NHLBI SHORT-TERM TRAINING FOR MINORITY STUDENTS PROGRAM (T35)

RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2002

RFA:  HL-02-025

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) 
 (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/)

LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE:  May 20, 2002

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE:  June 19, 2002

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 Eligible Program Directors
o Trainee Eligibility Requirements
o Special Requirements
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

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Short-Term Training for 
Minority Students Program is a National Research Service Award (NRSA) designed 
to provide short-term research support to underrepresented minority 
undergraduate and graduate students and students in health professional 
schools to provide them with career opportunities in cardiovascular, 
pulmonary, hematologic and sleep disorders research.  Underrepresented 
minority and ethnic groups include Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska 
Natives, and Pacific Islanders and other racial and ethnic groups determined 
by the institutions to be underrepresented in the health-related sciences.  
The grant provides two to three consecutive months of research training with 
experienced investigators and exposes talented students to experiences that 
will help them pursue a biomedical or behavioral research career.  In addition 
to the research experience, institutions provide enrichment activities such as 
research forums, guest lectures, student presentations, special courses, and 
social activities.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This RFA is designed to offer research training opportunities for minority 
students in an effort to encourage them to participate in cardiovascular, 
pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research.

The NHLBI Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program is intended to:

o Provide minority undergraduate and graduate students and students in health 
professional schools with opportunities to participate in activities leading 
to research careers in areas relevant to cardiovascular, pulmonary, 
hematologic, and sleep disorders.

o Attract qualified minority students into biomedical and behavioral research 
careers. 

o Increase the short supply of qualified minority investigators.

Although the number of underrepresented minority individuals  (Blacks, 
Hispanics, Native Americans) pursuing advanced degrees in the biomedical and 
behavioral sciences increased over the past 20 years, their representation in 
these fields remains below their representation in the U.S. population.  
During that time, both the number and percentage of science doctorates earned 
by underrepresented minorities have increased twofold.  In 1997, however, the 
total of science doctoral degrees awarded to underrepresented minorities in 
these fields accounted for only 5.9 percent of the total degrees received 
(National Research Council, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2000).  Furthermore, 
in 1996, U.S. medical schools graduated more underrepresented minorities than 
ever and the number of minorities applying to medical school reached a new 
record high.  A total of 5,259 minority students applied to the nation=s 
medical schools, representing 11 percent of all applicants (Association of 
American Medical Colleges, 1997).  Yet, only 3.5 percent of all U.S. medical 
school faculty holding Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical and behavioral 
sciences, and only 3.6 percent of those with combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees are 
members of underrepresented minority groups.  There are existing programs at 
the NIH that are designed to increase the number of minorities in biomedical 
and behavioral research.  These include the NHLBI Minority Institutional 
Research Training Program, the NHLBI Mentored Minority Faculty Development 
Award, and the NHLBI Minority Institution Research Scientist Development 
Award.  Even though these programs appear successful in meeting their specific 
objectives and career development goals, more needs to be done to attract 
minorities to biomedical and behavioral research careers.
 
Although there is strong interest in the scientific community in attracting 
minority students into research careers, few minority students opt for science 
degrees and research careers, and few minority graduates of health 
professional schools go on to scientific research careers.  The shortage of 
qualified minority investigators in academic research positions may even 
exacerbate the situation due to a lack of visible role models for students.  
One method of addressing this problem is by attracting minority students to 
research opportunities and by providing them with research training to develop 
their research capabilities in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and 
sleep disorders.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the NRSA Short-Term Research Training Grant (T35) award 
mechanism.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the 
proposed training project will be solely that of the applicant.  The total 
project period for an application submitted in response to this RFA may not 
exceed five years.  Funding beyond the first year of the grant is contingent 
upon satisfactory progress during the preceding year and availability of 
funds.  The anticipated award date is April 1, 2003.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of support for 
the entire program is expected to be $250,000 in Fiscal Year 2003 (October 1, 
2002-September 30, 2003).  The actual amount may vary, depending on the 
response to the RFA and availability of funds.  Seven new awards are 
anticipated.

Facilities and Administrative Costs will be awarded based on eight percent of 
total costs exclusive of tuition and fees.

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS

Eligible institutions include:

o For-profit and 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 institutions, foreign institutions are not eligible for the NHLBI 
Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program (T35) grants.

Only one application per health professional school may be submitted for a 
given receipt date.  Although a university may have more than one NHLBI Short-
Term Training for Minority Students Program, they may not be in the same 
school.  The applicant institution must have the available research 
facilities, personnel, and support for the program in the areas of 
cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep disorders.  Minority 
institutions with adequate staff and resources in these areas are encouraged 
to apply.  These grants will support short-term research training experiences 
of consecutive two to three months= duration for minority undergraduate 
students, minority students in health professional schools, and minority 
graduate students.  The grantee institution will determine which racial and 
ethnic groups are underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research and 
will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees. 

ELIGIBLE PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are 
encouraged to apply as Program Directors.

TRAINEE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Trainees must have successfully completed at least one undergraduate year at 
an accredited school or university (including baccalaureate schools of 
nursing) or have successfully completed one semester at a school of medicine, 
optometry, osteopathy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, or public 
health, or an institution with an accredited graduate program, prior to 
participating in the program.  Institutions must adhere strictly to these 
requirements when selecting trainees.  These grants are intended to introduce 
students to research that would not otherwise be available through their 
regular course of studies.  For graduate students, this may include graduate 
students in programs, such as mathematics and computer science, where they 
would not normally be exposed to biomedical research or minority graduate 
students who may need a specialized research experience to supplement their 
normal graduate education.

Trainees appointed to this program must be U.S. citizens, noncitizen 
nationals, or legal permanent residents (i.e., in possession of the Alien 
Registration Receipt Card or other legal verification of such status).  
Noncitizen nationals are generally persons born in possessions of the United 
States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or 
student visas and individuals holding Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M. or equivalent 
doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible.	

Trainees appointed to the program need not be from the applicant institution, 
but may include a number of underrepresented minority students from other 
institutions, schools, colleges, or universities.  The program can be designed 
to include research experiences for minority individuals at the applicant 
institution but applicants are strongly encouraged to propose a program that 
includes a number of individuals from other institutions, schools, colleges or 
universities.  The only requirement for student selection is that the trainees 
fulfill the above referenced eligibility requirements.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Provisions of the Award

Institutions may request support for at least 4 but not more than 24 trainees 
per budget period, based on a full-time three-month appointment.  A trainee 
may be appointed for a minimum of two months and a maximum of three months 
during a budget period, however, institutions are encouraged to appoint a 
trainee for more than one budget period, i.e., two or more successive summer 
research experiences.  A student may be appointed, in special circumstances, 
to more than one 3-month period during a budget period, provided prior 
approval is obtained from the staff of the NHLBI.  All research training must 
be full-time during the specific training sequence.  It is expected that most 
programs will be designed to provide a summer research experience but other 
innovative program designs and time schedules will be considered.  The 
requested number of short-term trainees must be justified in the application.

Funds may be requested for:

o Stipends - The current stipend level for trainees is $1,513 per month, and 
$50.43 per day.  Stipends may be supplemented from non-federal funds.

o Training-related Expenses - Up to $183 per month per trainee may be 
requested yearly, and may be used for faculty, laboratory, and secretarial 
assistance, supplies and equipment, consultant costs, and tuition and fees.

o Travel Expenses - The institution may request up to $500 per year per 
trainee to cover the cost of travel to and from the training institution.  
Institutions may request up to $750 per trainee if they expect that the 
majority of their trainees will be coming long distances (e.g., trainees 
coming from Puerto Rico and other distant sites), but must submit a strong 
justification for this need.  The request will be subject to the Initial 
Review Group (IRG) and NHLBI review.  Applicants may share travel costs among 
trainees so that the $500 allotted for a local trainee may be reprogrammed, 
without the NHLBI permission, to trainees needing higher cost reimbursement.  
The institution may also request up to $400 per month per trainee per diem or 
subsistence allowances while at the training site.

A Statement of Appointment form (PHS 2271, rev. 4/98) must be submitted at the 
start of each trainee appointment and reappointment.  This form is available 
at the following URL address: http://grants.nih.gov/training/phs2271.pdf.  
Individuals supported under this program are not required to sign an NRSA 
Payback Agreement or submit an NRSA Termination Notice.  

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research:  The application must include 
a descrption of plans to provide instruction in the responsible conduct of 
research (RCR).  The Public Health Service policy on RCR 
(http://ori.hhs.gov/policies/RCR_Policy.shtml#rcr) describes nine core 
instructional areas that comprise RCR:  data acquisition, management, sharing, 
and ownership, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and 
responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, human subjects, 
research involving animals, research misconduct, and conflict of interest and 
commitment.  Plans for RCR training must describe the proposed subject matter, 
format, frequency and duration of instruction.  No award will be made if an 
application lacks this component. See the NIH website 
http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics for resources and information on this topic.

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:  programmatic, review and financial or grants management issues:

o Direct your questions about programmatic issues to:

Michael Commarato, Ph.D.
Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases (responding for all NHLBI programmatic 
Divisions)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7940
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940
Telephone: (301) 435-0530
FAX: (301) 480-1330
Email:  commaram@nhlbi.nih.gov 

o Direct your questions about review issues to:

Anne Clark, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Affairs
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Two Rockledge Center, Room 7178
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7924
Bethesda, MD  20892-7924
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express mail)
Telephone:  (301) 435-0270
FAX:  (301) 480-0730
Email:  clarka@nhlbi.nih.gov 

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

Beckie Chamberlin
Grants Management Specialist						
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7152, MSC 7926
Bethesda, MD 20892-7926
Telephone: (301) 435-0172
FAX: (301) 480-3310
Email: chamberr@nhlbi.nih.gov

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes 
the following information:

o A descriptive title of the proposed research
o Name, address, and telephone number of the Program Director
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 NHLBI staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan 
for the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Anne Clark at the address listed 
under WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES by May 20, 2002.

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application 
instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001).  The PHS 398 is available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html in an interactive format.  
For further assistance contact 
GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, 
Email:  GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

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 
(NHLBI SHORT-TERM TRAINING FOR MINORITY STUDENTS PROGRAM) and number (HL-02-
025) 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/labels.pdf.

SENDING AN APPLICATION TO THE NIH:  Submit a signed, typewritten original of 
the application, including the Checklist, and three signed 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 copies of the application and all 
five collated sets of the appendix material must be sent to Dr. Anne Clark at 
the address listed under WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES.  

APPLICATION PROCESSING:  Applications must be received by June 19, 2002.  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.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the CSR and 
responsiveness by the NHLBI.  Incomplete and/or non-responsive 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 a Special Emphasis Panel in the Division of 
Extramural Affairs, NHLBI, 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 National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
Advisory Council.

Review Considerations

The application should provide a summary of the training program including its 
objectives, the types of research activities available, the faculty who will 
participate, the geographical area to be included in the recruitment, a 
mentoring plan, and any special activities or experiences to be provided to 
the trainees.  It should also describe the administrative structure of the 
program and the distribution of responsibilities within it, plans for 
recruiting, selecting, and assigning trainees to research activities, duration 
of training and months in which it will occur, description of a typical 
student program including percent time to be spent in various activities, and 
additional support or services to be provided by the applicant institution.  
All applications must include a description of formal or informal activities 
or instruction related to the responsible conduct of research that will be 
incorporated into the proposed research training program.

Applicants for competitive renewal applications will be required to provide 
information concerning past trainees in the program, the accomplishments of 
the program, trainee publications, and whether students supported by the 
program have pursued research careers. This information should also be 
included in the noncompeting renewal application.  Therefore, it is important 
that the applicant includes plans for tracking students who participated in 
the program.

REVIEW CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered when assessing the merits of the 
proposed NHLBI Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program.

o Design of the proposed training program,

o Qualifications, dedication, and previous training record of the program 
director and participating faculty, particularly with regard to prior 
experience with similar programs,

o Adequacy of facilities, environment, and resources for the proposed research 
training,

o Recruitment and selection plans for trainees, and the availability of high 
quality candidates,

o Methods for retaining promising students in the program and methods for 
tracking students,

o Commitment of the institution and participating faculty to the goals of the 
training program, and

o Procedures for evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the impact 
of the program on the students involved.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

o Quality of the proposed training in responsible conduct of research.

o BUDGET:  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period 
of support in relation to the proposed research.

RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  May 20, 2002
Application Receipt Date: June 19, 2002
Peer Review Date:  October/November 2002
Council Review:  February 2003
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:  April 1, 2003

AWARD CRITERIA

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

o Scientific and training merit (as determined by peer review)
o Availability of funds
o Programmatic priorities.

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 are 
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.
 
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.

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: This program is described in the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance No. 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, and 93.839 and is not subject 
to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or 
Health Systems Agency review.  Awards are made under authorization of Sections 
301, 487, and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241, 288 
and 284) and administered under NIH grants policies described at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm and under Federal Regulations 
42 CFR Parts 52 and 66 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. 

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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