TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL RHEUMATIC, MUSCULOSKELETAL, 
AND SKIN DISEASES RESEARCH

RELEASE DATE:  May 6, 2003
 
RFA:  AR-03-010
 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
 (http://www.niams.nih.gov)

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER (S):  93.121, 93.172, 
93.173, 93.272, 93.278, 93.282, 93.306, 93.361, 93.398, 93.821, 93.837-
93.839, 93.846-93.849, 93.853-93.856, 93.859, 93.862-93.867, 93.880, 
93.894, and 93.929
 
LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE:  August 24, 2003
  
APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE:  September 24, 2003   

THIS RFA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose of this RFA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism(s) of Support 
o Funds Available
o Eligible Institutions
o Individuals Eligible to Become Principal Investigators
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Letter of Intent
o Submitting an Application
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Receipt and Review Schedule
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE OF THIS RFA 

Biopsychosocial perspectives and approaches to research can contribute 
to our understanding of the etiology, course, and outcomes of 
rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and skin diseases, but behavioral research 
in these disorders has been relatively limited. To increase integration 
of behavioral and biopsychosocial approaches into rheumatic, 
musculoskeletal, and skin diseases research, the NIAMS has identified a 
fundamental need to foster interdisciplinary training of scientists 
with interests in these diseases. Behavioral scientists who wish to 
pursue biobehavioral research in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin 
diseases may require additional training in the biomedical and clinical 
aspects of these diseases; biomedical scientists may require training 
in behavioral theory and methods. This announcement is intended to 
attract promising behavioral researchers to the study of rheumatic, 
musculoskeletal, and skin diseases, and to encourage biomedical 
researchers to adopt a biopsychosocial approach to research, with the 
ultimate goal of enhancing the quality and quantity of 
interdisciplinary biobehavioral research in these diseases. With this 
RFA, the NIAMS is requesting applications for fellowships (postdoctoral 
and senior), Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards, Mentored 
Clinical Scientist Development Awards, and Mentored Career Transition 
Awards in behavioral research in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and skin 
diseases. 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

In the biopsychosocial model, health and illness are conceptualized as 
products of a variety of factors including biological variables (e.g., 
genetic predisposition, exposure to pathogens), psychological factors 
(e.g., behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, emotions), and social conditions 
(e.g., social support, cultural influences). Perturbations occurring at 
any level in the hierarchical biopsychosocial system, from the 
molecular to the societal, exert effects on other levels. Thus, 
understanding the etiology, pathogenesis, and outcomes of disease, and 
developing effective strategies for prevention and treatment, require 
investigation in multiple separate domains and at multiple separate 
levels of analysis, but also necessitate collaborative research efforts 
that integrate approaches and perspectives from multiple disciplines.  
This need is particularly strong in chronic conditions, such as 
rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and skin diseases, whose etiology and 
course are often poorly understood, and which can cause long-term pain, 
disability, and distress. 

Biomedical approaches to research in the rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and 
skin diseases continue to yield important discoveries regarding genetic, 
immunologic, and other biological factors in these diseases. Behavioral 
and social science research is contributing important information and 
approaches to managing the distressing symptoms of these disorders. 
However, research integrating behavioral, basic biomedical, and clinical 
perspectives has been extremely limited. Among the obstacles delaying 
the development of biopsychosocial research in these diseases are 
professional cultures and demands that limit interaction among basic 
biomedical, behavioral, and clinical scientists. In the long-term 
interest of promoting a biopsychosocial research agenda, the NIAMS 
wishes to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists 
with interests in, or relevant to, these diseases by supporting research 
training opportunities for scientists wishing to conduct biopsychosocial 
research in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin diseases. Applications 
must include both research and training/mentoring components. 

RESEARCH. Research proposed must examine the contributions of behavioral 
or psychosocial factors to disease risk, course, or outcomes or examine 
the interaction of behavioral/psychosocial factors with physiological 
functioning relevant to disease susceptibility, course, or outcomes. 
Examples of research in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin disease that 
could support the overall goals of this RFA include, but are not limited 
to: 

o Investigation of the role of stress, coping, and related psychosocial 
factors in influencing disease course and presentation (e.g., symptom 
flares in lupus and arthritis or eczema and psoriasis; the influence of 
stress management techniques and interventions on illness; potential 
mechanisms of stress-illness effects) 

o Studies incorporating biopsychosocial approaches to understanding sex, 
ethnic, and/or socioeconomic differences in clinical disease, symptom 
perception and management, and interactions with the health care system 

o Studies examining fatigue – epidemiological issues, potential 
mechanisms, approaches to prevention and treatment
 
o Investigation of various aspects of chronic disease in children, 
including pain, psychosocial adjustment, physical functioning, and 
intervention approaches 

o Investigation of biopsychosocial approaches to understanding chronic 
pain and pain management; studies on tailoring research and intervention 
techniques based on individual characteristics 

o  Investigation of the psychosocial burden of these diseases

o Investigation of cognition and cognitive dysfunction 

o Studies examining relationships among cognition, mood disturbance, and 
disease activity 

o Investigation of sleep disturbances and their relationship to disease 
process, symptoms, and disability 

o Investigation of CNS-endocrine-immune interactions 

o Investigation of the interaction of genetic, behavioral, and social 
factors 

o Experimental studies in animal models to elucidate biobehavioral 
mechanisms 

TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. The purpose of this RFA is to provide 
behavioral, social, and biomedical scientists with training and 
research experience that will enable them to pursue a career in 
biopsychosocial research in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and skin 
diseases. Applications must have a training or mentoring plan that 
details the proposed didactic training and/or mentoring experiences. 
The applicant must propose a mentoring committee consisting of two or 
more faculty members, at least one of whom is a behavioral scientist 
and at least one of whom is a physician or basic scientist actively 
engaged in research on rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin disease. The 
committee and applicant should work together to develop a proposal 
indicating how the committee will work to promote, advance, and enhance 
the applicant's research career. The application should indicate in 
what courses, activities (e.g., journal clubs, meetings), and research 
experiences the applicant will engage to learn about the clinical, 
biomedical, and behavioral issues in the disease(s) of interest. 
Mentors with NIAMS-funded grants may apply for a non-competing 
administrative supplement of up to $10,000 in direct costs to support 
research supplemental to the mentor's grant in which the applicant may 
be engaged as part of his/her training.  
 
MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT
 
This RFA will use NIH F32, F33, K01, K08, K22, and K23 award 
mechanisms.  As an applicant, you and your mentoring committee will be 
solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed 
project. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. The anticipated award 
date is March 15, 2004. Awards are not renewable.

FELLOWSHIP AWARDS. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards NRSA 
individual postdoctoral fellowships (F32) to promising applicants with 
the potential to become productive, independent investigators in fields 
related to the mission of the NIH constituent institutes and centers, 
and NRSA senior fellowships (F33) to experienced scientists who wish to 
make major changes in the direction of their research careers or who 
wish to broaden their scientific background by acquiring new research 
capabilities. For full descriptions of the congressionally mandated NRSA 
fellowship programs, please see PA 00-104 at 
http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/pa-03-067.html (F32) and 
PA 00-131 at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_131.pdf (F33). 

Fellowship awardees are required to pursue their research training on a 
full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the training 
program. Research clinicians must devote full-time to their proposed 
research training and must restrict clinical duties within their full-
time research training experience to activities that are directly 
related to the research training experience. An NRSA fellowship (F32 or 
F33) may not be used to support studies leading to the M.D., D.O., 
D.D.S., D.V.M., or other similar health-professional degrees. Neither 
may these awards be used to support the clinical years of residency 
training. 

Senior fellowship support may be requested for a period of up to 2 
years; postdoctoral fellowship support may be requested for up to 3 
years. No fellow may receive more than 3 years of aggregate NRSA support 
at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of support from 
institutional and individual awards. Exceptions to the three-year limit 
require a waiver from the NIH awarding component. Individuals seeking a 
waiver should consult with relevant NIH staff. If the need for a waiver 
is anticipated, the application should include a justification for 
training beyond three years of aggregate NRSA support. 

MENTORED RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARDS. Mentored Research 
Scientist Development Awards (K01) provide research scientists with an 
additional period of sponsored research experience as a way to gain 
expertise in a research area new to the applicant or in an area that 
would demonstrably enhance the applicant's scientific career. These 
awards provide support for an intensive, supervised career development 
experience in behavioral rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin diseases 
leading to research independence. Candidates for this award normally 
must have a research or clinical doctorate in psychology or a related 
behavioral science, and postdoctoral research experience at the time of 
application. In addition, the candidate must be able to demonstrate the 
need for a three, four, or five-year period of additional supervised 
research as well as the capacity and/or the potential for highly 
productive independent research. The proposed career development 
experience must be in a research area new to the applicant and/or one in 
which an additional supervised research application is in a 
fundamentally new field of study or there has been a significant hiatus 
in the applicant's research career because of family or other personal 
obligations. Full eligibility criteria and application requirements for 
the K01 are detailed in PA-00-019 at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_019.pdf.  

MENTORED CLINICAL SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARD. Mentored Clinical 
Scientist Development Awards (K08) support the development of 
outstanding clinician research scientists. This mechanism provides 
specialized study for individuals with a health professional doctoral 
degree committed to a career in laboratory or field-based research. 
Candidates must have the potential to develop into independent 
investigators. The K08 supports a three, four, or five year period of 
supervised research experience that may integrate didactic studies with 
laboratory or clinically based research. The proposed research must have 
intrinsic research importance as well as serving as a suitable vehicle 
for learning the methodology, theories, and conceptualizations necessary 
for a well-trained independent researcher. Full eligibility criteria and 
application requirements for the K08 are detailed in PA-00-003 at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_003.pdf. 

MENTORED CAREER TRANSITION AWARDS. Mentored Career Transition Awards  
(K22) provide support for outstanding early-career investigators to 
obtain a research training experience in the NIAMS Intramural Research 
Program and to facilitate their successful transition to an extramural 
environment as independent researchers. These awards provide support for 
two to three years of research training in an NIAMS intramural 
laboratory, followed by two to three years of support for an independent 
research project in an extramural institution. The combined duration 
cannot exceed five years. It is anticipated that awardees will 
subsequently obtain research project grants such as the R01 to support 
the continuation of their work.  The NIAMS intramural research 
environment provides a rich and unique opportunity for the training of 
postdoctoral fellows and beginning investigators. Full eligibility 
criteria and application requirements for the K22 are detailed in PAR-02-056 
at http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/par_02_056.pdf. 

MENTORED PATIENT-ORIENTED RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS. Mentored 
Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Awards (K23) support 
supervised study and research for clinically trained professionals who 
have the potential to develop into productive clinical investigators 
focusing on patient-oriented research. Candidates must have completed 
their clinical training prior to receiving an award. For the purposes of 
this award, patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted 
with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, 
specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly 
interacts with human subjects. This area of research includes: 1) 
mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical 
trials, and 4) the development of new technologies. Full eligibility 
criteria and application requirements for the K23 are detailed in PA-00-004 
at http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_004.pdf.

This RFA uses just-in-time concepts.  

FUNDS AVAILABLE 

The NIAMS intends to commit approximately $500,000 total costs in FY 
2004 to fund 2 to 5 new awards in response to this RFA. An applicant 
may request a project period of up to 2 years for the senior 
fellowship, up to 3 years for the postdoctoral fellowship, and up to 5 
years for the career awards. Because the nature and scope of the 
proposed research will vary from application to application, it is 
anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. 
Although the financial plans of the NIAMS provide support for this 
program, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the 
availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of 
meritorious applications.
 
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS
 
You may submit an application if your institution has any of the 
following characteristics:

o For-profit or non-profit organizations 
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, 
hospitals, and laboratories 
o Units of State and local governments
o Eligible agencies of the Federal government  
o Domestic 
o Faith-based or community-based organizations 

Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
 
INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO BECOME FELLOWS AND CAREER AWARDEES

Citizenship. By the time of award, candidates must be citizens or non-
citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully 
admitted to the United States for Permanent Residence (i.e., possess a 
currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal 
verification of such status).  Non-citizen nationals are generally 
persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., 
American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student 
visas are not eligible.   

Degree Requirements. Before a fellowship or career award can be 
activated, the individual must have received a Ph.D., Sc.D., Dr. P.H., 
D.S.W., Psy.D. M.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited 
domestic or foreign institution. Certification by an authorized official 
of the degree-granting institution that all degree requirements have 
been met is also acceptable. Applicants for the Senior NRSA Fellowship 
must be at least seven years beyond the qualifying doctoral degree and 
must have had at least 7 years of relevant research or professional 
experience. The applicant will have established an independent research 
career and now be seeking support for retraining or additional career 
development. 

Sponsor. Before submitting an application, the applicant must identify a 
sponsoring institution and a committee of at least two individuals who 
will serve as sponsors (also called mentors or supervisors) and will 
supervise the training and research experience. 

At least one of the applicant's sponsors should be an active 
investigator in a health-related area of behavioral or social science 
research, and at least one sponsor should be an active clinical or basic 
biomedical investigator in rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin diseases 
research. The sponsors will directly supervise the candidate's research. 
The sponsor must document the availability of research support and 
facilities for high-quality research training. In most cases, the F32 
and F33 support research-training experiences in new settings in order 
to maximize the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. However, in 
unusual circumstances, applicants may propose postdoctoral training 
experiences at their doctorate institution or at the institution where 
they have been training for more than a year. In such cases, the 
applicant must carefully document the opportunities for new research 
training experiences specifically designed to broaden their scientific 
background. 

ALLOWABLE COSTS 

For details regarding allowable costs for fellowships, please refer to 
PA 00-104 at http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/
pa-03-067.html (F32) or PA 00-131 at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_131.pdf (F33).

For full details of allowable costs for the career awards, consult 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_019.pdf (K01),
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_003.pdf (K08), 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_004.pdf (K23) or
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/par_02_056.pdf (K22).

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

We encourage inquiries concerning this RFA and welcome the opportunity 
to answer questions from potential applicants.  Inquiries may fall into 
three areas:  scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants 
management issues:

o Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:

Deborah N. Ader, Ph.D.
Director, Behavioral and Prevention Research Program
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-5032
Fax:  (301) 480-1284
Email: aderd@mail.nih.gov

o Direct your questions about peer review issues to:

Teresa Nesbitt, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Acting Chief, Review Branch
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-4953
Fax:  (301) 480-4543
Email: NesbittT@mail.nih.gov  

o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:

Melinda Nelson
Grants Management Officer
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-3535
Fax:  (301) 480-5450
Email: nelsonm@mail.nih.gov  
 
LETTER OF INTENT
 
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that 
includes the following information:

o Descriptive title of the proposed research
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator
o Names of other key personnel 
o Participating institutions
o Number and title of this RFA 

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does 
not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information 
that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review 
workload and plan the review.
 
The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed at the beginning 
of this document.  The letter of intent should be sent to:

Deborah N. Ader, Ph.D.
Director, Behavioral and Prevention Research Program
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-5032
Fax:  (301) 480-1284
Email: aderd@mail.nih.gov

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION - FELLOWSHIPS  

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 416-1 application forms and 
instructions for Individual National Research Service Award Fellowships 
(REV. 6/02). The PHS 416-1 is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm in an interactive format.  For 
further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, Email: 
GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST THREE SEALED LETTERS OF REFERENCE. 
APPLICATIONS WITHOUT AT LEAST THREE LETTERS OF REFERENCE WILL BE 
RETURNED OR DELAYED IN REVIEW.  If the applicant has been lawfully 
admitted to the United States for permanent residence, the appropriate 
item should be checked on the Face Page of the application. Applicants 
who have applied for and have not yet been granted admission as a 
permanent resident should check the Permanent Resident block on the Face 
Page of the application, and also write in the word "pending." A 
notarized statement documenting legal admission for permanent residence 
must be submitted prior to the issuance of an award. 

The applicant must identify RFA-AR-03-010 in Item 3 of the PHS 416-1.

Concurrent Applications. An individual may not have more than one 
individual NRSA fellowship or comparable application pending review or 
award at the NIH or other DHHS agencies at the same time. 

Instructions in the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Applications must include the candidate's plans for obtaining 
instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the 
rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and 
duration of instruction. The amount and nature of faculty participation 
must be described. No award will be made if an application lacks this 
component.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the 
Checklist, Personal Data form, AT LEAST THREE SEALED REFERENCE LETTERS, 
and all other required materials) and one (1) exact, clear, single-sided 
photocopy 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  20892-7710
Bethesda, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

In addition, send one copy of the application to: 

Teresa Nesbitt, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Acting Chief, Review Branch
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-4953
Fax:  (301) 480-4543
Email: NesbittT@mail.nih.gov  

All applications submitted to the Center for Scientific Review must 
come via United States Postal Service or a recognized delivery/courier 
service.  Individuals may not personally deliver packages to the 
building on Rockledge Drive.  For further information please see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-012.html 

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION – CAREER AWARDS  

Career award applicants must submit applications using grant application 
form PHS 398 (rev. 5/01). The applicant must identify RFA-AR-03-010 in 
Item 2 of the PHS 398. The PHS 398 is available at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html#updates. 
Instructions regarding the structure and content of applications for the 
K01 award are detailed in PA-00-019, which is available at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_019.pdf. 
Instructions regarding the structure and content of applications for the 
K08 award are detailed in PA-00-003, which is available at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_003.pdf. 
Instructions regarding the structure and content of applications for the 
K23 award are detailed in PA-00-004, which is available at
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/pa_00_004.pdf. 
Instructions regarding the structure and content of applications for the 
K22 award are detailed in PA-00-003, which is available at PAR-02-056 at 
http://www.niams.nih.gov/rtac/funding/grants/pa/par_02_056.pdf.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the 
Checklist, Personal Data form, AT LEAST THREE SEALED REFERENCE LETTERS, 
and all other required materials) and three (3) exact, clear, 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  20892-7710
Bethesda, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

In addition, send two (2) copies of the application to: 

Teresa Nesbitt, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Acting Chief, Review Branch
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-4953
Fax:  (301) 480-4543
Email: NesbittT@mail.nih.gov  

All applications submitted to the Center for Scientific Review must 
come via United States Postal Service or a recognized delivery/courier 
service.  Individuals may not personally deliver packages to the 
building on Rockledge Drive.  For further information please see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-012.html 

SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS

The requirement for a mentoring committee is unique and is intended to 
foster interdisciplinary collaboration and training, which is a primary 
goal of this RFA. The application must explain the committee 
composition, discuss how the expertise of the sponsors complement each 
other, provide biosketches for each committee member, and indicate the 
ability and willingness of the committee members jointly to supervise 
the fellow or career awardee. 

The application must clearly propose research that is biobehavioral, 
biopsychosocial, other otherwise interdisciplinary in a way that 
integrates behavioral and biomedical issues, concepts, and/or 
approaches. Research that is limited to only one level of analysis 
(e.g., purely biochemical or purely behavioral) will not be considered 
responsive to this RFA. 

USING THE RFA LABEL: The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 
5/2001) application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page 
of the application.  Type the RFA number on the label.  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.  In 
addition, the RFA title and number must be typed on line 2 of the face 
page of the application form and the YES box must be marked. The RFA 
label is also available at: 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf.
  
APPLICATION PROCESSING: 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.
 
Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an 
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and 
funding assignment within 8 weeks.
 
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.  However, when a previously unfunded application, 
originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be 
submitted in response to an RFA, it is to be prepared as a NEW 
application.  That is the application for the RFA must not include an 
Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text 
must not be marked to indicate the changes.  While the investigator may 
still benefit from the previous review, the RFA application is not to 
state explicitly how.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR 
and responsiveness by NIAMS. 

Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without 
further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to 
the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an 
appropriate peer review group convened by NIAMS in accordance with the 
review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, all 
applications will: 

o Receive a written critique
o Undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the 
highest scientific merit, generally the top half of the applications 
under review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score 
o Receive a second level review by the NIAMS National Advisory Council. 

REVIEW CRITERIA

The review criteria focus on four main components: 

o Candidate: An assessment of the candidate's previous academic and 
research performance and the potential to become an important 
contributor to behavioral or biobehavioral research in rheumatic, 
musculoskeletal, or skin diseases. 

o Sponsors and Training Environment: An assessment of the quality of the 
training environment and the qualifications of the sponsoring committee 
as mentors for the proposed research training experience. 

o Research Proposal: The merit of the scientific proposal and its 
relationship to the candidate's career plans. 

o Training/Career Potential: An assessment of the value of the proposed 
fellowship or career award experience as it relates to the candidate's 
needs in preparation for a career as an independent researcher, or for 
enhancing or changing the focus of the applicant's research career. 

Notification.  Shortly after the Scientific Review Group (SRG) meeting, 
each applicant will be notified by mail of the SRG recommendation and 
the name and phone number of the Institute program official responsible 
for the application.  When the program official representing the 
Institute receives the written summary of the review, prepared by the 
Scientific Review Administrator (SRA) after the review meeting, a copy 
will be forwarded to the applicant.  

Following the second-level review, the program official will notify each 
applicant of the final disposition of the application. Any questions on 
SRG recommendations and funding possibilities should be directed to the 
appropriate Institute program official, not the Scientific Review 
Administrator of the SRG.  The program official to contact is:

Deborah N. Ader, Ph.D.
Director, Behavioral and Prevention Research Program
NIAMS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, MSC 4872
Bethesda, MD  20872-4872
Telephone: (301) 594-5032
Fax:  (301) 480-1284
Email: aderd@mail.nih.gov

RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  August 24, 2003
Application Receipt Date:  September 24, 2003
Peer Review Date:  January, 2004
Council Review:  May, 2004
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:  July 1, 2004

AWARD CRITERIA 

NIH staff use the following criteria in making awards: (1) eligibility 
of the applicant;(2) the SRG recommendation of the overall merit of the 
application;(3) the relevance of the application to the Institute's 
research training priorities and program balance; and (4) the 
availability of funds.

Fellowship Activation. No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has 
started training under the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5) 
and (when appropriate) a Payback Agreement (PHS 6031) has been submitted 
to the NIH. An awardee has up to 6 months from the issue date on the 
award notice to activate the award. Under unusual circumstances, an NIH 
institute may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt 
of a specific request from the fellow. 
 
REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: 
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 clinical 
research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is 
provided indicating 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 clinical research should read the AMENDMENT 
"NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in 
Clinical Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide 
for Grants and Contracts on October 9, 2001 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/
guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a complete copy of the updated 
Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/
guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.  The amended policy incorporates: the 
use of an NIH definition of clinical research; updated racial and ethnic 
categories in compliance with the new OMB standards; clarification of 
language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with 
the new PHS Form 398; and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH staff 
and the extramural community.  The policy continues to require for all 
NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or 
proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to 
conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender 
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b) 
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting 
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group 
differences.

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN 
SUBJECTS: The NIH maintains a policy 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 is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm

REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS: 
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject 
participants for all investigators submitting NIH proposals for 
research involving human subjects.  You will find this policy 
announcement in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement, 
dated June 5, 2000, at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/
NOT-OD-00-039.html.

PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: 
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been 
revised to provide public access to research data through the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances.  Data that are (1) 
first produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with 
Federal funds and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency 
in support of an action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a 
regulation) may be accessed through FOIA.  It is important for 
applicants to understand the basic scope of this amendment.  NIH has 
provided guidance at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.

Applicants may wish to place data collected under this RFA in a public 
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the 
distribution for an indefinite period of time.  If so, the application 
should include a description of the archiving plan in the study design 
and include information about this in the budget justification section 
of the application. In addition, applicants should think about how to 
structure informed consent statements and other human subjects 
procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under 
this award.

STANDARDS FOR PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION: 
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued final 
modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable 
Health Information", the "Privacy Rule," on August 14, 2002.  The 
Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the 
protection of individually identifiable health information, and is 
administered and enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR). 
Those who must comply with the Privacy Rule (classified under the Rule 
as "covered entities") must do so by April 14, 2003  (with the 
exception of small health plans which have an extra year to comply).  

Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule 
reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website 
(http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, 
including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am 
I a covered entity?"  Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy 
Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress 
monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts 
can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/
NOT-OD-03-025.html.

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.   Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their anonymity 
may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.

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 RFA is related to one or more of the priority areas. 
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at 
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS: NRSA awards are made under the authority of 
Section 487 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288), 
and Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 66. The following 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers are applicable to these 
awards: 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.272, 93.278, 93.282, 93.306, 93.361, 
93.398, 93.821, 93.837-93.839, 93.846-93.849, 93.853-93.856, 93.859, 
93.862-93.867, 93.880, 93.894, and 93.929. 

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 recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and discourage the 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.

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