Part I Overview Information


Department of Health and Human Services )

Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Components of Participating Organizations
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov)
National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI), (
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
National Institute on Aging (NIA), (
http://www.nia.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), (
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)
National Institute on Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), (
http://www.nichd.nih.gov)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (
http://www.nida.nih.gov)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (
http://www.nimh.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)
Office of Disease Prevention (ODP), (http://odp.od.nih.gov/)
Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), (http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/)

Title: Research on Social Work Practice and Concepts in Health (R03)

Announcement Type
This is a reissue of PA-06-082, which was previously released on December 1, 2005.

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

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 should be started at least four weeks in advance of the planned submission. See Section IV.

Two steps are required for on time submission:

1) The application must be submitted to Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission date (see Key Dates below).

2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the Commons.

Program Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-233

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.279 (NIDA), 93.242 (NIMH), 93.273 (NIAAA), 93.399 (NCI), 93.866 (NIA), 93.361 (NINR), 93.865 (NICHD), 93.856 (NIAID), 93.837 (NHLBI)

Key Dates

Release/Posted Date: March 10, 2006
Opening Date: May 2, 2006
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not Applicable.
Application Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details.
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): Not Applicable.
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for details.
Council Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for details.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for details.
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: February 1, 2009 (now May 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093)

Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research solicits Small Research Grant (R03) applications from organizations/institutions that propose to develop empirical research on social work practice, concepts, and theory as these relate to the NIH public health goal of improving health outcomes for persons with medical and behavioral disorders and conditions.

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 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 Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), via this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages innovative, theory-driven empirical research on social work practice, concepts and theory as these relate to the NIH public health goal of improving health outcomes for persons with medical and behavioral disorders and conditions. Areas of interest include studies that characterize the usual and/or best practices of social workers and how these relate to health outcomes, studies establishing the efficacy and effectiveness of health-related interventions and services delivered by social workers, aspects of health-related social work services that are unique to specialty health care settings (e.g., clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, etc) and non-specialty health care settings (e.g., social service agencies, schools, jails and prisons, etc.), the nature and impact of routine prevention or clinical practice, and factors related to successful dissemination and implementation of social work services and interventions with proven effectiveness.

The award mechanism is designed to provide flexibility to meet unique needs of both applicant institutions and supporting NIH institutes. This FOA is consistent with the recent NIH plan for social work research (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/Documents/Publications/SWR_Report.pdf), building upon efforts of NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA, NCI, and NIA), following recommendations of the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences found in their reports - Bridging the Gap Between Practice and Research: Forging Partnerships with Community-Based Drug and Alcohol Treatment, and Health Services (1998). The goals of this program are three-fold: (1) to encourage submissions of research studies relevant to both social work practice and to the missions of individual NIH institutes, (2) to develop an empirical knowledge base on an important but often neglected component of the real world health care system, and (3) to increase the participation of social work researchers in interdisciplinary public health research. These goals are viewed as critical to improving the quality and outcomes of health care in this country.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND TOPICS

Background

As one of the largest allied health professions in the U.S., social work is a primary provider of psychosocial interventions and services intended to facilitate treatment of medical conditions, improve disease management and prevention, and address related social, psychological or emotional problems in order to improve health and functioning. The underlying theoretical perspective of social work is the biopsychosocial model, derived from systems theory, which posits that physical, psychological, and social environmental conditions influence one another and must be taken into account in order to optimize health outcomes and functioning. In fact, studies (1, 2) have suggested that medical interventions may be enhanced with behavioral and social intervention. In delivering such interventions, social work practice often involves intervening in the context of complex interactions that may include not only patients and their families, but other service and treatment providers, service organizations and systems, and communities and community organizations. The profession has, therefore, developed significant clinical expertise in working within and across systems of care and services on a variety of levels, in the context of interdisciplinary teams, and in direct practice with diverse and/or multi-problem populations. An empirical approach to understanding the mechanisms of action in social work practice, to improving the efficacy and effectiveness of social work interventions, and to disseminating and implementing exemplary practice approaches and methods can add a significant but understudied component to the portfolios of various NIH institutes and make a unique and important contribution to improving public health.

1) McLellan, A., Arndt, I., Metzger, D., Woody, G. and O'Brien, C. (1993). The effects of psychosocial services in substance abuse treatment. Journal of the American Medical Association 269 (15), 1953-9.

2) O'Malley, S.S., Jaffe, A.J., Chang, G., Rode, S. Schottenfeld, R., Meyer, R.E. and Rounsaville, B. (1996). Six-month follow-up of naltrexone and psychotherapy for alcohol dependence. Archives of General Psychiatry 53:217-224

Specific Objectives

Applications should be relevant to the objectives of the FOA and to the research interests of at least one of the participating institutes. Prior to preparing an application, researchers are strongly encouraged to both review the research interests of the participating institutes, and to contact relevant program staff to discuss the intended study.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications to develop research in key areas in which social work practice can serve as a platform for advancing knowledge. Such areas include, but are not limited to:

1. Studies that establish the impact of social work services and interventions on health outcomes, diseases, health behaviors and treatments, including strategies that:

2. Studies to assess or adapt existing or develop new interventions to be delivered by social workers. For the purpose of this FOA, "intervention" includes psychosocial or combination approaches to:

3. Studies of effective strategies to improve health outcomes via social work interventions delivered in nontraditional health care delivery settings (e.g., school, employment- or faith-based settings, welfare or social services agencies, jails or prisons). Such strategies might also include coordination or integration of services across settings such as specialty health, general health, educational, vocational and housing services to maximize receipt of needed services and improve health outcomes.

4. Studies of social work’s role in effective program implementation strategies whereby efficacious health interventions are introduced, integrated into and sustained in community settings, including studies of:

The intended result of the support provided by this FOA is the integration of social work research programs and concepts into the mainstream of sound science, including prevention science and into standard public health practice. Applicants are required to develop collaborative relationships across disciplines and with public sector agencies involved in the exploration of solutions to healing associated with specific diseases of the NIH interests. Innovative projects which cross traditional institute lines are encouraged following the recommendations for science innovation in the NIH Roadmap Initiative (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/researchteams/).

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information


1. Mechanism(s) of Support

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. 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 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 as defined in NIH Policy. See NOT-OD-05-046 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-046.html

For specific information about the R03 programs, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm.

2. Funds Available

Although the financial plans of the ICs provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

A project period of up to two 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 two 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, November 2, 2004.

All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

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:

Applications from foreign institutions must conform to the NIH’s policy for foreign grants. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/part_iii_5.htm.

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with his/her 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 (PD/PIs) should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons.

Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:

1) Organization/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started

2) Organization/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons

3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.

Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. 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 301-710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

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
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 a unique research opportunity not available in the United States.

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates

Opening Date: May 2, 2006
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: Not applicable.
Application Submission Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#AIDS
Peer Review Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Council Review Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: http://grants.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. Electronic Transmission of an Application to the NIH

To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically.
PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

3.C. Application Processing

Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov on or after the opening date and must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the submission date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research Administration process for validation. Both the PD/PI and the Signing Official for the organization must verify the submission via Commons within two (2) business days of notification of the NIH validation.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

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 that 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:

Plan for Sharing Research Data

The 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 website, 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.

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 requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131). Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm). See Section VI.3. Reporting.

Section V. Application Review Information


1. Criteria (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.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the 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 SF 424 (R&R).

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 percent 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

Data Sharing Plan: The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score. The presence of a data sharing plan will be part of the terms and conditions of the award. The funding organization will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing policy.

2.D. Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_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: 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 NIH 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.

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:

General Inquiries regarding the scope and content of this FOA should be directed to:

National Institutes of Health
G. Stephane Philogene, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Policy and Planning
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive, Room B1C32
Bethesda, MD 20892-2248
Telephone: (301) 402-3902
Fax: (301) 480-7555
E-mail: PhilogeS@OD.NIH.GOV

Direct inquiries regarding research interests and topics of Specific Institutes and Centers to:

National Cancer Institute
Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Basic and Biobehavioral Research Branch
Behavioral Research Program,
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Blvd., MSC 7326
Executive Plaza North, Room 4054
Bethesda, MD 20892-7326
Phone: (301) 594-6655
Fax: (301) 435-7547
Email: sheurtin@mail.nih.gov

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Susan Czajkowski, Ph.D.
Behavioral Medicine and Prevention Scientific Research Group
Clinical Applications and Prevention Program
Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 8114
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 435-0406
Fax: (301) 480-4773
Email: czajkows@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Aging
Sidney M. Stahl, Ph.D.
Chief, Individual Behavioral Processes Branch
Behavioral and Social Research Program
National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health
7201 Wisconsin Ave., #533
Bethesda, MD 20892-9205
Phone: (301) 402-4156
Fax: (301) 402-0051
Email: Sidney_Stahl@nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Peggy Murray, M.S.W.
Chief, Health Sciences Education Branch,
Office of Research Translation and Communications, NIAAA
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 3105, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Ph: (301) 443-2594
Fax: (301) 480-1726
Email: pmurray@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Child Health and Human Development
V. Jeffery Evans Ph.D., J.D.
DBSB, CPR, NICHD
Room 8B07 6100 Executive Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 496-1176
FAX: (301) 496-0962
E-Mail: Jeff_Evans@nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Jerry Flanzer, Ph.D.
Services Research Branch
Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention
National Institute of Drug Abuse, Room 5185
6001 Executive Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 443-6504
FAX: (301) 443-6815
Email: Jflanzer@NIDA.NIH.GOV

National Institute of Mental Health
Ms. Denise Juliano-Bult, M.S.W.
Division of Services and Intervention Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7146, MSC 9631
Bethesda, MD 20892-9631
Telephone: (301) 443-3364
FAX: (301) 443-4045
Email: djuliano@mail.nih

National Institute of Mental Health (AIDS)
Andrew D. Forsyth, Ph.D.
Chief, Primary HIV Prevention & Behavior Change Program
Center for Mental Health Research on AIDS
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, RM 6201, MSC 9619
Bethesda, MD USA 20892-9619
Phone: (301) 443-8403
Fax: (301) 443-9719
E-mail: aforsyth@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Nursing Research
Martha L. Hare, Ph.D., R.N
National Institute of Nursing Research
6701 Democracy Boulevard
One Democracy Plaza, Room 710
Bethesda, MD 20892-4870 Courier: 20817
Phone: (301) 451-3874
Fax: (301) 480-8260
Email: harem@mail.nih.gov

Office of Disease Prevention
Martina Vogel-Taylor
Senior Advisor for Disease Prevention
Office of Disease Prevention
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Office of Disease Prevention, OD, NIH
phone: (301) 496-6614
Fax: (301) 480-7660
email: MartinaV@nih.gov

Office of Research on Women's Health
Eleanor Z. Hanna, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Special Projects and Centers
Office of Research on Women’s Health
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Executive Plaza South 150A
6120 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7116
Phone: (301) 435-1573
Fax: (301) 402-0005
E-mail: hannae@od.nih.gov

2. Peer Review Contacts:
Not applicable

3. Financial/Grants Management Contacts:

National Cancer Institute
Crystal Wolfrey
Team Leader, DCCPS Team
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
6120 Executive Blvd., Suite 243
Bethesda, MD 20892 (for regular mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for hand delivered mail)
Phone:(301) 496-8634
Fax: (301) 496-8601
Email: crystal.wolfrey@nih.gov

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Tanya McCoy
Grants Management Specialist
DEA, GOB, ECAGMS
National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7154
Bethesda, MD 20892
phone: (301) 435-0171
e-mail: mccoyt@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Aging
Linda Whipp
Chief, Grants and Contracts Management Office
National Institute on Aging
Gateway Building, Room 2N212
7201 Wisconsin Ave.
Mailstop Code: 2292
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-1472
Email: WhippL@nia.nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Judy Fox
Chief, Grants Management Branch, NIAAA
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 3023, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Ph: (301) 443-4704
Fax: (301) 443-3891
E-mail: jfox@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Child Health and Human Development
Victoria Connors
GMB, NICHD
Room 8A17P 6100 Executive Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 496-5482
FAX: (301) 451-5510
E-Mail: connorsv@mail.nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Gary Fleming, J.D., M.A.
Grants Management Branch
6101 Executive Boulevard, Suite 242, MSC 8403
Bethesda, MD 20892-8403
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
FAX: (301) 594-6849
Email: gf6s@nih.gov

National Institute of Mental Health
Rebecca Claycamp, CRA
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard
, Room 6122, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-2811
Email: rclaycam@mail.nih

National Institute on Nursing Research
Brian Albertini
Chief, Office of Grants and Contracts Management
National Institute of Nursing Research
6701 Democracy Boulevard
One Democracy Plaza, Room 710
Bethesda, MD 20892-4870 Courier: 20817
Phone: (301) 594-6869
Fax: (301) 402-4502
Email: albertib@mail.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information


Required Federal Citations

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.

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.

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.

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 FOA 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 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.


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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices



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