PLANNING AWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IN U.S. 
DENTAL SCHOOLS

RELEASE DATE:  August 8, 2002		

RFA:  DE-03-006

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
 (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov)

LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE:     November 15, 2002

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE:          December 17, 2002 

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 Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Special Requirements
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Letter of Intent
o Submitting an Application
o Supplemental Instructions
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Receipt and Review Schedule
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations
o Appendix

PURPOSE OF THIS RFA

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) 
invites applications to enhance the research infrastructure of U.S. 
dental schools.  Applications are encouraged through this RFA for the 
purpose of developing an institutional Infrastructure Improvement Plan.  
This will strengthen research programs through the creation of a 
critical mass of researchers in a pre-selected area(s) and through 
improvements in the research support infrastructure, including research 
personnel and equipment.  The strengthening of research capacity 
resulting from this initiative will enhance the ability of U.S. dental 
schools to conduct cutting edge research in oral, dental and 
craniofacial diseases and disorders.

Definitions of several terms used in this RFA are given in the 
Appendix.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

Oral, dental and craniofacial diseases and disorders are among the most 
common problems affecting the health and well being of the U.S. 
population.  As highlighted in the U.S. Surgeon General's Report "Oral 
Health in America," oral health is essential to general health and 
means much more than healthy teeth.  The challenge is to understand 
complex diseases caused by the interaction of multiple genes with 
environmental and behavioral variables and to translate research 
findings into improved care and healthier lifestyles.  NIDCR has 
expanded its research support portfolio to address these complex 
interactions in the genesis of oral, dental and craniofacial diseases 
and disorders.  The growth in the scientific areas of interest has been 
accompanied by a parallel shift in research emphasis from traditional 
disciplines to new approaches involving molecular medicine and other 
tools of modern biomedical research.  The areas of scientific 
opportunity include genomics, proteomics, stem cell biology, 
biomimetics and bioengineering, pharmacogenetics, gene transfer and 
gene therapy, clinical genetics and molecular epidemiology, cell 
engineering and bioinformatics.  Of special importance is the 
application of basic science advances to clinical research.  These 
areas of scientific opportunity require not only an appropriate 
research infrastructure, but also cross-disciplinary interactions 
between investigators with solid skills and competencies in new and 
expanding areas of science.

A large portion of dental, oral and craniofacial research is performed 
in the nation's dental schools, but these institutions' research 
infrastructure and workforce capacity need to be strengthened in order 
to help them take advantage of the new opportunities in research and to 
remain competitive and full participants in the modern research 
enterprise.  This initiative is designed to provide the necessary 
resources for dental schools to develop and to implement comprehensive 
institutional plans to improve their research infrastructure, to 
strengthen their research capabilities by recruiting and retaining 
research personnel and to establish institutional linkages that augment 
and expand their research capacity.  The proposed initiative is an 
outgrowth of a summit conference held at NIDCR in October 2001 with 
dental school deans, associate deans for research and officials from 
the associated parent university.  The participants addressed four 
major topics: 1) the role of research in the dental school mission; 2) 
issues in the recruitment and retention of students and faculty into 
research; 3) issues of costs, personnel needs and infrastructure 
requirements for basic and clinical research and 4) partnerships that 
can enhance the research agenda.  A number of recommendations emerged 
from this meeting, including the need for institutional needs 
assessments and strategic planning on the part of the schools and the 
need for external support for these activities.  The NIDCR has 
partnered with the other sponsors of the Conference (American Dental 
Education Association, American Association for Dental Research, 
American Dental Association) in identifying "next steps" actions 
following the Conference.  The activities to be funded through the 
present RFA are an important part of this joint effort.

Objectives and Scope

Grants for this overall initiative will be awarded in two phases.  The 
present RFA will support Phase I, which consists of two related parts.  
The first part is an Assessment of Critical Needs to improve the dental 
school's research infrastructure.  For this RFA, critical research 
infrastructure needs may include hiring, supporting and mentoring 
clinical, basic, translational or behavioral research investigators in 
tenure-track (or equivalent) positions; recruiting outstanding 
experienced scientists for tenured positions; retraining senior 
scientists as necessary; and providing a well-organized biomedical 
research environment that includes technical support personnel, 
appropriate equipment, supplies, shared resources, and inter- and 
intra-institutional linkages.  The second part of Phase I is the 
preparation of an Infrastructure Improvement Plan that is based on the 
Assessment of Critical Needs.  The Infrastructure Improvement Plan must 
address the critical research infrastructure needs such that the dental 
school's capability to perform outstanding research is enhanced, as 
measured by obtaining research grants from the NIH and other entities.  
Successful Phase I applicants will receive a one year planning grant of 
up to $100,000 (direct costs).  Funds awarded for this RFA (Phase I) 
can be used for (a) salaries for key personnel and supplies to support 
the administrative work; (b) technical assistance; (c) focus groups or 
workshops addressing the institutional evaluation and needs assessment; 
(d) support staff; and (e) supplies and services related to the 
development of the plan.  The detailed Infrastructure Improvement Plan 
developed in Phase I will be the basis for the subsequent Phase II 
grant application. Therefore, the Infrastructure Improvement Plan 
should NOT be included in the Phase I application. The phase I planning 
application should only describe how funds will be used to DEVELOP the 
detailed Infrastructure Improvement Plan.  

Phase I, Part 1 (Assessment of Critical Needs) 

This consists of developing a process to assess the institution's 
current research situation and then performing a needs assessment in a 
specific area(s) of research.  This portion of the application should 
describe the approach that will be used to assess the area(s) of 
research focus and the critical infrastructure needs to improve the 
institution's capacity for conducting state-of-the-art research.  To 
facilitate this activity, the Principal Investigator must organize two 
Advisory Committees: 1) an Institutional Planning Committee and, 2) an 
External Advisory Committee.  The Institutional Planning Committee 
should be comprised of staff from the dental school and must be formed 
during Phase I, Part 1.  This Committee will have responsibility for 
assisting the Program Director in conducting the Critical Needs 
Assessment and in developing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan. In 
addition, an External Advisory Committee, composed of distinguished 
senior scientists from outside the dental school, must be organized and 
will provide independent external consultant expertise.  The specific 
types of expertise should be delineated; however, the names of 
Committee members are not required.

Phase I, Part 2 (Infrastructure Improvement Plan)

In Phase I, Part 2, the applicant must develop a comprehensive, 
institution-wide Infrastructure Improvement Plan, based on the 
Assessment of Critical Needs, that will result in the desired 
infrastructure for the area(s) of research identified in Part 1. The 
application for this award must include the proposed process and 
methods for developing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan. The 
Infrastructure Improvement Plan that is developed in Phase I, part 2 as 
a result of a successful R24 award should contain at least the 
following elements:

o Area(s) of research focus that will be developed or strengthened and 
rationale for its selection.  This should build on the existing 
research strengths or expertise at the applicant institution.
o A plan to create or improve the necessary research infrastructure, 
including:
   1.  A description of existing infrastructure.  This MUST include 
human resources (e.g., researchers and support personnel), equipment, 
physical structure, space layout, shared resources and infrastructure 
pertinent to the research focus of the institution.
   2.  Steps needed to create a critical mass of researchers (clinical, 
basic, translational, behavioral science or combination) in the 
selected area(s) of research;
   3.  Plans to recruit, integrate, mentor and support relatively 
junior scientists (e.g., through creation of tenure-track or equivalent 
positions) and established investigators who can attract additional 
collaborators and trainees;  
   4.  Well justified plans to acquire modern research supplies and 
equipment;
   5.  Plans for intra- and inter-institutional links and shared 
research cores that may be developed to enhance the research program 
(This will discuss how cooperative linkages and partnerships would be 
formed with these centers or institutions. Evidence of strong 
collaborations with research-intensive institutions is encouraged by 
the NIDCR both within and outside the parent university or Academic 
Health Center.);
   6.  Plans to create or renovate research facilities (if indicated) 
using non-Federal dollars;
   7.  Plans to develop research training and career development 
programs for existing  faculty, students and junior scientists; 
   8.  Plans for evaluating the effectiveness of the Infrastructure 
Improvement Plan; and 
   9.  A time-line specifying the processes, steps and benchmarks for 
implementing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan.  

It is especially important to propose a plan for obtaining 
institutional commitment to this entire program by the institution's 
leadership (President of the health science center or Chancellor of 
university) to help support the development of the dental school's 
research infrastructure and enhance the school's capacity to carry out 
research throughout the two-year funding period and beyond the award.  
This long term plan must specifically indicate how the investigators 
and facilities will be supported after the Phase I and II award periods 
end, such as through partnering and leveraging.  The statement must 
address specific resources that will be dedicated to the objectives of 
this RFA, protected time for faculty, space that will be dedicated to 
this effort, and discretionary resources that will be made available to 
the Principal Investigator. 

Overview of Phase II

An RFA for Phase II will be released at a later date such that there 
will be continuity of support and no break in funding for the overall 
objectives proposed for this activity.  The Phase II application will 
consist of detailed methods, outcome evaluation and costs of 
implementing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan.  This plan will be 
expected to focus on activities that include: (1) Recruiting tenure-
track or tenured scientists to create a critical mass of researchers in 
the selected area(s) of research.  Junior scientists should be provided 
with at least two years of support (supplies, equipment, lab space, 
etc.) to enable them to start their research career.  (2) Supporting 
"magnet" investigators who can attract postgraduate trainees and other 
outstanding scientists to the institution.  "Magnet" investigators may 
be new recruits to the institution or may be existing investigators who 
need support to free time for mentorship.   (3) Creating or improving 
the institutional infrastructure, including the purchase of equipment, 
costs for shared resources and other related activities.  (4) 
Establishing intra- and inter-institutional links to enhance the 
research program, including the development of shared research cores 
with collaborating institutions.  (5) Developing research training and 
career development programs for faculty and students.  (6) Performing 
an evaluation and preparing a final report after completion of Phase 
II.  The report will detail exactly what was done during the years of -
support and how the institution plans to continue its efforts after the 
award is completed.  Support will be provided for administrative costs 
to manage the project, such as salaries for key personnel and supplies 
to support the administrative work.  No funds can be used for either 
construction of new facilities or renovation of existing facilities.  
Phase II awards can be approximately $1 million direct costs for each 
of two consecutive years.  Institutions can apply for the Phase II 
awards if they have not received a Phase I planning award.  However, 
the Phase II application MUST be based on an assessment of critical 
research infrastructure needs and a detailed Infrastructure Improvement 
Plan developed by the applicant as outlined in this RFA for Phase I. 

By the completion of the three-year funding period for Phases I and II, 
grantees will be expected to have strengthened their capability to 
proceed with the submission of scientifically meritorious grants in the 
identified specific research area(s); to have established partnerships 
or collaborations with other academic institutions (either within or 
outside their particular university); and to have initiated or 
strengthened existing research training and career development programs 
relevant to the mission of the NIDCR.  

MECHANISM(S) OF SUPPORT

This RFA is for Phase I and will use the NIH R24 award mechanism.  As 
an applicant you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, 
and executing the proposed project. The anticipated award date is July 
1, 2003.  Unsolicited, competing-continuation applications based on 
this project will compete with all investigator-initiated applications 
and will be reviewed according to the customary peer review procedures. 

This RFA uses just-in-time concepts.  It also uses the non-modular 
budgeting format.  (see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm) because a 
detailed, categorical budget is needed for purposes of review.  

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Phase I

The NIDCR intends to commit approximately $1,500,000 in FY 2003 to fund 
up to ten new Phase I grants in response to this RFA.  An applicant may 
request a project period of up to twelve months and a budget for direct 
costs of up to $100,000.  Because the nature and scope of the proposed 
projects will vary by application, it is anticipated that the size of 
each grant also will vary.  Although the financial plans of the NIDCR 
provide 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.  This Planning Phase RFA 
may be reannounced in FY 2004.  If so, up to ten new Phase I grants may 
be awarded in FY 2005.  

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS   

Only dental institutions that received LESS THAN $6 MILLION from the 
NIDCR in FY 2001 are eligible to submit an application.  This 
information can be obtained from the internet at 
www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/supportedSchools/rank2001dental.htm.  

The applicant Institution is encouraged to propose collaborative 
affiliations with other entities, including dental, medical, public 
health, engineering and graduate institutions.  The collaboration can 
be with entities from within the parent institution as well as outside 
institutions and should be for the purpose of facilitating and 
addressing the objectives outlined in this RFA. 

INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

The Institution should designate a Principal Investigator who 
preferably is a faculty member with NIH research funds or a senior 
official, such as Associate Dean/Director for Research.  Individuals 
from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals 
with disabilities are encouraged to serve as a Principal Investigator. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

There are a number of Special Requirements and Provisions that each 
institution MUST comply with: 

o Where applicable, NIDCR encourages applicants to build on existing 
research projects and training and career development opportunities 
developed from NIDCR or NIH funded grants.
o The R24 application MUST include a "Letter of Commitment" from the 
Institutional leadership (e.g., Health Science Center President or 
University Chancellor).  The letter should detail the resources the 
institution is willing to provide during at least Phase I.  For 
example, the Institution may contribute resources in terms of released 
time for the PI and support for clerical and administrative personnel, 
travel, consultants and meetings.  
o For each collaborative partner there must be written "Letters of 
Commitment" from a senior official of the institution illustrating the 
type of support to ensure that these partnerships will have the maximum 
chance for success.

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

We encourage written, email and telephone inquiries concerning this 
RFA, particularly early in the application development process.  
Inquiries may fall into three areas: programmatic, peer review, and 
financial or grants management issues:

o Direct your questions about programmatic issues to: 

Dr. James A. Lipton
Division of Population and Health Promotion Sciences
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
45 Center Drive, Room 3AS-37J
Bethesda, MD  20892-6402
Telephone:  (301) 594-2618
Fax:  (301) 480-8318
Email: James_Lipton@nih.gov

o Direct your questions about peer review issues to: 

Dr. George Hausch
Division of Extramural Activities 
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
45 Center Drive, Room 4AN-44F
Bethesda, MD  20892-6402
Telephone:  (301) 594-2904
Fax:  (301) 480-8303
Email:  George.Hausch@nih.gov

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

Mr. Kevin Crist
Grants Management Branch 
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
45 Center Drive, Room 4AN-44F
Bethesda, MD  20892-6402 
Telephone:  (301) 594-4800
Fax:  (301) 402-1517
Email:  Kevin.Crist@nih.gov

LETTER OF INTENT

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

o Descriptive title of the proposed project
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator
o Names of other key personnel that will be involved in the project
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 NIDCR staff to estimate the potential review 
workload and plan the review. 

The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed at the beginning 
of this document.  The letter of intent should be sent to:  

Dr. George Hausch
Division of Extramural Activities 
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
45 Center Drive, Room 4AN44F
Bethesda, MD  20892-6402
Telephone:  (301) 594-2904
FAX:  (301) 480-8303
Email:  George.Hausch@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.

SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Application Requirements

Phase I (the Planning Phase) has two specific parts that must be 
addressed in the application. The first part of the application shall 
consist of a plan to complete an Assessment of Critical Needs to 
improve the research infrastructure.  The second part of the 
application should describe how the Infrastructure Improvement Plan 
will be developed.  The Infrastructure Improvement Plan developed as a 
result of this award will serve as the basis for preparation of the 
Phase II application. 

NIDCR encourages pre-application consultations with NIDCR staff.  In 
addition, there may be several regional meetings held by NIDCR staff to 
which interested faculty, students and research administrators will be 
invited.  Topics to be discussed include science opportunities, NIDCR 
portfolio and priorities, current and future research initiatives, 
training opportunities and programs, and this RFA.  

Allowable Costs

Support may be requested for, but is not limited to, the following: 

o Costs for conducting the Assessment of Critical Needs and for 
developing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan
o Administrative costs for general management, such as salaries for key 
personnel and supplies to support the administrative work.  
o Costs for travel and per diem of key personnel for internal and 
external activities, such as technical assistance and expenses for 
workshops, seminars, retreats, focus groups and other forums to perform 
the Assessment of Critical Needs and identify new research areas of 
opportunity and high priority; 
o Costs for staff, supplies and services related to the development and 
preparation of the Infrastructure Improvement Plan that will be submitted 
to the NIDCR as part of the Phase II application. 
o Costs for consultants who can help in the development of the 
institutional plan.

A detailed statement by the key leadership of the parent university or 
health science center should be provided as to the specific financial 
resources committed by the Institution for all necessary activities in 
Phase I.

NIDCR funds cannot be used for pilot research projects or construction 
and/or renovation of research facilities. 

USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/01) 
application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the 
application.  Type the RFA number on the label.  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 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 additional copies and all appendix 
material of the application must also be sent to:  

Dr. George Hausch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
45 Center Drive, Room 4AN-44F
Bethesda, MD  20892-6402 

APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be received by 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. 

The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application 
in response to the RFA that is essentially the same as one currently 
pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending 
application.  The CSR will not accept any application that is 
essentially the same as one already reviewed.  This does not preclude 
the submission of substantial revisions of applications already 
reviewed, but such applications must include an Introduction addressing 
the previous critique.  Applications must meet all eligibility 
requirements as described above and must address all programmatic 
requirements (see SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS above) in the RFA.  

PEER REVIEW PROCESS 

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR 
and responsiveness to eligibility requirements and responsiveness to 
the Special Requirements and Provisions by the NIDCR.  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 Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) at 
NIDCR 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 only those applications deemed to have the 
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications 
under review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score
o Receive a second level review by the National Advisory Dental and 
Craniofacial Research Council.

REVIEW CRITERIA 

For this RFA, the review criteria are not organized under the 
traditional headings of Significance, Approach, Environment, 
Investigator and Innovation typically used for NIH research grants.  
Reviewers will have to use considerable flexibility in determining the 
merit of a broad range of possibilities that can strengthen the 
research capabilities of dental schools, expand training and career 
development opportunities for faculty and students, and increase the 
effectiveness of dental schools in establishing partnerships or 
collaborations with other institutions. A well-prepared application 
should reflect a close, effective interaction between the Principal 
Investigator, the School's leadership and the faculty.

A key aspect of the review involves the level of institutional support 
to ensure achievement of objectives of this RFA, as indicated by: 

o Assurances of direct support and, specifically, the adequacy of the 
resources that the dental school and the collaborators/partners will 
provide to promote the successful achievement of the priorities and 
objectives of this partnership. 
o Letters of support and the degree to which the letters of support 
from the institutional leaders address the need for mentoring of 
faculty inexperienced in research who will serve as future 
investigators or for specific institutional commitments to ensure the 
success of the collaboration.
o The level of authority of institutional officials (e.g., university 
Chancellor or health science center President) committing to this 
effort and collaborators/partners that gives confidence that these 
commitments will be stable and long lasting.
o The degree to which the letters of commitment from the leadership of 
the dental school and the collaborators/partners address and fully 
support the priorities and objectives of the implementation plan of the 
partnership.  
o Evidence that this initiative will continue after grant support has 
ended.

Phase I, Part 1: 

The criteria that will be used to evaluate this part of the application 
include the adequacy of plans that describe how the Assessment of 
Critical Needs will be done. This is indicated by:
 
o The process and methods that are proposed to assess institutional 
needs, opportunities and the capacity to conduct research; 
o The rationale for selection of a particular area(s) of research for 
enhancement; and
o Acknowledgment of potential problems and consideration of 
alternatives. 

Phase I, Part 2: 

The criteria that will be used to evaluate this part of the application 
include:

o Qualifications of project personnel
o Appropriateness of research focus
o Adequacy of the proposed process and methods for developing the 
Infrastructure Improvement Plan  
o Appropriateness of all proposed costs.

RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

For the Phase I activity, the following schedule will be followed:

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:       November 15, 2002
Application Receipt Date:            December 17, 2002 
Peer Review Date:                    February-March, 2003
Council Review:                      May 2003
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:     July 1, 2003

AWARD CRITERIA

Criteria that will be used to make award decisions for Phase I include:  

o Technical merit of the plan (as determined by peer review)
o Availability of funds
o Programmatic priorities

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS

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 a 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 
No. 93.121 (NIDCR) Oral Diseases and Disorders Research Awards and is 
not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive 
Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency Review.  Awards are made under 
authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public 
Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered 
under NIH grants policies described at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm and under Federal 
Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.  

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.

APPENDIX - Definition of several terms used in this RFA

Research Infrastructure:  
For this RFA, critical research infrastructure is defined as hiring, 
supporting and mentoring clinical, basic, translational or behavioral 
research investigators in tenure-track (or equivalent) positions; 
recruiting outstanding experienced scientists for tenured positions; 
retraining senior scientists as necessary; and providing a well-
organized biomedical research environment that includes technical 
support personnel, appropriate equipment, supplies, shared resources, 
and inter- and intra-institutional linkages.  

Assessment of Critical Needs:
The development of a process to evaluate the institution's current 
research situation and critical infrastructure and then performing a 
needs assessment in a specific area(s) of research.  The assessment 
will serve as the basis for developing an Institutional Infrastructure 
Improvement Plan. 

Infrastructure Improvement Plan:
A plan to improve the institution's capacity for conducting state-of-
the-art research through enhancing the research infrastructure. The 
detailed Infrastructure Improvement Plan developed in Phase I will be 
the basis for the Phase II application. Therefore, the Infrastructure 
Improvement Plan should NOT be included in the Phase I application. The 
phase I planning application should describe how funds will be used to 
DEVELOP the detailed Infrastructure Improvement Plan.

Institutional Commitment:
Support provided by the institution or parent university/health science 
center for the development of the dental school's research 
infrastructure and enhancement of the school's capacity to carry out 
research throughout the project funding period and beyond the award.  
The Institution may contribute resources in terms of released time for 
the PI and support for clerical and administrative personnel, travel, 
consultants and meetings, faculty support, core facilities and space, 
equipment, etc.

Institutional Planning Committee:
A committee comprised of staff from the dental school that must be 
formed during Phase I, Part 1.  This Committee will have responsibility 
for assisting the Program Director in conducting the Critical Needs 
Assessment and in developing the Infrastructure Improvement Plan.

External Advisory Committee:
Committee composed of distinguished senior scientists from outside the 
dental school.  It should be organized and will assist during Phases I 
and II by providing independent external consultant expertise.

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