POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS Release Date: September 8, 1999 RFA: HD-99-011 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Letter of Intent Receipt Date: October 5, 1999 Application Receipt Date: November 16, 1999 PURPOSE The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), through the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for Population Research (CPR), invites applications for Population Research Center Core Grants (P30) in support of a large number of active research projects that are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or a variety of outside sources, or Specialized Research Center Grants (P50) in support of an integrated group of research projects. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This Request for Applications (RFA) is related to several research areas. Potential applicants may obtain "Healthy People 2000" at http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State or local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply for these grants. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This RFA will use the NIH Center Core Grant (P30) and the Specialized Research Center Grant (P50) award mechanism. Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed projects will be solely that of the applicant. The anticipated award date is July 1, 2000. Applications should be consistent with the NICHD guidelines governing these two mechanisms, which are available from program staff listed under INQUIRIES, below. FUNDS AVAILABLE The NICHD intends to commit approximately $1.9 million in total costs (direct plus Facilities and Administrative) in FY 2000 to fund two new and/or competing continuation grants in response to this RFA. An applicant may request a project period of no less than three and no more than five years. The total direct costs requested for the first year should not exceed $500,000 for a new Center Core Grant (P30). The total direct costs requested for the first year should not exceed $600,000 for a new Specialized Research Core Grant (P50). Competing continuation applications may request initial year direct costs of up to 120 percent of the Council-recommended level of direct costs for the final year of the preceding project period, or 120 percent of the average yearly Council-recommended direct costs for the preceding project period, or $500,000 direct costs, whichever is greater. Applications with budget requests exceeding these guidelines will be administratively withdrawn by NICHD and returned to the applicant without review. Because the nature and scope of the research proposed may vary, it is anticipated that the size of awards also will vary. Although the financial plans of the NICHD provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of outstanding scientific and technical merit. Competing continuation applications must be solicited through an RFA that also offers interested institutions an opportunity to compete with incumbent(s) for the award. At this time, it is not known if this RFA will be reissued. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background The primary purpose of these Population Research Centers is to improve the understanding of the antecedents and consequences of population structure and change, including fertility, mortality, and migration, in an effort to develop knowledge that may produce knowledge useful for population policies. The center grant is to provide a research environment that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration among investigators conducting population related research. Such research can cover a broad spectrum of scientific approaches in the clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. An additional goal is to build a national network of Population Research Centers that will encourage interaction among scientists in locations throughout the United States to contribute to the integration and coordination of population research. Research Scope This RFA is specifically designed to stimulate the research community to organize or to maintain population research centers of high quality that will serve as a national research network that fosters communication, innovation, and high quality research. Projects and themes must be relevant to the DBSB funding mission, and any projects proposed for core access that are deemed non-relevant will be administratively withdrawn prior to review. Therefore, advance consultation with staff is strongly advised prior to the submission of an application. Examples of relevant population research topics are listed below and centers may concentrate on any combination of relevant topics. These examples are to be considered illustrative and applicants are not restricted to these topics: 1. Antecedents and consequences of changes in population size, structure, and composition, including the relationship of economic development to population growth and decline; population modeling and the projection and/or prediction of human population change; and the interrelationship between population and the physical environment. 2. Family and household dynamics, including issues related to intergenerational relationships. 3. Fertility and family planning, including issues related to union formation and dissolution; births and birth spacing; family size; gender in relation to fertility; social acceptability of measures for the biological regulation of human fertility. 4. Causes and consequences of migration of human population groups, including issues related to international migration; and internal spatial distribution. 5. Demographic aspects of health, morbidity, disability, and mortality, including issues related to the influence of early life on later life development and outcomes; status of children; and the interrelationship between health and socioeconomic status. 6. Social, demographic, and behavioral studies of sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and contraception. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Applicants for a Population Research Center grant must propose a program with a theme relevant to the mission of the DBSB as outlined above. The Principal Investigator should be a scientist or science administrator who can provide effective administrative and scientific leadership. The Principal Investigator will be responsible for the organization and operation of the Population Research Center and for communication with the NICHD on scientific and operational matters. Scientific personnel and institutional resources capable of providing a strong research base in the areas specified must be available. In addition, the institution and pertinent departments must show a strong commitment to the Center's support. Such commitment may be provided as dedicated space, salary support for investigators or core staff, dedicated equipment, or other financial support for the proposed Center. Center Core Grant (P30) Requirements A center core grant (P30) must be predicated on the existence of a substantial number of research grants that will be active on July 1, 2000. The program should consist of at least 10 externally funded research projects grouped according to relevant topics. These projects must be of high quality, providing a multidisciplinary approach to the problem(s) being investigated. A minimum of three cores is required for each year of a funded P30 grant. Each core unit proposed for funding must provide essential facilities and services for at least three federally funded research projects at all times, at least one of which is funded by NIH. These grants must be active users of the core facilities and services proposed in the center grant application. Subprojects within a program project (P01) will be considered as individual projects comparable to an R01. A subcontract for collaborative research done with researchers in other institutions will be construed as equivalent to a research grant. P30 applications should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines contained in the NICHD P30 CENTER CORE GRANT GUIDELINES, available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES, below. As noted in the Guidelines, descriptions of projects proposed for core support that are not funded by NIH or NSF must provide sufficient detail in the body of the application to permit review of the proposed project's program relevance, scientific merit, and use of core services. Information provided should address the scientific aims of the project, significance, the populations under study, the research design and methods, and anticipated uses of core services. Advance consultation with program staff about individual projects proposed for core access is strongly advised. P30 applications based on cooperation between independent institutions are allowed in some circumstances. In these instances, core facilities may be located in both institutions as long as they are cost effective and promote the overall goals of the center program. Please consult the DBSB STATEMENT OF CLARIFICATION about center program principles, which is available from program staff listed under INQUIRIES, below. Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists working within a Center, and attracting outstanding scientists in other relevant fields to population research, are major goals of the DBSB Population Research Center program. Therefore, where appropriate, P30 applicant may request ?New Program Development? funds for direct research support of up to three projects, not to exceed a total of $50,000 per year or 10 percent of total direct cost, whichever is less. Such funds might serve to heighten interdisciplinary collaboration by incorporating a demographic dimension to funded projects otherwise outside DBSB program areas, to attract new investigators to the Center, to develop a new area or program of research, or to facilitate the development of newly trained investigators? research programs. New Program Development projects should be comparable to R01 research applications in their detail and development, and would have access to core services. Each such project can provide support for only two years for any one investigator. New Program Development is not available for P50 Centers. Specialized Research Center (P50) Requirements A specialized research center (P50) must have three or more related, integrated, and high quality research projects that provide a multidisciplinary, yet thematically related, approach to the problems to be investigated. These research projects may be accompanied by an appropriate number and type of core facilities providing cost-effective technical support. The projects and theme of the center must be relevant to the DBSB funding mission. The applications should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines contained in the NICHD P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES, available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES, below. A detailed description of each core unit proposed as part of the center must be provided with a detailed budget and budget justification. The description of the core units proposed should include a rationale to show how they will support the research effort in a cost-effective manner. Facilities must be available for the primary needs of the Population Research Center and require no more than modest alteration and/or renovation. Funds for new construction will not be provided. An applicant institution with other institutional support from government or private sources must clearly summarize any potential overlap in terms of the science (projects), core services, budget, or an individual's committed effort. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH-supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification are provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which was published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513), and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994, available on the Internet at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html. Because P30 funds in general do not support research projects directly, the issue of minority/gender representation must be addressed at the individual project level (e.g., R01 level). However, the application must address these issues for any New Program Development projects or core units that focus on subject recruitment. INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available on the Internet at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html. Because P30 funds in general do not support research projects directly, the issue of inclusion of children must be addressed at the individual project level (e.g., R01 level). However, the application must address these issues for any New Program Development projects or core units that focus on subject recruitment. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of this RFA. 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 NICHD staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflicts of interest in the review. The letter of intent should be sent to V. Jeffery Evans Ph.D., J.D., at the address listed under INQUIRIES, by October 5, 1999. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and on the Internet at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html, and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267, E-mail: grantsinfo@nih.gov. Applications for P30 centers should be prepared in accordance with the NICHD P30 Center Core Grant Guidelines. Applications for P50 centers should follow the NICHD Guidelines for P50 Centers. Guidelines are available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES below. The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) application form must be affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application and must display the number of this RFA, HD-99-011. A sample modified RFA label is available at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA title and number must be typed on line 2 of the face page and the YES box must be marked. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and three signed photocopies, in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application should be sent to: Director Division of Scientific Review National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E-03, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service) Applications must be received by November 16, 1999. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by CSR and responsiveness by NICHD staff. Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the NICHD in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, a process may be used by the scientific review group in which applications receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second-level review by the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development (NACHHD) Council at its June 2000 meeting. Review Criteria Applications received in response to this RFA will be evaluated according to the review criteria presented in the NICHD P30 Center Core Grant Guidelines or the NICHD P50 Specialized Research Center Grant Guidelines, available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES below. SCHEDULE Letter of Intent Receipt Date: October 5, 1999 Application Receipt Date: November 16, 1999 Peer Review Date: March 2000 Council Review: June 2000 Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2000 AWARD CRITERIA Funding decisions will be based on scientific and technical merit as determined by peer review, NACHHD Council recommendations, program relevance, and the availability of funds. INQUIRIES Inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: V. Jeffery Evans Ph.D., J.D. Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8B07, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Telephone: (301) 496-1176 FAX: (301) 496-0962 E-mail: Jeff_Evans@nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Melinda Nelson Grants Management Branch National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8A17, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Telephone: (301) 496-5482 FAX: (301) 402-0915 E-Mail: mn23z@nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.864 (Population Research). Awards made are under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations, 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372, or to Health Systems Agency Review. The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
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