IMSD Program Policy Statement

1. Purpose
2. Eligibility Requirements
   • The Institution
   • Students
3. Mechanism of Support
4. Objectives
5. Inclusion of Children, Women, and Minorities in Research Involving Human Subjects
6. Protection from Research Risks
   • Human Subjects
   • Animal Subjects
   • Biohazards
7. Application Procedures
8. Unified Plan
9. Evaluation
10. Application Content
    • The Overall Application
    • Student Development Plan
    • Examples of Student Development Activities
    • Mentoring Environment
11. Allowable Costs
    • Unallowable Costs
12. Key Personnel
13. Review Considerations
    • Review Criteria for Student Development Plan
    • Review Criteria for the Overall Application
14. IMSD Program Management at Grantee Institutions
    • The Program Director
    • Functions of the Institutional IMSD Advisory Committee
    • Rebudgeting
15. Reporting Requirements
    • Noncompeting Continuation Awards
    • Progress Reports as Part of Noncompeting Continuation Requests
    • Financial Reports
    • Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP)
16. Award Criteria
17. Inquiries
18. XVIII. Authority and Regulations

I. Purpose

The Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) encourages domestic private and public educational institutions with fully developed and funded research programs to initiate and/or expand innovative programs to improve the academic and research capabilities of underrepresented minority students and to facilitate their progress toward careers in biomedical research. The application may be directed toward the development of underrepresented minority scientists who are in any phase of their career development, from the undergraduate level through the Ph.D. Applications proposing to develop the competitive research skills of underrepresented medical students and post-clinical doctoral students (e.g., recent clinical doctorates with M.D., M.D.-Ph.D., D.V.M., or D.D.S degrees) are also permissible.

Programs developed under this initiative must be specifically designed to target underrepresented minority students majoring in the biomedical and behavioral sciences or in medical, dental, or veterinary training who are interested in pursuing research careers. For the purposes of this program, underrepresented minority students are individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group that has been determined by the applicant institution to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research. Nationally, individuals who have been found to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research include, but are not limited to, United States citizens who are African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands. The term "science" is used to mean the natural, physical, and behavioral sciences and mathematics relevant to biomedical research.

II. Eligibility Requirements

The Institution

Applications may be submitted by domestic, private and public educational institutions. In general, applicant institutions are those with fully developed and funded research programs, since IMSD supports student development and not faculty research. Therefore, institutions holding active MBRS SCORE (Support for Continuous Research Excellence) or RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) grants are not eligible.

Students

It is the responsibility of the grantee institution to monitor the qualifications of students prior to their IMSD participation. A student participating in the IMSD Program must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. (A non-citizen national is a person who, although not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the U.S. They are generally persons born in lands that are not states, but are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration, for example American Samoa.) An individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence must possess an alien registration receipt card (I-151) or (I-551) prior to appointment on the grant. Individuals on temporary visas are not eligible for support from the IMSD Program.

III. Mechanism of Support

Awards under this program will use the institutional education project (R25) grant mechanism. Responsibility for the planning, direction, execution of the programmatic activities, and tracking participants for evaluation of the outcomes of the proposed project will be solely that of the grantee institution. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this program may not exceed 4 years and is renewable. Facilities and Administration (F&A) costs will be paid at 8 percent of the direct costs, minus appropriate exclusions.

IV. Objectives

The objective of the IMSD Program is to significantly increase the number of competitive underrepresented minority students entering careers in biomedical research. This objective will be realized by promoting the initiation and development of new programs, as well as the expansion and enhancement of existing programs, that foster an increase in underrepresented minority students in biomedical research careers.

NIGMS recognizes the heterogeneity in institutional settings and institutional missions. Therefore, the emphasis of this initiative will be on the institution's program, as defined by its own goals and specific measurable objectives, to make a substantial contribution to ameliorate the underrepresentation of minority groups in biomedical research. Some institutions may opt to motivate undergraduate students. Other institutions may be prepared to train graduate students. Still others may wish to motivate and develop the research skills of students in, or recently graduated from, medical schools or other biomedically-relevant professional schools. Applicants should note that evaluation of progress is a necessary component of every IMSD program; this program requires that each institution set its own goals and measurable objectives, identify baseline data, and establish milestones for gauging accomplishment.

V. Inclusion of Children, Women, and Minorities in Research Involving Human Subjects

Prior to the employment of students in research projects involving human subjects at the applicant institution, the requirements for inclusion of children, women, and minorities in research involving human subjects must have been met. Information is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html.

VI. Protection from Research Risks

Human Subjects

Prior to the employment of students in research projects involving human subjects at the applicant institution, the following requirements must be met:

• the institution must have an assurance, either a multi-project assurance (MPA) or a single project assurance (SPA) from the Office for Human Research Protections, Department of Health and Human Services; and
• the Institutional Review Board (IRB) must have approved the research projects.

The specific research protocol for student development in the research must be approved by the IRB and a copy of the certification included with the application. Certification of IRB approval is required as a condition of peer review.

Animal Subjects

Prior to the employment of a student in research projects involving laboratory animals at the applicant institution, the following requirements must be met:

• the institution must have an assurance (MPA or SPA) from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, NIH; and
• the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the institution with the research project must have approved the research projects.

The specific research protocol for student development in the research must be approved by the IACUC and a copy included with the application. Certification of IACUC approval is required as a condition of peer review.

Biohazards

Grantees are expected to safeguard against research materials or research-related conditions that constitute a hazard to the health and safety of laboratory workers and others in the immediate environment where such research is being carried out. Examples of such hazards are physical agents such as noise and temperature; chemical agents such as toxic chemicals and ionizing radiation; and biological agents such as carcinogens, pathogens, and human blood.

The IMSD program director and the advisory committee must be diligent in assuring that exposure of participants to research hazards is minimized. In some cases, this may mean that a new institutional committee must be formed. At some institutions, the tasks may be as simple as assuring that safety and radiation officers (or committees) are active. Attention should be given to:

• pre-use training of personnel;
• storage or containment of the hazard;
• use of a log to record usage;
• monitoring exposure to the hazard;
• decontamination procedures, where applicable; and
• methods for disposal of hazardous substances.

Failure to provide the detailed procedure for elimination or containment of the hazard may result in denial or revocation of funding.

VII. Application Procedures

Applications are to be submitted using the grant application Form PHS 398. Applicants are strongly urged to contact MBRS program staff (listed under Inquiries) at an early stage to request the IMSD-specific supplemental instructions for Form PHS 398 and an application kit. Application kits are also available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 435-0714, E-mail GrantsInfo@nih.gov. The application is also available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.

An applicant planning to submit a new (Type 1) grant application requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year must contact the Chief, MBRS Branch (see Inquiries) before submitting the application, i.e., as plans are being developed. Furthermore, the applicant must obtain agreement that NIGMS will accept the application for consideration for award. Finally, the applicant must identify, in the cover letter that is sent with the application, the staff member who agreed to accept assignment of the application. The policy is available at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/PolAssurDef.doc.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and three single-sided photocopies of the signed application in one package to:

Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040 - MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20872-7710
or, Bethesda, MD 20817 (For Express/Courier Service)

Application receipt date is February 1.

At the time of submission, two additional single-sided photocopies of the application must also be sent to:

Helen Sunshine, Ph.D.
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
Building 45, Room 1AS.13
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact MBRS program staff at an early stage for assistance and guidance in developing an application.

VIII. Unified Plan

Applicants should describe the other type(s) of support available for the scientific development of underrepresented minority students at their institutions. Applications from academic institutions with funding for student development programs such as, but not limited to, Bridges to the Baccalaureate, Bridges to the Doctorate, National Research Service Award (NRSA) training grants (e.g., NIH pre and postdoctoral T32 grants or MARC T34 grants), NIH minority supplements, National Science Foundation grants, or Howard Hughes Medical Institute grants, should define the relationship between those programs and the IMSD Program.

IX. Evaluation

Institutions should note that evaluation is a mandatory component of the IMSD Program; this program requires that each institution set its own specific goals and measurable objectives. NIGMS recognizes that educational institutions are diverse in institutional environment and mission. Therefore, the emphasis of the evaluation activities of the MBRS IMSD Program will be on improvement as defined in the specific goals and measurable objectives and milestones that the applicant institution sets for itself.

NIGMS is hoping to achieve a significant increase in the numbers of underrepresented minorities going on to biomedical research careers. Therefore, in the progress report in each renewal application, both competing and noncompeting, the program director must describe what difference the award has made towards meeting this goal. To be successful, an application should include: (1) the overall goals, (2) specific measurable objectives, 3) baseline data and a plan to evaluate whether the proposed objectives have been met, (4) methods to measure the efficacy of specific interventions, and (5) milestones for gauging intermediate states of accomplishments.

X. Application Content

The MBRS IMSD Program is institutional in scope. Its purpose is to encourage the development and/or expansion of innovative programs to improve the academic and research competitiveness of underrepresented minority students at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-clinical doctoral levels and to facilitate their progress toward careers in biomedical research. Therefore, the application layout and organization should reflect the institutional nature of the proposed program and should be presented as an integrated set of developmental activities. In general, the overall goals and specific measurable objectives (including anticipated milestones) should reflect what the institution expects to accomplish as a result of implementing the developmental activities described in the application. Additional information can be found in the Supplemental Instructions for Form PHS 398 (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MBRS/).

The application should propose an integrated program whose component parts, the developmental activities, work together to support the overall goals and objectives of the proposed program.

The Overall Application

Applicants should describe their proposed program in detail. They should explain how the program will meet their institutional goals and specific measurable objectives and how meeting these institutional goals will fulfill the objectives of this initiative.

The applicant should describe the institution's experience in training its students from underrepresented minority groups in the sciences. In this section applicants should include information for the past 4 years on the number of minority students enrolled and receiving baccalaureate, master's, or Ph.D. degrees and data on the subsequent careers or education plans of the institution's underrepresented minority graduates. For competitive renewal applications, use the most recent funding period as the baseline.

The application should typically include:

• overall goal and specific measurable objectives;
• overall evaluation plan, including baseline data and milestones for accomplishments;
• information on student pool, and a plan for attracting and retaining the desired student pool;
• the criteria to be used in the selection of, and steps taken to recruit and retain the student participants in this program;
• credentials of participating teaching and research faculty; and
• the methods, expertise available, and the criteria to be used for program evaluation. In this context, the institutional data for the previous 4 years on underrepresented minority student training will serve as a baseline for the specific measurable objectives proposed. For competitive renewal applications, use the most recent funding period as the baseline.

Student Development Plan

Applicants should provide detailed information on their plans to prepare students for, and participate in, biomedical research. This information includes:

• description of the academic or other related problems (that hinder the student's progress to a research career) that are being addressed by the proposed activity/intervention;
• goal and specific measurable objectives for the activity;
• detailed description of the proposed activities to ameliorate the identified problem;
• rationale for and feasibility of the approach chosen;
• information on participating faculty and other resources including letters of commitment to mentor/train; and
• evaluation plan.

Examples of Student Development Activities

Institutional programs must be designed with special attention to the needs and special requirements of underrepresented minority students who are pursuing biomedical research careers. For example, they may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• research opportunities for undergraduate students matriculated at the applicant institution;
• research and learning opportunities at the applicant institution for undergraduate students who are interested in research careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences;
• research training opportunities in biomedical and related fields for graduate students and medical or other professional students;
• research-oriented programs leading to a research career for post-clinical doctoral students;
• research-oriented technical training courses or workshops for graduate students enrolled at the applicant institution;
• research and other training experiences as a prerequisite to enroll in doctoral degree programs;
• training preparatory to effect a career change to biomedical or behavioral research for persons trained in mathematics, computer sciences, and other quantitative sciences; and
• activities to improve scientific communication skills of IMSD supported students, such as scientific writing, and student travel for presentation of research at scientific meetings.

Mentoring Environment

Institutions need to describe new programs or modifications and/or additions to their existing programs that would encourage and facilitate minority students to enter research careers. Request for support of existing efforts and programs related to the objectives of this announcement must be well justified.

In addition, while routine research support is not allowable, funds may be provided to strengthen the research capabilities of faculty who are uniquely successful in the mentoring of underrepresented minority students or who are critical to the development of an environment supportive of minority students.

XI. Allowable Costs

The budget request may include the reasonable costs of administering, coordinating, and evaluating the program. Requests for equipment, supplies, travel, and other expenses for program operation should be specifically justified. Salary support for the program director is allowable up to 25 percent effort depending upon the magnitude of the proposed activities.

Undergraduate student remuneration through salary/wages for participation in research experiences may be requested, provided the following conditions are met:

• the student is performing necessary work;
• there is an employer-employee relationship between the student and the institution;
• the total compensation is reasonable for the work performed; and
• it is the institution's practice to provide compensation for all students in similar circumstances, regardless of the source of support for the activity.

Graduate students are allowed tuition costs as part of a compensation package. When requesting support for a graduate student, the applicant institution should provide in the budget justification section of the application the basis for the compensation level. NIGMS staff will review the requested compensation level and, if it is reasonable and justified, will provide compensation up to a maximum of $26,000 (NIH Guide Notice Not-98-168, December 2, 1998). Clinical postdoctoral students should be compensated at a rate commensurate with that of other postdoctoral employees at the institution.

It is an expectation of NIGMS that students who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program as part of the IMSD Program will not be excluded from support from other non-Federal or Federal graduate training sources for which they are eligible. Students cannot concurrently hold another Federally-sponsored stipend or fellowship or any other Federal award that duplicates IMSD support. However, students may make use of Federal educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (G.I. Bill), or may receive funds from a Pell Grant, based on financial need. Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation.

Unallowable Costs

Undergraduate tuition, housing, food, or recruitment expenses of any kind are not allowable under this program. Support for textbooks, incentives, memberships, and Internet subscriptions are not allowable. Release time for faculty mentoring is not allowable. Support for faculty research is generally not allowable, since faculty mentors are expected to have their own research support and an active research program capable of supporting the development of IMSD students.

XII. Key Personnel>

The program director is responsible for the overall execution of the program. Unless otherwise stated in the application, the program director will have the overall responsibility for all projects/activities (mentoring activities, organization of communications skills programs, special methods workshops, etc.) as well as student career tracking plans. The names and qualifications of the program director, the directors of individual projects within the program (where appropriate), and any other key personnel, shall be listed in the application under Key Personnel, and their biographical sketches should be included.

XIII. Review Considerations

Upon receipt, NIH staff will administratively review applications. Applications that are incomplete and/or do not conform to the guidelines of the PHS Form 398, IMSD policy, or IMSD supplemental instructions will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. After administrative review, applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific and technical merit by appropriate peer review groups. The National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council will provide the second level of review.

Review Criteria for the Student Development Plan

The anticipated effectiveness of the program in making a difference relative to the current base line data (based on previous experience for new applications or the last 4 years for competitive renewals) will be assessed. Some of the factors considered include:

• the extent to which the program's plan may be expected to meet the goals and specific measurable objectives of the applicant institution, as well as those of the IMSD initiative;
• the rationale for the choice of educational/research activities to increase students' interest in research careers, and identification of the specific limitations these activities would ameliorate;
• the budget and cost-effectiveness of the program, including its appropriateness to the scope of the program, and the number of students involved;
• evidence of the ability to deliver high quality programmatic projects/activities; and
• the appropriateness of the applicant's plan for the evaluation of the impact of the programmatic activities.

Review Criteria for the Overall Application

• suitability of overall goal(s) and specific objectives in relation to the applicant institution's academic strengths;
• the availability of significant numbers of underrepresented minority students in the participating science department(s) who are potentially interested in research careers in biomedical and health-related fields;
• the past training record of designated preceptors, measured by the success of former trainees in establishing independent and productive research careers, not necessarily limited to underrepresented minority students;
• the caliber of the proposed preceptors as researchers, including their successful competition for research support;
• suitability of evaluation plan, including appropriate baseline data and milestones for accomplishments;
• the qualifications and experience of the program director, faculty, and staff to carry out the proposed program; and
• evidence of institutional commitment, and strength of the efforts of the institution, to foster the professional development of underrepresented minority scientists.

Other Considerations

• The budget and cost-effectiveness of the program, including its appropriateness to the scope of the program, and the number of students involved.

XIV. IMSD Program Management at Grantee Institutions

The IMSD program, as an institutional grant, should be administered in a manner consistent with the institution's grant administration policies and procedures. Traditionally, an IMSD program has a designated program director, selected by the institution, and an advisory committee, also selected by the institution. The program director generally assumes responsibility for overall execution of the IMSD program at the institution and is substantially involved in all the operational aspects of the program. He or she keeps the institutional officials informed about the program, especially where institutional policies, procedures, and personnel would be affected.

The advisory committee, when appointed by the institution, generally provides counsel to the program director and to the chief executive of the institution in meeting the goals of the MBRS IMSD program and those of the institution.

The Program Director

The program director should be knowledgeable about IMSD goals and should have a broad perspective of institutional affairs in order to ensure that the IMSD program activities are coordinated and consistent with the objectives and mission of the institution. He or she keeps institutional officials advised of any major changes or problems that may affect institutional policies and procedures.

Grantees should refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement for policies and procedures regarding a change in status or absence of the program director. A responsible institutional official must notify MBRS staff in writing when the program director will be absent from his or her duties for a month or longer or whenever there is to be a significant change in the program director's level of effort. When a program director will be absent for a month or longer, an interim program director must be named, and the MBRS office notified in writing, by the appropriate institutional official. This information must be sent to NIH prior to the anticipated absence. If the absence is for more than 3 months, an interim program director can be appointed only after prior approval from NIH. To replace a program director during a funding cycle, NIH must approve a formal request.

The following are examples of the responsibilities and functions of the program director:

• functions as the principal contact with MBRS/NIH at the institution;
• manages the IMSD program in a manner consistent with institutional and IMSD policies;
• establishes policies, in consultation with the advisory committee when one is appointed, for efficient management of the program;
• monitors and assesses the progress of individual program elements and the overall progress and accomplishments of the program;
• communicates current PHS/NIH policies (i.e., on use of human subjects, animals, and hazardous materials) to research faculty;
• promotes scientific interchange between IMSD participants and collaborators;
• serves as ex officio member of the advisory committee, when one is appointed by the institution;
• notifies MBRS Program staff at NIH of any anticipated changes that affect the overall scope of individual project elements or the program as a whole; and
• prepares and submits annual progress reports.

Functions of the Institutional IMSD Advisory Committee

When established by the institution, the IMSD advisory committee may include among its members the program director (ex officio), one or more key personnel from the MBRS IMSD program, IMSD student participants, and a representative of the institution's business office (preferably the fiscal administrator assigned to handle the grant). Other representatives may be selected based on their ability to further the goals and objectives of the program.

The following are typical of (and not restricted to) the functions that might be expected of an advisory committee:

• advise the program director on program policies;
• establish criteria and procedures for the admittance of future activities (new, supplemental, or competing renewal to the program);
• establish criteria for admittance of students (undergraduate and graduate) to the program;
• assist in recruiting into the program those faculty whose expertise would be supportive of it;
• monitor progress of each activity;
• advise on rebudgeting of funds;
• help to expand the present effort by locating other sources of funds;
• monitor compliance with NIH policies and regulations regarding involvement of students in research using human subjects, animal experimentation, and or/in which there are research hazards;
• assist in selecting a new program director, when needed; and
• address faculty and student grievances as they relate to the IMSD program.

Rebudgeting

Funds may not be transferred from the student support category (salaries, tuition and fees, and travel) without prior approval of NIGMS staff.

XV. Reporting Requirements

As per the Grants Policy Statement, NIH requires that grantees submit annual financial and progress reports. The Grants Management Officer (GMO) is the receipt point for most required reports, including noncompeting continuation requests and final progress reports. Reports must be submitted in an original and two copies. Failure to submit complete, accurate, and timely reports may result in possible award delays or enforcement actions, including withholding, removal of expanded authorities, or conversion to a reimbursement payment method.

Noncompeting Continuation Awards

The "Application for Continuation of a Grant" (PHS 2590) must be submitted to, and be approved by, NIH to noncompetitively fund each additional budget period within a previously approved project period. Except for awards subject to SNAP (see below), the application includes an updated budget, progress report, and other required information.

Noncompeting continuation applications must be submitted directly to the NIGMS GMO 2 months before the beginning date of the next budget period, unless instructed otherwise. The Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA) will provide the grantee with a computer-generated face page and necessary mailing labels approximately 4 months before the end of the current budget period. Late submission or receipt of an incomplete noncompeting continuation application will result in delaying the issuance and funding of the noncompeting continuation award and may result in a reduced award amount.

Progress Reports as Part of Noncompeting Continuation Requests

Progress reports are required annually as part of the noncompeting continuation request (Type 5) or competing continuation (Type 2) application. The information to be included in the progress report as part of a noncompeting continuation request is specified in the Form PHS 2590 application instructions, which also include the alternate instructions for awards under the Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP). Noncompeting continuation applications for any of the MBRS programs may be submitted using the SNAP process.

Supplemental Instructions to Form 2590, available from the MBRS office, must be used (see Inquiries). A final report will be required 90 days after the termination date of the award and must include information for each student participant and his/her current professional activity.

The nature and extent of underrepresented minority student participation must be thoroughly described. In order to evaluate the success of the program, applicants should describe the systems by which they would monitor and track the student participants in their programs, including the careers students choose after graduation. Applicants should maintain data to be able to demonstrate the benefits of their programs on matriculation, retention, and graduation rates. This data should be compared to those of non-minority students and to those of non-IMSD-supported minority students at their institutions from the previous 4 years.

Financial Reports

Reports of expenditures are required as documentation of the financial status of grants according to the official accounting records of the grantee organization. Financial or expenditure reporting is accomplished using the Financial Status Report (FSR) (SF 269 or SF-269 A; the latter format is the "long form" and is required when a grantee is accountable for the use of program income). The FSR is required on an annual basis and must be submitted for each budget period no later than 90 days after the close of the budget period. The report must also cover any authorized extension in time of the budget period. If more frequent reporting is required, the Notice of Grant Award (NGA) will specify both the frequency and due date.

FSRs may be transmitted electronically to Office of Financial Management (OFM), NIH, which, for this purpose, is equivalent to submission to the GMO at NIGMS. Prior to submitting FSRs to NIH, grantees must ensure that the information submitted is accurate, complete, and consistent with the grantee's accounting system. The signature of the authorized institutional official on the FSR certifies that the information in the FSR is correct and complete and that all outlays and obligations are for the purposes set forth in grant documents, and represents a claim to the Federal Government. Filing a false claim may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP)

Although the MBRS programs are not fully included in expanded authorities, IMSD grantees are expected to follow the Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP) for submitting noncompeting applications.

Under SNAP, the GMO negotiates the direct costs for the entire competitive segment at the time of the competing award. This eliminates the need for annual budget submissions and negotiations and reduces the information NIH requires to review and approve noncompeting continuation applications and to monitor these awards. As a result, for awards under SNAP, grantees are required to submit only limited portions of the PHS 2590, including an annual progress report. For further information or clarification, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement and/or the Grants Management Officer listed under Inquiries.

XVI. Award Criteria

Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review, availability of funds, and program priority.

XVII. Inquiries

Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to the program director:

Chief, MBRS Branch
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
Building 45, Room 2AS.37
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-3900
FAX: (301) 480-2753

Questions on the review of applications should be directed to:

Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
Building 45, Room 1AS.13
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-3663
FAX: (301) 480-8506
E-mail: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov

Questions on grants management and fiscal matters should be directed to:

Ms. Antoinette Holland
Grants Management Supervisor
MBRS Program
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
Building 45, Room 2AN.50
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5132
FAX: (301) 480-3423
E-mail: hollanda@nigms.nih.gov

XVIII. Authority and Regulations

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.375. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under NIH grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-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, and 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.