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Question 1:

Regarding the total dollars that may be requested in a CFAR application: is this 10% of all NIH AIDS funding awarded to the institution or is it limited to 10% of the dollars awarded to the investigators who make up the personnel applying for the CFAR?

Answer 1:

You may submit a request for 10% of the total NIH AIDS funding that your institution receives (or institutions, if it is a multi-institution application), up to a maximum of $1.5M. However, the reviewers may look carefully at the total number of investigators and total dollars in AIDS-funded research at the institution, compared to the number of investigators who will be participating in the CFAR.

Question 2:

One way to develop collaborations between AIDS investigators in one laboratory and non-AIDS investigators in another lab (same institution) having a particular relevant expertise might be to provide developmental funding to a postdoctoral fellow for a study that would link the two laboratories. Is this allowed?

Answer 2:

The intent of a CFAR developmental core is to support scientific studies for short periods of time to develop preliminary data for peer-reviewed research applications. Current CFARs usually provide funding for junior, independent, investigators who are sometimes newly recruited to develop new areas in AIDS studies at the applicant institution.

The current PA permits flexibility to the applicant in the development of mechanisms that will work best with the investigators' needs at that institution. Applicants should describe the detailed policies and procedures for deciding who get developmental funds, how they may be used, and what the outcome measurements will be. The review committee will evaluate the policies and procedures in light of the three general areas that were described in the program announcement.

Question 3:

The focus of this renewal of the CFAR appears to be administration, not science.

Answer 3:

This point of concern appears to arise from confusion about some of the review criteria that relate to planning and management. As stated in the program announcement, the overall goal of the CFAR program is to improve the institutions' ability to carry out important multidisciplinary AIDS research. CFARs also provide unique flexibility to respond to evolving scientific needs in AIDS research. The management and planning aspects of the CFAR program announcement, and the criteria related to them, are designed to elucidate for the review committee and the NIH the manner in which the CFAR will make scientific decisions to meet the changing needs of the institution and to achieve the best science possible. In the context of the CFAR program announcement, then, management and planning are based in science and scientific decision making. The review committee will consist mainly of scientists.

Question 4:

Is there a requirement that a CFAR have any specific type of scientific core (e.g., a behavioral core, a primate core, etc.)?

Answer 4:

No. CFAR awards support four different types of cores: administrative, developmental, clinical, and basic science cores. The only requirement is that "Each CFAR should have a single administrative and a single developmental core, and a number of basic and clinical science cores selected to support optimally the AIDS research at the applicant institution(s). ...Cores should be responsive to the needs of the AIDS investigators at the applicant institution(s)." (CFAR program announcement PAR-97-027, pp. 4 and 5.)

Question 5:

Can two CFARs utilize the same unique resource at one site to develop independent core facilities?

Answer 5:

Concern has been raised over this statement in the CFAR program announcement: "It is expected that each unique resource would serve as a core for only a single CFAR, and that all cores within any single institution would be part of the same CFAR award." (CFAR program announcement PAR-97-027, p. 2.)

On further consideration of the concerns we have heard, this statement is now amended to say that "in general, each unique resource will serve as a core for only a single CFAR, and all cores within any single institution will be part of the same CFAR award. However, in certain situations two separate CFARs may have a demonstrated need to develop a core facility at the same unique resource site. In these instances, the applicant should justify the use of a unique resource that serves as a core for more than one CFAR, address any potential problems, and demonstrate that such usage will strengthen the CFAR." The standard NIH rules for the formation of collaborations apply ( PHS398,Consortium and Contractual Agreements, #4, p. 24).

Question 6:

Is it possible to establish a CFAR between two universities?

Answer 6:

Yes as stated in the PA, two or more institutions can join to create a CFAR. "Two or more institutions that can demonstrate a credible plan for collaborative research networks using CFAR cores may submit an application for a single CFAR award involving multiple institutions." (CFAR program announcement PAR-97-027, p. 2.)

Question 7:

Is it a requirement that I target my application to multiple NIH institutes?

Answer 7:

No. This point of concern appears to arise from confusion about the program announcement's emphasis on multidisciplinary research. The purpose of the CFAR is to promote and coordinate all of the AIDS research at a CFAR institution(s), and to facilitate establishment of multidisciplinary programs. The review criteria indicate the importance placed on multidisciplinary research (CFAR program announcement PAR-97-027, pp. 11-12.) However, multidisciplinary research does not necessarily entail the collaboration between investigators funded by different NIH Institutes.