Full Text PAR-96-012 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 42, December 8, 1995 PA NUMBER: PAR-96-012 P.T. 14 Keywords: Biomedical Research, Multidiscipl Behavioral/Social Studies/Service National Center for Research Resources Application Receipt Date: February 1, 1996 PURPOSE The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) encourages the submission of research grant applications for the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program. The NIH IDeA is a merit-based, peer reviewed program authorized by section 402(g) of the Public Health Service Act. The purpose of the program is to broaden the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research by enhancing the competitiveness for research funding of institutions located in states in which the aggregate success rate for applications to the NIH has historically been low. Primary goals of the IDeA program are to (1) enhance the competitiveness of research institutions in the IDeA eligible states (see below) for NIH-funded grants and (2) increase the probability of long-term growth of NIH-competitive funding to investigators at institutions from these eligible states. This Program Announcement (PA) describes a three-year development program to increase, strengthen, and sustain the biomedical/behavioral research competitiveness of institutions within selected states. It is expected that institutional development goals will be proposed beyond that period. The program will be similar in some aspects to the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) initiated by the National Science Foundation (NSF). For example, EPSCoR-like committees are responsible for selecting the one application that will be submitted by an institution on behalf of that state. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, IDeA, is related to all priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report: Stock No., 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-512-1800). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Eligibility is limited to institutions in IDeA eligible states. Eligible institutions in those states include domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations both public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, research foundations, and laboratories. It is the responsibility of the State-EPSCoR committees or comparable committees to select institutions in their states that have limited NIH funding but for which both the states and the institutions have a mutual agreement and commitment to the development of the biomedical/behavioral research infrastructure. Collaborative and cooperative programs between or among institutions are allowable. The applicant institution must perform a substantive role in the conduct of the planned research project activities and may not serve primarily as a conduit for the transmission of funds to another party or multiple parties. Eligible states that were awarded grants previously may submit new applications from the same or a different institution under this PA provided the focus and research goals differ from those of currently active awards. Only one application can be submitted per state. IDeA eligible states are those with success rates for obtaining NIH funds (funds awarded vs. funds requested) of less than 20 percent for the period of 1982-1994. IDeA eligible states under these criteria are: Alaska Kentucky North Dakota Arkansas Mississippi Oklahoma Delaware Montana South Dakota Idaho Nebraska West Virginia Kansas New Mexico Wyoming Applications from institutions with significant minority enrollments are especially encouraged. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This PA will use the exploratory grants (P20) mechanism. Applicants will be responsible for the planning, direction, and content of the proposed programs. Except as otherwise stated, awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement. The total project period may not exceed three years; renewal applications will not be accepted. FUNDS AVAILABLE Approximately $2,000,000 is expected to be available from NCRR in FY 1996 to support this initiative. Subject to the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications and appropriated funds, it is anticipated that approximately ten awards will be made. Total direct costs requested by the applicant institution, including the direct and indirect costs required for the third party participants, may not exceed $200,000 for each year. Indirect costs will be provided. The anticipated award date is September 30, 1996. Matching Requirement To ensure that adequate resources are available, the IDeA program requires a minimum of a one-to-one non-Federal match of funds from awardees. Each dollar of NIH support requested including both direct and indirect costs, must be matched by at least one dollar from state, institutional, or private sector sources. In-kind contributions of faculty or technical support salaries, facilities and equipment supporting existing biomedical/behavioral activities may not be used to satisfy the one-to-one matching funds requirement. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background The mission of the NIH is to expand fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, to apply that knowledge to extend the health of human lives, and to reduce the burdens resulting from disease and disability. Through its institutes and centers, each with its own research mission, the NIH provides funds for research and research training activities to institutions. Each funding unit makes awards on a competitive basis after applications are assessed for technical and scientific merit and program relevance through a two-stage process of peer-review. For many years, the NIH has made a special effort to stimulate research in educational institutions that traditionally have not received significant levels of funding through the NIH. For example, the purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program, initiated in 1985, is to enhance the research environment at such institutions by providing support to individual faculty at domestic institutions offering baccalaureate or advanced degrees in the health-related sciences. Research Goals The IDeA program will address objectives similar to those of the AREA program, but on institutional and state-wide levels. NCRR acknowledges that, due to variability among potential applications, the size and scope of the IDeA program will depend in large part upon the current size and extent of the biomedical/behavioral research environment of the applicant institutions. It is recommended that, in order to achieve maximum impact of the available funds, institutions propose innovative research activities that will stimulate sustainable improvements in the capacities of institutions in eligible states to compete successfully for NIH funds and to enhance the research competitiveness of the institutions in future years. Examples of activities include: o development of infrastructure necessary for multidisciplinary approaches for conducting broad-based research; o faculty development; o mentoring of junior faculty as they participate in research projects. In general, the applicant institution should provide evidence that an IDeA award is necessary to enhance its capability for health-related research and that there are state/institutional or other private resources committed to improve and sustain their programs. The research plan should provide sufficient information to allow the reviewers to assess the program in terms of the stated Review Criteria. The narrative portion should provide: (a) comprehensive information about the institution's current involvement in biomedical and health-related behavioral research; (b) a description of the long-range institutional research development goals to be achieved; (c) a complete description of the specific activities to achieve the goals of the program, including an evaluation plan to measure the progress of the program and the procedures to sustain the achievements obtained with IDeA funds following the grant award period; (d) a description of the administrative mechanisms to organize and oversee implementation of the plan; (e) evidence of the institution's commitment to achievement of the program goals; and (f) letters of commitment from those persons whose cooperation is critical to the success of the program including a statement from the institution's highest ranking administrative authority explaining how the IDeA application is consistent with the institution's (and/or the state's) long-range objectives to enhance the biomedical/behavioral research infrastructure and to achieve research competitiveness at the national level. Biographical data for participating scientists and chief administrative personnel and a detailed budget explaining and justifying the support requested should be prepared according to the form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) format. Requests to develop institutional research infrastructure should be made in sufficient detail to assess the potential impact on investigators and/or departments. If support for research projects is requested, up to a maximum of four research projects may be included and must be described in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the scientific merit of each project. This information is necessary to justify an IDeA award and to provide evidence that the research that will result from the award will be of high quality and be likely to compete successfully for future Federal funding. A separate detailed budget must be provided for each of these activities. Budget Considerations Allowable Costs In general, the direct costs listed in the PHS Grants Policy Statement as allowable for research grants are also allowable for the IDeA. Funds requested for the IDeA program may be used to support the following: o central shared equipment and other research resources o recruitment of faculty and other research personnel o development of research data to be included in research grant applications submitted to NIH for support through established support mechanisms o development of research skills by investigators o research salary support of key investigators o consultants o establishment of research laboratories o grant related support personnel o other direct costs of development of institutional research capability Direct Costs Not Allowable o training o construction o salary for teaching and other non-research activities o institutional grants and contract office, central accounting, and similar activities o research project support for funded investigators unless necessary for temporary start-up costs as in recruitment, or relocation or initiation of new research directions. Support provided through the IDeA program may not replace existing state, institutional or Federal research support. IDeA support may not be used to maintain current biomedical/behavioral activities, but must be used to develop innovative ways to enhance the quality and competitiveness of the state institutional biomedical/behavioral research base. 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 subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations), which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and reprinted in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994. Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3032, MSC 7762, Bethesda, MD 20892-7762, telephone 301/710-0267, email girg@drgpo.drg.nih.gov. Applicants must follow the instructions provided in the PHS 398 and clarifying instructions, below. There is a 25-page limitation for the "Research Plan". Note that the appendix is not to be used to circumvent the page limitations in the Research Plan (see page 19 of form PHS 398 for specific instructions in using an appendix). Applications that do not follow all of the instructions for the form PHS 398 will be returned. Additional instructions for application face page and budget: The Program Announcement number and title must be typed on line 2 of the face page form and the "YES" box must be checked. Items 4 and 5 on the face page of the application must be completed. Where appropriate, Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval must be obtained for each research project for which NIH support is requested. Item 6 - Dates of Entire Proposed Project Period. The total proposed project period should begin on September 30, 1996, and may not exceed three years in length. Item 7 - Costs Requested for Initial Budget Period. In 7a. enter the Total Direct Costs for Initial Budget Period as requested from NIH (Form Page 4). In 7b. enter the Total Costs Requested for Initial Budget Period. This is the total of the direct costs from (Form Page 4) and the indirect costs for the initial budget period (3a) from the Checklist. Item 8 - Costs Requested from NIH for Entire Proposed Project Period. In 8a. enter the Total Direct Costs for Entire Project Period as requested on (Form Page 5). In 8b. enter the Total Costs Requested for Entire Proposed Project Period. This is the sum of the total direct costs from (Form Page 5) and the indirect costs for the entire proposed project period (3b) from the Checklist. (Form Page 4) - Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period This budget must detail only the funds being requested from NIH for the first year. Matching funds from the institution or third-parties are to be described separately under budget justification (Form Page 5) or on a continuation page. A separate detailed budget page (Form Page 4) must be submitted for each consortium institution. If funds are being requested for more than one research project, then a detailed budget for each project must be submitted. (Form Page 5) - Budget for Entire Proposed Project Period. This page must detail only the funds being requested from NIH for the three-year project period. The signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and three exact photocopies of the signed application must be submitted to: DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must also be sent to: Dr. Jill L. Carrington Office of Review National Center for Research Resources One Rockledge Centre, Room 6018 6705 Rockledge Drive MSC 7965 Bethesda, MD 20892-7965 Email: jillc@ep.ncrr.nih.gov REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by NIH staff for completeness and responsiveness. Applications that are incomplete or nonresponsive to this PA will be returned to the applicant. The review of complete and responsive IDeA applications for scientific and technical merit will be performed by an ad hoc review committee convened by the Office of Review, NCRR. Applications will undergo a second level of review by the National Advisory Research Resources Council. Criteria for review of the overall application include the following: 1. Merit of the research development goals to be achieved by the institution and described in sufficient detail within the IDeA application; 2. Merit of the plan proposed to achieve the research development goals; and 3. Quality of the research for which support is requested from NIH. Criteria for review of infrastructure and research projects include: o Relevance of proposed project to institutional plan for expansion of biomedical/behavioral research capacity; o Significance and relevance of the proposed research problem and potential for publishable results and continued future funding; o The technical merit and appropriateness of the research plan, including specific aims, experimental design, methodology, consideration of alternatives, data analysis, scope and timetable; o Adequacy of resources, including background and training of the principal investigator and other personnel and availability and suitability of specialized facilities and equipment; o Appropriateness and adequacy of the institution's evaluation plan, including availability of expertise and time and resource allocation. 4. Research qualifications of existing and proposed personnel related to the IDeA award; 5. Overall administrative strengths of the program; 6. Evidence of the commitment of the applicant institution and the state to achieve the research development goals and to sustain those achievements; and, 7. Probability that the research development goals will be achieved and sustained, and that high quality health research will result; 8. Appropriateness of the requested budget for the project goals. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of the proposed program on the institution(s) and the state and its potential to obtain additional NIH research support to continue and expand its activities. AWARD CRITERIA In making funding decisions, NCRR will give consideration to ensure program balance among the various types of programs and/or geographic distribution. Consideration will also be given to focus on reaching minority, rural, and other underserved and disadvantaged individuals. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this activity are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Dr. Charles L. Coulter Research Infrastructure Area National Center for Research Resources One Rockledge Centre, Room 6030 6705 Rockledge Drive MSC 7965 Bethesda, MD 20892-7965 Telephone: (301) 435-0766 FAX: (301) 480-3770 Email: charlesc@ep.ncrr.nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Judith D. Musgrave Office of Grants and Contracts Management National Center for Research Resources One Rockledge Centre, Room 6086 6705 Rockledge Drive MSC 7965 Bethesda, MD 20892-7965 Telephone: (301) 435-0844 Email: judithm@ep.ncrr.nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.337. Awards will be made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Titles III and IV (Public Law 78-410, as amended, 42 USC 241) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. 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, 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. .
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