Full Text PA-95-015

ACADEMIC RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT AWARD

NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 2, January 20, 1995

PA NUMBER:  PA-95-015

P.T. 34

Keywords: 
  Grants Administration/Policy+ 


National Institutes of Health

Application Receipt Date:  June 21, 1995

PURPOSE

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is making a special effort to
stimulate research in educational institutions that provide
baccalaureate training for a significant number of the Nation's
research scientists, but historically have not been major recipients
of NIH support.  Since Fiscal Year (FY) 1985, Congressional
appropriations for the NIH have included funds for this initiative,
the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program.

The AREA funds are intended to support new research projects or
expand ongoing research activities proposed by faculty members of
eligible institutions in areas related to the health sciences.
Applications received in June 1994 for AREA grants to be awarded this
year (FY 1995) have been reviewed for scientific merit and program
relevance.  Approximately $12.7 million will be available for the NIH
AREA program in FY 1995.  As a result, about 125 AREA grants will be
made from the applications received June 1994.  Since it is
anticipated that additional funds will be available next year, the
NIH is inviting grant applications at this time for AREA grants to be
awarded competitively in FY 1996.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicant Institutions

o  All domestic health professional schools and other academic
institutions offering baccalaureate or advanced degrees in the
sciences related to health are eligible, EXCEPT those that have
received research grants and/or cooperative agreements from the NIH
totaling more than $2 million per year (direct and indirect costs) in
each of four or more years during the period from FY 1988 through FY
1994.

o  For purposes of eligibility for the AREA program, "research grants
and cooperative agreements" include the following activity codes
ONLY:

K01, K02, K04, K05, K06, K08, K11, K12, K14, K15, K16, K20, K21, P01,
P40, P41, P42, P50, P60, R01, R03, R10, R21, R22,  R23, R24, R29,
R35, R37, R55, U01, U10, U24, U41, U42, and U54.

o  "Health professional schools" (schools of medicine, dentistry,
osteopathy, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, public health,
optometry, allied health, and podiatry) means an accredited public or
non-profit private school in a State that provides training leading
to a degree granted by that school, for example, a doctor of
medicine, a doctor of dentistry, or equivalent degree.  The term
"accredited" means a school or program that is accredited by a
recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary
of Education.

o  "Other academic institutions" means, as a SINGLE eligible
component, all other schools, departments, colleges and free-standing
institutes of the institution, EXCEPT the health professional
schools.

o  Several applications proposing different research projects may be
submitted by an applicant institution.

Proposed Principal Investigators

o  Must not have active research grant support at the time of award
of an AREA grant.

o  May not submit a regular NIH research grant application for
essentially the same project as a pending AREA application.

o  Are expected to conduct the majority of their research at their
own institution, although limited access to special facilities or
equipment at another institution is permitted.

o  May not be awarded more than one AREA grant at a time nor be
awarded a second AREA grant to continue the research initiated under
the first AREA grant.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications for the AREA program will be accepted under the
application submission procedures of the Division of Research Grants
(DRG), NIH.  The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91)
is to be used in applying for an AREA grant.

Applicants must obtain the AREA Program Guidelines containing
supplemental instructions for AREA applications from the Grants
Information Office, DRG, NIH (see address below).  These instructions
must be followed in preparing an application.

AREA grants are awarded on a competitive basis.  Applicants may
request support for up to $75,000 for direct costs (plus applicable
indirect costs) for a period not to exceed 36 months.  No more than
$35,000 may be requested for direct costs for any one year.  Although
this award is non-renewable, it will enable qualified individual
scientists within the eligible institutions to receive support for
feasibility studies, pilot studies, and other small-scale research
projects preparatory to seeking more substantial funding from the NIH
research grant programs.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications for the AREA program will be subjected to the standard
peer review process involving two sequential levels of review.  The
first level of review is performed by initial review groups composed
primarily of non-Federal scientists selected for their competence in
particular scientific fields.  The second level of review is made by
the National Advisory Council or Board of the NIH awarding component
to which the grant application has been assigned by the DRG for
potential funding.  These groups are composed of both scientific and
lay representatives who are chosen for their expertise, interest, or
activity in matters related to the mission of the individual awarding
component.  Council or Board recommendations are based on both
scientific merit and relevance to awarding component program goals.

AWARD CRITERIA

Funding decisions will be based on the proposed research project's
scientific merit and relevance to NIH programs and the institution's
contribution to the undergraduate preparation of doctoral-level
health professionals.  Among projects of essentially equivalent
scientific merit and program relevance, preference will be given to
those submitted by institutions that have granted baccalaureate
degrees to 25 or more individuals who have obtained academic or
professional doctoral degrees in the health related sciences during
the period 1985-1994.  Scientists working in eligible minority and
women's educational institutions are encouraged to participate in
this program.  Since a primary purpose of the AREA program is to
furnish support to those undergraduate institutions that provide
student training in the sciences, principal investigators are
encouraged to include the participation of students in the proposed
Research Plan to the extent practicable.

INQUIRIES

Supplemental instructions/application forms

Those individuals and institutions meeting the eligibility
requirements may contact the office listed below to receive the AREA
Program Guidelines and/or form PHS 398 application packages.

Academic Research Enhancement Award
Office of Grants Information
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 449
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 710-0267
FAX: (301) 594-7045

Questions regarding eligibility, policies, procedures, and other
administrative aspects of the NIH AREA program should be referred
FIRST to the Office of Sponsored Programs at the institution. Issues
that remain AFTER consultation with the institutional Office of
Sponsored Programs and that are NOT ADDRESSED in the AREA Program
Guidelines may be directed to:

Research Training and Special Programs Office
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, Room 5B44
Bethesda, MD  20892-2186
Telephone:  (301) 496-1968
FAX:  (301) 496-0166
Email:  sk13n@nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance, No. 93.390.  Grants will be awarded under authority of
the Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 78-
410, as amended; 42 USC 241) and administered in accordance with the
PHS Grants Policy Statement and Federal regulations at 42 CFR Part 52
and 45 CFR Part 74.

The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant
recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use
of all tobacco products.  This is consistent with the PHS mission to
protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American
people.

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