SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AWARD

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 7, February 21, 1992



RFA:  AD-92-01



P.T. 25



Keywords:

  EDUCATION/INSTRUCTION 

  Mental Disorders 

  Addiction 

  Health and Safety Education 



Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration



Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 1, 1992

Application Receipt Date:  May 26, 1992



PURPOSE



This Request for Applications (RFA) for the Science Education

Partnership Award (SEPA) is to increase adult science literacy through

partnerships composed of community groups and scientists, along with

others (e.g., educators) as appropriate.



HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000



The Public Health Service (PHS) urges applicants to submit work plans

that address specific health promotion and disease prevention

objectives of "Healthy People 2000."  Potential applicants may obtain

a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No.

017-001-00473-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary Report:  Stock No.

017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).

Accordingly, SEPA projects may include, as appropriate, communication

of prevention messages.  However, these must be in the context of the

relationship between science and health, SEPA applications must focus

on science education.  Applications that focus on health promotion and

education will be considered unresponsive to this RFA.  Those

interested in projects in health promotion and education should apply

to other programs within ADAMHA, e.g., prevention demonstration

programs of the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS



Applications may be submitted by public and private, non-profit and

profit organizations, such as community groups, civic associations,

parent and patient groups, health-advocacy groups, professional

societies, units of State and local governments, colleges and

universities.  Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

Irrespective of the type of applicant organization, the application

must demonstrate substantive involvement and a partnership relationship

between scientists and one or more community groups in the planning and

implementation of the proposed project.



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



This RFA will use the grant-in-aid mechanism for education projects

(R25).  This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Responsibility for the

planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project will be

solely that of the applicant.  The Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental

Health Administration (ADAMHA) expects that there will be a range of

activities proposed for support.  Thus, the total project period for

applications submitted in response to this RFA may range from one to

three years, but may not exceed three years.



FUNDS AVAILABLE



The ADAMHA expects that $750,000 to $1 million will be available during

FY 1992 to support this initiative.  Subject to the receipt of a

sufficient number of meritorious applications, it is expected that

approximately four to seven projects will be supported.  This is

expected to be a highly competitive program and applicants should

adhere closely to the program guidelines.  Approved annual direct costs

will be provided along with eligible indirect costs.  Except for awards

to State and local governments, grantees will be reimbursed for

indirect costs at eight percent of total allowable direct costs or

actual indirect costs, whichever is the lesser amount.  State and local

governments will receive reimbursement at the full indirect rate.  The

expected award date is September 30, 1992.



OBJECTIVES



Background



The President and the Nation's Governors have declared six "National

Education Goals," among them that by the year 2000 "every adult

American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills

necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and

responsibilities of citizenship."  In a world increasingly influenced

by rapid advances in science and technology, competition in the global

economy and responsible exercise of civic duty require general

scientific literacy.  Accordingly, the President is "urging every

American to continue learning throughout his or her life, using the

myriad formal and informal means available to gain further knowledge

and skills."



This RFA addresses needs in the area of adult scientific literacy,

which is essential for understanding the contributions of science and

technology to the improvement of personal and public health.  For

example, many adults lack understanding of behaviors that increase the

risk for disease, the necessary use of animals in behavioral and

biomedical research, the necessity for basic research to make progress

toward improving health, and the excitement of doing research.

Understanding of these concepts is particularly important with respect

to mental illness and substance abuse disorders, which are still

stigmatized and poorly understood by the adult public.



Program Description



1.  Objectives



To help improve public science literacy, ADAMHA is continuing the SEPA

Program in Fiscal Year 1992, which was initiated in FY 1991.  The focus

of this SEPA announcement is adult scientific literacy with respect to

mental and addictive disorders.  The programmatic objective is to

involve established, adult community groups, local scientists, and

educators in partnerships that improve adult public understanding of

science.  The educational objectives are:



o  to explain the scientific basis of the understanding of mental and

addictive disorders, demonstrating their complex, multifactorial

nature, including their biological components; and



o  to expose the adult public to the nature and methods of science.



Priority will be given to projects that focus on neuroscience and its

importance in understanding mental and addictive disorders.  Congress

has declared the 1990s to be the Decade of the Brain, in recognition of

the advances and exciting opportunities to increase dramatically the

understanding of the normal human brain and its role in behavior and

illness.  Through such knowledge, it is hoped that better treatment and

prevention strategies for mental and addictive disorders will be

developed.



2.  Characteristics of applications



Applications must have a substantive focus on science related to mental

and addictive disorders including relevant basic research.  In

addition, applicants must demonstrate:



o  existence of an established partnership that, at a minimum, must

include adult community groups and scientists and others as necessary

for achieving program goals;



o  understanding of---and ability to convey to adults---major

scientific questions and concepts related to research on mental and

addictive disorders, particularly in the neurosciences;



o  ability to convey the nature and method of science and the

centrality of basic research to the improvement of personal and public

health with respect to mental and addictive disorders;



o  ability to identify specific types of individuals in the community

who will be the targets of proposed adult science education programs;



o  ability to assess the local population's level of knowledge about

the science base for understanding addictive and mental disorders and

to develop strategies that meet identified needs;



o  ability to reach target populations through cooperation among

relevant community resources that can help to maximize the impact of

the program through involvement of, for example, leaders in business

and industry, community leaders, members of school boards, groups that

represent under- served populations, and representatives of the local

media.



o  ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the program;



o  understanding of educational methodology, especially with respect to

adult learners (therefore, partnerships should involve educators or

other individuals with requisite expertise); and



o  plans to export the program, if successful, as a model for other

communities, including dissemination of materials.



Applications must describe the partnership between scientists and

community groups, along with others whose participation is important to

accomplish objectives of the program (e.g., educators). In addition, it

must define the procedures the partners will use to reach target groups

in the adult community, including groups and individuals that rarely or

never express interest in science or its relationship to personal and

public health.  The partnership must be substantive; that is, each

partner must bring to the project resources, skills, and experiences

that contribute clearly to the development and dissemination of

accurate, useful messages conveyed through sound educational

methodology.  The application must specify those contributions and must

indicate how the partnership will operate to ensure that the

contributions of all parties are represented in project activities.

Applicants also must plan to reach the target populations with

procedures other than lectures alone.  (Proposed projects should be

multi-dimensional and not focus solely on reaching the members of one

community organization or use a single approach, such as a series of

public lectures by scientists.)  Projects might emphasize a particular

mental or addictive disorder, but applicants are encouraged to deal

with such disorders in general, particularly considering the incidence

of co-morbidity of mental and addictive disorders.



To gain maximum benefit from the program, priority will be given to

projects that are innovative; that is, proposed projects should not

simply expose more people to an extant program.  Priority also will be

given to projects that have the potential to be replicated for

widespread use.  Because of the special needs of women and minorities

for accurate, science-based information related to their health,

projects that address these needs are encouraged.  Projects aimed at

specific ethnic or racial groups must be culturally appropriate to the

group.



Although SEPA projects must represent new activities and focus on

science related to mental and addictive disorders, coordination with

existing programs in the community to improve the public understanding

of science is encouraged.



3.  Types of activities



Examples of the types of activities that may be included as part of a

proposed project, but are not necessarily sufficient in themselves,

include:



o  Develop a series of workshops and demonstrations that help the

public understand the scientific basis for risk factors of mental and

addictive disorders and the research knowledge base for diagnostic

procedures and treatment of these disorders;



o  Provide training, resources, and support to encourage and prepare

individual biomedical/behavioral scientists to become involved in

projects that educate the general public about science.  This would

include training of scientists in techniques for effective speaking to

adults, teachers, and community organizations;



o  Assess common misconceptions about mental and addictive disorders

and develop programs for the adult public that demonstrate, using

examples from contemporary research, why those misconceptions are

inaccurate;



o  Develop programs that help the adult public appreciate issues of

scientific validity in media reports that deal with mental and

addictive disorders;



o  Produce media programs and accompanying workshops that help explain

the complex nature of the search for cures for mental and addictive

disorders including controversies among scientists working in the same

areas of research;



o  Preparing and/or presenting science education materials for the

adult public. These materials may include television, radio, newspaper

and magazine articles, books, experiments, computer software, and other

written, electronic, or audiovisual presentations designed to educate

the adult public about science.  However, projects for stand-alone

media activities will not be supported.  These must be tied to a

broader program to engage adults in community-based activities related

to educating them about the scientific understanding of mental and

addictive disorders;



o  Providing scientific and/or educational consultation to groups or

organizations regarding activities consistent with the purposes of this

announcement.  Such groups may include professional organizations,

educational organizations, and community groups.



Research institutions are encouraged to provide incentives from

non-Federal sources to encourage scientists to participate in the SEPA

program.  These incentives may include the awarding of sabbaticals,

time released from other duties, or special institutional recognition

of those who participate in the program.  Such applicants also are

encouraged to use institutional funds made available as a result of the

SEPA award (e.g., investigators' salaries) for purposes consistent with

this award.



SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS



To promote cooperation and coordination among the grantees and to

publicize and disseminate their contributions, it is expected that each

year the Principal Investigators will be invited to a meeting with

other SEPA awardees to present a summary of their activities.  The

annual meeting of SEPA awardees will be held in various cities of the

United States.  Therefore, plans for this activity must be included in

the budget request of the application; a statement indicating

willingness to participate in this activity must also be included in

the application.



General Requirements



An annual progress report submitted as part of each noncompeting

continuation application must be filed with the grants management

officer of the awarding institute.  Reports should summarize the goals,

methods, and results of the activity undertaken.  It should also be

accompanied by at least two copies of any materials intended for

dissemination developed as part of the SEPA project.



Grant funds may be used for expenses clearly related to and necessary

for the conduct of projects in adult science literacy, including direct

costs that can be specifically identified with the project, and

indirect costs as specified in the Funds Available section.

Direct-cost expenses must be itemized and justified for each year of

the proposed project.



The general requirements cited above represent only a portion of

applicable Public Health Service policy under which SEPA awards will be

administered. All awards will be administered under PHS grants policy

as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement, DHHS

Publication No. (OASH) 90- 50,000 (Rev.) October 1, 1990, as subject to

regulations 45 CFR Part 74 "Administration of Grants."



LETTER OF INTENT



Prospective applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of intent, by

April 1, 1992, that includes a descriptive title of the proposed

project, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal

Investigator (project director), the names of other key personnel and

the participating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in

response to which the application is being submitted.  Although a

letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter

into the review of the subsequent application, the information that it

contains is extremely helpful in planning for the review of

applications.  It allows staff to estimate the potential review

workload and to avoid possible conflict of interest in the review.



Send the letter of intent to:



Ms. Eileen O'Keefe

Assistant Director, Office of Science Education

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration

5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103

Rockville, MD  20857

Telephone:  (301) 443-0910



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



The Application for Public Health Service Grant form PHS 398 (revised

9/91) is to be used in applying for these grants.  These forms are

available at most institutional business offices and from the Office of

Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of

Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone

(301) 496-7441.  Applicants must follow the instructions provided in

the PHS 398 kit and the special instructions that follow:



Application Face Page - Item 2 - Check the box marked "YES".  Insert

the RFA number AD-92-01 and the RFA title "ADAMHA Science Education

Partnership Award."



Bottom of Face Page - Affix the RFA label in form PHS 398 to the bottom

of the original copy of the face page.  Failure to use this label could

result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not

reach the review committee in time for review.



SECTION 2



Research Plan - This part of the application must provide information

sufficient to allow the reviewers to assess the merit of the project in

terms of the stated Review Criteria.  In lieu of the format and

information requested for the Research Plan in the instructions for the

PHS 398, it is suggested that the information be provided in the

following format:



Goals and Objectives - Identify the specific goals to be achieved.



Project Plan - Describe the partnership that has been or will be

formed, and the qualifications of its member organization(s) and key

personnel.  Indicate clearly the roles of the scientific, community

group, and other partners in the planning and the conduct of the

project.  Clearly identify the target audience(s) and document the need

for the proposed project including data and other information specific

to the audience(s).  Explain why the particular strategy was chosen.

Describe in detail the activities proposed and how they will accomplish

the stated goals of the program.  Also, describe the specified

objectives and the types of scientific concepts or information to be

included in educational activities for the target population(s).  Give

quantitative estimates of numbers of members of the general public to

be reached, and specify the number and types of any educational

materials to be prepared.  For the latter, describe why existing

materials or activities are not satisfactory.  Include dissemination

plans for the project's results or materials prepared and address the

potential for replication of the project.



Institutional Commitment - List the financial and/or in-kind

commitments from the members of the partnership and provide evidence of

the applicant institution's commitment to achieve the project goals.

Appropriately countersigned letters of commitment from various

agencies, groups, or persons whose cooperation is critical to the

success of the project must be included.  These letters must be

included under the headings "Consultants/ Collaborators" and/or

"Consortium/Contractual Arrangements" as appropriate in the application

form.  Although these letters will not count toward the page limit for

the Research Plan of the application, applicants are cautioned to

include in this section only those letters relating to critical

elements of the proposed partnership.  Other letters in support of the

proposed project may be included in the Appendix of the application

(refer to the instructions for the PHS 398 for further information

about Appendix material).



Administrative Plan - Describe the mechanisms to be used to organize

and manage the project.  Also, provide a schedule with milestones for

carrying out all project activities.



Evaluation Plan - ADAMHA will support only projects that have a

well-developed evaluation plan.  As part of the screening and review

processes, applications will be examined for the presence of a defined

evaluation component.  Applications that have a clearly inadequate

evaluation plan will be judged to be incomplete and will be returned

without further review.



The evaluation plan must address both the programmatic and educational

objectives of this SEPA announcement; that is, the effectiveness of the

partnership and the effectiveness of the educational messages.

Applicants should have appropriate evaluation expertise on their

staffs, or should make arrangements for obtaining such consultation to

assist in developing and implementing the evaluation plan.  The

allocation of monies for evaluation must be consistent with the

complexity of the proposed project and must provide for planning and

implementation of the evaluation from the beginning of the project

through completion.



Submit the signed, typewritten original of the application, including

the Checklist, and four signed, exact photocopies, in one package to:



National Institutes of Health

Division of Research Grants

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892**



At time of submission, applicants are requested to submit one

additional copy of the application to:



Ms. Eileen O'Keefe

Assistant Director, Office of Science Education

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration

5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103

Rockville, MD  20857

Telephone:  (301) 443-0910



Applications must be received by the Division of Research Grants no

later than May 26, 1992.  To ensure against carrier delays, retain a

legible proof-of-mailing receipt from the carrier dated no later than

one week prior to the receipt date.  APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THIS

DATE WILL BE RETURNED TO THE APPLICANT.



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness and

responsiveness to the RFA, including the programmatic focus on adult

scientific literacy and the educational focus on the scientific aspects

of mental and addictive disorders, the required participation of

scientists and community groups, and the inclusion of a defined

evaluation component.  Incomplete or non-responsive applications will

be returned to the applicant without further consideration.



Applications that are complete and responsive will be evaluated for

educational and scientific/technical merit, in accordance with the

criteria stated below, by an appropriate peer review group convened by

the ADAMHA.  The second level of review will be provided by an

appropriate National Advisory Council.



Review Criteria



The following criteria will be used in the initial review of

applications:



1.  Significance:



o  The importance of the specific educational goals to be achieved for

the identified target population(s);



o  The degree to which the proposed project is likely to serve as a

model for other organizations engaged in similar activities; and



o  Evidence that the proposed project will fill a current void or unmet

need in the target community.



2.  Merit of the approach:



o  The degree of innovation in the proposed project; for example, the

degree to which the project establishes new types of partnerships,

presents information to the public in new ways, or reaches audiences

not traditionally reached with science-related information;



o  The educational merit of the proposed project; for example, the

degree to which the material chosen for presentation is likely to help

the adult public understand the scientific basis of mental and

addictive disorders;



o  Appropriateness of the proposed approach to adult science education

and the target population(s); for example, the degree to which the

suggested approach reflects current knowledge about science education

and adult learners, as well as appropriateness to the needs of specific

types of individuals in the community; and



o  Extent to which plans reflect relevant and current scientific

knowledge relating to mental and addictive disorders.



3.  Feasibility:



o  The ability to accomplish the objectives of the project using the

plans and resources described in the application;



o  Evidence that a functioning, relevant partnership exists;



o  The contribution of each partner and the degree of cooperation among

scientists, community groups from the target populations who will plan

and conduct the project, and other partners (such as educators);



o  Adequacy of the applicant's plan to evaluate the effectiveness of

the project.  The evaluation must address the effectiveness of the

project in meeting both the programmatic and educational objectives of

the SEPA program;



o  Adequacy of the applicant's plans to document and disseminate the

model developed under the SEPA;



o  Appropriateness and adequacy of the proposed budget.



4.  Personnel and resources:



o  Qualifications of the proposed project personnel, including the

Principal Investigator (project director), scientists, community-group

leaders, educators, and others to design and conduct the proposed

project. For example, the application should demonstrate that the

project personnel understand the science base of mental and addictive

disorders; can work in a partnership to translate that information and

the nature and methods of science for the adult public; and can deliver

the educational messages effectively to the intended audience(s);



o  Suitability of the proposed applicant and cooperating organizations'

facilities, resources, experience in similar activities, and commitment

to achieve the specific goals of the proposed project;



o  Strength of institutional commitment as evidenced by provision of

institutional resources, such as office and workshop space, computer

facilities, and administrative and technical support services; and



o  Adequacy of plans to institutionalize the program, if successful,

after cessation of ADAMHA support.



AWARD CRITERIA



In making funding decisions, the ADAMHA will consider:  scientific,

educational, and technical merit as determined by peer review;

relevance to mental and addictive disorders; program balance among

various types of projects; geographic distribution in the United States

and its territories; and/or management capability for financial

stewardship of Federal funds.  Special consideration also will be given

to applications with a specific focus on reaching minority and/or

female populations.  Priority will be given to projects that include

scientists involved in research on mental and addictive disorders.

Because of limited funds, the ADAMHA will assign priority to those

applicants not currently receiving SEPA support from ADAMHA or the

National Institutes of Health.



INQUIRIES



Written and telephone inquiries regarding this RFA are encouraged, and

should be directed to Ms. Eileen O'Keefe at the address and telephone

number listed above.



Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Bruce Ringler

Grants Management Office

National Institute of Mental Health

5600 fishers Lane, Room 7C-15

Rockville, MD  20857

Telephone:  (301) 443-3065



Schedule



Letter of Intent:          April 1, 1992

Application Receipt Date:  May 26, 1992

Initial Review:            June - August 1992

Secondary Review:          September 1992

Anticipated Award Date:    September 30, 1992



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



ADAMHA awards are under the authority of Section 301 of the Public

Health Service Act, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 24).  All awards will be

administered under PHS grant 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.



.

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