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 General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), (http://www.nigms.nih.gov)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (http://www.nida.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), (http://www.ninds.nih.gov)

Title: Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA) (R01)

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-GM-08-002

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.859, 93.279, 93.242, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 23, 2007
Opening Date: September 24, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 24, 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 Receipt Date: October 24, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): March 2008
Council Review Date(s): May 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1, 2008
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: October 25, 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 Contacts
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


Research Objectives

The purpose of the EUREKA (Exceptional Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) initiative is to foster exceptionally innovative research that, if successful, will have an unusually high impact on the areas of science that are germane to the mission of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes. EUREKA is not for support of pilot projects, i.e., projects of limited scope that are designed primarily to generate data that will enable the PI to seek other funding opportunities.

Participating Institutes

The participating Institutes for this FOA are the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Each of these NIH Institutes has its own scientific purview and different program goals for the EUREKA initiative. Prior to preparing an application, applicants should read the following paragraphs describing the Institutes missions and goals for this initiative, and consult the appropriate Institute website (listed with each Institute's name at the beginning of this announcement) for details of research areas supported by that Institute. Applicants should contact the appropriate Institute representative listed below in Section VII to ensure that the proposed research will be responsive to this FOA. As indicated in the application instructions (Section IV, below) applicants are strongly advised to include a cover letter indicating the appropriate Institute

NIGMS supports basic research that is the foundation for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The Institute's programs encompass the areas of cell biology, biophysics, genetics, developmental biology, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, chemistry, bioinformatics, computational biology, and selected cross-cutting clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems, including anesthesiology, trauma and burn injury, and wound healing. For more information on NIGMS research interests, including staff contact listings, see http://search.nigms.nih.gov/research/programs.htm.

The mission of the NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological disease. In pursuit of this goal, NINDS supports research on the normal and diseased nervous system, including basic cellular/molecular biology and genetics, cognitive/behavioral and systems neuroscience, neuroplasticity, neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration, and studies aimed at detection, prevention, and treatment of neurological diseases. For more information on NINDS research funding listed by Program Area (including staff contact listings), see http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/areas/index.htm.

The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. To fulfill its mission, the Institute conducts research on mental disorders and the underlying basic science of brain and behavior. NIMH welcomes EUREKA applications for all program areas supported by the Institute. Potential applicants should focus on one of the high priority research areas found in the following web sites:

NIDA's mission is to lead the nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. NIDA is interested in fostering technologically innovative and conceptually creative research that advances our understanding of drug abuse and addiction: its genetic and environmental antecedents, its behavioral and physiological consequences and its neurobiological mechanisms; how to prevent it and how to treat it. For the EUREKA program, NIDA is interested in supporting high-risk/high-impact innovative research that encompasses research in the areas of (1) basic and clinical neuroscience and (2) genetics research involving genetic model systems, or human molecular genetics. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIDA staff to discuss feasibility of their proposed research and relevance to NIDA’s mission. For more information on NIDA’s programs, priorities, and strategic plan please refer to: http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/organization/Organization.html and http://www.nida.nih.gov/StrategicPlan/Index.html

NIAID supports basic research through applied research and development for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious and immunologic diseases.

The EUREKA Program

To encourage exceptionally innovative research, this FOA solicits applications from investigators who are testing novel, unconventional hypotheses or are pursuing major methodological or technical challenges. The potential impact of the proposed research must be substantial, in terms of both the size of the scientific community affected and the magnitude of its impact on that community. The investigator should anticipate completing the project during the term of the award, since this FOA is not for pilot projects, and awards are not renewable. If it is the hypothesis that is novel, the investigator should be able to prove or disprove that hypothesis by the end of the funding period. If it is the methodology or technology that is exceptionally innovative, the investigator should be able to develop it by the end of the funding period or demonstrate conclusively that the approach is not feasible.

The rationale for EUREKA is that for science to move forward in leaps rather than in incremental steps, investigators must have opportunities to test unconventional, potentially paradigm-shifting hypotheses, and to attempt to use novel, innovative approaches to solve difficult technical and conceptual problems that severely impede progress in a field. However, applications proposing such research are difficult to evaluate in comparison to more typical investigator-initiated R01 research grant applications, in which the emphasis tends to be more on the feasibility of the proposed research than on its novelty.

Several key features of the EUREKA FOA have been designed to emphasize to applicants and peer reviewers that these applications are very different from conventional, investigator-initiated R01s. The application format, through its page limitations and requirements for explicitly addressing specific proposal aspects, focuses attention on the importance of the problem, the novelty of the hypothesis and/or the proposed methodology, and the magnitude of the potential impact, rather than on experimental details. Reviewers will be instructed to focus their evaluations on significance and innovation, and these criteria will be the primary basis for funding decisions. They will be told that unavoidable risk is acceptable, as long as the probability of success is not zero. The PI s record of overcoming difficult scientific hurdles, appropriate to the career stage of the applicant, may be useful in assessing the likelihood of success, although the focus of this initiative is on the project, rather than the investigator. These features are intended to steer applicants and reviewers, at each step of the process, toward the goals of the EUREKA initiative, which are to solicit and fund unusually bold and potentially transformative research.

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 Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism.

The applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.

This FOA uses Just-in-Time information concepts. It also uses the modular as well as non-modular budget formats (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm). Specifically, if you are a U.S. organization, use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5.4, Modular Budget Component, of the Application Guide). All U.S. applicants must use the PHS398 Modular Budget component, since requested direct costs in any year may not exceed $250,000.

Foreign applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the non-modular Research & Related Budget component found in the application package for this FOA. See NOT-OD-06-096, August 23, 2006.

This FOA is for new applications. Renewal applications and resubmissions 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 participating Institutes 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.

NIGMS intends to commit approximately $5 million dollars in fiscal year 2008 to fund 13-17 applications. NINDS, NIMH, and NIDA intend to commit approximately $1.5 million, $1 million, and $500,000, respectively. NIAID intends to commit approximately $400,000 in Fiscal Year 2008 to fund one application.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement 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/organization has any of the following characteristics:

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the 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.

More than one PD/PI, or multiple PDs/PIs, may be designated on the application for projects that require a team science approach that clearly does not fit the single-PD/PI model. Additional information on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi. All PDs/PIs must be registered in the NIH eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).

The decision of whether to apply for a single PD/PI or multiple PD/PI grant is the responsibility of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by the scientific goals of the project. Applications for multiple PD/PI grants will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions below. The NIH review criteria for approach, investigators, and environment have been modified to accommodate applications involving either a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs. When considering multiple PDs/PIs, please be aware that the structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge, skills and experience of the individual PD/PIs will be factored into the assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of required reports. For further information on multiple PDs/PIs, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.

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

This FOA is for new applications.

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/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp 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 Registered

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.

Both the PD/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image.

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 the 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 for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

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 has several components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in 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
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist
PHS398 Modular Budget (required for domestic applications)
Research & Related Budget (required for foreign applications)

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

Foreign Organizations (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)

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

Applications from foreign organizations must:

Proposed research should provide special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Applications with Multiple PDs/PIs

When multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the "Contact PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below, and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other PDs/PIs, but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project team beyond those mentioned above.

Information for the Contact PD/PI should be entered in item 15 of the SF424 (R&R) Cover component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of PD/PI. Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the Credential field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application to be rejected.

All projects proposing Multiple PDs/PIs will be required to include a new section describing the leadership of the project.

Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, a new section of the research plan, entitled Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan (Section 14 of the Research Plan Component in the SF424 (R&R)), must be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team and the research project should be described, including communication plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.

If budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award.

Applications Involving a Single Institution

When all PDs/PIs are within a single institution, follow the instructions contained in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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.

When submitting a modular budget, the prime institution completes the PHS398 Modular Budget component only. Information concerning the consortium/subcontract budget is provided in the budget justification. Separate budgets for each consortium/subcontract grantee are not required when using the Modular budget format. See Section 5.4 of the Application Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A. for details.

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: September 24, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 24, 2007
Application Submission Date(s): October 24, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): March 2008
Council Review Date(s): May 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2008

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

Although a letter of intent 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 letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed in Section IV.3.A.

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Laurie Tompkins, Ph.D.
Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive
MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-0943
Fax: (301) 480-2228
Email:tompkinL@nigms.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/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

In order to expedite the review, applicants are requested to notify the NIGMS Referral Officer by email (sheehyp@mail.nih.gov) when the application has been submitted. Please include the FOA number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application.

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 CSR and responsiveness by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Incomplete and non-responsive applications will not be reviewed.

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR receives the Grants.gov acknowledgments. The AOR and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments. 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 the text must not be marked to indicate the 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 or competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) 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 or competing renewal 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(s) 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.

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 Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

PHS398 Research Plan Component Sections

Items 2-5 of the PHS398 Research Plan component are limited to 8 pages.. 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 additional requirements:

Special Instructions for Modular Grant applications

R01 applications from U.S. institutions/organizations requesting up to $250,000 per year in direct costs (excluding consortium F&A costs) must be submitted in a modular budget format. Additional information on modular budgets is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm. When submitting a modular budget, the applicant organization will include only the PHS398 Modular Budget component. See Section 5.4 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for further instructions regarding the use of the PHS398 Modular Budget component.

Foreign organizations may not submit modular budgets. See NOT-OD-06-096.

Appendix Materials

No appendix materials will be allowed for applications submitted to this FOA.

Note: While each section of the PHS398 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 monitor better 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.

Foreign Applications (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)

Supplementary Instructions:

The following exceptions to the general R01 instructions will apply for this FOA:

Biosketches: Biosketches are limited to four pages. The number of publications cited in the PI’s biosketch is limited to ten or fewer items. PIs should cite their most relevant publications and those that illustrate their exceptional innovativeness and the significance of their past accomplishments. The publications that demonstrate exceptional innovation and significance need not be relatedconceptuallyto what the PI is proposing in this application. Following each cited publication, the applicant should very briefly summarize the findings or achievementsdescribed in the publicationthat demonstrate relevance (familiarity with the field), exceptional innovation, and/or broad scientific impact, if that is not apparent from the title.Summaries should not exceed 60 words each.

Research plan: The research plan is limited to eight pages.It should be self-contained, since appendices and updates are not allowed. Except in unusual circumstances, multiple aims are inappropriate, since the research plan should be focused on verifying a hypothesis or solving a problem. Omit the Specific Aims, Background and Significance, and Preliminary Studies sections. In the Research Design and Methods section, the applicant should address the followingfive points. Applications will be evaluated by review panels that represent a diversity of scientific interestsand do not necessarily have expertise in the PI’s specificfield. Therefore, jargon must be avoided. Explain the challenge, the potential impact, and the approach in language that scientists in other fields can understand.

1. The challenge: What is the hypothesis or problem that will be addressed? If you are testing anunconventional, exceptionally novel hypothesis, how does it challenge the standard paradigm?

2. The potential impact: Why is testing the hypothesis or solving the problem important? How broad is the potential impact? What community will be affected? What it the size of that community? Will the potential impact on that community be major?

3. The approach (limit, three pages): How will you attempt to verify the novel hypothesis, or solve the problem? Provide enough information that reviewers can determine what, in general, you are proposing to do, but do not include a detailed experimental plan. If it is your methodology that is novel, what is unconventional and exceptionally innovative about your approach? How does your approach differ from what other investigators have attempted to do?

4. The appropriateness of EUREKA: Why is the proposed research uniquely suited to the stated goals of the EUREKA initiative, rather than a conventional research grant application? How does the proposed research differ from what you are already funded to do?

5. The likelihood of success: Briefly describe the past achievements that best illustrate your exceptional innovativeness, your ability to make paradigm-shifting discoveries or solve very difficult problems, and the impact of your past discoveries or solutions.The achievementsthat you highlight need not be conceptually related to the hypothesis or problem that you are addressing in this application. If your previous research was notunusually innovative, and you have not yet made a paradigm-shifting discovery or solved a very difficult problem,what aspect of the logic of the experimental approach suggests that there is some probability that the proposed research will be successful?

6. Timeline (limit, half a page): Provide a timeline for the proposed research. To facilitate evaluation of progress reports, indicate when you anticipate that essential components of the project (e.g., optimization of protocols, generation of reagents, critical experiments to verify the hypothesis, validation of novel tools or techniques) will be completed.

Literature cited: limited to one page. Note that the eight page limit for the Research Plan does not include the Literature Cited section.

Appendix: not allowed

Cover letter: Prior to preparing an application, applicants should consult the appropriate Institute website (listed with each participating Institute's name at the beginning of this announcement) for details of research areas supported by that Institute, and contact the appropriate Institute representative listed below in Section VII, to ensure that the proposed research will be responsive to this FOA. It is strongly recommended that applicants indicate the appropriate Institute assignment in a cover letter (PHS398 Cover Letter File), submitted as a component of the application.

No updates will be accepted.

Sharing Data

A data-sharing plan must be included in the application. In the data-sharing plan, applicants should describe how they will share data, whether the results are positive or negative. Highly innovative ideas, by their very nature, may often lead to negative results, which may not be publishable in the conventional sense. However, there can be great value in learning from negative results. Therefore, if the research demonstrates that the goal(s) of the proposal is(are) not feasible, then the full experimental details, results and conclusions must still be archived and made publicly available.

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 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 and responsive to the FOA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by appropriately multidisciplinary peer review groups specially convened by the participating Institutes 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.

Significance and innovation will be the primary determinants of the score. The approach will be evaluated for general feasibility. An application will score poorly if it is clear that the proposed methodology has no probability at all of being successful, either because it is inherently illogical or because the same approach has already been attempted and shown not to be feasible. Neither unavoidable risk, which is intrinsic to novel and innovative approaches, nor lack of preliminary data will preclude an application receiving an outstanding priority score.

Significance: Does this study address an important 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? Is the potential impact of the proposed research exceptional, in terms of the magnitude of the impact and the size of the community affected? If the applicant is attempting to solve a problem, is the problem difficult, and is lack of a solution to that problem significantly impeding the field? If the applicant is attempting to verify a novel hypothesis, is it critical, for the field, that the hypothesis be verified or disproved?

Innovation: Is the project highly original and exceptionally innovative? Does the project seriously challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice, or address an exceptionally innovative hypothesis or a major barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ exceptionally novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies? Is the hypothesis and/or the proposed methodology unconventional and exceptionally innovative?

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 logic of the approach sufficiently compelling despite the lack of experimental details? Has this methodology or hypothesis been tested before? For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, is the leadership approach, including the designated roles and responsibilities, governance, and organizational structure, consistent with and justified by the aims of the project and the expertise of each of the PDs/PIs? Does the information in the timeline inspire confidence that the PI will be able to document progress in each year of the award and either complete the project or demonstrate conclusively that it cannot be completed, despite good-faith efforts, during the term of the award? Is the requested duration of the award appropriate for the proposed research?

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)? Do the past achievements of the PI(s) suggest that the investigator(s) is/are exceptionally innovative and likely to make paradigm-shifting, high-impact discoveries? If the PI does not have a history of doing exceptionally innovative, high-impact research, does the logic of the experimental plan suggest that there is at least some likelihood of success? Is this project high priority for the PI(s), as indicated by the person-months of effort that the PI(s) will devote to it?

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:

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 will be assessed by the reviewers. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

Applications from Foreign Organizations: Whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources will be assessed.

2.C. Sharing Research Data

Data Sharing Plan: The reasonableness of the data sharing plan 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. Adherence to the data sharing plan will be part of the terms and conditions of the award. The funding organization will be responsible for monitoring the applicant’s compliance with the data sharing plan

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 and 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 or 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. Annual progress reports will be examined closely to determine whether progress in each year is reasonable, in comparison to what was proposed in the timeline that was included in the application. If it is clear from the information in a progress report that the hypothesis is invalid, the problem cannot be solved, or the investigator is not making a focused, good-faith effort to complete the project during the term of the award, the award may be terminated early. However, temporary setbacks that are beyond the investigator’s control, which are inherent to research and are especially likely to occur during the execution of an exceptionally innovative research project, will not be grounds for terminating a project early.

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:

Ravi Basavappa, Ph.D.
Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive
MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-0828
Fax: (301) 480-2004
Email: basavapr@nigms.nih.gov

Laurie Tompkins, Ph.D.
Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive
MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-0943
Fax: (301) 480-2228
Email: tompkinL@nigms.nih.gov

Edmund Talley, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Blvd., Rm 2132
Bethesda, MD 20892-9531
Telephone: (301) 496-1917
Fax: (301) 402-1501
Email: talleye@ninds.nih.gov

Jean G. Noronha, Ph.D.
Referral Liaison
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 6147, MSC 9609
Bethesda, MD 20892-9609
For overnight mail please use: Rockville, MD 20852
Telephone: (301) 443-3367
Fax: (301) 443-4720
Email: jnoronha@mail.nih.gov

David Shurtleff, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Basic Neuroscience & Behavioral Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard Rm 4282, MSC 9555
Bethesda, MD 20892-9555
Telephone: (301) 443-1887
Fax: (301) 443-1887
Email: dshurtle@mail.nih.gov

Allan Czarra
Deputy Director, DEA, NIAID
6700 B Rockledge, Room 2140
Bethesda , MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-3772
Fax: (301) 402-0369
Email: aczarra@niaid.nih.gov

2. Peer Review Contacts:

Helen R. Sunshine, Ph.D.
Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive
MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-2881
Fax: (301) 480-8506
Email: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov

Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Room 3201, MSC 9529
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-9529
(Rockville, MD 20852 for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 496-9223
Fax: (301) 402-0182
Email:
nindsreview.nih.gov@mail.nih.gov

David Armstrong, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6138, MSC 9606
Bethesda, MD 20892-9606
Telephone: (301) 443-3534
Fax: (301) 443-4720
Email: armstrda@mail.nih.gov

Teresa Levitin, PhD
Director
Office of Extramural Affairs
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH
6101 Executive Boulevard, Room 220, MSC 8401
Bethesda, MD 20892-8401
Telephone: (301) 443-2755
Fax: (301) 443-0538
Email: tlevitin@nida.nih.gov

3. Financial/Grants Management Contacts:

Grace Olascoaga
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive
MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5520
Fax: (301 480-1969
Email: olascoag@nigms.nih.gov

Tijuanna Decoster
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Neuro Science Center, Room 3258
6001 Executive Blvd, MSC 9537
Bethesda, MD 20892-9537
Telephone: (301) 496-9231

Fax: (301) 402-0219
Email:
td18k@nih.gov

Rebecca D. Claycamp, CRA
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 6122 MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-2811
Fax: ( 301) 443-6885
Email: rclaycam@mail.nih.gov

Pamela G. Fleming
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6101 Executive Blvd
Suite 250, MSC 8403
Bethesda, MD 20892-8403
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
Fax: (301) 594-6849
Email: pfleming@nida.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).

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.

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 at http://www.cfda.gov/ 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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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices



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