Part I Overview Information


Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov/)

Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), (http://www.niaid.nih.gov)
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (www.nci.nih.gov)
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), (www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), (www.niaaa.nih.gov)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (www.nida.nih.gov)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ )

Title: U.S.-India Bilateral Collaborative Research Partnerships (CRP) on the Prevention of HIV/AIDS (R21)

Announcement Type
New

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.

Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-AI-07-031

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.393, 93.394, 93.396, 93.855, 93.856, 93.865, 93.839

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 18, 2007
Opening Date: August 18, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 18, 2007
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): October 18, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): January 2008
Council Review Date(s): January 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): April 2008
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: October 19, 2007

Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

Table of Contents


Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants

A. Eligible Institutions
B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH
C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
A. Additional Review Criteria
B. Additional Review Considerations
C. Sharing Research Data
D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)

2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement


Section I. Funding Opportunity Description


1. Research Objectives

Purpose

The purpose of the U.S.-India Bilateral Collaborative Research Partnerships (CRP) on the Prevention of HIV/AIDS is to support innovative and basic research on strategies to prevent HIV infection and transmission that will advance the field of HIV/AIDS prevention through the collaborative efforts of U.S. and Indian investigators and their institutions.

Background

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports international collaborative research and research training on HIV/AIDS and the exchange of scientific information by HIV/AIDS researchers around the world. Scientific cooperation between the U.S. and India has been successfully conducted for over forty years under a variety of bilateral agreements. Recognizing that continuing cooperative research and research training focused on HIV/AIDS would be of mutual benefit to the U.S. and India, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare signed a Joint Statement for Collaboration on Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/research/resources/PDF/US-IndiaStatmnt_HIV_STD.pdf) in June 2006.

The lead U.S. agency identified to implement activities under this Joint Statement is the HHS, NIH, and the lead Indian agencies are the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The Joint Statement calls for the establishment of a Joint Working Group (JWG) to develop strategic plans for collaboration and to facilitate the expedited review and clearance of proposed bilateral projects. Both the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and India, (Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare) have pledged funds to support joint activities pursued under this bilateral program.

Collaborative Research Partnerships

A critical feature of this FOA is the establishment and support of CRPs among researchers and institutions in the U.S. and India. Applications may be derived from existing collaborations with an established history of interaction, or from new partnerships developed in response to this FOA. The CRP must be based on an interactive relationship that maximizes the expertise of the individual U.S. and Indian research teams as well as the interaction between their parent institutions and granting agencies. It is expected that the unique opportunity available through the U.S.-India Collaborative Research Program will foster collaborative partnerships that will develop and mature, leading to the establishment of joint programs intended to pursue and develop HIV/AIDS prevention strategies/interventions beyond the scope of the proposed R21 application.

Research Objectives and Scope

As the HIV pandemic has continued and more information is obtained on the role of other microbes (i.e. viruses, bacteria, etc.), on the behavioral and social interactions, epidemiological factors and co-morbidities associated with HIV transmission, (e.g., mental health, substance abuse [alcohol and drugs], and with HIV infection, [Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)]) is obtained, it has become apparent that controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic will require the development of a multi-faceted approach to prevention. Therefore this FOA supports not only individual prevention strategies/interventions, but also combination prevention strategies. A combination prevention strategy is defined as being composed of multi-level or multi-modal prevention/intervention approaches to achieve the stated goals of this FOA. Examples include the ethical considerations associated with microbicide clinical trials; for instance, where an obligation exists to both counsel and provide condoms, or to integrate prevention strategies such as the use of a vaccine along with a microbicide.

Highest priority will be given to collaborative research projects that focus on HIV prevention programs that test microbicides. Projects that develop and test other prevention strategies also will be considered. Applications may include, but are not limited to collaborations addressing the following aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention:

The R21 innovation grant mechanism does not allow for the conclusive and powered testing of proposed single and combination prevention strategies in its short duration. However, this mechanism does accommodate the performance of incremental studies or interventions that can either support progression to more comprehensive studies or provide evidence that the proposed intervention is not effective. CRP applications should incorporate activities that can test and pilot specific prevention interventions.

The proposed studies must take into account the time limit and budget imposed by this mechanism (See Section 2: Award Information). It is expected that where possible the proposed applications will be interactive with ongoing prevention efforts in India and the U.S., and/or propose to integrate with existing Indian government-supported prevention programs.

CRP interactions may include:

Applications may address key aspects using a broad range of study populations including men and women that are at-risk for HIV/AIDS infection and uninfected and HIV/STI-infected infants and children. Other specific at-risk populations of interest include, but are not limited to:

Because this FOA represents a broad-based international collaborative program to address HIV/AIDS prevention, applicants are encouraged to discuss the scope of their proposed application and its responsiveness to the FOA with the relevant Program contacts listed in Section VII.

Specific areas of interest for this FOA include studies that may address or be focused within one or more of the following broad research areas:

1. Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Co-morbidities

The development of safe, effective and acceptable prevention strategies, including microbicides, must integrate efforts to understand how biochemical, pharmacological and biophysical factors affecting susceptibility and progression to HIV/AIDS disease interact with the implementation of any given prevention strategy. Efforts in this area may also address biological issues that could alter the potential effectiveness of interventional prevention strategies in at-risk individuals or populations. Examples of potential approaches include:

2. Behavioral and Social Sciences

Primary and secondary prevention strategies addressing behaviors of at-risk persons or populations with the potential for scale-up to support larger populations are critical to the development of effective and sustainable single and combination prevention strategies. Examples of interventions and areas of interest that could be tested and/or developed in response to this FOA include:

3. Epidemiology (Behavioral and Population)

Applications proposing behavioral and population epidemiology may include assessment and evaluation of the scope of the Indian HIV/AIDS epidemic. Local, regional and national incidence and/or prevalence of HIV and STIs associated with HIV acquisition and HIV/AIDS co-morbidities in the Indian population will have a significant impact on the success or failure of proposed prevention efforts. Specific examples of interest include, but are not limited to:

4. Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

This area of interest within the FOA includes the use and abuse of alcohol as it may directly or indirectly (through alterations in risk behaviors) alter and/or promote the acquisition and/or progression of HIV/AIDS, STIs associated with HIV acquisition and HIV/AIDS co-morbidities. Examples of intervention/research of interest to this FOA include:

5. Drug Use and Abuse

This area of interest within the FOA includes the use and abuse of both injection and non-injection drugs, that may be classified as legal or illegal, depending upon local, regional or national laws. These substances may directly or indirectly (e.g., through alteration in both sexual and substance use risk behaviors) alter acquisition, transmission and/or progression of HIV/AIDS, STIs associated with HIV acquisition, and HIV/AIDS-associated co-morbidities. Examples of intervention research of interest include:

6. Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (MTCT)

Effective interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV that are applicable in resource-limited settings are now available. However, implementation of these strategies has been slow. Limitations include lack of access to antenatal care, lack of antenatal HIV counseling and testing, lack of more effective regimens (e.g., single dose nevirapine plus short course zidovudine), home delivery (emphasizing evaluation of innovative methods for providing single-dose nevirapine), and breastfeeding. Examples of prevention strategies include:

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information


1. Mechanism of Support

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will use the NIH R21 Exploratory/Developmental grant award mechanism. The applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.

This FOA uses just-in-time concepts. For the R21, applicants must complete and submit detailed budget requests using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 4.7, R&R Budget Component, of the Application Guide). Modular budgets are not permitted for this funding opportunity.

Exploratory/developmental grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal (formerly "competing continuation") and resubmission applications will not be accepted.

2. Funds Available

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and Indian partners provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed two years. Although the size of award may vary with the scope of research proposed, it is expected that applications will stay within the budgetary guidelines for an exploratory/developmental project. Direct costs are limited to $275,000 USD over an R21 two-year period, with no more than $200,000 USD in direct costs in any single year.

The participating institutes intend to commit approximately 3 million total dollars in FY2008 to fund 8 to 10 applications.

NIH grant policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/index.htm will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

F&A costs requested by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation; see NOT-OD-05-004, November 2, 2004.

Section III. Eligibility Information


1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application(s) if your institution has any of the following characteristics:

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

The PD/PI must be from a U.S.-funded institution and must collaborate with an Indian investigator at an Indian institution and possessing complementary expertise.

Investigators not qualifying for the U.S.-India Bilateral CRP are encouraged to apply for the NIH-wide R21 exploratory/developmental research grant program (see http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-181.html), or other announcements.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria

Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information


To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.

A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:

PDs/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the eRA Commons.

Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:

1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started

2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons

3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.

Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.

For further assistance, contact GrantsInfo: Telephone 301-710-0267, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).

The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:

Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist

Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form

Note: While both budget components are included in the SF424 (R&R) forms package, this FOA for which all applications must include a foreign component uses ONLY the Research & Related Budget. (Do not use the PHS398 Modular Budget.)

Foreign Organizations

NIH policies concerning grants to foreign (non-U.S.) organizations can be found in the in the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.

Application from foreign organizations must:

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Applications Involving Multiple Institutions

When multiple institutions are involved, one institution must be designated as the prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. When submitting a detailed budget, the prime institution should submit its budget using the Research & Related Budget component. All other institutions should have their individual budgets attached separately to the Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form. See Section 4.8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the subaward budget form.

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: August 18, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 18, 2007
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization).
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): October 18, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): January 2008
Council Review Date(s): January 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): April 2008

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a Letter of Intent that includes the following information:

Although a LOI is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

The LOI is to be sent by the date listed in Section IV.3.A,

The LOI should be sent to:

Sujata Vijh, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 3118, MSC-7616
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7616
FedEx Zip: 20817-7616
Tel: (301) 594-0985
Fax: (301) 480-2408
Email: vijhs@niaid.nih.gov

3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH

To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

3.C. Application Processing

Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, any errors have been addressed, and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two business days to view the application image.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.

Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on their application status in the Commons.

The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to be prepared as a NEW application, That is, the application for the funding opportunity must not include an Introduction describing the changes and improvements made, and text must not be marked to indicate changes from the previous unfunded version of the application.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project, and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award.

The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements

PD/PI Credential (e.g., Agency Login)

The NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the PROFILE Project Director/Principal Investigator section, Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component. The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Registration FAQs Important Tips -- Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Organizational DUNS

The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions-Applications Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Research Plan Component Sections

While each section of the Research Plan component needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan component as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.

All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, incorporating Just-in-Time information concepts and with the following requirements for applications:

Supplementary Instructions

Appendix Materials

NIH has published new limitations on grant application appendix materials to encourage applications to be as concise as possible while containing the information needed for expert scientific review. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-018.html .

Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan component. An application that does not observe the relevant policies and procedures may be delayed in the review process.

Plan for Sharing Research Data

The precise content of the data-sharing plan will vary, depending on the data being collected and how the investigators are planning to share the data. Applicants who are planning to share data may wish to describe briefly the expected schedule for data sharing, the format of the final dataset, the documentation to be provided, whether or not any analytic tools also will be provided, whether or not a data-sharing agreement will be required and, if so, a brief description of such an agreement (including the criteria for deciding who can receive the data and whether or not any conditions will be placed on their use), and the mode of data sharing (e.g., under their own auspices by mailing a disk or posting data on their institutional or personal website, through a data archive or enclave). Investigators choosing to share under their own auspices may wish to enter into a data-sharing agreement. References to data sharing may also be appropriate in other sections of the application.

All applicants must include a plan for sharing research data in their application. The data sharing policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing. All investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data sharing is not possible.

The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score.

Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy expects that grant recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131). Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3., Reporting.

Section V. Application Review Information


1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review group convened by NIH in accordance with the review criteria stated below.

As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.

Significance: Does this study address an important scientific health problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Is the proposed collaborative team positioned to accomplish the proposed research, and does the collaboration of U.S.-funded investigators and Indian investigators add significantly to the approach being proposed?

Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention?

Investigators: Are the PD/PI(s) and other key personnel appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers? Does the PD/PI(s) and investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?

Environment: Do(es) the scientific environment(s) in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?

2.A. Additional Review Criteria:

In addition to the above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority score:

Collaborative Plan: Is the collaborative plan well-defined with identifiable responsibilities for the U.S. and India partners? Is a plan for management of the collaboration presented, as well as descriptions of what each participant proposes to supply to the collaborative partnership? Is there a clear and well thought out advantage to bringing the U.S. and Indian partners together in a collaborative partnership and is it clear how coordination will contribute to advances in prevention science?

Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be assessed. See the Human Subjects Sections of the PHS398 Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).

Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. See the Human Subjects Sections of the PHS398 Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).

Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the adequacy of the plans for their care and use will be assessed. See the Other Research Plan Sections of the PHS398 Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).

Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed protection is adequate.

2.B. Additional Review Considerations

Budget and Period of Support: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research may be assessed by the reviewers. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

2.C. Sharing Research Data

Data Sharing Plan: The reasonableness of the data sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the reviewers. However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score. The presence of a data sharing plan will be part of the terms and conditions of the award. The funding organization will be responsible for monitoring the data sharing

2.D. Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy expects that grant recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131). Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

Program staff will be responsible for the administrative review of the plan for sharing research resources.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590), See Section VI.3., Reporting.

Model Organism Sharing Plan: Reviewers are asked to assess the sharing plan in an administrative note. The sharing plan itself should be discussed after the application is scored. Whether a sharing plan is reasonable can be determined by the reviewers on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the organism, the timeline, the applicant’s decision to distribute the resource or deposit it in a repository, and other relevant considerations.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Not Applicable.

Section VI. Award Administration Information


1. Award Notices

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his/her Summary Statement (written critique) via the NIH eRA Commons.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.

Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Section IV.5., Funding Restrictions.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities.

3. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VII. Agency Contacts


We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer review, and financial or grants management issues:

1. Scientific/Research Contacts:

Direct inquiries regarding scientific, programmatic, and review matters to the appropriate Program Official listed below:

NCI

Kishor Bhatia, Ph.D., MRCPath
Office of AIDS Malignancy Program
National Cancer Institute
Room 6114, MSC-7204
6120 Executive Boulevard

Bethesda, MD 20892-7204 (for U.S. Postal Service regular or express mail)
Rockville, MD 20852 (for FedEx, UPS and other courier services)
Telephone: (301) 496-4995
Fax: (301) 480-4137

E-mail: bhatiak@mail.nih.gov

NHLBI

Cheryl L. McDonald, M.D.
AIDS Coordinator
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Room 8114, MSC-7940
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940 (For courier services use Zip 20817)
Telephone: (301) 435-0560
Fax: (301) 480-2858
E-mail: mcdonalc@mail.nih.gov

NIAAA

Kendall Bryant, Ph.D.
HIV/AIDS Research
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Room 2069, MSC 9304
5635 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20892-9304
Telephone: (301) 402-9389
Fax: (301) 443-8614
E-mail: kbryant@mail.nih.gov

NIAID

Jim A. Turpin, Ph.D.
Division of AIDS
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 5114, MSC-7628
6700B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7628
Phone: (301) 451-2732
Fax: (301) 496-8530
Email: jturpin@niaid.nih.gov

NICHD

Danuta Krotoski, Ph.D.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Room 2A01, MSC 7510
6100 Executive
Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Phone: (301) 435-7566
Fax: (301) 435-0009

E-mail: krotoskd@mail.nih.gov

NIDA

Katherine Davenny, M.P.H.
AIDS Research Program
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Room 4215, MSC 9581
6001 Executive
Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-9581

Telephone: (301) 443-2146
Fax: (301) 443-9127

E-mail: kdavenny@nida.nih.gov

NIMH

Willo Pequenat, Ph.D.
Division of Mental Disorders
National Institute of Mental Health

Room 6219B, MSC
-9619
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-9619

Telephone: (301) 443-1187
Fax: (301) 443-9719

E-mail: wpequegn@mail.nih.gov

2. Peer Review Contacts:

Sujata Vijh, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 3118, MSC-7616
6700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7616
FedEx Zip: 20817-7616
Tel: (301) 594-0985
Fax: (301) 480-2408
Email: vijhs@niaid.nih.gov

3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:

Kimberly Chatman
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Room 2241, MSC-76146700-B Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892 (express zip 20817)
Direct Line: (301) 402-6580
GMP: (301) 496-7075
Fax: (301) 493-0597

E-mail: chatmank@niaid.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information


Required Federal Citations

Use of Animals in Research:
Recipients of PHS support for activities involving live, vertebrate animals must comply with PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/PHSPolicyLabAnimals.pdf) as mandated by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm), and the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations (http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm) as applicable.

Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).

Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies (phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks to the participants ( NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).

Sharing Research Data:
Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).

Investigators should seek guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional policies and local IRB rules, as well as local, State and Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule. Reviewers will consider the data sharing plan but will not factor the plan into the determination of the scientific merit or the priority score.

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 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 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm. Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity 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.

Sharing of Model Organisms:
NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm). At the same time the NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with Federal funding pursuant to the Bayh Dole Act (see the NIH Grants Policy Statement). Beginning October 1, 2004, all investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal are expected to include in the application/proposal a description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources generated using NIH funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This will permit other researchers to benefit from the resources developed with public funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan is not subject to a cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included in all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated.

Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical Research:
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 "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://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 SF424 (R&R) application; 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 Clinical Research:
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.

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 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).

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 applications for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC):
Criteria for federal funding of research on hESCs can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html. Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (http://escr.nih.gov). It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide in the project description and elsewhere in the application as appropriate, the official NIH identifier(s) for the hESC line(s) to be used in the proposed research. Applications that do not provide this information will be returned without review.

NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov) at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process.

NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research projects or 2) previously supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts, Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters, editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.

For more information about the Policy or the submission process, please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/ and view the Policy or other Resources and Tools, including the Authors' Manual.

Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Decisions about applicability and implementation of the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.

URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses (URLs) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full reference in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the Progress Report Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of the NIH grant application. A URL or PMC submission identification number citation may be repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no limit to the number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can be cited.

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 FOA 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.

Authority and Regulations:
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance in the following citations: 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.393, 93.394, 93.396, 93.855, 93.856, 93.865, and 93.839, and is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the 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.

Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception, infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged. The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40 hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.


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