INTERNATIONAL MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH AND TRAINING

Release Date:  March 9, 2000

RFA:  TW-00-007

Fogarty International Center
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 14, 2000
Application Receipt Date:       July 13, 2000

PURPOSE

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) invites applications for the 
International Maternal and Child Health Research and Training Program 
(IMCHRT) for award in FY 2001.  This RFA is issued simultaneously with and is 
closely related to the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health 
Research program (RFA HD-00-007), herein referred to as the Global Network.  
The Global Network award will be funded by the National Institute of Child 
Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Allergy and 
Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the 
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National 
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and the National 
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in partnership with the Bill and Melinda 
Gates Foundation and with complementary support from the FIC IMCHRT.  The 
training and research capacity building efforts of the FIC IMCHRT are meant 
to facilitate maternal and child health research such as will be undertaken 
under the Global Network program.

NOTE:  Investigators may apply for: (1) a Global Network Research Unit award 
in response to RFA HD-00-007 or (2) BOTH a Global Network Research Unit award 
in response to RFA HD-00-007 and an IMCHRT award in response to this RFA (TW-
00-007) or (3) an IMCHRT award separately, subject to the eligibility 
requirements described below.

The purpose of this FIC training program is to stimulate high quality 
training and to build research capacity in support of current and future 
collaborative research on maternal and child health issues in developing 
countries.  The intent of the IMCHRT program is to provide training 
opportunities for foreign investigators to build research capacity and to 
strengthen foreign and U.S. cooperation related to maternal and early 
childhood health.  Integration of the FIC IMCHRT program and the Global 
Network program enhances and reinforces the purposes of both programs.  
Therefore, in awarding IMCHRT grants, first priority will be given to those 
meritorious applications that are linked to applications that have received 
or will receive Global Network Research Unit awards. 

The FIC IMCHRT will support training experiences for foreign scientists in 
the context of the Global Network priority research areas to improve 
pregnancy and birth outcomes in developing countries.  For the purposes of 
this RFA, developing countries are defined as the resource-poor nations of 
Latin America, the Caribbean, North and sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, 
South and South East Asia, including the People’s Republic of China, Oceania, 
Central /Eastern Europe, and the newly Independent States (NIS) of the former 
Soviet Union. There are three overall objectives for the FIC IMCHRT: 1) to 
increase expertise of scientists in developing countries in maternal and 
early childhood biomedical, behavioral, and prevention research, 2) to 
support and expand collaborative training in maternal and early childhood 
biomedical and behavioral research between U.S.-based and foreign scientists, 
and 3) to establish or strengthen maternal and early childhood biomedical and 
behavioral research and prevention centers of excellence in the home 
countries of trainees.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with a variety of cultural, 
medical, environmental, and health system factors, and affect millions of 
mother-baby dyads each year.  The battle to improve maternal and early 
childhood health is particularly critical in developing countries and is 
becoming increasingly important in Russia and the newly independent states of 
the former Soviet Union.  This RFA generally is intended to address maternal 
and newborn health training and research capacity building for factors other 
than HIV infection, except for those applications linked to a Global Network 
Research Unit application that includes HIV. 

However, for situations in which there is a high prevalence of HIV infection, 
one must consider the totality of factors, including HIV, which contribute to 
poor pregnancy outcomes and the poor health status of mothers and children.  
Recent advances in interventions to improve the health outcomes in HIV-
infected mothers and newborns (e.g., nutritional supplements to pregnant 
women to decrease adverse pregnancy outcome, vitamin A supplements to improve 
health outcome in HIV-infected children, chlorhexidine vaginal cleansing at 
birth to decrease maternal and neonatal sepsis, and the use of antibiotics to 
prevent and treat chorioamnionitis) may also have more general health 
benefits for all mothers and children in developing countries.  Consequently, 
investments made in HIV/AIDS research are now seen to provide general 
benefits to the health of HIV-negative persons in developing countries. 

The goal of this initiative is to strengthen and sustain, through 
collaborative research and training, the capability of developing countries 
to carry out research required to develop new strategies and to apply 
existing knowledge through operational research to improve health outcomes 
for mothers and newborns.  Although this RFA is considered to be a non-AIDS 
program, applicants planning to work in areas with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence 
would be expected to consider HIV status in designing their research and 
training programs.  They are encouraged to form collaborations with FIC AIDS 
International Training and Research Programs working in common countries of 
interest. 

The training program is intended to be multidisciplinary and to include 
biomedical and behavioral research so that the social and cultural 
determinants of health-related behaviors in various societies, (e.g., 
breastfeeding, sexual practices, smoking, and alcohol use), can be examined.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health 
promotion and disease prevention objectives of “Healthy People 2010,” a PHS-
led national activity for setting priority areas.  This Request for 
Applications (RFA) International Maternal and Child Health Research and 
Training, is related to one or more priority areas.  Potential applicants may 
obtain information about “Healthy People 2010” at 
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by U.S. for-profit and non-profit 
organizations, public and private institutions, such as universities, 
colleges, hospitals, and laboratories, units of State and local governments, 
and eligible agencies of the Federal government.  While for-profit and non-
academic organizations are eligible, they should establish linkages with 
academic institutions to be able to offer the full range of training 
opportunities included in the FIC IMCHRT. 

It is recommended that all applicants for the FIC FY 2001 IMCHRT awards also 
apply for a Global Network Research Unit award.  As noted in the Global 
Network RFA, FY 1999 IMCHRT program grantees also are strongly encouraged to 
submit applications for Global Network Research Unit awards and to describe 
how their training efforts and experiences relate to and support proposed 
research activities under the network.  Although applicants may apply for 
either a Global Network Research Unit grant or an IMCHRT grant, in awarding 
IMCHRT grants, priority will be given to institutions that submit meritorious 
applications in response to both the Global Network RFA and the FY 2001 
IMCHRT RFA and to whom a Global Network award is expected to be made.  
However, Global Network awards may be made to institutions without IMCHRT 
awards and FIC may make IMCHRT awards without a Global Network award.  There 
is no limit to the number of IMCHRT applications, linked to a Global Network 
application, that may be submitted by any given institution.  However, 
preference will be given to meritorious IMCHRT applications linked to 
meritorious Global Network applications.  Institutions previously awarded an 
IMCHRT award may not apply for an additional freestanding IMCHRT award, 
regardless of how many applications that institution submits for a Global 
Network award.  Institutions that are applying only for a freestanding IMCHRT 
award may submit only one application.

Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women and persons with disabilities are 
encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.  The U.S. grantee institution 
is responsible for developing an affiliations(s) with an established 
institution (e.g. university, research institute, federal or state health 
department, or hospital) in the host country.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

Awards will be made by the FIC under the international training grants (D43 
mechanism), which limits facilities and administrative (F & A) costs to eight 
percent.  The total project period for an IMCHRT application, submitted in 
response to this RFA, may not exceed five years.  At this time, the FIC has 
not determined whether and how this solicitation will be continued beyond the 
present RFA.  The FIC, with NICHD, will conduct a program evaluation during 
the fourth year of the IMCHRT.  The results will assist the NIH in 
determining whether the RFA would be re-issued.  If, by the end of the fourth 
year of the award, the FIC has not announced its intent to reissue the RFA, 
incumbents should contact program staff before preparing a re-competing 
application to seek advice on the most appropriate method of application 
submission.

The applicant organization"s administrative support (including that available 
through a companion Global Network award) must provide the necessary 
management for the transfer of funds and material to the off-site component.  
Facilities and administrative (F & A) costs will not be paid on any expense 
incurred by the foreign institution(s), although expenses required to support 
in-country training and training-related research such as access to 
facilities, library services, and the Internet user fees, can be charged as 
direct expenses when well justified.  Travel, salaries, and fringe benefits 
will be subject to the applicant institution"s rules and regulations.

Grants will be made as D43 training grant awards for a project period of up 
to five years.  Continued support during this period depends on satisfactory 
performance of the FIC IMCHRT (as well as any companion Global Network award 
that may be made) as judged by annual progress reports, site visits,  
meetings of program directors, career progress of trainees (e.g., positions 
occupied in home country, first-author publications, presentations, research 
undertaken, and research awards received), and development of national 
capacity for maternal and child health related research and prevention, 
including the establishment or strengthening of model maternal and child 
health research and prevention centers of excellence in the home countries of 
trainees.  Assessment of performance will be made jointly by FIC and NICHD.  
Special program reviews will be conducted by the FIC and NICHD.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Approximately $600,000 is anticipated for support of three to four awards in 
this program in FY 2001, depending upon quality and availability of funds.  
The maximum allowable support for the first year is $200,000 (total costs 
including eight percent F & A costs).  A budget increase of three percent may 
be requested for years two to five.  Also, administrative supplemental budget 
requests up to 20% may be requested in any one year to cover unusual, unique 
scientific opportunities or emergency situations.  Requests for budget 
supplements should not be submitted without prior discussion with and 
approval for submission by FIC staff.  These requests will be reviewed 
jointly by FIC and NICHD and awarded based upon merit and availability of 
funds.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Scope of Training

A. Training Objectives
The integration of the FIC IMCHRT program and a companion Global Network 
program will facilitate training of foreign scientists in the context of 
Global Network research priority areas and facilitate sustainable 
collaborative research between the U.S. and foreign countries.  The 
establishment and strengthening of scientific linkages between U.S. and 
foreign investigators stimulate self-sufficiency of the collaborating foreign 
institution and enhance the scientific infrastructure for additional 
international collaborative arrangements.  The linkage of the Global Network 
research program and the IMCHRT training and research capacity building 
program is a logical extension of collaborative efforts between FIC and NICHD 
to build research capacity and to support interventions to improve the health 
of mothers and children in the developing world, as well as in Russia and the 
newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.

B. Training Plan
The training plan should include U.S.-based, long-term (usually a minimum of 
two years) training that would lead to an advanced degree or would provide 
mentored postdoctoral research training.  The IMCHRT also will promote and 
facilitate training courses targeted toward specific needs, such as learning 
laboratory, social science, or behavioral research techniques and 
transferring medical informatics, biotechnology and other methods required to 
support maternal and young child health research efforts in the home 
countries of the trainees.  When a specific scientific course is given by one 
IMCHRT program, it is expected that this course will be open to trainees of 
other IMCHRT award institutions, with the expenses to be included within the 
regular budgets of each program that would send its trainees to such courses.

C.  Types of Training:
1.  Pre-doctoral training in maternal and young child biomedical and 
behavioral research disciplines, and data management and analysis in support 
of that research, which may lead to an M.S. or Ph.D. or equivalent degree for 
individuals with or without previous field research experience.  Individual 
training programs should relate directly to Global Network priority research 
areas to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes in developing countries, and 
may range up to four years.  In general, academic courses will be taken at 
the U.S. institution.  Field studies and research should occur in the 
trainees" home country in the context of Global Network projects.  Active 
involvement in ongoing research and prevention projects is vital for a 
successful research and/or public health training experience.  Innovative 
ways to involve trainees in Global Network research projects conducted in 
their home countries is encouraged. 
2.  Postdoctoral research experiences including related clinical training as 
needed, generally of two years duration for foreign health scientists,
3.  Short-term training (either in the U.S. or in-country) of up to four 
weeks in focused research methodologies, related to improvement of maternal 
and newborn/child health outcomes,
4.  Medium-term training of about three to six months duration, conducted in 
the U.S. in laboratory procedures and research techniques, such as the 
development of pilot biomedical studies or development of behavioral research 
instruments.  These efforts could be relevant for individuals with M.S. and 
M.D. or Ph.D. degrees, as well as for persons with special relevant 
qualifications and experiences, such as nurses and midwives.
5.  One-time awards for advanced research training (one to two years 
duration) upon return to the home country (supported through this award or a 
companion Global Network award if available) at levels of funding specified 
under allowable costs in this RFA,
6.  Research training experiences for exceptionally promising pre- and 
postdoctoral U.S. health science students (including medical students and 
residents), with prior FIC approval.

D.  Trainees:
Trainees shall be individuals who are, or are expected to be, involved in 
maternal and early childhood biomedical and behavioral research and 
prevention activities in their home country.  The following categories of 
foreign individuals are eligible for training:

1.  Health professionals with doctoral degrees (M.D., D.D.S./D.M.D., Ph.D., 
or equivalent),
2.  Health professionals with a bachelors or masters degree in a basic or 
health science, or persons with special relevant qualifications and 
experiences such as nurses and midwives,
3.  Medical technicians and health care workers (short courses),
4.  Allied health professionals such as behavioral scientists, and social 
workers (short courses),
5.  Current or former FIC trainees involved in advanced research training in 
their home countries, and, in addition, 
6.  Pre- and postdoctoral U.S. health science students, with prior FIC 
approval.

Programs are strongly encouraged to give special emphasis to include women in 
selecting foreign trainees under this program and to ensure adequate 
representation of women and minorities in selecting U.S. trainees under this 
program.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Each grantee will have a U.S. Principal Investigator (PI) and a Major Foreign 
Collaborator (MFC).  The PI and MFC will be responsible for the overall 
conduct of the IMCHRT.  Training activities will be coordinated with the 
Global Network program.

Training in Responsible Conduct of Research.  Applicants are required to 
include training in responsible conduct of research as a part of the program.  
An award will not be made unless a description of such training is included.

Recruitment and Selection Plan.  The applicant institution must include a 
plan describing the recruitment and selection procedures for trainees, a 
detailed description of peer review for training-related and advanced in-
country research (re-entry grants), and plans for continued collaboration 
with former trainees.  Degree candidates must meet all entrance requirements 
of the U.S. degree-granting institution.  The grant applications should 
clarify and completely specify:  (a) criteria and procedures for the 
selection of trainees as, for example, by a committee composed of U.S. and 
foreign investigators at participating institution(s) and (b) a mechanism for 
internal peer review of applications to support in-country research projects.

Tracking System for Long-Term Impact.  As part of their obligations under 
this program, awardees are required to initially design as part of their 
application and ultimately to implement a system to fully track and document 
the long-term impact of this training program on: (1) the careers of current 
and former trainees, (2) research capacity in the home institution of 
trainees, (3) types of positions the proposed trainees may assume upon 
completion of training, (4) the contributions to future NIH international 
maternal and early childhood research and prevention efforts, (5) the 
establishment or strengthening of maternal and early childhood health 
research and prevention centers of excellence in the home countries of 
trainees, and (6) the impact of program graduates in contributing to 
improving the health status of women and children in their home countries.  
Examples of such impact include how training received under the program has 
allowed participants to assume more responsible positions upon returning 
home, how continuing collaborations with former trainees resulted in the 
funding of maternal and early childhood prevention or collaborative research 
projects for which trainees were either Principal Investigators or co-
Investigators, publications in which trainees were first authors and which 
were based upon support under this program, and health policies that were 
influenced or implemented by returning trainees in their home countries.  
After awards have been made, but before tracking of impact is implemented, 
FIC will work with awardees to design a standardized tracking system building 
upon the ideas in the original proposals combined with FIC experience in 
other similar programs.  Once this standardized tracking system has been 
agreed to it is expected to be implemented across all programs.  Impact will 
be an important criterion for re-competition of this program.

Coordination and Collaboration.  Coordination and collaboration of the IMCHRT 
Program with other FIC and NIH award programs and affiliated institutions, 
especially when operating within the same country, will be of benefit to all 
partners.  The coordination of activities among training sites will be 
facilitated by the FIC, in conjunction with NICHD, and will include 
organization of joint meetings to be held during international and regional 
scientific or public health meetings.  Program applicants are strongly 
encouraged to include plans, if possible, for coordination and collaboration 
with other FIC training programs.  These include the FIC AIDS International 
Training and Research Program, the International Training and Research 
Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases (and the related TB and malaria 
initiatives), the International Training and Research Program in 
Environmental and Occupational Health, the International Training and 
Research Program in Population and Health, the Minority International 
Research Training Program (maternal and child health-related activities), the 
International Training Program in Medical Informatics as well as with other 
NIH-sponsored programs when working in common countries and/or regions.

Given the increased emphasis on maternal and early childhood research and 
research training globally, FIC will also facilitate coordination and 
collaboration with other government agencies (e.g., the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Agency for International Development 
(USAID), the Department of Defense), with bilateral and multilateral 
international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), 
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank, United Nations 
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with in-country projects funded by NIH including 
those by NICHD and other Institutes, and with foundations (e.g., Bill and 
Melinda Gates Foundation, U.N. Foundation).

Allowable Costs

All budget items related to trainee participation in the program should be 
itemized on the PHS Form 398 NRSA substitute budget pages OO and PP in the 
categories indicated in parentheses.  All budget items related to faculty 
participation in the program should be itemized on the PHS Form 398 budget 
pages DD and EE in the categories indicated in parentheses.

The following cost categories are allowable but serve only as a guide under 
the research-training program.  Programs are encouraged to be as cost-
effective as possible in implementing their activities. 

(Stipend/Salary/Consultant Fees)
o  Trainees (foreign graduate students and post-advance degree participants) 
may be paid a stipend comparable to their professional experience not 
exceeding $45,000 per year in accordance with the U.S. institutional policies 
while involved in long-term training in the U.S.  Applicants may wish to 
refer to the NRSA stipend levels described on the web site 
http://www.nih.gov/fic/opportunities (NRSA substitute pages, pre- or 
postdoctoral stipends). 
o  Foreign trainees may be paid a stipend while conducting long-term training 
related research in their home countries at levels comparable with the salary 
scales for similar professionals in that country in accordance with the 
collaborating foreign institution’s policies but not exceeding $45,000 per 
year.  (NRSA substitute pages, pre- or postdoctoral stipends).
o  U.S. faculty who participate in administrating the program or providing 
extended training of students at the foreign site may receive salary and 
fringe benefits.  The total amount of salary and fringe benefits requested 
for all U.S. faculty may not exceed ten percent of direct costs in the 
budget.  The administrative or training or teaching responsibilities and time 
commitment for personnel receiving salary should be thoroughly described.  
(Form 398 budget pages, personnel).
o  Foreign institution faculty who administer the training program at the 
foreign site or participate in training and U.S. faculty or foreign faculty 
who teach short courses may receive a consultant fee not to exceed $2,000, in 
accordance with their institution’s policies.  No more than five percent of 
direct costs in the budget may be used for consultant fees.  (NRSA substitute 
pages, training related expenses).
o  The applicant institution may request up to ten percent direct costs to 
provide salary and fringe benefits for clerical and administrative support 
staff for the program.  The responsibilities and time commitment for 
personnel receiving salary support should be thoroughly described.  (Form 398 
pages, personnel).

(Tuition, Fees and Insurance)
o  Funds for tuition, academic fees and family health insurance for foreign 
trainees at the U.S. institution, not exceeding 20% of direct costs, may be 
requested.  Programs are encouraged to seek cost sharing arrangements with 
the U.S. institutions in order to provide reduced tuition for long-term 
trainees and tuition-free short courses.  (NRSA substitute pages, tuition, 
fees, insurance)

(Trainee Travel)
o  Funds may be requested for round-trip economy class airfare on U.S. 
carriers (to the maximum extent possible) and local ground transportation for 
long-term foreign trainees to travel to the U.S., U.S. trainees to travel to 
the foreign site for extended training and foreign trainees to participate in 
short courses or attend scientific conferences to present their results.  
(NRSA substitute pages, trainee travel)
o  Funds may be requested for per diem and lodging for foreign trainees to 
participate in short courses or attend scientific conferences to present the 
results of research supported under this award.  (NRSA substitute pages, 
trainee travel)

(Faculty Travel)
o  Funds may be requested for round-trip economy airfare on U.S. carriers (to 
the maximum extent possible) for U.S. faculty providing extended training at 
the foreign site.  (PHS 398 pages, travel)
o  Funds may be requested for per diem and lodging for U.S. faculty to teach 
short courses at the foreign site.  (PHS 398 pages, travel)
o  Funds should be requested for airfare, per diem and lodging comparable to 
U.S. government rates 
(http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd04d.html) for 
the program director to attend network meetings (estimated at one per year) 
in the Washington, D.C. area.  (PHS 398 pages, travel)

(Training related expenses)
o  Funds to support trainee research related costs (such as reagents, lab 
supplies, computer access, small equipment, etc.) of up to $600 per month per 
trainee may be requested.  (NRSA substitute pages, training related expenses)
o  Funds to support up to $10,000 one time expense for research at the 
foreign site associated with fulfilling requirements for an advanced degree 
may be requested.  (NRSA substitute pages, training related expenses)
o  Research support for up to $10,000 per trainee per year (up to two years) 
to facilitate conducting advanced research training (re-entry grants) in the 
home country by former long-term trainees.  The applicant should describe how 
proposals for re-entry projects will be selected by a peer review process 
examining scientific merit and ethical concerns involving faculty from the 
U.S. and foreign institutions coordinated by the program director.  (NRSA 
substitute pages, training related expenses)

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and 
their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported biomedical and 
behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and 
compelling rationale and justification are provided that inclusion is 
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of 
the research.  This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical 
Research," which was published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 
59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No. 
11, March 18, 1994, and is available on the web at:  
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html. 

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) 
must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by 
the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. 
This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for 
receipt dates after October 1, 1998.

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in 
Research Involving Human Subjects that was published in the NIH Guide for 
Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL 
address:  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html.

Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the program staff 
listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide additional relevant 
information concerning the policy.

URLS IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES

All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within 
specified page limitations.  Unless otherwise specified in an NIH 
solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide 
information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation 
to view the Internet sites.  Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may 
be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by April 14, 2000, a letter of 
intent that includes a descriptive title of the overall proposed research, 
the name, address and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the 
identities of other key personnel, the country(ies) and possible institutions 
to which the U.S. institution will be linked, and the number and title of 
this RFA.  The letter of intent should also indicate whether prospective 
applicants intend to apply for a Global Network Research Unit grant.  
Although the letter of intent is not required, is not binding, does not 
commit the sender to submit an application, and does not enter into the 
review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains allows 
NIH staff to plan for the review in a timely fashion for the benefit of the 
investigators and to avoid conflict of interest in the review.  The letter of 
intent is to be sent to Dr. Jeanne McDermott 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications are to be submitted on the standard research grant application 
form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98), using the instructions and forms for Institutional 
National Research Service Awards and PHS Form 398 as noted in the previous 
section, Allowable Costs.  Application kits are 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, email:  grantsinfo@nih.gov.

For purposes of identification and processing, item 2 on the face page of the 
application must be marked "YES" and the RFA number "TW-00-007 " and the 
words "International Maternal and Child Health” must be entered on the face 
page.

Applications must be received by July 13, 2000.  The RFA label available in 
the application form PHS 398 must be affixed to the bottom of the face page.  
Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the 
application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for 
review.  

The sample RFA label available at: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf has been modified to 
allow for this change.  Please note this is in pdf format.

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

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

At the time of submission, two additional exact copies of the grant 
application and all five sets of any appendix material should be sent to:

Laurence Stanford, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Scientific Review
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Blvd., Room 5E03, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD  20892-7510
Rockville, MD  20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone:  (301) 496-1485

Applications must be received by the application receipt date listed in the 
heading of this RFA.  If an application is received after that date, it will 
be returned to the applicant without review.

The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in 
response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending 
initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.  The 
CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one 
already reviewed.  This does not preclude the submission of substantial 
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must 
include an introduction addressing the previous critique

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Center 
for Scientific Review (CSR) and for responsiveness by FIC and NICHD staff.  
Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will be returned to the 
applicant without further consideration.  

NICHD will conduct the initial scientific review on behalf of the FIC, as 
part of the overall review of the IMCHRT and Global Network applications.  
Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated 
for scientific and technical merit by a peer review group convened by the 
NICHD in accordance with the review criteria stated below.  As part of the 
initial merit review, all applications will be discussed, assigned a priority 
score and receive a written critique as well as receive a second level review 
by the FIC Advisory Board.

Review Criteria

Applicants for the IMCHRT award are strongly encouraged to apply for a Global 
Network research award.  The scientific evaluation of each application will 
include assessment of the linkage between proposed training and maternal and 
early childhood health research defined in the Global Network application.  
Evidence of support for the IMCHRT from collaborating institutions and host 
governments must be submitted with the application.

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of 
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  In 
the written comments reviewers will be asked to discuss the following aspects 
of the application in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed 
research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.  Each 
of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall 
score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.  Note that the 
application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely 
to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score.  For 
example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its 
nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.

Additional review criteria are:

A.  Significance

1.  The expected public health and scientific contributions of the proposed 
activity, and
2.  The demonstrated capacity and/or potential to achieve sustained maternal 
and young child health research priorities and training efforts, and to build 
associated clinical and operational research and public health capacity 
within a country.

B.  Approach

1.  Balance in the proposed training program to provide breadth of training 
opportunities in the field of academic-based, maternal and young child 
training in biomedical, behavioral science, clinical sciences and prevention 
research,
2.  The mix of long- and short-term training to achieve the goals of this 
RFA, including focused efforts to build long-term biomedical, behavioral, 
clinical and operational research and public health capacity at a model 
maternal and young child research and prevention center of excellence within 
a collaborating country,
3.  Adequacy of proposed procedures and criteria for 1) recruitment, review 
and selection of trainees, and 2) peer review of research and related 
maternal and early childhood prevention projects, and
4.  Adequacy of plans to include an adequate representation of women among 
foreign trainees, including nurses and midwives, and women and minorities 
among U.S. trainees.

C.  Innovation

1.  Plans for trainees to become involved in maternal and young child 
biomedical and behavioral research, and prevention projects conducted in 
their home countries, and
2.  Adequacy and creativity of plans including use of the modern information 
technology to facilitate access to scientific information, distance learning, 
coordination, and research collaboration.

D.  Investigator(s)

1.  Qualifications of the program director to lead and the named faculty to 
participate in the proposed training and research program, and
2.  Active research support of the program director and participating 
faculty. 

E.  Environment

1.  The strength of resources and training environment in-country as 
evidenced by 1) the quality of teaching and the in-country research 
facilities and other resources, 2) the availability of high-quality 
candidates chosen on the basis of merit, and 3) past history of success of 
former trainees returning to their home countries and their continued 
involvement in the program, for example, the participation of past trainees 
in advanced in-country research and as faculty and mentors for new trainees, 
and
2.  Training environment in the U.S., including the institutional commitment, 
the caliber of preceptors, and the quality of teaching and research 
facilities and resources.

F.  The initial review group will also examine the adequacy of the process 
for providing for the protection of human and animal subjects and the safety 
of the research environment, and plans to include training in responsible 
conduct of research and training in the operation of Institutional Review 
Boards (IRBs), data and safety monitoring boards and community advisory 
boards as a part of the program.  The IRBs in the home countries of trainees 
will be responsible for determining the adequacy of inclusion of women and 
minorities as well as children in research involving human subjects in their 
countries.

In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all 
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

o  The adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their 
subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the 
research.  Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be 
evaluated.

o  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the 
proposed research.

o  The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the 
environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project 
proposed in the application.

o  The adequacy of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the 
proposed research.

Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 14, 2000
Application Receipt Date:       July 13, 2000
Scientific Review Date:         October, 2000
FIC Advisory Board:             February, 2001
Earliest Award Date:            March 1, 2001

AWARD CRITERIA

Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:

o  scientific merit (as determined by peer review)
o  availability of funds
o  programmatic priorities

In addition to the above, the following will be considered in making funding 
decisions:
Whether a companion Global Network award has or is expected to be awarded 
and:
1.  The extent and effectiveness of efforts made by applicants in developing 
biomedical behavioral, and prevention research training programs necessary to 
support maternal and young child health research and related prevention 
efforts in the home countries of trainees, including efforts made to focus 
resources to build sustainable long-term clinical research, operational 
research and public health capacity at a model maternal and early childhood 
health research and prevention center of excellence in the home country of 
trainees,
2.  Efforts made to collaborate with other NIH Institutes and Centers, with 
CDC, with USAID and WHO programs, and with other institutions and 
organizations,
3.  The extent to which proposed training programs support and complement 
other NIH international maternal and young child health research efforts,
4.  Program balance among critical research and public health training areas 
of emphasis, and
5.  Geographic distribution among countries included in applications under 
consideration, including the need for a given program to work in a specific 
country.

Before any funds can be expended from this award, the grantee institution 
must show evidence of approval for collaborative research and training 
between the U.S. and foreign countries and institutions included in the 
program through an endorsement from the Minister of Health or Education or 
other appropriate government official as well as from the collaborating 
institutions.

INQUIRIES

Inquiries concerning this RFA are strongly encouraged.  The opportunity to 
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding IMCHRT programmatic (training scope and 
eligibility) issues to:

Jeanne McDermott, C.N.M., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Program Officer
Division of International Training and Research
Fogarty International Center
Bldg. 31, Room B2C39,
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Bethesda, MD  20892-2220
Telephone:  (301) 496-1492
FAX:  (301) 402-2056
Email:  mcdermoj@mail.nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding review issues to:

Laurence Stanford, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Scientific Review
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Blvd., Room 5E03, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD  20892-7510
Rockville, MD  20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone:  (301) 496-1485

Direct inquiries regarding IMCHRT fiscal matters to:

Ms. Silvia Mandes
Grants Management Officer
Fogarty International Center
Bldg. 31, Room B2C39
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Bethesda, MD  20892-2220
Telephone:  (301) 496-1653
FAX:  (301) 402-0779
Email:  mandess@mail.nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

Awards are made under authorization of Section 301 and Title IV, Part A, as 
amended (42 USC 241 and 287) of the Public Health Services Act, and 
administered under NIH grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 
45 CFR Parts 74 and 92s.  This program is not subject to the 
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or to 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, any 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.

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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