Specialized Centers of Research NHLBI
Policy on Relocating Projects to New Institution
National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute National Institutes of Health
Revised: December 1999
GENERAL INFORMATION: The NHLBI
Specialized Centers of Research (SCOR) grant programs focus on scientific
issues related to diseases relevant to the mission of the Institute. Specific
disease categories, identified through a detailed planning process, are
solicited by the NHLBI in response to an RFA with set aside funds. Each SCOR
program is developed to assure interactions between basic and clinical
scientists in order to enhance transfer of fundamental research findings to the
clinical setting, as well as to identify now research directions.
Therefore, each SCOR grant application and award must include research
involving human patients/subjects in addition to basic research projects that
relate to the clinical for-us. Generally, a SCOR grant contains 4-6
scientific projects (at least one being clinical research); a SCOR may also
contain one or more core units that support the research projects. A SCOR
grant is awarded for a five year competitive segment following an open
competition. Only one five-year competing renewal is permitted for a
total of 10 years of support for a given SCOR program.
CONSORTIUM ARRANGEMENTS: In the current
SCOR guidelines, the NHLBI allows applicants to include research activities
that involve institutions other than the grantee institution, that is,
consortium arrangements. However, these activities must be included in
the SCOR application itself so that the primary review group, the NHLBI
Advisory Council and the Institute can evaluate the proposed interactions of
the participants and the integration of the consortium project(s) with those of
the parent institution. To conserve the special features of a SCOR grant,
it is the responsibility of the applicant to describe, and the review groups to
evaluate, how the synergism and cohesiveness will be provided when projects are
located outside the group located at the parent institution.
POLICY ON TRANSFER OF PROJECTS AFTER THE SCOR GRANT
IS AWARDED: If the principal investigator of a SCOR project (project
leader) moves to a new institution, the funds awarded for his/her project in
the SCOR grant may not be transferred (that is as a consortium arrangement)
without prior approval of the NHLBI. Generally, requests to establish a
consortium arrangement after a SCOR grant has been funded are not approved by
the institute, since the purpose of a SCOR grant is to assure timely and
frequent interactions between basic and clinical scientists and to insure the
integration of research findings and results. Another important feature of the
integrated SCOR concept is to provide a rich environment in both basic and
clinical research on a specific disease for young research scientists and
medical students. If SCOR projects are not located within a close geographic
proximity, many of these important features would not be realized.
If the NHLBI receives a request to transfer a project,
as a consortium arrangement, to a new institution once a SCOR grant is awarded,
the Institute will:
- Suggest that the project remain at the SCOR
institution under the leadership of another investigator. The
biographical sketch of the proposed new project leader should be sent for
approval to the NHLBI with a letter requesting this transfer signed by the SCOR
principal investigator, the original project leader (to provide assurance that
transfer to another scientist meets with the full approval of the
original investigator) and the SCOR Institution's Business Official. If
the newly appointed project leader has the scientific credentials to assure the
original SCOR project will meet its goals and has sufficient research time
available (at least 20% effort), then the NHLBI will approve the request.
The NHLBI may decide to send the request for outside review if there are
questions regarding the scientific expertise of the proposed new project
leader.
- Discontinue the project if the original Project
leader does not wish to transfer the project to another investigator.
In this case, funds remaining for the project (and related CORE costs) in the
current budget period will become restricted and returned to NIH as unobligated
balance. Funds for the project in question will not be awarded in future
years. The Principal Investigator, and the remaining SCOR investigators, should
carefully evaluate the projects remaining at the Institution to determine if
those remaining constitute a SCOR grant, that is, include both basic and
clinical research. If not, future submissions as a SCOR grant may be in
jeopardy. In this case, the investigators may wish to explore the
potential to apply for individual research projects to continue their work, or
for a program project grant.
- Transfer the proiect as a consortium
arrangement if there is little geoclraphical separation due to the chancie of
Institultion. If the transfer to a new Institution does not lead to a
large geographical separation, that is, remains within the same city as the
SCOR grant institution, the NHLBI will consider transfer of the project as a
consortium arrangement. A letter with this request should be signed by the SCOR
Principal investigator, the project leader and the SCOR institution. If
approved by the NHLBI, additional documentation to develop the consortium
arrangement will be required. (Details may be obtained from the NHLBI
Division responsible for the SCOR program or the NHLBI grants management
official identified an the SCOR grant award notice.)
- Transfer the project as a consortium
arrangement if less than 18 months remains on the project. If an
Institution agrees to relinquish a project, and there is less than 18 months
remaining in the project period, the NHIBI will consider transfer of the
project as a consortium arrangement to allow the original project leader to
finish the work and interact with colleagues to publish the findings. If
the consortium arrangement is to continue, it must be included in a renewal
application (if the SCOR program is being announced for a re-competition). In
this case, it will be the responsibility of the peer review group to evaluate
the scientific merit of work that is to be conducted in multiple geographic
locations.
- Transfer the entire SCOR to a new
Institution. If the entire SCOR group (all projects and CORES)
requests a transfer to a new institution with the approval of the original SCOR
Institution, the NHLBI will consider transfer, this would require approval of
the Director, DEA, NHLBI and the Director, NHLBI. This would be
considered a highly unusual situation and should be discussed well in advance
with NHLBI staff.
In summary, to conserve the special features of the
SCOR program, the NHLBI generally does not allow the transfer of a SCOR project
to another Institution during the project period. The NHLBI is aware that there
may be special circumstances that apply to a given situation.
Investigators who are considering leaving the SCOR grant institution are
encouraged to contact the NHLBI project scientist in charge of their SCOR grant
well in advance of their departure.
Note: All SCOR awards will carry a footnote to advise
grantees of this NHLBI requirement regarding relocation of projects to new
Institutions. This information will also appear in all SCOR RFA announcements.
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