This Program Announcement expires on April 6, 2005, unless reissued. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARD INDIVIDUAL PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS Release Date: November 26, 2001 PA NUMBER: PAR-02-019 June 4, 2010 - This PAR has been reissued as (PAR-10-211). (This PA has been replaced, see PAR-05-091) (Extension of Receipt Date and Submission Instructions, see NOT-NR-05-001) National Institute of Nursing Research This is a revision and replacement of program announcement PA-99-017, which was published in the NIH Guide, November 19, 1998. PURPOSE The Congress of the United States enacted the National Research Service Act (NRSA) Program in 1974 to help ensure that highly trained scientists would be available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to carry out the Nation"s biomedical and behavioral research agenda. Under this congressional authority, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) awards NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to the most promising nursing applicants enrolled in doctoral programs. Up to five years of aggregate NRSA support may be provided. The proposed NRSA training must be within the scope of biomedical or behavioral research relevant to the NINR mission and must offer an opportunity for research training. Individuals are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the training program. NIH recognizes the critical importance of training clinicians to become researchers and encourages them to apply. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are also encouraged to apply. An NRSA Award may not be used to support studies leading to the M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.V.M., or other similar health-professional degrees. Neither may this award be used to support the clinical years of residency training. 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 Request for Applications (RFA), NINR Career Transition Award, 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/. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. By the time of award, individuals must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Noncitizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (e.g., American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Degree Requirements. Applicants must be registered nurses (R.N.) enrolled in doctoral programs or have been accepted by and agreed to enroll in such a graduate program in the academic year in which funds are awarded. Sponsorship. As part of the fellowship application process, certification by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution that the R.N. applicant is enrolled in the sponsoring institution"s doctoral program is required. Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must identify a sponsoring institution and an individual who will serve as a sponsor (also called mentor) and will supervise the training and research experience. The applicant"s sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research who will directly supervise the candidate"s research. The sponsor must document the availability of staff, research support, and facilities for high-quality research training. The applicant must work with his/her sponsor in preparing the application. Foreign Sponsorship. Applicants requesting foreign training must show in the application that the foreign institution and sponsor offer unique opportunities that are not currently available in the United States. Only if there is a clear scientific advantage will foreign training be supported. The institutional setting must be domestic, and may be a private (profit or nonprofit) or public academic institution. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This program announcement for the Individual Predoctoral Fellowship Award (F31) is issued under the auspices of the NRSA Act (see AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS). Awards will be administered under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants Policy Statement, which includes the NRSA Guidelines for Individual Awards found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm. The NRSA Guidelines for Individual Awards and Institutional Grants is available on the NIH Website at: https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm Period of Support The period of fellowship support requested in response to this PA may not exceed five years. Continuation of the fellowship award for each subsequent year beyond the first award period is based upon evidence of satisfactory progress in a graduate program. (Note: the total period of predoctoral training support is limited to 5 years by statute, 42 USC 288, except in unusual circumstances.) The recipient of predoctoral fellowship support must submit a written request to waive this limit on the duration of support from the NINR. RESEARCH TRAINING OBJECTIVES NINR is committed to increasing the number of doctorally-prepared nurses in order to meet the demands for adequately trained biobehavioral scientists. NINR is particularly interested in facilitating the progress of students who are in creative research training programs for recent nursing graduates and students in BSN to PhD programs. This program will provide predoctoral training support for doctoral students. The applicant must propose a research training program and dissertation research that is consistent with the scientific mission of the NINR. The research training experience must enhance the applicant"s conceptualization of research problems and research skills, under the guidance and supervision of a committed mentor who is an active and established investigator in the area of the applicant"s proposed research. The research training program should be carried out in a research environment that includes appropriate human and technical resources and is demonstrably committed to the research training of the applicant in the program he/she proposes in the application. ALLOWABLE COSTS The fellowship award provides an annual stipend to help meet the fellow"s living expenses, an allowance for tuition and fees and health insurance in accordance with NIH policy, and an annual institutional allowance. Stipend. The stipend amount is updated from time-to-time and applicants are advised to search the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for the most current rate or for the posting of the current stipend on the NIH website at https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm by following the NRSA Stipends link. NINR will adjust awards as the stipend changes. Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance. NINR will offset the combined cost of tuition, fees, and health insurance (either self-only or family as appropriate) at the following rate: 100 percent of all costs up to $3,000 and 60 percent of costs above $3,000. Costs associated with tuition and fees are allowable only if they are required for specific courses in support of the research training experience supported by the fellowship. A full description of the tuition policy is contained within the NRSA Policy Guidelines on the NIH website at https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsaguidelines/nrsa_toc.htm. Institutional Allowance. An institutional allowance of $2,500 per 12-month period will be awarded to non-Federal, non-profit sponsoring institutions to help defray such awardee expenses as research supplies, equipment, travel to scientific meetings, and related items. This allowance is intended to cover training-related expenses for the individual awardee and is not available until the fellow officially activates the award. If the fellow is not enrolled or engaged in training for more than 6 months of the award year, only one-half of that year"s allowance may be charged to the grant. The Notice of Research Fellowship Award will be revised, and the balance must be refunded to NINR. Other Training Costs. Additional funds may be requested by the institution if the training of a fellow involves extraordinary costs for: (1) travel to field sites remote from the sponsoring institution, or (2) accommodations for fellows with disabilities, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The funds requested for these additional costs must be reasonable in relationship to the total dollars awarded under the F31. Such additional funds shall be provided only in exceptional circumstances that are fully justified and explained by the institution. Funds are not available to cover the cost of travel between the fellow"s place of residence and a training institution. However, in cases of extreme need or hardship, a one-way travel allowance may be authorized by NINR. Such travel must be paid from the institutional allowance. Awards for training at a foreign site may include, in addition to the institutional allowance, a single economy or coach round-trip travel fare. No allowance is provided for dependents. U.S. flag carriers must be used to the maximum extent possible when commercial air transportation is available for travel between the United States and a foreign country or between foreign countries. Facilities and Administrative Costs. F&A (indirect) costs are not awarded on individual fellowship awards. STIPEND SUPPLEMENTATION, COMPENSATION, AND OTHER INCOME An institution is permitted to provide funds to a fellow in addition to the stipend paid by the NIH. Such additional amounts may be in the form of augmented stipends (supplementation) or compensation for services. Supplementation. Supplementation or additional support to offset the cost of living may be provided by the sponsoring institution, but must not require any additional effort from the fellow. Federal funds may not be used for supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of both the program from which such supplemental funds are to be received and the program whose funds are to be supplemented. Under no circumstances may DHHS grant funds be used for supplementation. Compensation. An institution may provide additional funds to a fellow in the form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition remission) for services such as teaching or laboratory assistantships. Compensation for services is not considered stipend supplementation. A fellow may receive compensation for services as a research assistant or in some other capacity on a Federal research grant, including a PHS research grant. However, compensated services must occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal training activities, which require a minimum of 40 hours per week. In addition, compensation may not be paid from a research grant supporting research that is part of the F31 research training experience. Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation or the services provided for compensation interfere with, detract from, or prolong the fellow"s approved NRSA training program. Additionally, compensation must be in accordance with institutional policies applied consistently to both federally and non-federally supported activities and supported by acceptable accounting records determined by the employer-employee relationship agreement. Educational Loans or G.I. Bill. An individual may make use of Federal educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (G.I. Bill). Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation. Concurrent Awards. An F31 may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA. Tax Liability. The Internal Revenue Code, Section 117, applies to the tax treatment of all scholarships and fellowships. Degree candidates may exclude from gross income reported for tax purposes any amount used for tuition and related expenses, such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment, required for courses of instruction at a qualified educational organization. The taxability of stipends, however, in no way alters the relationship between NRSA fellows and institutions. NRSA stipends are not considered salaries. NRSA fellows are not considered to be in an employee-employer relationship with the NIH or with the institution at which they are pursuing their degree. The interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the courts. The NIH takes no position on the status of a particular taxpayer, and it does not have the authority to dispense tax advice. Individuals should consult their local IRS office about the applicability of the law to their situation and for information on the proper steps to be taken regarding their tax obligations. The business office of the sponsoring institution is not required to issue IRS Form 1099 (Statement of Miscellaneous Income) for fellows paid through the institution, however, institutions may choose to issue the form as a reminder for fellows. NIH will issue the form for all fellows training at Federal or foreign laboratories and receiving a stipend check from the U.S. Treasury. PAYBACK There are no payback requirements for predoctoral NRSA support. LEAVE Predoctoral fellows may continue to receive stipends during periods of vacation and holidays available to individuals in comparable training positions at the sponsoring institution. Also, predoctoral fellows may continue to receive stipends for up to 15 calendar days of sick leave per year. Sick leave may be used for the medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. Fellows may continue to receive stipends for up to 30 calendar days of parental leave per year for the adoption or the birth of a child when those in comparable training positions at the grantee or sponsoring institution have access to paid leave for this purpose and the use of parental leave is approved by the sponsor. A period of terminal leave is not permitted and payment may not be made from grant funds for leave not taken. Individuals requiring extended periods of time away from their research training experience must seek approval from the NINR for an unpaid leave of absence. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS 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 AMENDMENT "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on October 9, 2001 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html), a complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at https://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 new PHS Form 398, 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 RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects must read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL address: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. PUBLIC 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 public 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: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm. Applicants may wish to place data collected under this PA 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. 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 a 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. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site. 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 proposals for research involving human subjects. This policy announcement is found in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement dated June 5, 2000, at the following website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Individuals must submit the application form, PHS Individual National Research Service Award (PHS 416-1, rev. 12/98), and include at least three letters of reference. If the applicant has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, the appropriate item should be checked on the Face Page of the application. Applicants who have applied for and have not yet been granted admission as a permanent resident should check the Permanent Resident block on the Face Page of the PHS 416-1 application, and also write in the word "pending." A notarized statement documenting legal admission for permanent residence must be submitted prior to the issuance of an award. Potential applicants are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to consult with one of the NINR program staff listed under INQUIRIES prior to submitting an application. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 301/710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. All fellowship applications submitted in response to this Program Announcement must identify the number PAR-02-019 in Item 3. The following MUST be included with the application at the time of submission. Failure to include any of these items may delay review of the application: o THREE reference letters in sealed envelopes must be affixed to the original face page of the application. The sponsor cannot be used as a reference. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT THREE REFERENCE LETTERS WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT REVIEW. o a copy of the results of the Graduate Record Examination must be included at the end of the application, o a clear and legible copy of the applicant"s transcript(s) from all undergraduate and graduate institutions in which the applicant is/has been enrolled must be included at the end of the application, o a description of the graduate or combined degree program in which the applicant is either enrolled or has been admitted and agreed to enroll must be included as Item 34 of the application. o a description of plans to receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research must be included in Item 34. No award will be made if an application lacks this component. Concurrent Applications. An individual may not have more then one individual NRSA fellowship or comparable application pending review or award at the NIH or other DHHS agencies at the same time. The Individual (F31) NRSA Fellowship application undergoes a review process that takes between 5 and 8 months. The three annual review cycles are as follows: Application Receipt Date: April 5, 2005 Initial Review Date: June/July 2005 Secondary Review Date: Aug/Sep 2005 Anticipated Date of Award: Dec 1, 2005 INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED. APPLICATIONS MUST ALSO FOLLOW GUIDELINES REGARDING FONT SIZE AND OTHER APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS, for example the NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-01-037 at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-01-037.html SUBMISSION Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the Checklist, Personal Data form, at least three sealed reference letters, and all other required materials) and two (2) exact, clear, single-sided photocopies of the signed application, in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 BETHESDA, MD 20892 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (express mail) (a mailing label is included in the PHS 416-1 application kit) REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications that are complete and responsive to the purpose of this program will receive two sequential levels of review. The first level is an assessment of scientific and technical merit by a peer review group composed primarily of senior non-government nurse scientists selected for their research and research training expertise in particular substantive domains. After this initial review meeting, the Scientific Review Administrator (SRA), a designated Federal official who coordinates the review of applications, prepares a written summary of the peer review group"s evaluation of each application. This evaluation serves as the foundation for a second level of review by the NINR Division of Extramural Activities, which precedes funding decisions. It is anticipated that individual predoctoral fellowship applications will be received from candidates at varying points in their doctoral education, ranging from initial acceptance into graduate studies through the completion of coursework. Appropriate review requires that the application accurately reflect the candidate"s progress through the doctoral program. This is particularly important for candidates who are enrolled in BSN-PhD programs. Such information is critical for an appropriate review of the entire application, including the research proposal component. Thus, candidates should distinguish clearly between completed and proposed coursework, required and elective courses, and both describe and explain the relevance of all courses and research experiences to the candidate"s short- and long-term research and/or career objectives. To further assist reviewers in evaluating the candidate"s progress in graduate studies, applications also should include a timeline for the completion of coursework, preliminary/comprehensive examinations, and the doctoral degree. Review Criteria The F31 individual predoctoral fellowship is a research training award designed to prepare future generations of outstanding scientists for research careers relevant to the NINR scientific and public health mission. Major considerations in the review of each application include the candidate"s potential for a productive career, the candidate"s need for the proposed training, and the degree to which the research training proposal, the sponsor, and the environment will satisfy those needs. Reviewers are instructed to consider the following factors in evaluating the overall merit of each application: Candidate o the candidate"s previous undergraduate and graduate education, degrees, and academic performance, o relevant research experience, awards and honors, professional training, and publications, o evidence of the candidate"s commitment to a research career, o letters of reference regarding the candidate"s qualifications, commitment, and scientific potential, Research Training Plan o clarity and specificity of, and justification for the candidate"s proposed research training needs, o adequacy of the objectives, design, and components of the research training plan for meeting the candidate"s research training needs, including coursework and individualized supervised research experiences, o adequacy of plans to provide training in the responsible conduct of scientific research, o for students who have advanced to candidacy, the inclusion of the names of dissertation committee members and the relevance of their expertise to the research training plan, o potential of proposed research training to serve as a sound foundation that will lead the candidate to a productive research career in scientific areas related to the NINR mission, Research Proposal o clarity, specificity, and scientific significance of the candidate"s stated research interests, questions, and objectives, o organization, coherence, and thoroughness of the candidate"s critical review and synthesis of the literature in support of the stated research interests, questions, and objectives, o adequacy and feasibility of the proposed research design, including methods, measures, procedures, sample composition, subject recruitment, and data analytic plans. Details and specificity of the research design should be commensurate with the candidate"s level of research experience, training, and completed coursework, o adequacy of plans for the protection of human subjects, animals, and the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the research proposed, o adequacy of plans to include women, children and minorities as subjects in research, if applicable, Sponsor: o qualifications of the sponsor as a researcher, including history of publications and successful competition for research support, o the goodness of fit between the research interests of the candidate and scientific experience and expertise of the sponsor(s), o evidence of the proposed sponsor"s understanding of and commitment to fulfilling the role of sponsor and mentor, o evidence of the sponsor"s understanding of the candidate"s research training needs, and the ability to assist in meeting those needs, o past research training record of the sponsor in terms of the rate at which former predoctoral trainees or graduate students have obtained their doctoral degrees and pursued scientific careers, Institutional Environment/Commitment: o adequacy of the research training environment, including the level of institutional commitment to research training and career development, the quality of the facilities and related resources and infrastructure (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, subject populations) and the availability of research support. AWARD CRITERIA NINR staff use the following criteria in making awards: (1) eligibility of the applicant, (2) the recommendation of the overall merit of the application by the peer review study section, (3) the relevance of the application to the Institute"s research priorities and program balance, and (4) the availability of funds. Activation. No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has started training under the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5) has been submitted to the NINR. An awardee has up to 6 months from the issue date on the Notice of Research Fellowship Award to activate the award. Under unusual circumstances, NINR may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt of a specific request from the fellow. A complete listing of the NRSA terms and conditions of support may be found at: https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm INQUIRIES Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to one of the NINR Program Directors listed according to areas of science on the following web site: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ResearchAndFunding/DEA/OEP/AreasofscienceFile.htm For inquiries regarding fiscal matters, contact: Ms. Cindy McDermott Office of Grants and Contracts Management National Institute of Nursing Research Building 45, Room 3AN-12 Bethesda, MD 20892-6300 Telephone: (301) 594-6869 FAX: (301) 480-8260 Email: cindy_mcdermott@nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.361. Awards are made under authorization of sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered under NIH grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-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, and 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.


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