ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

FY2008 Guidelines and Information for Applicants

(Revised 1/24/2008 - supercedes all previous versions)

PURPOSE

The Division of Cancer Biology (DCB) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announces for the Federal fiscal year of 2008 the opportunity for grantees to seek supplemental funding for existing DCB-funded research projects to support and encourage multidisciplinary scientific collaboration among DCB grantees, as well as with other members of the scientific community. This initiative known as the Activities to Promote Research Collaborations (APRC) can support novel collaborative activities in cancer biology that bring together new ideas and approaches from disparate scientific disciplines. The proposed APRC activities should be within the overall scope of the active parent DCB grant.

The APRC Program is anticipated to be highly competitive with limited funding; only a few supplements will be awarded. Before submission, all grantees must call their DCB Program Director to discuss the planned collaboration and application.

This document describes the: (1) purpose, (2) background, (3) the administrative mechanism available to promote research collaborations under this program, (4) eligibility requirements, (5) review considerations and criteria, (6) application procedures, (7) post-award requirements, (8) application deadline, (9) mailing address, and (10) contact information for inquiries.

BACKGROUND

The DCB supports research that enhances our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of cancers. DCB supports and funds grants in basic cancer cell biology, tumor biology and metastasis, cancer immunology and hematology, cancer etiology (including chemical & physical carcinogenesis, and viral carcinogenesis), mechanisms underlying DNA and chromosome aberrations, and structural biology and technology development.

Many of the most novel and exciting advances in cancer biology derive from the synthesis of previously disparate fields of research. For such advances to be made, it is necessary for researchers with varying interests (possibly in differing fields) to initiate collaborative research interactions. Through the APRC program, DCB can provide administrative supplements to DCB grantees for such interactions.

Examples and/or descriptions:

Collaborations that allow the participants to move into new and important areas of cancer research

Collaborations that include expertise from other fields, and thereby have the potential to expand the pool of talented scientists working in cancer biology

Collaborations that bring a novel approach to an important area of cancer biology

ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISM FOR PROMOTING RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

Typically, APRC consortia are composed of 2-5 investigators (often from complementary fields) focused on achieving specific research objectives by pooling their respective expertise and efforts. The APRC consortium will carry out joint research that would not be possible to conduct expeditiously, if at all, in the absence of these collaborators and this additional funding support.

The collaborative research project must be within the general scope of the PI’s active DCB-funded grant and cannot be duplicative of any active or previously funded research topic for any of the consortium members.

Important: The collaboration within the research project proposed must be NEW. Collaborators with prior history of collaboration (including publications) in the past 5 years are not eligible as individual (separate) collaborating units. If collaboration has occurred within 5 years, these particular collaborators will be considered a single (combined) collaborating unit. In this instance, another collaborator or collaborating unit is required for APRC eligibility.

The maximum total direct costs allowed for a collaborating unit within a consortia is $40,000 per year.
The maximum combined consortium direct cost is $120,000 per year, regardless of the number of collaborators or collaborating units

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Only researchers with active DCB funding through one of the grant mechanisms identified below may submit and be the PI of an APRC application. Not all NCI grantees are eligible. Before submitting an application, grantees must call their NCI Program Director to discuss their eligibility and planned application.
The PI must have an active R01, R37, P01, U01, U54/U56, R44, or R42 grant, with at least one full year remaining at the time of anticipated funding (June 1, 2008). No other grants types are eligible.
All members of the consortium must have active research funding support at the time of APRC funding, but it may be from other peer-reviewed sources.
Investigators may come from the same or different departments within an institution, or from different institutions.
Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate in this opportunity for APRC supplemental support.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS AND CRITERIA

DCB program staff will conduct the review. The number of awards and level of support will depend on the number and diversity of meritorious applications received, and the availability of funding for the program. Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

The importance of the specific questions to be asked and the potential benefit to cancer research
The novelty or uniqueness of the opportunity presented by the proposed activity
The novelty or uniqueness of the collaboration, and the extent to which disparate scientific disciplines are represented within the collaboration

Proposed activities should also demonstrate:

Additional value to the underlying funded research (parent grant) of the PI and the collaborating investigators
Sound experimental design
Realistic scope of work, given the time and budget requested

Include the following:

(1) Cover Letter – Identify the eligible parent grant(s). Provide an APRC title (must be different from that of the parent grant). The cover letter must be signed by the PI, collaborating investigators at the same institution as the PI, and the appropriate official from the parent grantee institution.

(2) PHS Form Page 1 (Face Page)

(3) PHS Form Page 2 (Abstract and Key Personnel) – Include the specific aims, objectives, and projected outcomes.

(4) Summary of Each Collaborator’s Specific Contributions – [1 page total for all collaborators combined]. Specify the contribution to the research project.

(5) PHS Biographical Sketch Format Page – Each collaborator

(6) PHS Other Support Format Page – Documentation of active research funding (i.e., NIH, other federal, private sources, etc.) for all collaborating investigators.

(7) PHS Form Page 4 (Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period):

Budget Specifications

a. All APRC funding will be in the form of administrative supplements to existing active DCB funded research grants.

b. The institution may subcontract to the outside collaborators.

c. Funding is limited to the life of the PI’s active grant. At least one full year must remain on the parent grant at the time of APRC funding; two full years for two-year requests. Requests for no-cost extensions on the parent grant to accommodate an APRC supplement will not be permitted.

d. Consortia requests should be for no more than 24 months. Requests for longer periods will not be considered.

e. A detailed budget explanation and justification must be included in the application with each year’s budget clearly detailed. Include justified budgets for each collaborating unit.

f. Facilities and Administrative costs (indirect costs) are permitted at the grantee institution’s current negotiated rate. These must be clearly annotated.

g. APRC supplements are not subject to the modular grants requirements.

h. PI and collaborator salary support is not permitted.

Budgets Calculations

a. APRC supplements will be funded with a start date of June 1, 2008.

b. Synchronize budgets to the parent grant and prorate as necessary. For example, if the APRC supplement is requested for a period of 24 months, the parent grant has a budget period starting March 1^st, and the prescribed APRC funding start date is June 1^st, then the budget must be illustrated as follows for a total of 24 months:

Current fiscal year remaining = 9 months (June 1– February 28)

Next Fiscal year = 12 months (March 1 – February 28)

Following fiscal year = 3 months (March 1 – May 30)

c. If there are less than 3 months remaining on the parent grant’s current year at the time of APRC funding, supplement funding will be delayed to synchronize with the anniversary date of the parent grant.

(8) PHS Form Page 5 (Budget for Entire Proposed Period of Support) – Entire consortia.

(9) Relationship to Parent Grant – [1 page maximum] Describe how the consortia research project relates to the parent grant.

(10) Research Plan [strictly limited to 5 typed pages]

a. Specific aims, background, and significance (not to exceed 2 pages).

b. Preliminary studies and experimental design (not to exceed 3 pages). Experimental design must be presented in adequate detail to allow scientific evaluation of the feasibility.

(11) Appendices and supplemental material will not be accepted or forwarded to reviewers.

(12) Literature Cited.

(13) Letters of Intent to Collaborate – Provide a letter for each collaborating investigator located at an institution different from that of the PI, cosigned by the appropriate official from that institution.

(14) Assurances – All human and animal studies must receive the appropriate IRB or IACUC review and approval prior to funding authorization for the APRC supplement. Verification of this approval must be sent to your DCB Program Director. Note that since APRC-funded projects are supplemental to existing projects and within the scope of those studies, modifications to assurance approvals are usually all that are needed.

POSTAWARD REQUIREMENTS

Final Report:

Within 90 days after the conclusion of the funded activity, the PI must submit to the DCB Program Director a Final Progress Report that includes a description of the activities and outcomes and an assessment of the success in meeting the stated aims and objectives

DCB-Sponsored APRC Grantee Workshop:

Principal Investigators funded in FY08 will be expected to attend a DCB-sponsored APRC Grantee Workshop during the 2 year APRC funding period (DCB will assume these costs). You will be notified of the scheduled date of the workshop (usually September). Collaborators are encouraged to attend.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Requests for the APRC administrative supplements must be submitted to DCB as described in these APRC Program Guidelines. This is a one-time announcement and formal requests must be received on or before March 17, 2008. Late applications will not be accepted. Note that the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) IS NOT involved in receipt and processing of these requests.

Applications must be signed by the Authorized organizational Representative and submitted to the appropriate IC Program contact. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications electronically as an e-mail attachment in PDF format; however the signature of the AOR must be clearly visible. Applicants may also submit applications in paper format to the APRC Program Coordinator.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION

If sending an electronic PDF copy, the e-mail address is whitest@mail.nih.gov. DO NOT submit via Grants.gov.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSION

If sending hardcopies by US mail or Express Mail Service, 1 original and 5 copies are requested. Mail to:

Activities to Promote Research Collaborations

c/o Stephen White

Special Assistant to the Director and Programs Coordinator

Division of Cancer Biology

National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS

6130 Executive Boulevard

Executive Plaza North

Room 5048

Bethesda, MD 20892-7150 (US Mail) or 20852 (Express Mail Services)

INQUIRIES

Direct program/scientific related questions or inquiries to your DCB Program Director or to:

Dr. Daniel Gallahan

Deputy Director, Division of Cancer Biology

National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS

Executive Plaza North, Room 5050

6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7380

Bethesda, MD 20892-7380

Telephone: (301) 496-8636

FAX: (301) 496-8656

E-mail: gallahad@mail.nih.gov

Direct all grants management related questions or inquiries to:

Joy Kearse

Grants Management Specialist

Office of Grants Administration

National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS

Fairview Center, Suite 300

1003 West 7th Street

Frederick, MD 21701-4106

Telephone: 301-846-1010

FAX: 301-846-5720

E-mail: kearsej@mail.nih