Full Text PAR-95-012 HIV, AIDS AND RELATED ILLNESSES COLLABORATION AWARD NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 44, December 16, 1994 PA NUMBER: PAR-95-012 P.T. 34 Keywords: AIDS Fogarty International Center Receipt Dates: January 2, May 1, September 1 PURPOSE The Fogarty International Center (FIC) is expanding its AIDS International Research and Training Program to provide small individual research grants for collaboration between U.S. and foreign scientists in any country, consistent with U.S. foreign policy considerations. Support is available for research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and for research related to AIDS. Up to $20,000 per year for a maximum of three years is available for U.S. investigators and their foreign collaborators to conduct research mainly at the foreign site. U.S. investigators holding currently active NIH grants for research related to HIV infections, AIDS, and other related health problems are eligible to apply with their foreign collaborator for the AIDS Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (AIDS-FIRCA). A similar program of Fogarty International Research Awards (FIRCA) is available in all non-AIDS biomedical sciences topics for collaborative projects involving U.S. scientists and investigators in developing countries: see Program Announcement number PAR-95-011. Grants will provide funds to the foreign collaborator, through the U.S. grantee institution, for supplies at the foreign institution; for expenses incurred at the U.S. institution to support the collaboration; and for research-related travel and subsistence expenses for both the U.S. and foreign investigators. If the foreign collaborator is in a developing country, applicants may also request funds for small pieces of equipment necessary to the AIDS-FIRCA project at the foreign site. For the purpose of this program, developing countries are considered to include those in the following regions: Africa, Asia (except Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the non-U.S. Caribbean, the Middle East (except Israel and the Persian Gulf states), and the Pacific Ocean Islands (except Australia and New Zealand). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by U.S. non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal investigators. To be eligible for the AIDS-FIRCA program, the following conditions must be met: o The proposed U.S. Principal Investigator must be the Principal Investigator (Project Director) of an NIH-sponsored AIDS or AIDS-related research grant project (R, P, or U01 series) that will be active and funded during the proposed grant award period (up to three years). Under exceptional circumstances, after consultation with program officials, some research contracts (N01 series) may be eligible "parent" funding for the AIDS-FIRCA. On submission of an application, at least 18 months of active research support must remain on the listed parent grant. Investigators may request the full three years of support in the FIRCA application in cases where less than three future years remain on the parent grant, presuming that the renewal application will be submitted and awarded. o The foreign collaborator must hold a position at an institution in a foreign country that will allow him or her adequate time and provide appropriate facilities to conduct the proposed research. o The application must demonstrate that the award will enhance the scientific contributions of both the U.S. and foreign scientists and will enhance or expand the contribution of the NIH-sponsored research project (parent grant). MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The small grants (R03) will provide up to $20,000 per year in direct costs for up to three years. Funds may be used for materials and supplies necessary to conduct the collaborative research in the foreign scientist's research laboratory or site, and for costs related to the AIDS-FIRCA project at the U.S. institution. Equipment requests are limited to items for use in the AIDS-FIRCA project at foreign institutions in developing countries. Travel and subsistence-related expenses may be requested for the U.S. Principal Investigator, the foreign collaborator, and/or their colleagues for visits directly related to the subject of the collaborative research. All proposed expenditures must be well justified and clearly related to the research objectives of the proposed project. Applicants should request support to conduct research not already being supported by the U.S. investigator's parent grant; however, the research proposal must be an extension of or related to the research project currently funded by the NIH. The awards will be made to U.S. institutions that will be responsible for the expenditures. The minimum FIRCA project period will be for one year; the maximum will be for three years. Continuation of the FIRCA project depends upon research progress, availability of funds, and continuation of appropriate NIH support of the Principal Investigator's AIDS-related research. Since the research supported under this award is mainly to occur at the foreign site, indirect costs will be calculated on the basis of the off-site rate of the U.S. sponsoring institution. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The main objective of this AIDS-FIRCA program is to facilitate unique and highly promising collaborative basic and applied research efforts between U.S. and foreign scientists that will both expand and enhance the HIV- and AIDS-related NIH-supported research program of the U.S. Principal Investigator and benefit the scientific interests of the collaborating foreign scientist. All areas of research directly and indirectly related to HIV infection and AIDS are eligible for consideration. Examples of topics include, but are not limited to: o Research related to the development of HIV/AIDS vaccines; o Research on antiviral and other interventions for HIV/AIDS; o Research on HIV and infection by the virus; o Research on other retroviruses related to HIV; o Studies of maternal/pediatric HIV infections; o Cofactors involved in HIV infection; o Studies on the spread of HIV infection and AIDS into new locales; o The natural history of HIV infection; o Research on opportunistic infections and other disorders that result from immunosuppression by the AIDS virus; o Studies of emerging/reemerging microbes and diseases linked to factors known or suspected to relate to the spread of HIV; and o Research on the social and behavioral factors that affect HIV risk and transmission. Applicants should be aware that applicable provisions for protection of human research subjects and laboratory animals must be met in both domestic and foreign settings. See Title 45 CFR, Part 46, for information concerning the Department of Health and Human Services regulations for the protection of human subjects and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. These are available from the Office for Protection from Research Risks, National Institutes of Health, 6100 Executive Boulevard MSC 7507, Rockville, MD 20892-7507. Information on these assurances is included in the special application instructions available from the FIC program contact listed under INQUIRIES. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations), which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (59 FR 14508-14513) and printed in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994. Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. APPLICATION PROCEDURES o Special application instructions are required and are available from the International Research and Awards Branch, FIC (address below). o The application consists of a portion to be completed by the U.S. Principal Investigator, and a separate portion to be completed by the foreign collaborator. Both portions of this application must be submitted as a single package, by the U.S. grantee institution. o Applications must be submitted by the U.S. Principal Investigator on standard form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91), which is available from most U.S. institutional offices of sponsored research and from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301) 435-0714. Receipt dates for completed applications are September 1, January 2 and May 1. If the deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, it is automatically extended to the following workday. Applications received on these dates will be reviewed using the mandated AIDS-Expedited Review schedule. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications will be assigned to the Fogarty International Center. Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by the AIDS and Related Research Initial Review Group in the Division of Research Grants (DRG), NIH. Following scientific-technical review, the applications will receive a second level review by the Fogarty International Center Advisory Board. As part of the initial merit review, a process (triage) may be used by the initial review group in which applications will be determined to be competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit relative to other applications received in response to the program announcement. Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be assigned a priority score. Applications determined to be non-competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the Principal Investigator and the official signing for the applicant organization will be notified. Review Criteria o likelihood that the proposed research extends or enhances the ongoing funded research of the U.S. Principal Investigator; o ability of the foreign collaborator to undertake and direct the foreign research efforts; o appropriateness of the proposed collaborative effort as a format for accomplishing the stated aims; o appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research; o scientific, technical, or medical significance and originality of proposed research; o appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and methodology proposed to carry out the research; o availability of the resources necessary to perform the research; o Adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications assigned to the Fogarty International Center. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review, availability of funds, and program priority. INQUIRIES Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Special application instructions are necessary to apply for this program. To obtain further information write, FAX, or telephone the Fogarty International Center. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Dr. Mirilee Pearl International Research and Awards Branch Fogarty International Center Building 31, Room B2C39 31 Center Drive MSC 2220 Bethesda, MD 20892-2220 Telephone: (301) 496-1653 FAX: (301) 402-0779 Email: vnp@cu.nih.gov For grants management and fiscal matters, contact: Ms. Susan Bettendorf Grants Management Specialist Fogarty International Center Building 31, Room B2C39 31 Center Drive MSC 2220 Bethesda, MD 20892-2220 Telephone: (301) 496-1653 FAX: (301) 402-0779 Email: sn5@cu.nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.934. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. .
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