to the program. |
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Applications should have a detailed mentoring plan and
the process by which such plans will be developed for
future trainees. Items to be discussed in a mentoring
plan may include: 1) a description of approaches to be
used in mentoring; 2) experience and expertise of mentors
and proposed time commitment; 3) training in the skills
of mentorship; 4) training in oral and written communication
and personal interactions; 5) career planning; 6) legal
and ethical aspects of conducting research; and 7) methods
for evaluating and reporting effectiveness of mentoring
program in annual progress reports. Applicant institutions
should demonstrate their support of mentoring, in terms
of institutional administrative support, protected time
for mentoring, departmental support for student activities,
and conscientious interaction and effort by student/fellow.
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NHLBI has developed specific criteria for evaluation
of mentoring plans as described above in General Information,
IV. Review Procedures and Criteria.
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4. |
Training Program
Evaluation |
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Program Evaluation is required in the application with
a description of plans to measure the impact of the program
on the individual student and how the trainee's progress
will be measured. This may include a description of plans
to monitor the future career course of individual trainees,
plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall program
and the impact of the training program on the institution. |
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5. |
Trainee Candidates |
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Provide criteria and procedures that will be used for
recruitment and selection (address this for M.D. and Ph.D.
trainees). Describe recruitment plans, including the sources
and availability of trainees and steps to be taken to
recruit individuals from minority groups that are now
underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and behavioral
sciences. For short-term trainees, provide a brief description
of the characteristics of the students from which trainees
will be recruited, including the total number of students,
the estimated number of individuals who might be interested
in the program, and the rationale supporting the estimate.
The availability of qualified candidates should be described
(Tables 6, 7, 8). |
C. Suggested
Tabular Formats for Required Data for Applications for the
Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service
Award (T32)
Tabular formats for presenting the data required for peer
review of a NHLBI NRSA T32 application are provided below.
These formats were developed in direct response to reviewers'
requests for consistent data presentations. While not required,
these specific formats will facilitate peer review and may
also be useful as a framework for the narrative sections.
It is strongly encouraged that the tables be included in the
main application (will not be counted toward the page limitation)
rather than in the Appendix.
Applicants may provide additional tables if they wish.
View and print all the tables
- Table
1. Membership of Participating Departments/Programs
- Table
2. Institutional Training Grant Support Available to Participating
Faculty Members, Departments or Programs
- Table
3. Participating Faculty Members
- Table
4. Current and Pending Research Grant and Contract Support
of the Training Faculty
- Table
5a. Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Record of Participating
Faculty for the Previous Ten Years (Alphabetically by Faculty
Member/Chronologically by Training Period)
Table
5b. Publications of Research Completed by Trainees (or Potential
Trainees) (List Pre/Postdoctoral and Past/Current Trainees
Separately and Alphabetically in Each Group)
- Table
6. Applicant Pool for Selection of Trainees for the Previous
Five Years
- Table
7. Predoctoral Applicant Pool
- Table
8. Postdoctoral Applicant Pool
- Table
9. Underrepresented Minority Recruitment Achievements
- Table
10. Assignment of Awarded Trainee Positions
- Table
11. Training Supported by this Current Grant for the Previous
Ten Years
D. Recruitment
of Individuals from Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Groups
Describe plans for recruiting minority individuals into the
training program. Elements of the plan should include stepwise
methods to contact and recruit underrepresented minority individuals,
methods to select and evaluate minority trainees and a review
of the past record of trainee recruitment and selection as
it pertains to minority individuals. The plan must be specific
for the program proposed and should not solely rely on the
minority recruitment efforts of the institution. Indicate
special circumstances or regional or geographical considerations
that may influence the minority recruitment plan. Applications
without adequate minority recruitment plans will not be awarded
until an adequate recruitment plan is received and approved.
E. Responsible
Conduct of Research
Specifically address the issue of how training in the responsible,
ethical conduct of research will be achieved. Describe plans
for providing formal or informal activities to provide training
on the responsible conduct of science and scientific integrity.
Description of these activities should be as explicit as possible
(e.g., format for presentation, topics to be covered, schedule,
etc.). Suggested topics for courses, seminars, and discussion
groups include conflict of interest, responsible authorship,
policies for handling misconduct, data management, data sharing,
policies regarding the use of animals and/or human subjects,
and institutional vs. individual responsibilities for scientific
integrity. Courses, seminars, and discussion groups taken
to fulfill the Responsible Conduct of Research requirement
need not cover all of these topics, but should include a majority
of them. Issues such as format and length of training or number
of contact hours, as well as the qualifications of instructors,
should be presented. Whether all trainees, both predoctoral
and postdoctoral, are required to participate should be indicated.
NHLBI recognizes that the Institute and the research training
community are at an early stage in the development of methods
for training research ethics and integrity. Not all methods
will work in all training situations and there is no single
paradigm or model. Each institution is encouraged to develop
its own ways of promoting the responsible conduct of science
in conjunction with its training programs. No application
will be awarded until a description of the institution's plan
to provide instruction on research ethics in research training
is furnished.
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