Cooperative agreements are grants that are awarded
to assist and support research and related activities.
They differ from other grants, however, in that while
other grant mechanisms require minimal or no involvement
of the NIH during performance of project activities,
cooperative agreements involve a substantial NIH programmatic
(i.e., scientific-technical) role. This role may involve
cooperation and/or coordination to assist awardees in
carrying out the project or review and approval of certain
processes/phases in scientific management of the project.
Policies and procedures for application, review,
and administration of cooperative agreements are similar
to those for other grants. An important
difference, however, is that the NHLBI issues a specific RFA
describing
the program, functions, or activities that it proposes
to support by cooperative agreement and the nature of
the proposed NHLBI staff involvement. Terms
and Conditions of Awards are outlined in the RFA,
above and beyond those required for the usual stewardship
of grants, to establish the rights, responsibilities,
and authorities of the prospective awardees and the NHLBI.
Cooperative Research Project
Grant (U01)
Supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed project
to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area
representing his/her specific interest and competencies.
Cooperative Clinical Research
Grant (U10)
Supports clinical evaluation of various methods of therapy
and/or prevention in specific disease areas. These represent
cooperative programs between sponsoring institutions and
participating principal investigators,
and are usually conducted under established protocols.
