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Funding Strategy: Fiscal Year 2000

Overview

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) supports research and research training to reduce global disparities in health and to foster partnerships between U.S. scientists and their counterparts abroad. FIC supports basic biological, behavioral, and social science research - including research in the fields of economics, demography, and ethics - as well as related research training. FIC has a leadership role in advancing global health efforts, oftentimes in partnership and on behalf of other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Center's extramural funding supports U.S. scientists and their foreign counterparts associated with research institutions, including universities, schools of public health, hospitals, and similar organizations.

FIC employs a variety of funding mechanisms to meet programmatic objectives, including individual investigator-initiated awards (R03 and R01); cooperative agreements (U01); institutional awards and training grants (D43 and T37); project grants (R25); fellowships (F06); and the Career Development Award (K01).

FIC typically solicits applications via Requests for Applications (RFAs). RFAs have covered topics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, emerging infectious diseases, population and health, environmental health, ecology and infectious disease, biodiversity, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, training for minority students in international research, international research bioethics, and economics and health. These programs do not have regular deadlines. To review programs that are currently open for application, please refer to the "Programs and Initiatives" section of the FIC website.

FIC also supports programs through ongoing Program Announcements (PAs) with regular deadlines. The R03 Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA) program is competed three times per year. The FIC K01 International Research Scientist Award (IRSDA), which trains U.S. scientists in international research, will be issued as a program announcement beginning with a competition during fiscal year 2001 and will thereafter be competed with a regular deadline once per year.

Submission and Initial Review of Grant Applications

Grant applications are submitted to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) of the NIH. Depending upon the program, CSR assigns the applications to one of its own study sections for review, or to other NIH components that have agreed to take on the initial review of applications. Reviews are not conducted by FIC. Similar review procedures are followed whether CSR or another component of NIH conducts the review.

The initial review is usually conducted by committees of experts ("peers") recruited from universities and other research institutions. Most reviews for FIC programs are conducted by an ad hoc Special Emphasis Panel (SEP), which is set up as needed within CSR or within other components of NIH. In some cases, standing study sections review individual applications from FIC programs as assigned by CSR according to scientific topic (e.g., the AIDS-FIRCA). One standing study section in CSR, the International Cooperative Projects Study Section (ICP), reviews the Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA) on a regular basis and other FIC programs as requested. The rosters and meeting dates for the ICP and other study sections can be found on the CSR Web site.

Review committee members develop overall ratings on individual applications based upon the quality and originality of the science proposed in the grant; the qualifications of the investigators; the quality of the facilities; the treatment of human subjects and animal welfare (if relevant); and, for research involving humans, the proposed recruitment plans for women, children, and minorities as appropriate. Special review criteria are also used for most FIC programs. These criteria are listed in the description of each program on FIC's website at the "Programs and Initiatives" section.

Second Level and Final Review

The FIC Advisory Board conducts second level review of applications. This body, composed of scientific and public members, provides advice to the FIC Director on the appropriateness of the initial review and the scientific and public health importance of the proposed awards. In the final review of proposed awards, the FIC Director considers the recommendations of the Board and staff, as well as overarching FIC program interests.

FIC Funding Strategy

Each year, after FIC receives its budget allocation, a provisional funding strategy is established with an allocation for each program. Commitments for ongoing awards and the expected number of applications for both ongoing programs with regular receipt dates (those for which PAs have been issued) and for programs (new or ongoing) solicited through RFAs are taken into consideration.

The success rate of applications generally ranges between 20 to 30 percent depending upon the program, the availability of funds, the number of high-quality applications, and the overall number of applications. FIC's cost-management plan is to award grants generally at levels recommended by review groups and by the FIC Advisory Board. Budget adjustments are considered on an individual and overall program basis.

Administrative supplement requests are granted upon positive outcome of review by FIC staff based upon scientific need and opportunity, as well as availability of funds. No-cost administrative extensions are granted based upon positive review by FIC staff.

An FIC program administrator is responsible for managing awards and for interacting with the principal investigator to provide support for achievement of the scientific goals of the projects, as well as for ensuring compliance with all necessary policies and procedures. An FIC grants management official is responsible for fiscal management of the award and for assuring compliance by the awardee institution with government policies. The FIC grants management specialist is knowledgeable about allowable costs, budgetary authorities, and fiscal accountability.