Department of Health and Human Services
Participating OrganizationsComponents of Participating Organizations
National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(NIAAA), (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)
Title: Collaborative R01s for Clinical and Services Studies of
Mental Disorders, AIDS and Alcohol Use Disorders (R01) Update: The following updates relating to this announcement have been issued:
Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PA-06-154,
which was previously released March 7, 2006
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 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 applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-07-092
93.242, 93.273
Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: November 27, 2006
Opening Date: January 5, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to
Grants.gov)
Letter 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).
Application Submission/Receipt
Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
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:
May 8, 2009 (per NOT-MH-09-002) -
Previously: January 8, 2009 (per NOT-OD-07-093) -
Originally: January 3, 2009
Due Dates for E.O.
12372
Not Applicable
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. Sending 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
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), seek to support collaborative intervention trials in the treatment, prevention or rehabilitation of those with mental disorders and alcohol use disorders and comorbid mental disorders. Support is also sought for other collaborative clinical studies, including but not limited to mental health services research, AIDS, genetics, psychopathology, stigma, and cultural and social processes. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) should be used when two or more sites are needed to complete the study. The collaborating studies share a specific protocol across the sites and are organized as such in order to increase sample size, accelerate recruitment, or increase sample diversity and representation. In studies with a large number of sites, it is expected that one site will be submitted as a coordinating site for data management and/or other centralized administration. This FOA also supports projects involving collaboration between community-based organizations such as consumer or advocacy groups, state or local governments, and Tribal governments with universities and colleges. In the latter case especially, the combined sites would be expected to bring complementary and additive expertise to bear on a project. For a linked set of collaborative R01s, each site has its own Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) and the program provides a mechanism for cross-site coordination, quality control, database management, statistical analysis, and reporting.
Collaborative studies are appropriate to address research questions that are beyond the capacity of any single-site investigation. Considerations such as increased sample size, representation, and diversity may all support the need for multi-site studies, as do considerations of the need for collaboration between sites with diverse expertise and/or perspective. The following are given as examples of the types of studies that can be supported under this mechanism—these are meant to be illustrative only and are not intended to be restrictive or exclusive.
See Section VIII, Other
Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this
announcement.
Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism(s) of Support
This FOA will use the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. R01s will be submitted as a linked group or set of R01s, usually one R01 per participating PD/PI. For each set of linked collaborative R01 applications, it is expected that each application will be coordinated and interlocked with the others as each application will contribute an essential component to the overall study. In the case of multi-site clinical trials, it is anticipated that the same protocol will be submitted by each site. However, there are likely to be elements unique to some sites (e.g., data coordination, fidelity assessment, statistical analyses). Based on the particular science proposed and the determined need for substantial involvement by NIMH staff, NIMH may convert a linked set of collaborative R01s into cooperative agreement U01s or U10s, following the peer review.
The applicant will
be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed
project.
This FOA uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular as well as the
non-modular budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm).
Specifically, if you are a U.S. organization and 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).
U.S. applicants requesting more than $250,000 in annual direct costs and all foreign applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the Research & Related Budget component found in the application package for this FOA. See NOT-OD-06-096, August 23, 2006.
2. Funds AvailableNIH
grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards
made in response to this FOA.
F&A costs requested by consortium participants
are not included in the direct cost limitation. See NOT-OD-05-004, November 2, 2004.
Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
1.A. Eligible
Institutions
You may submit (an) application(s) if your institution/organization has
any of the following characteristics:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to
carry out the proposed research as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her
organization 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.
More than one PD/PI, or multiple
PDs/PIs, may be designated on the application for projects that require a “team
science” approach that clearly does not fit the single-PD/PI model.
Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures
to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is
available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in
the NIH eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).
The decision of whether to apply for a single PD/PI or multiple PD/PI grant is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for multiple PD/PI grants will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. The NIH review criteria for approach, investigators, and environment have been modified to accommodate applications involving either a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs. When considering multiple PDs/PIs, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PD/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.
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 a SF424 (R&R)
Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the
SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow the directions provided on that Web site.
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PDs/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the eRA Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Registered
2) Organizational/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.
Both the PD/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.
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 organization/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 the 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, 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 in accordance
with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this
FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
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 “Frequently Asked Questions – Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”
The SF424 (R&R) application has several components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in the following components:
Required Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File (a
single pdf file with information on collaborative sites and, where appropriate,
information on Institute approval for applications at budgets of $500,000 or
above, as noted in Section IV.6. below)
SF424 (R&R) (Cover
component)
Research & Related
Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information (containing
a pdf file on Collaborative Applications, as noted in Section IV.6. below)
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget or Research & Related Budget,
as appropriate (See Section IV.6., “Special Instructions,”
regarding appropriate required budget component.)
Research & Related Budget
(required for foreign applications)
Optional Components:
Research & Related
Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form
Foreign
Organizations (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)
NIH
policies concerning grants to foreign (non-U.S.) organizations can be found in
the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.
Applications from foreign organizations must:
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.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs
When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact” PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs, but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above.
Information for the Contact PD/PI should be entered in item 15 of the SF424(R&R) Cover component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of “PD/PI.” Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the “Credential” field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.
All projects proposing Multiple PDs/PIs will be required to include a new section describing the leadership of the project.
Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, a new section of the research plan, entitled “Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan” (Section 14 of the Research Plan Component in the SF424 (R&R)), must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.
If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award.
Applications Involving a Single Institution
When all PDs/PIs are within a single institution, follow the instructions contained in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Applications Involving Multiple Institutions
When multiple institutions are involved, one institution must be designated as the prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. When submitting a detailed budget, the prime institution should submit its budget using the Research & Related Budget component. All other institutions should have their individual budgets attached separately to the Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form. See Section 4.8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the subaward budget form.
When submitting a modular budget, the prime institution completes the PHS398 Modular Budget component only. Information concerning the consortium/subcontract budget is provided in the budget justification. Separate budgets for each consortium/subcontract grantee are not required when using the Modular budget format. See Section 5.4 of the Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component
3. Submission Dates
and Times
See Section
IV.3.A for details.
3.A. Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: January 5, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be
submitted to Grants.gov)
Application Submission/Receipt Dates(s): Standard dates
apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission/Receipt Dates(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
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: 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/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp 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. The submitting AOR receives the
Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments.
Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review
Group is also in the Commons.
Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on their application status 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” (3 pages maximum) 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 or competing continuation 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 or competing
continuation 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
PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)
The NIH requires the PD/PI(s) 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.
Organizational DUNS
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 “Frequently Asked Questions –
Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.” /span>
Special Instructions for Modular Grant applications
R01 applications from U.S. institutions/organizations requesting up to $250,000 per year in direct costs (excluding consortium F&A costs) must be submitted in a modular budget format. Additional information on modular budgets is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm. When submitting a modular budget, the applicant organization will include only the PHS398 Modular Budget component. See Section 5.4 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instructions regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.
Foreign organizations may not submit modular budgets. See NOT-OD-06-096.
Special Instructions for Applications Requesting $500,000 (direct costs) or More Per Year
Applicants requesting $500,000 or more
in direct costs for any year (excluding consortium F&A costs) OR $500,000 or more in direct costs for
the COMBINED budgets across the linked
applications, in any year
(again excluding consortium F&A costs) must carry out the following steps:
1) Contact the IC program
staff at least 6 weeks before submitting the collaborative applications, i.e.,
as you are developing plans for the study;
2) Obtain agreement from the IC staff
that the IC will accept your collaborative applications for consideration for
award; and,
3) Include, in the PHS398 Cover Letter component, the name of the staff member and IC who agreed to accept assignment of the application.
Each application of a collaborative set must have this referenced in the cover
letter and have approval for each site, even if individual sites do not reach
or exceed $500,000 individually.
This policy applies to all new applications, competing renewal (formerly “competing continuation”) applications, resubmission (formerly “revised/amended”) applications, and revision (formerly “competing supplemental”) applications. See NOT-OD-02-004, October 16, 2001.
APPENDIX MATERIALS
IMPORTANT NOTE: NIH
has published new limitations on grant application appendix materials to
encourage applications to be as concise as possible while containing the
information needed for expert scientific review.
Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).
Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the required page limitations may be delayed in the review process.
Note: While each section of the PHS398 Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to monitor better 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.
Foreign Applications (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)
Application Title (required format)
In order to allow NIH to identify a group of applications as a related set of collaborative R01s, the titles to each R01 of a set, must have the following format: a “1/N” indicator + Identical title (e.g., “1/6-Multisite Comparison of Drug A vs. Drug B for Treatment of Disorder X”, where the 1/6 means this is site 1 of 6 sites in the set. The other sites will be labeled 2/6, 3/6, etc.) Titles may not exceed 80 characters in length, so please include the tag, e.g., 1/6, at the beginning of the title.
PHS 398 Cover Letter (required)
The Cover Letter is one pdf file only. Therefore, it must include the information requested below on the collaborative sites, as well as, where required, the Institute approval information on applications that are at or exceed a $500,000 budget. The following collaborative information is required in the Cover Letter: a listing of all the applications that are a part of the set of collaborative R01s being submitted, including for each: 1) the PD/PI name, 2) the Title (including the tag, e.g., “1/6”), and 3) the Applicant Institution. Each site should submit an identical listing.
Research and Related Other Project Information Component (required)
A list of the collaborative applications as described for the Cover Letter must also be included in Item 11. Other Attachments. The information provided in this attachment MUST include a listing of all the applications that are a part of the set of collaborative R01s being submitted, including for each: 1) the PD/PI name, 2) the Title (including the tag, e.g., “1/6”), and 3) the Applicant Institution. Each site should submit an identical listing. This file should begin with a heading called “Collaborative Applications”. When saving the file, please name the file Collaborative_Applications as well, to ensure this section of the application is bookmarked appropriately.
PHS 398 Research Plan Component Sections
The application from each site must contain an identical OVERVIEW that is no longer than 2 pages and is placed prior to the Specific Aims, but included with the Specific Aims attachment. With this additional 2 page Overview, a total of 27 pages is allowed for the research plan (Items 2-5). The overview should provide an overall rationale for applying as a collaborative study; the role of each site; the approach to project management; and elements unique to any of the sites.
The application from each site must contain an identical RESEARCH PLAN - Section 2, Items 2-5. The Research Plan must describe those aspects of the project that are common to all sites of the collaboration. Investigators should use this section to describe the research procedures or protocol, the study population from which samples are drawn, resources, data analyses, and any other characteristics that support each site’s importance to the overall project. All variations in the research plan between sites, no matter how minor, should be highlighted in a subsection of Section 2, Item 5, with the heading "ELEMENTS UNIQUE TO THIS SITE." In this subsection PDs/PIs should describe, for example, how the research site has a unique role in the collaboration, such as data coordination, statistical analyses, etc.
Applications must describe a feasible mechanism for scientific integration of research procedures, overall managerial and administrative responsibilities, and cross-site comparability of training to assure reliability and quality control. The PDs/PIs may or may not wish to designate a Steering Committee or other decision making body, or identify one individual as the contact person for the group as a whole, for purposes of NIMH or NIAAA correspondence. Plans for ensuring access to data by all sites, analytic resources, publication and authorship rights, the possibility of public use research materials and data, or other means of distributing research materials to the wider scientific community, and a means of arbitrating disagreements on publication and other issues should be included in the application.
Any site that contracts out some portions of this work should list this fact under "ELEMENTS UNIQUE TO EACH SITE," and provide a full description of the nature, purpose and oversight of this contractual arrangement.
Revised collaborative CSMD applications must include an Introduction, up to 3 pages, and highlight the changes made in the Research Plan in response to the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). This introduction should also describe how the delay in initiating the collaboration will be managed. This is particularly important if some projects in the collaborative Clinical and Services Studies of Mental Disorders (CSMD) group were awarded and research on those projects has already begun.
While each section of the Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component 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 DataThe precise content of the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being collected and how the investigator is planning to share the data. Applicants who are planning to share data may wish to describe briefly the expected schedule for data sharing, the format of the final dataset, the documentation to be provided, whether or not any analytic tools also will be provided, whether or not a data-sharing agreement will be required and, if so, a brief description of such an agreement (including the criteria for deciding who can receive the data and whether or not any conditions will be placed on their use), and the mode of data sharing (e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a disk or posting data on their institutional or personal Web site, through a data archive or enclave). Investigators choosing to share under their own auspices may wish to enter into a data-sharing agreement. References to data sharing may also be appropriate in other sections of the application.
Applicants requesting more than
$500,000 in direct costs in any year of the proposed research must include a
plan for sharing research data in their application. The funding organization
will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy ( http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).
The reasonableness of the
data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data may 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 expects
that grant 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_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. See Section
VI.3. Reporting.
Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria (Update: Enhanced review criteria have been issued for the evaluation of research applications received for potential FY2010 funding and thereafter - see NOT-OD-09-025)
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
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 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? For applications
designating multiple PDs/PIs, is the leadership approach, including the
designated roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure,
consistent with and justified by the aims of the project and the expertise of
each of the PDs/PIs?
Collaboration: Are sufficient and feasible mechanisms in place to ensure collaboration across sites to achieve scientific integration of research procedures, overall managerial and administrative responsibilities, appropriate quality control and reliability assurance, and planning for data management, analysis and reporting of results? Are there adequate plans for shared decision making among PIs with regard to personnel, clinical decisions, changes in study protocol, and authorship?
Resubmission Applications (formerly “revised/amended” applications): Are the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group adequate? Are the improvements in the resubmission application appropriate?
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 the “Human
Subjects Sections” of the PHS398 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 the “Human Subjects Sections” of the PHS398
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 adequacy of
the plans for their care and use will be assessed. See the “Other Research Plan
Sections” of the PHS398 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. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.
Applications from Foreign Organizations: Whether the project presents 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 will be assessed.
2.C. Sharing Research Data
Data Sharing
Plan: The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing
research data may 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 funding organization will be responsible for
monitoring the data sharing policy. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing.
2.D. Sharing
Research Resources
NIH policy expects
that grant 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_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 and any
related data sharing plans 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: 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.
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
Based on the particular science proposed and the determined need for substantial involvement by NIMH staff, NIMH may convert a linked set of collaborative R01s into cooperative agreement U01s or U10s, following peer review.
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 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
and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart
B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities.
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.
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:
Please see http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-funding/grants/collaborative-01-contacts.shtml for the NIMH
and the NIAAA Institute
contacts for this FOA.
2. Peer Review Contacts:
Not Applicable3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Joy R. Knipple
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-8811
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: knipplej@mail.nih.gov
Ms.
Judy Fox
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5636 Fishers Lane, Room 3023
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Telephone: (301) 443-4704
Fax: (301) 443-3891
E-mail: jfox@mail.nih.gov
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 the 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. Beginning October 1, 2004, all investigators
submitting an NIH application or contract proposal 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) application; 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 HHS 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. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses
(URLs) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used
for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible on-line
journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication that are
directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC
submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference in either
the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report
Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant
application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be
repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the
number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.
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 Part 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 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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