Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing and Submitting a New Application
Q. Where can I find the most recent RISE Program Announcement?
A. The most recent RISE Program Announcement (PAR-06-548) is available on the Web at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-548.html.
Q. What is the goal of the RISE program?
A. The goal of the RISE program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in biomedical and behavioral research who successfully complete Ph.D. degree programs in these fields. The expected outcomes of the RISE program are that
- at least 50 percent of the undergraduates and 75 percent of the masters' students participating in the RISE program will, upon graduation, directly enter a Ph.D. program, and
- 90 percent of the Ph.D. students participating in the RISE program will complete their terminal degree in biomedical and/or behavioral research fields.
To achieve this, institutional awards are provided to support student development and research training activities in the biomedical sciences. RISE applications must be based on the capabilities of the institution to provide students with the appropriate academic and research training needed to pursue a Ph.D. degree in the biomedical sciences. The proposed program design should be derived from an institutional self assessment of the
- research environment;
- student's need for academic preparedness and readiness for graduate studies;
- number of URM and non-URM students that complete the Ph.D. degree at institutions with research-intensive environments, continue competitive postdoctoral training, and engage in productive research careers; and
- challenges/impediments that the students encounter in completing the Ph.D. degree.
As a result of the self-assessment, each applicant institution must establish the program's goals and specific measurable objectives which should be consonant with the MBRS RISE program expectations and help design an institutional program that will contribute significantly to the overall RISE goals.
Q. What types of institutions are eligible to apply for a RISE grant?
A. Eligible organizations include domestic post-secondary minority-serving institutions that have more than 50 percent student enrollment from groups underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research. See the RISE Program Announcement (Section III.1), and the NIH Guide Notice (NOT-GM-07-104) for other details of the eligibility requirements.
Q. Can an institution with a RISE grant apply for other MBRS or MARC programs?
A. Institutions eligible to apply for the RISE program may also apply for other MORE programs, except for the MBRS IMSD program.
Q. Can more than one department participate in the RISE grant proposal?
A. Yes. Although only one grant application may be submitted by each institution, participation of all departments relevant to biomedical and behavioral sciences is highly encouraged.
Q. Who is eligible to participate in the RISE program?
A. The purpose of the RISE program is to achieve greater participation of students from underrepresented groups in the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise of this country. Selection of students in the RISE program should take into consideration whether the student's participation would help achieve the overall goals/objectives of the proposed institutional program. Nationally, groups found to be underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research include, but are not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands. However, no student may be denied participation in the program solely because of his/her race, religion, gender, or ethnicity.
Students must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents and must be matriculated full-time in baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree programs in biomedical or behavioral science fields at the applicant institution.
It is the responsibility of the applicant institution to establish the qualifications of students prior to their RISE participation.
Q. What should be included in the evaluation plan of an application?
A. The evaluation plan must provide information on how an institution will asses if the program outcomes and the proposed program goals and specific measurable objectives have been achieved as well as establish what the institutional impact of the RISE program has been on the overall institutional number of students going on to Ph.D. and/or graduating from Ph.D. programs. Thus, the emphasis of the evaluation activities should be on
- assessment of the overall institutional impact of the program on current institutional baseline numbers,
- overall outcome-based program improvements, and
- identification of programs elements that should be institutionalized by senior leadership.
The evaluation plan must be based on appropriate literature and cited methodology. The plan should also identify the selected evaluator and present his/her credentials.
Q. What application form should I use to prepare a new application, and where do I find it?
A. Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this Program Announcement through http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Only the forms package directly attached to the RISE Program Announcement can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA) although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.
Q. Where do I find the supplemental instructions for the RISE application?
A. There are no separate supplemental instructions for the new (Type 1) or competitive renewal (Type 2) applications. Applicants should follow the instructions in the RISE Program Announcement.
Q. What is the application receipt date(s) for the RISE application?
A. Application submission/receipt dates for the RISE program are January 16, 2007-2010; May 15, 2007-2010; and September 18, 2007-2010. Applications must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission/receipt date(s).
Q. Can I submit my application in paper format, or must I submit it electronically?
A. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Applications may not be submitted in paper format.
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least 4 weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV of the RISE Program Announcement.
Q. What is the duration of RISE grants, and is there a cap on the amount of funds that can be requested?
A. The application may request funds for a maximum of 4 years. Direct costs are limited to $500,000 annually for institutions with programs primarily for baccalaureate and master's degree students, and $1 million annually for programs that include a significant Ph.D. student component.
Q. What is the page limit for the RISE application?
A. The page limit for the Research Plan (consisting of sections on Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies/Progress Report, and Research Design and Methods) is 25 pages, including tables, figures, diagrams, and charts. The Introduction (required for a resubmission application) is limited to three pages.
Q. What should I put down on my application as a start date?
A. The earliest anticipated start dates for the applications submitted with January 16, May 15, and September 18 submission/receipt dates are July, January, and April, respectively.
Q. What are allowable and unallowable costs?
A. Major allowable and unallowable costs are outlined in the RISE Program Announcement (see sections IV.2 and IV.5 ), and additional information on allowable and unallowable costs can be found in NIH Grants Policy Statement, and under the Terms and Conditions in the Notice of Grants Award.
Q. How important is the budget justification?
A. Reviewers are instructed to base their budget recommendation on the justification provided by the applicant. Therefore, it is important that each budget item is fully justified. Do not assume that the need is obvious. Explain the relevance of each item for the completion of the project.
Q. We do not have any research on our campus but we propose to have our RISE students engage in extramurally-funded research at other research-intensive institutions. Do we have to submit animal care and human subject certification forms?
A. No. However, before students are permitted to work on funded research projects of mentors involving vertebrate animals and/or human subjects, whether on-campus or off-campus, applicants are expected to fulfill the institutional and Federal requirements for these activities, e.g., Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approvals and obtain the student research certifications.
Q. How is my RISE application reviewed? What are the review criteria?
A. The MBRS Review Subcommittee (or a Special Emphasis Panel) reviews RISE applications. The review criteria are outlined in the RISE Program Announcement (see Section V). A summary of the reviewers' comments and the priority score are communicated to the applicant in the form of a summary statement. The National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council provides the second level of review.
Renewal Applications
Q. What application form should I use to prepare a competing renewal application, and where do I find it?
A. Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Only the forms package directly attached to the RISE Program Announcement can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA) although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one PA.
Q. What should be included in the progress report section of a competing-renewal RISE application, and how is the progress on outcomes evaluated?
A. The progress report must provide:
- A restatement of goals, specific measurable objectives, anticipated milestones, and outcomes as proposed in the previous application;
- a brief description of the overall impact, if any, of the RISE program activities on the enrollments, academic environment, and retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students and other related aspects of the institution;
- a summary, in narrative and tabular form, of the specific accomplishments of the RISE program during the previous 4-year grant period, including the number and percent of underrepresented undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. students (as applicable) who participated in and graduated from, and who entered into or completed (as applicable) the Ph.D. degree in biomedical and/or behavioral research fields;
- a brief description of major RISE program-supported developmental activities (e.g., on- or off-campus research internships, workshops, scientific meetings, etc.) during the previous 4-year project period along with a list of students (name, undergraduate/graduate, department) who participated in these activities;
- a list of publications and any significant honors and awards to these students (give specific dates) that were related to, or resulted from, involvement in activities supported by the RISE program;
- a brief description of what has been learned through the program evaluation and any changes made in the program as a result of the evaluation; and
- a list, for the previous 8-year project period (if applicable), of those students who were supported by the RISE program. This list should give each student's name, department, the underrepresented group he/she belongs to, type and year of degree earned, current plans or status, and contact information.
- description of the institutional impact of the program using baseline numbers before the program was implemented and progress made in institutionalizing activities proven effective to help the institution create a track record of preparing students from underrepresented groups who enter into and successfully complete the Ph.D. degree programs in biomedical and/or behavioral research fields
The competitive renewal application is treated like any new application except that the progress on the present program is also evaluated based on the goals and objectives outlined in the original application.
Q. What happens to grant renewal applications if evaluation of the outcomes does not show improvement as proposed in the original application?
A. It depends on the reasons for the lack of progress during the past grant period. If an evaluation analysis of the outcomes identifies the causes for failure and alternative strategies to overcome the problems were proposed, the application could engender enthusiasm among reviewers. A careful analysis of the process and the outcomes in the previous application and a logical justification of the new approaches proposed in the renewal application are very important in convincing the reviewers favorably.
Resubmission of Applications
Q. Where do I respond to the comments of the reviewers? What should I do when two reviewers provided conflicting comments?
A. The applicant should acknowledge the reviewer's concerns and issues in the Introduction section (see Form 424 instructions), and explain how the revised application is different from the previous application. Changes to the application in response to the critiques should be highlighted by change in font or indentation as outlined in the instructions. The concerns and issues are noted in the Resume and Summary of Discussion section and/or under each reviewer's critique of the summary statement. If the applicant does not agree with a reviewer's comments, the rationale for disagreeing with the reviewer should be explained.
Funding
Q. What is a fundable priority score? How are the funding decisions made for a RISE application?
A. There is no predetermined fundable score for a RISE application. Applications compete for available funds with all other recommended applications from eligible institutions. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
- Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review
- Availability of funds
- Relevance to program priorities
- Research education development needs of the institution
- Percent of enrolled students from underrepresented groups at the institution
- Geographical distribution
- Portfolio balance
Q. My application was submitted on X date. When will I know if it will be funded?
A. Although NIH is trying to shorten this time interval, the current time from submission to award is about 10-11 months. During this time, your application is received, assigned to NIGMS and referred to a study section for the first level of review. After it is scored, it undergoes the second level of review by the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council. Program staff then make funding recommendations to the director of NIGMS. Until funding recommendations are approved, MORE staff will not be able to provide the applicant definite information on the funding status of an application.
Q. What should I do if I don't get funded?
A. Be prepared to revise and resubmit your application. Revising is your opportunity to respond to the criticisms of the Scientific Review Group and use their comments to improve your grant application. First, talk with your program director to review your summary statement and to obtain advice. It is also wise to ask someone experienced in grantsmanship and not involved in your RISE program to review your application, summary statement, and revision plans.
Q. What happens if there is money left over at the end of the year? Can I request a carryover of funds?
A. The funds awarded for any year must be spent in that grant year. You cannot automatically carry over these funds into a new budget period, and any funds remaining at the end of a budget period must be reported on the Financial Status Report (FSR).
As a general rule, carry over of left over funds are not allowed.
Q. How do I apply for a no-cost extension if this is the last year of my grant?
A. Your institution can extend the period of your project using eRA Commons for up to 1 year if the request is submitted on or before the anniversary date of the parent grant, provided you do not change the scope of the program.
Please note that only students already in the program can be supported while a grant is on no-cost extension.
Progress Reports and Noncompeting Applications
Q. Must I submit a progress report (noncompeting continuation application) each year? What application form should I use to prepare my progress report, and where do I find it?
A. You must submit a progress report (noncompetitive continuation application) to request support for years two, three, and four of the grant period. Failure to submit a satisfactory progress report by the deadline (see below) might lead to delay, suspension, or termination of the grant.
Progress reports to continue support of a Public Health Service (PHS) grant must be prepared using PHS 2590 (forms and instructions are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm). In addition to the PHS 2590 instructions, follow the guidelines suggested in the RISE Supplemental Instructions.
Q. What should I (as program director) include in my annual progress report (noncompeting continuation application)? What is the page limit for the progress report?
A. Program directors should follow the current PHS 2590 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm) and RISE Supplemental Instructions. In general, the progress report should summarize the progress achieved in the reporting period with respect to the RISE program goals. The narrative part is limited to three pages, and numerical and other data may be presented in tabular form (tables and figures are not counted in the three-page limit).
The appendix, if any, should be limited to reprints acknowledging MORE support, and the summary of evaluation report.
Q. How is the budget for the continuing year presented?
A. Under the Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP) the details of the budget have been worked out in the original Notice of Grant Award communication. Budget details are required only if there are major changes, as reflected by positive answers to any of the SNAP questions.
Q. When and where do I submit my annual progress report (noncompeting continuation application)?
A. The progress report due information is available in the Commons status system.
Submit the completed, signed original progress report and one copy (with required signatures) 2 months before the beginning date of the next budget period to the centralized mailing address:
Division of Extramural Activities Support, OER
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7987
Room 2207
Bethesda, MD 20892-7987 (for regular or U.S. Postal Service Express mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for other courier/express mail delivery only)
Tel: 301-594-6584
Q. Who should an applicant contact for additional questions regarding the RISE program policies, review process, budget and grants issues?
A. For program policies regarding proposal application and submission that are not related to existing grants:
Alberto Rivera-Rentas, Ph.D.
Program Director, MBRS Branch
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Room 2AS.37
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Tel: 301-594-3900
Fax: 301-480-2753
e-mail: riverara@nigms.nih.gov
For questions on the review of applications:
Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Room 3AN.12F
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Tel: 301-594-2881
Fax: 301-480-8506
e-mail: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov
For questions on grants management and fiscal matters:
Lori Burge
Grants Management Specialist
Grants Management Branch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Room 2AN.50A
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Tel: 301-451-3781
Fax: 301-480-2554
e-mail: burgel@nigms.nih.gov
Q. How do I apply for a no-cost extension if this is the last year of my grant?
A. Your institution can extend the period of your project using eRA Commons (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/) for up to 1 year if the request is submitted on or before the anniversary date of the parent grant, provided you do not change the scope of the program.
Please note that only students already in the program can be supported while a grant is on no-cost extension.
