Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR), (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov)
Title: Nanostructured Dental Composite Restorative Materials
(R21)
Announcement Type
New
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines provided with this announcement in Grants.gov Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Two steps are required for on time submission:
1) The application must be submitted to Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission date (see “Key Dates” below).
2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two (2) business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the Commons.
Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-DE-07-005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s):
93.121
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: February 17, 2006
Opening
Date: May 2, 2006 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to
Grants.gov)
Letters
of Intent Receipt Date(s): July 17, 2006
Application Receipt Dates(s): August 14, 2006
Peer
Review Date(s): October
– November, 2006
Council Review Date(s): January, 2007
Earliest Anticipated
Start Date: April,
2007
Additional Information
To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): May, 2006
Expiration Date: August 15, 2006
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not
Applicable
Additional Overview
Content
Executive Summary
Part I
Overview Information
Part II Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity
Description
1. Research Objectives
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available
Section III. Eligibility
Information
1. Eligible
Applicants
A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2.Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special
Eligibility Criteria
Section IV. Application and
Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Receipt and
Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1.
Letter of Intent
B. Sending an
Application to the NIH
C. Application
Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements
Section V. Application Review
Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional
Review Criteria
B. Additional
Review Considerations
C. Sharing
Research Data
D. Sharing
Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award
Dates
Section VI. Award Administration
Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
3. Reporting
Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information
- Required Federal Citations
Part II
- Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
The purpose of this initiative is to encourage nanotechnology and nanoscience approaches in the design and development of new dental composite materials. The expected outcomes are new formulations for dental composites with improved adhesive bonding to dentin and enamel surfaces, durability, esthetics, and biocompatibility.
Caries continues as the most prevalent malady in Dentistry despite remarkable advances in prevention over the past few decades. As quoted in the NIDCR Strategic Plan, “dental caries begins early in life: 18 percent of preschoolers in the U.S. have already experienced tooth decay and by age 6–8, more than half have experienced this disease — making it 5–8 times more common than asthma. By age 17, more than 80 percent of the adolescent population is affected by caries. Dental caries is also a problem among adults; recurrent caries and root caries are prevalent among adults and the elderly.” Currently, the only treatment for carious lesions is tooth restoration by placement of an inert material that acts as a block to further decay.
Modern composite restorations are composed of silane-coated inorganic filler particles and adhesive resins (reactive monomers and cross-linking agents). Composites are more aesthetic and lack undesirable metals, but may have shorter lifetimes than amalgams, especially in molar teeth. Much of this decreased performance is due to the physical realities of the polymerization process as the composite material sets into the prepared site in the tooth. For example, marginal leakage due to polymerization shrinkage has been cited as a major problem of resin composites. Thus, while progress has been made on understanding the mechanisms that lead to composite restoration failure, there has been little progress in solving the underlying problem(s). Therefore, there is a need for research to develop the next generation of dental restorative materials that possesses the combination of the mechanical properties of amalgam and the tooth-like esthetics.
The essence of nanotechnology is the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organization. Compared to the behavior of isolated molecules of about 1 nm or of bulk materials, behavior of structural features in the range of about 1 to 100 nm exhibits important changes. Therefore, nanostructured dental composites can have superior mechanical properties (e.g. increased elastic modulus, strength, or resistance to fatigue fracture) that can easily be tuned by small modifications of their building blocks.
New approaches employing nanoscience for a new generation of dental restorative composite materials are promising. Thus, the goal of this initiative is to encourage research that will lead to the development of nanostructured composite materials that are biocompatible, maintain the appearance of native teeth, and provide improved performance and longevity over the existing dental restorative materials.
Previous efforts have centered on maximizing the chemistries within the composite, such as driving the polymerization reaction to completion, excluding water from the binding surface of the dentin, and layering large restorations to dissipate heat and shrinkage stresses gradually. Nanosized fillers have been used in some composites in order to improve the wear and the aesthetics of these materials. However, these nanofilled composites show only incremental improvements over macrofilled composites. An advantage of nanostructured materials is that their bulk properties can easily be tuned by small modifications of the building blocks or in this case the monomer. These structural biomaterials will have superior mechanical properties such as toughness and wear compared to the existing composites. To date there is no commercially available material that meets these ideal requirements, especially in the degree of shrinkage.
The overall goal of this initiative is to encourage innovative research to advance the new generation of biocompatible dental restorative composite materials, which exhibit superior mechanical and aesthetic properties. The following are examples of potential research areas. These areas are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive.
See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal
Citations, for policies related to this announcement.
Section
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
This
funding opportunity will use the exploratory/development research grant
(R21) award mechanism award mechanism.
As an applicant, you
will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed
project.
This funding opportunity
uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular budget formats (see the
Modular Applications and Awards section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm#gps).
Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each
year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium F&A costs), use the Modular
Budget Component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and
Instructions Guide (See specifically the Modular Budget Component). Otherwise,
follow the instructions for non-modular research grant applications.
Exploratory/developmental
grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal applications will not
be accepted. Two resubmissions (formerly “revisions") of a previously
reviewed exploratory/developmental grant application may be submitted as
defined in NIH Policy.
2. Funds Available
The NIDCR intends to commit
approximately three (3) million dollars in FY 07 to fund 10 - 15 new grants in response to this
FOA. An applicant may request a project period of up to three (3) years and a budget for direct costs
up to $175,000 dollars per year in direct costs. Applicants are encouraged to budget for the use of the
Nanoscale Science Research Centers sponsored by the Department of Energy
(DOE) (http://www.science.doe.gov/Sub/Newsroom/News_Releases/DOE-SC/2006/nano/index.htm)
as well as the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure
Network (NNIN) facilities, supported by the National
Science Foundation (http://www.nnin.org/).
Although
the financial plans of the NIDCR provide support for this program, awards
pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of
funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
Facilities and
administrative costs requested by consortium participants are not included in
the direct cost limitation, see NOT-OD-05-004.
Section
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit (an) application(s)
if your organization has any of the following characteristics:
Foreign institutions/organizations considering applying to this FOA must demonstrate an ability to conduct the proposed study in the designated setting(s), as well as an ability to meet government clearance requirements.
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed research is invited to work with their institution to develop an
application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic
groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply
for NIH programs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Not
applicable.
The most current Grants
Policy Statement can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/nihgps_Part2.htm#matching_or_cost_sharing
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Not
applicable
Section
IV. Application and Submission Information
Registration and Instructions for Submission via Grants.gov
To download an Application Package and Application Guide
for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PD/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organization/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started
2) Organization/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.
Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.
1. Request Application Information
Applicants
must download the SF424 (R &R) application forms and SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used.
Applicants will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g.,
sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the “Attachment” files
may be useable for more than one FOA.
For further assistance contact GrantsInfo,
Telephone (301) 435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-0088.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Prepare all applications using the SF424
(R &R) application forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (MS
Word or PDF)
instructions.
The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH.
There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the “Credential” log-in field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see “Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission” on the front page of “Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”
The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:
Required Components:
SF424 (R&R)
(Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site
Locations
Research
& Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget
Optional
Components:
PHS398 Cover
Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s)
Form
Items 2 - 5 of the Research Plan (Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies, and Research Design and Methods) may not exceed a total of 15 pages. No preliminary data is required but may be included if it is available. Two or three previously accepted publications relevant to the research described in the application may be included in the appendix.
Foreign Organizations
Several special provisions apply to applications
submitted by foreign organizations:
Proposed
research should provide a unique research opportunity not available in the U.S.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be
submitted on or before the receipt date described below (Section
IV.3.A).
3.A.
Receipt and Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: May 2, 2006
(Earliest date an application may be
submitted to Grants.gov)
Letter
of Intent Receipt Date: July 17, 2006
Application
Submission Date(s): August 14, 2006
Peer Review Date: October –
November, 2006
Council Review
Date: January, 2007
Earliest
Anticipated Start Date: April, 2007
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants
are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
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:
Lynn King, Ph. D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Building 45, Room 4AN-32K
Bethesda, MD 20892-6402
Telephone: (301) 594-5006
FAX: (301) 480-8303
3.B. Sending an Application
to the NIH
To submit an application in response to this FOA,
applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically
PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
3.C.
Application Processing
Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov on or after the Opening Date and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission
dates described in Section
IV.3.A. If an application is not received by that date, the application may
be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.
Upon receipt,
applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research
Administration process for validation. Both the PD/PI and the Signing Official
for the organization must verify the submission via Commons within 2 business days
of notification of the NIH validation.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center
for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit 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 a funding opportunity, it is to be submitted as a NEW application. That is, the application for funding opportunity must not include an introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.
There will be an
acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information
related to the assignment of an application to the Scientific Review Group is
also in the Commons.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
review.
5. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions,
cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
Pre-Award Costs are
allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur
obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning
date of the initial budget period of a new award if such costs: are necessary
to conduct the project, and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded,
without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require
prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost.
NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days
before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award.
The incurrence of
pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes
no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the
approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is
inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be
fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and
that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the
project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect
the conduct of the project. See NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
6. Other Submission Requirements
The NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the “PROFILE – Project Director/Principal Investigator” section, “Credential” log-in field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” component. The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see “Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission” on the front page of “Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”
Renewal (formerly “competing continuation” or “Type 2”) applications are not permitted.
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) application are to be followed, with the following requirements for R21 applications:WARNING: Please be sure that you observe the direct cost, project period, and page number limitations specified for this FOA. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be rejected if it does not comply with all of these requirements
Note: While each section of the Research Plan needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
Plan for Sharing
Research Data
All applicants must include a plan for sharing
research data in their application. The data sharing policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing.
All investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a
description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data
sharing is not possible.
The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the
rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the reviewers.
However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the
determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
Sharing Research
Resources
NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients
make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to
qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for
sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be
shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any
related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding
organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The
effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the
administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm).
See Section VI.3. Reporting.
Section
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Only the review criteria
described below will be considered in the review process.
The following will
be considered in making funding decisions:
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications that
are complete and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NIDCR in accordance with the review criteria
stated below.
As part of the
initial merit review, all applications will:
The goals of NIH
supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to
improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written
critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria
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 an 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.
Significance: Does this study address an
important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will
scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect
of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services,
or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Approach: Are the conceptual or
clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well
integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the
applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
Innovation: Is the project original and
innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or
clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to
progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts,
approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area?
Investigators: Are the investigators
appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work
proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and
other researchers? Does the investigative team bring complementary and
integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?
Environment: Does the scientific
environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of
success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific
environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative
arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
2.A. Additional Review
Criteria:
In addition to the
above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the
determination of scientific merit and the priority score:
Protection
of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from
research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be
assessed. See item 6 of the Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
Inclusion
of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to
include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and
subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects
will also be evaluated. See item 7 of the Research Plan component of the SF424
(R&R).
Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in
Research: If vertebrate animals are to
be used in the project, the five items described under item 11 of the Research
Plan component of the SF 424 (R&R) will be assessed.
Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are
potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine
if the proposed protection is adequate.
2.B. Additional
Review Considerations
Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed budget
and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research may be
assessed by the reviewers. Is the percent effort listed for the PI appropriate
for the work proposed? Is each budget category realistic and justified in terms
of the aims and methods?
Period of Support: The appropriateness of the
requested period of support in relation to the proposed research.
2.C. Sharing
Research Data
Data Sharing Plan: The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing
research data will be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not
factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific
merit or the priority score. The presence of a data sharing plan will be part
of the terms and conditions of the award. The funding organization will be
responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy.
2.D. Sharing
Research Resources
NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make
unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified
individuals within the scientific community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_ii_5.htm#availofrr and http://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide_final.html).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing
research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared
or explain why sharing is not possible.
Program staff will be responsible for the
administrative review of the plan for sharing research resources.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be
considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making
recommendations about funding applications. Program staff may negotiate
modifications of the data and resource sharing plans with the awardee before
recommending funding of an application. The final version of the data and resource
sharing plans negotiated by both will become a condition of the award of the
grant. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of
the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (PHS
2590). See Section VI.3. Reporting.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
The priority
score of the applications will be available one week after the assigned date
for the review. A summary statement of the reviewer ’s comments will also be
available within eight to ten weeks of review.
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
If the application is under consideration for funding,
NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For
details, applicants may refer to the NIH
Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and
Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award
(NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the
grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative
and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email
notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.
Selection of an application for award is not an
authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the
NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the
extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section
IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
2. Administrative and
National Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include
the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the Notice of Award. For these terms of
award, see the NIH Grants Policy
Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of
NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
3. Reporting
Awardees will be required to submit the PHS
Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590 annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm)
and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Section VII. Agency Contacts
We
encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity 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:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
Rosemarie
Hunziker
Center for Biotechnology and Innovation
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Natcher Building, Room 4AN24K
Bethesda, MD 20892-6403
Telephone: (301) 451-3888
Fax: (301) 480-8318
Email: hunzikerr@nidcr.nih.gov
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Lynn King,
Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research Building 45, Room 4AN-32F
Bethesda, MD 20892-6402
Telephone: (301) 594-5006
Fax: (301) 480-8303
Email: George.Hausch@nih.gov
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Mary Daley
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research Building 45, Room 4AN-44B
Bethesda, MD 20892-6402
Phone: (301) 594-4808
Fax: (301) 480-3562
Email: md74u@nih.gov
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving
live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf)
as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm),
and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm)
as applicable.
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(Phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The
establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for
multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks
to the participants (NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for
Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking
$500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a
plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
Investigators should seek guidance from their
institutions on issues related to institutional policies and local IRB rules,
as well as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy
Rule. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan but will not factor the
plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score.
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 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 funding opportunity 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.
Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model
organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm).
At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to
elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding
pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm).
All investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal, beginning
with the October 1, 2004 receipt date, are expected to include in the
application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and
distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH
funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will
permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public
funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a
cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications
where the development of model organisms is anticipated.
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 "NIH Guidelines
for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (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 SF424 (R&R); 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 Clinical
Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research,
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical
reasons not to include them.
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 (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 applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can
be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic
Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility
of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the
application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s)
to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this
information will be returned without review.
NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to
the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov)
at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript
upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or
in part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as
the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all
modifications from the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts
resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research projects or 2) previously
supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or
after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant
and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts,
Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to
peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole
or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters,
editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from
non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.
For more information about the Policy or the
submission process please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://PublicAccess.nih.gov/ and view
the Policy or other Resources and Tools including the Authors' Manual (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_manual.htm).
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).
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 PA 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 at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the
authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as
amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR
Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost
principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH Grants Policy Statement can
be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
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.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan
repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to
pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception,
infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important
component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of
researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered
by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for
eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged.
The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP
recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must
commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40
hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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Office of Extramural Research (OER) |
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