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NCI Awardee Skills Development Consortium: Program Logistics and Evaluation Coordinating Center (U24)

The NCI Awardee Skills Development Consortium (NASDC) is an initiative designed to provide Short Course opportunities for current NCI grantees, especially those who are junior faculty (e.g., assistant professors, instructors, research scientists, or equivalent), to enhance their skills in areas that are critical for establishing and maintaining successful independent academic cancer research careers. It is anticipated that the NASDC Short Courses will help participants maintain long-term productivity in their cancer research careers, thereby maximizing the outcomes from NCI's investment in these individuals.

The NASDC initiative is funded through two companion Cooperative Agreements Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), including this Program Logistics and Evaluation Coordinating Center U24 FOA (RFA-CA-19-011) and a Research Education Short Courses UE5 FOA (RFA-CA-19-010). NCI intends to commit Total Costs of $660,000 per year for 3 years to fund one U24 Coordinating Center award. Applicants to this U24 FOA should also familiarize themselves with the companion UE5 FOA, since the NASDC U24 Coordinating Center awardee will be required to interact closely with the NASDC UE5 Short Course awardees.  

The NASDC U24 FOA solicits applications for a Program Logistics and Evaluation Coordinating Center to provide an infrastructure for the implementation and evaluation of the individual NASDC UE5 Short Courses as well as assume the lead effort in the evaluation of the overall NASDC initiative.

Specific examples of activities and roles of the NASDC U24 Coordinating Center may include, but are not limited to, working together with the NASDC UE5 Short Course awardees on:

  • Advertising the NASDC Short Courses and recruiting participants
  • Providing logistic support during course implementation
  • Arranging periodic NASDC Steering Committee in-person meetings and teleconferences and preparing summary minutes
  • Assuming a primary role in the evaluation of the NASDC Short Courses and overall NASDC program

Program Directors (PDs) / Principal Investigators (PIs) of applications submitted in response to the NASDC U24 FOA are expected to be senior faculty members with successful track records of providing collaborative leadership in the organization, management, and evaluation of large education programs involving multiple institutions and drawing participants from a national audience. An individual designated as a PD/PI (or one of Multiple PDs/PIs) on a NASDC U24 application must not be designated as a PD/PI (or one of Multiple PDs/PIs) on an application submitted in response to the companion NASDC UE5 FOA.

Support for NASDC UE5 Short Course participants is provided via the NASDC UE5 awards; participant costs are not allowed in the NASDC U24 award. Priority for participation in NASDC UE5 Short Courses is to be given to junior faculty who are PDs/PIs of current NCI-funded K01, K07, K08, K22, K23, K25, R00, R21, or first R01-equivalent grants, although any current NCI-funded extramural independent Principal Investigator or NCI intramural researcher may participate if open positions remain in the courses. 

Applicant Eligibility

PI Criteria

US Citizens and Foreign Nationals U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizen/permanent residents are eligible to apply for a U24 award, provided that the U.S. institution where the applicant is employed allows non-U.S. citizens to apply for grant support.
Degree/Academic Appointment PD(s)/PI(s) are expected to be established, senior-level faculty.
Commitment A minimum effort of 1.2 calendar months is required for each designated PD/PI and cannot be reduced below that level during the project period.
Duration of Award

3 years of support should be requested.

Participant Criteria

Citizens, Foreign Nationals and Student Visas

 Not applicable for this U24 FOA. Participant criteria are described in the companion UE5 FOA.

Budget

Program PI and Faculty Salary and fringe benefit support for the design, direction, and implementation of the program logistics and evaluation coordinating center is allowed.
Administrative Support Limited administrative and clerical salary costs associated with their work on the program are allowed, with justification.
Other Program-Related Expenses Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses are allowed with justification.
Program Participant Costs Not applicable for this U24 FOA. Participant costs are allowed in the companion UE5 FOA.
Direct Costs

Up to $440,000 Direct Costs/year for 3 years may be requested.
F&A Costs/Indirect Costs Institutional negotiated rate.

How to Apply

  • Applications must be submitted electronically.
  • Applicants must follow the instructions in the SF424(R&R) Application Guide, as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
  • When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions in Funding Opportunity Announcement.
  • Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not be accepted for review.

For assistance with application submission, please see the Frequently Asked Questions and/or contact eRA Commons Help Desk/Grants.gov Contact Center.

Application Receipt Dates and Review Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date

 Application Receipt Date Initial Review Council Review Earliest Possible Start Date*
March 1, 2019 April 1, 2019 May-June 2019 October 2019 December 2019

* Start dates are determined by the availability of NCI funds and may not occur until well after the earliest possible start date.

Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the submitting institution. 

Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by the NCI, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or non-responsive will not be reviewed.

For review criteria for the U24 grant mechanism, see Section V. Application Review Information of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Resources

NCI Staff Contacts

For additional information regarding policies and/or guidance in preparing an application for the U24 Award, contact:

For information regarding fiscal and/or budget issues, contact:

For information regarding review issues, contact:

  • Referral Officer
    Division of Extramural Activities
    Phone: 240-276-6390
    Fax: 240-276-7682
  • Updated: