INSTITUTIONAL MENTORED RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARD IN GENOMICS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Release Date: May 1, 1998 PA NUMBER: PAR-98-062 P.T. National Human Genome Research Institute PURPOSE The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is soliciting applications from U.S. educational institutions for Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards (K12). These awards are intended to foster the career development of individuals with expertise in scientific disciplines that would further technological developments critical to the success of the Human Genome Program and the understanding of the genetic basis of diseases. Eligibility is limited to individuals with degrees in computer sciences, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, physics and closely related scientific disciplines, such as bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, biomathematics, bioengineering. Under this Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, up to three scientists may be selected and appointed to this program by the grantee institutions. In other respects, the research experiences of the candidates selected for support under this award should resemble those supported by the individual Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (see PAR-98-061) Applications for this award should propose a development plan which has both intrinsic research importance and will also serve as a suitable vehicle for learning the methodology, theories, and conceptualizations necessary for well trained independent, interdisciplinary researchers. Appointees are expected to enter a structured, phased developmental program, including a designated period of didactic training followed by a period of supervised research experience. It is expected that at the end of the career development period, individuals will transition successfully into positions as independent investigators. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service 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 program announcement, Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Genomics Research and Analysis, is related to the priority area of human resource development. 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) from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202/512-1800). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications will be accepted from domestic, non-Federal organizations of higher education that have strong, well-established research and training programs in both areas of interest: (1) genomics or genetics and (2) a subset of the these disciplines: mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, and closely related disciplines, such as bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, biomathematics, bioengineering. The applicant institution must have adequate numbers of highly trained faculty in scientific areas of interest and the capability to provide guidance to individuals who wish to work at the interface of biology and the physical/computing/engineering sciences in the development of research independence. The environment should be one which will stimulate and increase the interactions between biologists and physical, computer and engineering scientists. Institutions with a K12 Award may recruit and select candidates into their programs on a local or national basis. In all aspects, the K12 Awards are intended to provide support for the development of research scientists in the same manner and under the same conditions as the Individual Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) (PAR-98-061). Appointment of minorities, women and individuals with disabilities under this program is encouraged. Candidates appointed under this program award must be U.S. citizens or noncitizen nationals, or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident. Noncitizen nationals, although not U.S. citizens, owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. They are usually born in lands that are not states, but are under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Candidates who are or have been former principal investigators on NIH research projects (R01), FIRST Awards (R29), sub-projects of program project (P01) or center grants (P50), or the equivalent, are not eligible for appointment under this program. Candidates may not concurrently hold any other PHS award that duplicates the provisions of this award. Appointees to the K12 program are encouraged to apply for independent research grant support during the period of support under this award. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Awards in response to this program announcement will use the Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program Award (K12) mechanism. The program awards will normally be for a five year period and are renewable. Up to three positions may be requested. Individuals may be appointed for three to five years, appointments are not renewable. The duration of the appointment depends upon the number of years of prior research experience and the need for additional experiences to achieve independence. Planning, direction, and execution of the program will be the responsibility of the principal investigator, the appointee and her/his mentor. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES I. BACKGROUND The NIH Human Genome Program has been initiated as a 15-year project which has very specific goals: completion of a high-density genetic linkage map of the human genome, construction of a high-resolution physical map comprised of large overlapping contigs, development of a "sequence-tagged site" map, development of technology to reduce the expense of DNA sequencing significantly below current cost, development of new technologies for interpreting the genome, development of computer tools to manage and provide access to mapping and sequencing data, examination of the ethical, legal, and social implications of the Human Genome Program, and research training. Several of the biological goals have been completed or adequate resources are in place for completion. These include: dense genetic maps of the human and mouse genomes using microsatellite markers, a human physical map containing 30,000 uniquely ordered sequence tagged sites (STS) markers, the complete DNA sequence of E. coli and S. cerevisiae (and several other bacterial genomes), and the anticipated DNA sequence of C. elegans by 1998. There goals could have not been met without the development and implement of efficient, cost-effective, robust technologies that are required for large-scale projects. Although the genome project itself is predicated on the new and powerful methods that have become available in the past decade, further technology development will be essential to facilitate the sequencing goals of the Human Genome Program and to interpret all the data resulting from the mapping and sequencing projects. The planning of the course of the Human Genome Program has assumed that new ideas, instrumentation, and approaches will be developed to further reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of DNA sequencing and to improve the management of data emanating from large-scale mapping and sequencing projects. The development and successful introduction of new technologies require both an understanding of biology and the fundamentals of the technology to be applied, so that the solutions derived are appropriate and implementable. The NHGRI believes that advances in genomic research will depend, in part, upon a cadre of scientists and scholars who have been trained intensely in more than one discipline and have the capabilities to develop innovative, appropriate, and cost-effective solutions for the problems of large-scale mapping, sequencing, and interpretation of the genome. To stimulate the training of scientists who are facile in more than one scientific discipline, the NHGRI has emphasized interdisciplinary training as one of its goals. In addition to interdisciplinary training of young scientists, there is also the opportunity to recruit scientists who have the appropriate training and experiences to design and conduct such interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary research as it relates to the construction of various types of maps, improved or new sequencing technologies, development of new and improve existing technologies to help interpret the genome, and informatics needs in support of such projects. II. PROGRAM The purpose of this Institutional Mentored Research Scientist Development Award is to provide eligible institutions the opportunity to develop and implement a program to recruit scientists interested in and capable of interdisciplinary research in areas critical to the advancement of the research goals of the Human Genome Program. The K12 award offers opportunities for training in the biological sciences to individuals with doctoral degrees in scientific disciplines that have the potential to further the technological developments essential to the success of the Human Genome Program, such as mathematics, engineering, computer sciences, chemistry and physics, and related scientific disciplines in order to enable such individuals to pursue a career in genomics research. Individual appointees" programs are often divided into two distinct phases--a basic science component and an intensive research experience under the general guidance of a qualified mentor. The basic science component must develop knowledge and research skills in scientific areas relevant to the career development goals of the candidate and must include relevant didactic and laboratory experiences. In all cases, the types of developmental experiences provided should be consistent with the candidate"s prior experience and needs. During the period of the appointment, individuals will participate in career development activities and research projects under the supervision of mentors who have distinguished themselves in the area of genomics research. At the conclusion of their career development and research experience, appointees are expected to pursue an independent career in genomics research. The award aims to develop a close and extended working relationship between the awardee and one or more highly qualified scientists working in genomics research or a closely relevant field. The relationship should optimize the opportunity for interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. As a result of the experience, the awardee should develop the capacity to apply the knowledge and research methods of her (his) discipline to relevant problems in genomics research. For the sponsoring institution, the relationship should stimulate awareness among scientists of the potential for interdisciplinary or cross- disciplinary research in genomics research. III. PROGRAM DIRECTOR The proposed Program Director should possess the scientific expertise, leadership and administrative capabilities required to coordinate and supervise an interdisciplinary program at the interface of genomics or genetics research and another discipline and be willing to develop a career development program of the scope described in the program announcement. The Program Director should also be experienced in the design and management of programs for developing investigators, and should be able to demonstrate a superior record of preparation of scientists for independent research careers. In addition, a committee with representatives from the appropriate science departments should be established to advise the Program Director. IV. MENTOR(S) The mentor must have extensive research experience in genomics research or in developing genomic approaches for genetics research or functional analyses. The mentor will sponsor and oversee the proposed training and research program, and will ensure that the appointee receives the proper experience for a future career of interdisciplinary genomic research. The mentor is expected to be a collaborator on the appointee"s research project. However, the appointee may conduct collaborative research with other experienced genome researchers, subject to the approval of the advisor. Where feasible, women, minorities and individuals with disabilities should be involved as role models. V. APPOINTEES Appointees must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent professional degree in a scientific discipline other than biology, such as engineering, mathematics, computer sciences, physics, chemistry or a closely related scientific discipline such as bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, biomathematics, bioengineering, and show evidence of expertise in their discipline (e.g., by scholarly publications or comparable accomplishments in other settings). In exceptional cases, individuals who do not have doctoral degrees, but have significant research experience, may be eligible. The candidates must demonstrate a commitment to pursue a career in genomic research following completion of the award. Individuals at all career levels may be appointed. Candidates must be willing to spend 100 percent of full-time professional effort conducting research, career development, teaching and/or research related activities. Tenure-track faculty are eligible for appointment if they can demonstrate that they can spend a substantial portion of their professional effort in research and career-development related activities and if the proposed program has the potential of accomplishing the NHGRI goals of the K12 program . Appropriate individuals who have had some postdoctoral experience in biology may be eligible for appointment to the program, if they can demonstrate that they need additional time in order to transition into independent investigators. If such individuals are appointed, their research program must include sufficient didactic activities to ensure that they receive the appropriate exposure to concepts in biology and their appointments should generally be limited to three years or less. VI. ENVIRONMENT The institution must: (1) have well-established research programs in genomics or genetics research and several of the following disciplines: mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, and closely related disciplines, such as bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, biomathematics, bioengineering, (ii) have a commitment to pursuing interdisciplinary research at the interface of these disciplines, (iii) be interested in promoting career development programs at the interface, and (iv) have qualified faculty to serve as mentors. Institutions where there are highly integrated clusters of biologists working with computer scientists, mathematicians, engineers, physicists, chemists or scientists in closely related disciplines working in the area of genomics research or genomic approaches to genetics or functional analyses are particularly appropriate training environments for appointees. The candidate, mentor and institution must be able to maximize the use of relevant research and educational resources. VII. ALLOWABLE COSTS A. Appointee"s Salary. Up to a maximum of $125,000 for full-time professional effort salary support may be requested. The total salary requested must be based on a full-time 12 month staff appointment. It must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the institution and with the salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. If full-time 12-month salaries are not currently paid to comparable staff members, the salary proposed must be appropriately related to the existing salary. The institution may supplement the NIH contribution up to a level that is consistent with the institution’s salary scale, however, supplementation may not be from Federal funds unless specifically authorized by the Federal program from which such funds are derived. In no case, may DHHS funds be used for salary supplementation. Institutional supplementation of salary must not require extra duties or responsibilities that would interfere with the purpose of the K12 award. It is expected that the appointee will devote full-time to career development and research activities. However, up to 15 percent of the appointee"s time may be used for activities, such as teaching, research-related activities or advising on research, which make use of the awardee"s own discipline as a special contribution of the NHGRI career development program to relevant interdisciplinary research programs of the sponsoring institution. In the case of tenure-track faculty, the appointee must be willing to spend a substantial amount of her/his professional effort in research and career development activities related to genomics research and analysis and the goals of the K12 program. B. Research Development Support. In addition to the appointee"s salary, up to a maximum of $20,000 in each year of the award may be requested to partially defray the research expenses of each appointee: e.g. instrument development, computer time, data collection, analysis costs, domestic travel, publication costs, and other appropriate expenses which are essential to the proposed research program. Requests for research support must be well-justified in the application. C. Tuition. If essential to the awardee"s individual development program, funds for tuition for training courses may be requested during the first year or two of the appointment on a course-by-course basis. D. Ancillary Personnel Support. Salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative support, etc., is not allowed. E. Indirect Cost. Indirect cost will be reimbursed at eight percent of modified total direct costs, or at the actual indirect cost rate, whichever is less. F. Evaluation. In carrying out its stewardship of human resources related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program. Accordingly, recipients may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants and contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program. G. Other Income: Fees resulting from professional consultation or other comparable activities required by the research and research-related activities of this award may not be retained by the career award recipient. Such fees must be assigned to the grantee institution for disposition by any of the following methods: The funds may be expended by the grantee institution in accordance with the NIH policy on supplementation of career award salaries and to provide fringe benefits in proportion to such supplementation. Such salary supplementation and fringe benefit payments must be within the established policies of the grantee institution. The funds may be used for health-related research purposes. The funds may be paid to miscellaneous receipts of the U.S. Treasury. Checks must be made payable to the Department of Health and Human Services, NIH and forwarded to the Director, Division of Financial Management, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. Checks must identify the relevant award account and reason for the payment. Appointees may retain royalties and fees for activities such as scholarly writing, service on advisory groups, or honoraria from other institutions for lectures or seminars, provided these activities remain incidental and provided that the retention of such pay is consistent with the policies and practices of the grantee institution. Usually, funds budgeted in an NIH supported research or research training grant for the salaries or fringe benefits of individuals, but freed as a result of a career award, may not be rebudgeted. The awarding component will give consideration to approval for the use of released funds only under unusual circumstances. Any proposed retention of funds released as a result of a career award must receive prior written approval of the NIH awarding component. H. Special Leave: Leave to another institution, including a foreign laboratory, may be permitted if directly related to the purpose of the award. Only local, institutional approval is required if such leave does not exceed three months. For longer periods, prior written approval of NHGRI is required. To obtain prior approval, the appointee must submit a letter to the NHGRI describing the plan, countersigned by his or her department head and the appropriate institutional official. A copy of a letter or other evidence from the institution where the leave is to be taken must be submitted to assure that satisfactory arrangements have been made. Support from the career award will continue during such leave. Leave without award support may not exceed 12 months. Such leave requires the prior written approval of the NHGRI and will be granted only in unusual situations. Support from other sources is permissible during the period of leave. Such leave does not reduce the total number of months of program support for which an individual is eligible. Parental leave will be granted consistent with the policies of the NIH and the grantee institution. I. Termination or Change of Institution. When a grantee institution plans to terminate an award, the NIH funding component must be notified in writing at the earliest possible time so that appropriate instructions can be given for termination. If the individual is moving to another eligible institution, career award support may be continued provided: A new career award application is submitted by the new institution, All conditions of the award are met at the new institution including the presence of a qualified mentor, The period of support requested is no more than the time remaining within the existing award period, and The new application is submitted far enough in advance of the requested effective date to allow the necessary time for review. The NHGRI may require a review by an initial review group and/or the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research. Alternatively, review may be carried out by staff within the NIH funding component depending upon the circumstances. The Director of the NIH may discontinue an award upon determination that the purpose or terms of the award are not being fulfilled. In the event an award is terminated, the Director of the NIH shall notify the grantee institution and career award recipient in writing of this determination, the reason thereof, the effective date, and the right to appeal the decision. A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are required upon either termination of an award or relinquishment of an award in a change of institution situation. 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 policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). 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 in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS of March 18, 1994, Volume 23, Number 11. Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from the program staff or contact person listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE 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 should 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: http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) and will be accepted on application receipt deadlines indicated in the application kit. Forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/435-0714, Email: ASKNIH@od.nih.gov, and from the program administrator listed under INQUIRIES. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and three signed photocopies, in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, SUITE 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 be sent to: Office of Scientific Review National Human Genome Research Institute Building 38A, Room 609 Bethesda, MD 20892-6050 To identify the application as a response to this program announcement, check "YES" on item 2 of page 1 of the application and enter PAR-98-062, NHGRI Mentored Research Scientist Development Program Award In Genomic Research and Analysis." The application must address the following issues: (1) Provide information establishing the commitment of the applicant institution, the program director, and the faculty mentors to providing developmental experiences that lead to independence in an interdisciplinary program in genomics or genetics research. (2) Summarize the immediate and long-term objectives of the program, explaining how the program and the K12 award will contribute to their attainment. (3) Describe the career development plans for prospective candidates. Considering the program goals and the likely goals of prospective candidates, describe a plan to provide the necessary basic science background and research experiences considering the expected range of prior research training in the applicant pool. For example, candidates with little previous research experience may require a phased developmental period in which the first year or two of support under this program award are comprised largely of didactic training in the basic sciences. For these candidates, a second phase would be an intensive, supervised research experience to complete the five year developmental program. More experienced candidates may benefit from moving immediately to a mentored research environment and a shorter period of support under this program award. The application should contain a description of how the career development plan will be tailored to the needs of the prospective candidates. (4) Describe the pool of potential candidates including information about the types of prior research training. Also, describe how the appointments will be made to the K12 Award. Describe the composition of the selection committee and the criteria to be used for selection. (5) Describe plans to recruit candidates from racial or ethnic groups that are currently underrepresented in biomedical research. 6) Describe to the extent possible the types of interdisciplinary research experiences available to the candidates. (7) Instructions in the responsible conduct of research. Applications must include plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and duration of instruction, and the amount and nature of faculty participation. No award will be made if an application lacks this component. (8) Renewal applications must include a detailed account of the career outcomes of all candidates supported by this grant including positions held, research involvement, publications, and other evidence that this program award is meeting the objectives of the NIH awarding component. (9) Budget requests must be provided according to the instructions in form PHS 398. The request for tuition and fees, books, travel, research development expenses, etc., must be justified and specified by category. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research. The following review criteria will be applied: Program Director o The strength of the program director"s research program at the interface of genomics or genetics and other related scientific disciplines o The program director’s experience in managing research training or career development programs and success in preparing investigators for independent interdisciplinary research careers in genomics or genetics and related interfacing fields such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer sciences, engineering and other closely related scientific disciplines, Candidate(s) o Availability of high quality potential candidates, o Plans for recruiting and selecting candidates (including minorities, women and individuals with disabilities), o Plan to identify candidates with a commitment to research and the potential to develop as an independent researcher, and o For renewal applications, the career success of candidates that have received support and completed their appointeeship under this award. Career Development Plan o Likelihood that the career development plan will contribute substantially to the scientific development of the candidates, o Likelihood that the career development program of the candidates will result in preparing investigators who will contribute to the goals of the Human Genome Project, o Appropriateness of the content, the phasing, and the proposed duration of the career development plan for achieving scientific independence for the prospective candidates, o Consistency of the career development plan with prospective candidate"s career goals, and o Quality of the training in the responsible conduct of research. Research Opportunities and Mentors o Availability of research opportunities appropriate to the purpose of this program, o Commitment of proposed mentors to interdisciplinary training, o Previous experience of the mentors in fostering the development of researchers, and Environment o Applicant institution"s commitment to the scientific development of the candidate(s) and assurances that the institution intends the program and the supported candidate(s) to be an integral part of its research program, Budget o Justification of budget requests in relation to career development goals and research aims. AWARD CRITERIA Funding decisions will be made based on the recommendations of the initial review group and the Council, the need for research personnel in specific program areas, and the availability of funds. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this program announcement are encouraged especially during the planning phase of the application. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Bettie J. Graham, Ph.D. National Human Genome Research Institute Building 38A, Room 610 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-7531 Email: Bettie_Graham@nih.gov Inquiries about PHS Grant Policy may be directed to: Ms. Jean Cahill Grants and Contracts Management Section National Human Genome Research Institute Building 38A, Room 613 Bethesda, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 402-0733 Email: Jean_Cahill@nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.121. Awards are made under the authority of Title III, Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (Public Law 78-410, as amended, 42 USC 241). The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42 Part 52, and Title 45 part 74, are applicable to this program. 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 routing 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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