Department of Health and Human Services
Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), (http://www.ninr.nih.gov/)
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/)
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov/)
Title: School-based Interventions to Prevent Obesity (R03)
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PA-04-145,
which was previously released on August 16, 2004, and now is divided into
separate announcements for R01, R03 and R21 funding mechanisms.
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
NOTICE: Applications submitted in response
to this 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 the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and should be started at least 4 weeks in advance of the planned submission. See Section IV.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-416
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.865; 93.307; 93.837; 93.848; 93.361; 93.393
Key Dates
Release/Posted
Date: May 23, 2006
Opening Date: May 23, 2006
(earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov).
Letters of Intent
Receipt Date(s): Not applicable.
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully
submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization).
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates
apply, please see
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Not applicable
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Additional Information To Be Available Date (URL Activation Date): Not applicable.
Expiration Date: November 2, 2007 (now January 8, 2008 per NOT-OD-07-093).
Additional Overview Content
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
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. Submission, Review and
Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Submitting an Application
Electronically 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
Background
This country is in the midst of a twin epidemic of childhood obesity and adolescent type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of obesity in children, defined as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and gender according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I, has nearly quadrupled over the past 30 years, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adolescents has increased by a factor of ten over the past 20 years. Research has shown that childhood obesity tracks with fidelity into adulthood. Other research in obese children has shown that weight loss is more readily maintained if achieved prior to, rather than after, puberty. Even more effective is preventing weight gain in the first place. However, preventive programs may need to be initiated in elementary school, since by the time children reach middle school more than 20 percent of them are obese.
This initiative is designed to encourage partnerships between academic
institutions and school systems, for example, those school systems involved with the Action for Healthy Kids Program. Such partnerships would involve getting baseline data on children in elementary or middle schools, devising and implementing intervention programs in a controlled fashion, and assessing dependent outcome variables at varying lengths of time after the intervention.
Scope
School systems are ideal places to develop and evaluate innovative
interventions designed to prevent childhood obesity. Children spend much of their time in school where they can be exposed to randomized, controlled interventions. Entire schools within a school system can be chosen at random for either intervention or control conditions in order to reduce the possibility of cross-group contamination.
Possible areas within the school system that might be targeted for controlled interventions include the content of school curricula, teaching methodologies, staff education, physical education programs, the school environment, school food service programs, food service worker education, content and availability of vending machine snacks in school, school administrators, and parents.
Examples of research projects that would be responsive to this solicitation include, but are not limited to:
o Curriculum changes designed to improve knowledge of healthy food choices and active lifestyles, and behavioral modification programs designed to attain healthy diets and active lifestyles. Specifically, this initiative encourages academic institutions and school systems to work together to develop and implement behavioral interventions designed to increase children's physical activity and/or decrease the amount of time that children devote to sedentary activities, such as watching television or playing computer games. Such interventions might involve curriculum changes or curriculum changes coupled with periods of increased physical activity, either before, during or after school. Interventions also might be designed to induce and maintain long-term behavioral change regarding eating habits, food choices, exercise habits, and lifestyle.
o Evaluations of various controlled dietary interventions would also be responsive to this FOA, for example, changes in school food service programs for school breakfast and/or school lunch. Intervention programs designed for parents who prepare their children's lunches would also be responsive.
In order to detect synergistic interactions between dietary interventions and interventions involving physical activity, grant applications featuring factorial designs are encouraged. Factorial designs could also be employed to detect possible synergies among various other interventions, such as curriculum changes, alterations in availability of various kinds of snack foods and drinks, and content of school breakfasts and lunches.
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 R03 award mechanism. The small grant (R03) research mechanism should be used for support of pilot and/or feasibility studies for concepts that are sound and justifiable, but not sufficiently developed for the R01 mechanism. The R03 mechanism may be used for projects requiring minimal funding for limited periods of time, such as pilot or feasibility studies, development of research methodology, or analyses of existing data.
As an applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This FOA 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. All applications submitted in response to this FOA must use the modular budget format. Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs), use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5.4, “Modular Budget Component,” of the Application Guide).
Competing renewal (formerly “competing continuation”) applications will not be accepted for the R03 grant mechanism. Small grant support may not be used for thesis or dissertation research. Up to two resubmissions (formerly “revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed small grant application may be submitted. See NOT-OD-05-046, April 29, 2005.
For specific information about the R03 programs, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm.
2. Funds Available
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 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) 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.
A project period of up to 2 years and a budget for direct costs of up to two
$25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested (i.e., a maximum of
$100,000 over 2 years in four modules of $25,000 each). Commensurate Facilities
and Administrative (F&A) costs are allowed.
F&A costs requested by consortium participants are
not included in the direct cost limitation; see NOT-OD-05-004,
which was published in the NIH Guide on November 2, 2004.
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:
1.B.
Eligible Individuals
Any
individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed research as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) 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 support.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This program does not require
cost sharing as defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria
Applicants
may submit more than one application, provided each application is
scientifically distinct.
Section
IV. Application and Submission Information
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:
Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/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 4 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. You 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, E-mail: 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 in
accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide
(MS
Word or PDF).
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
Note: While both budget components are
included in the SF424 (R&R) forms package, the NIH R03 uses ONLY the PHS
398 Modular Budget. (Do not use the
detailed Research & Related Budget.)
Foreign Organizations
Several special
provisions apply to applications submitted by foreign organizations:
Proposed
research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs
through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental
conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for
details.
3.A.
Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening
Date: May 22, 2006
(earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov).
Letters of Intent
Receipt Date(s): Not applicable.
Application
Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Not applicable
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
A
letter of intent is not required for the funding opportunity.
3.B. Submitting
an Application Electronically 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 on or after the
opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local
time (of the applicant
institution/organization) on the application submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by
the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review
process or not reviewed.
Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any errors have been addressed, and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two business days to view the application image.
Upon receipt,
applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific
Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
There will be
an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the
assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the
Commons.
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. The NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an “Introduction” addressing the previous critique. Note such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
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 the 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 Guide (MS Word or PDF) are to be followed, with the following requirements for R03 applications:
Warning: Please be sure that you observe the direct cost, project period, and page number limitations specified above for this FOA. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be rejected if it does not comply with 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
Not
applicable.
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 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm
and at 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 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.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications
submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the NIH ICs on the
basis of established PHS referral guidelines.
Appropriate scientific review groups convened in
accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures (http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm)
will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
As part of the initial merit review, all applications
will:
Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The NIH R03 small grant is a mechanism for supporting discrete, well-defined projects that realistically can be completed in two years and that require limited levels of funding. Because the research plan is restricted to 10 pages, a small grant application will not have the same level of detail or extensive discussion found in an R01 application. Accordingly, reviewers should evaluate the conceptual framework and general approach to the problem, placing less emphasis on methodological details and certain indicators traditionally used in evaluating the scientific merit of R01 applications, including supportive preliminary data. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required, particularly in applications proposing pilot or feasibility studies.
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 comments, 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. The scientific review group will address and consider each of these criteria in assigning the application's 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 scientific health 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
PD/PI 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 SF424 (R&R).
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 and Period of
Support: The
reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested
period of support in relation to the proposed research may be assessed by the
reviewers. Is the effort listed for the PD/PI appropriate for the work
proposed? Is each budget category realistic and justified in terms of the aims
and methods?
2.C. Sharing Research Data
Not applicable.
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 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131). 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.
Model
Organism Sharing Plan:
If applicable, reviewers are asked to assess the sharing plan in an administrative
note. The sharing plan itself should be discussed after the application is
scored. Whether a sharing plan is reasonable can be determined by the reviewers
on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the organism, the timeline,
the applicant's decision to distribute the resource or deposit it in a
repository, and other relevant considerations. For the R03 mechanism, the
presence or adequacy of a plan should not enter into the scoring of the
application.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
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.
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.
2. Administrative and
National Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include
the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. 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
When multiple years are
involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in
the NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
1. Scientific/Research 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:
Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:
Gilman Grave, M.D.
Center for Research for Mothers and Children
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, 4B-11, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 496-5593
FAX: (301) 480-9791
Email: graveg@mail.nih.gov
Charlotte Pratt, Ph.D., RD
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
6701 Rockledge Drive MSC 7936, Room 8134
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-435-0382
Fax: 301-480-1669
E-mail: pratt@nhlbi.nih.gov
Yvonne Bryan, PhD, RN
Program Director
Office of Extramural Programs
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Institutes of Health, NIH/NINR
6701 Democracy Blvd, Room 710
One Democracy Plaza
Bethesda, MD 209892-4870
Tel: 301-594-6908
Fax: 301-480-8260
E-mail: Bryany@mail.nih.gov
Deborah H. Olster, Ph.D., Senior Advisor
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Building 1, Room 256 Center Drive, NIH Campus
Bethesda, MD 20892-0210
Tel: 301-451-4286
Fax: 301-402-1150
E-mail: olsterd@od.nih.gov
Tanya D. Agurs-Collins, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN Room 4074, MSC 7332
Bethesda, MD 20892-7332 (for U.S. Postal Service express or regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier delivery)
Telephone: 301-402-6637
Fax: 301-480-2087
Email: ta134x@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).
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 at 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.
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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