Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Funding Opportunity Title

Network Infrastructure Support for Emerging Areas of Research in the Basic Biology of Aging (R24)

Activity Code

R24 Resource-Related Research Projects

Announcement Type

New

Related Notices
  • August 9, 2013 - Notice of Expiration of PAR-11-266. See Notice NOT-AG-13-017.
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

PAR-11-266

Companion FOA

None

Number of Applications

See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)

93.866

FOA Purpose

The purpose of this FOA is to provide infrastructure support to foster further development and integration in emerging interdisciplinary areas of research in basic biology of aging. This FOA will use the NIH Resource-Related Research Project (R24) mechanism to facilitate research networks that will advance specific scientific goals through meetings, conferences, small scale pilots, short term training opportunities (such as intensive workshops, summer institutes, or visiting scholar programs) and dissemination activities to encourage growth and development in these interdisciplinary areas.

Key Dates
Posted Date

July 20, 2011

Letter of Intent Due Date

Not Applicable

Application Due Date(s)

Standard dates apply , by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Standard dates apply

Scientific Merit Review

Standard dates apply

Advisory Council Review

Standard dates apply

Earliest Start Date(s)

Standard dates apply

Expiration Date

August 10, 2013 per NOT-AG-13-017. (Original date: September 8, 2014)

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. While some links are provided, applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Looking ahead: NIH is committed to transitioning all grant programs to electronic submission using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) format and is currently investigating solutions that will accommodate NIH’s multi-project programs. NIH will announce plans to transition the remaining programs in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts and on NIH’s Applying Electronically website.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

Purpose

The purpose of this FOA is to provide infrastructure support to foster further development and integration in emerging interdisciplinary areas of research in basic biology of aging. This FOA will use the NIH Resource-Related Research Project (R24) mechanism to facilitate research networks that will advance specific scientific goals through meetings, conferences, small scale pilot projects, short term training opportunities (such as intensive workshops, summer institutes, or visiting scholar programs) and dissemination activities to encourage growth and development in interdisciplinary areas of interest to the Division of Aging Biology of the NIH. The NIA supports research in a large number of areas of basic biology, ranging from genetic and molecular to cellular and tissue / organ physiology. There is a need to develop an integrative view of the aging process, and this integration requires scientists from different disciplines and backgrounds to not just talk with each other, but also to complement each other's expertise. The goal is to develop these interdisciplinary areas of inquiry to the point where the fields and related activities can be supported through standard mechanisms such as research grants, conference grants, program projects, centers, and/or institutional training grants. The specific goal sought by the applicant should be clearly stated in the application. While we encourage the development of research networks in any and all areas funded under our Aging Biology Program, applications are particularly encouraged in the following areas:

Background

Recent years have seen an explosion in our knowledge and understanding of the basic biology of aging, with many seemingly disparate lines of research coming to a point of development where integrative and systems level correlations among them appear likely, and indeed many researchers are poised to take advantage of these many leads in knowledge. It seems critical at this stage to develop theoretical and experimental paradigms that will cross these different disciplines in order to develop overarching views of the aging process as a whole or to redefine current theories of aging and to assess the promise and limitations of interventions into this process. Enhanced interactions among researchers are expected to result in more holistic approaches and more comprehensive understanding of the inter-relationships among several molecular pathways, organs and cell types, thus providing the foundation for a higher level understanding of the complex phenomena underlying the processes of aging. In addition, this FOA intends to support further dissemination and mining of available rich data sets on aging in the form of the several high through-put technologies, as they apply to the basic biology of aging. Other efforts being encouraged are the training of new investigators and recruitment of the best scientists to aging research to ensure continued growth in these fields. The activities funded in response to this announcement will have well-defined goals and objectives that will help to advance integrative approaches to aging biology research.

Examples of recent advances in aging research abound at several biological levels, including the genetics of aging (IGF, sirtuins, mTOR, for example), molecular mechanisms (role of stress, protein stability and turnover), cell biology (role of senescence and its secretory phenotype, tissue repair and stem cells) and tissue function (inflammation, hormonal regulation among tissues). In large part because of these advances, aging research is currently entering a stage where interventions into the process are conceivable, and many of them are currently being tested. Importantly, research done primarily in rodent models indicates that these interventions often lead not only to longer lifespans, but to considerable improvements in healthspan as well, which appears as a delayed onset of chronic illness. This is not surprising since it is very well established that aging is the single major risk factor in the development of a panoply of chronic diseases and conditions. As a consequence, interventions that delay the process of aging are indeed expected to concomitantly delay the appearance and/or severity of these age-related diseases.

As interventions against aging appear from these studies and thus become ever more likely to be tested, first in animal models and eventually in humans, there is an urgent need to develop comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches to assess both the potential benefits and risks of proposed interventions. Equally important, the likelihood of success, potential impact and roadblocks to implementation at the population level need to be evaluated. It is of paramount importance that these multivariate and cross-disciplinary analyses be done in animals, well before we proceed to testing potential interventions in humans.

Scope

This FOA is designed to address the needs of researchers for network development in order to advance interdisciplinary research programs in aging biology. Networks can take several different forms depending on the specific areas to be developed. These might include meetings, series of meetings, conferences, training activities, courses, sabbaticals or other visiting scholars programs, or other activities as deemed useful to a specific area of inquiry, appropriate for the advancement of specific scientific goals, and as justified by the applicant.

The topics to be developed are those cross-sectional areas that are well enough advanced and constitute the core of NIA’s current portfolios in aging biology. All applicants must explain how the proposed networking activities will advance an emerging area and why these goals will serve to advance or accelerate science beyond what can be achieved through existing programs or structures. The NIA expects applicant institutions to propose the development of innovative research networks in any of the areas funded under our Aging Biology Program, and applications are particularly encouraged in the following areas:

1. Integrative physiology of anti-aging interventions: In the past few years, interventions that retard aging and postpone age-related physiological decline in mice have been described. The NIA Interventions Testing Program routinely tests additional candidate interventions. These represent a first step towards translation, but before that step can be accomplished, a comprehensive analysis of the physiologic and pathological effects of these interventions is critical. Applications seeking the definition of end-points of relevance to the different manipulations, or development of integrative batteries of tests or identification of surrogate measures of efficacy are encouraged, as are networks of investigators focused on a coordinated approach to assessing the long-term effects of longevity-promoting interventions, both on the physiology of normal animals and in animal models of particular age-related diseases.

2. Inflammation and age-related diseases: Several recent lines of evidence indicate that aging is often accompanied by a dysregulation of the innate immune response. This in turn contributes to a pro-inflammatory state that may be a causative factor in the development of many age-associated diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and others. This FOA encourages the development of networks of researchers focused on identifying the origin of the dysregulation of the innate immune response, as well as its downstream effects on a variety of tissues, both in the presence and absence of symptomatic disease. Teams focused on manipulations that remove potential celular sources of inflammation, such as senescent cells or elements of the innate immune response, are also encouraged to apply.

3. Genetics and physiology of stress resistance: A variety of genetic models of extended lifespan converge on the up-regulation of genes and pathways that confer increased resistance to a wide variety of stressors. Similarly, some of the currently studied non-genetic interventions (resveratrol and rapamycin, for example) seem to also result in enhanced stress resistance. Furthermore, recent interest in concepts such as hormesis and the cross-talk between dietary stress and aging warrant further scrutiny by teams of investigators with expertise in several areas of research, in order to further elucidate the potential role of stress resistance and hormesis in lifespan and healthspan. Short visits by scholars in different disciplines with the purpose of cross-pollinating the different fields, as well as small working meetings are particularly encouraged.

4. Comparative biology of aging: While considerable effort is currently being spent on defining the genetic and physiological determinants of aging in defined species, nature provides abundant examples of species with exceptional longevity, when compared to closely related species (e.g., naked mole rats versus laboratory mice). Gerontologists have begun to exploit this fact by using models such as the Naked Mole Rat and bivalve mollusks (clams, mussels, oysters, with longevities that can span up to 100-fold differences between species). The large variety of possible comparisons among species, and the recent development by researchers of tissue banks and other resources, suggest that further coordination of these efforts should be worthwhile. In addition to comparative studies, an extension of the bestiary currently used is likely to occur. This will include both simple invertebrates amenable to genetic manipulations and screenings, as well as vertebrate species that should facilitate the transition towards translation into humans. Coordinating activities relevant to current models being developed, such as canines and additional non-human primates is encouraged.

5. Translation of basic research into effective medicine: The rapid increase in our understanding of the aging process is leading to the rapid development of non-genetic strategies to prolong lifespan and healthspan in mice and other model species. This in turn puts pressure to further develop these applications for human trials, and it is therefore critical that the field develops a "health-oriented" branch of basic research. At the same time, it is also critical to develop integrated data analysis of these non-genetic interventions so as to properly assess both the risks and the likelihood of success when translating the research into higher species, including humans. Exploratory and cross-pollinating workshops, as well as short visits and interactions between scholars in both basic biology and gerontology are particularly encouraged.

For network activities that span multiple institutions, applicants are encouraged to describe in the Research Plan how those activities will be coordinated across institutions, and how the proposed activities will effectively engage with other relevant activities at participating institutions.

Section II. Award Information
Funding Instrument

Grant

Application Types Allowed

New
Resubmission
Revision

The OER Glossary and the PHS398 Application Guide provide details on these application types.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

NIA intends to fund 3-4 applications, corresponding to a total of $600,000, for fiscal year 2012. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

Award Budget

Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect actual needs of the proposed project.

Award Project Period

A project duration of up to three years may be requested.

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.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

For-Profit Organizations

Governments

Other

Foreign Institutions

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Required Registrations

Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations as described in the PHS398 Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations.

All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons account of the applicant organization.

All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

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

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the PHS398 Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

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

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the PHS398 Application Guide.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Applicants are required to prepare applications according to the current PHS 398 application forms in accordance with the PHS 398 Application Guide.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Application Submission

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application forms and instructions for preparing a research grant application. 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 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)

At the time of submission, two additional paper copies of the application and all copies of the appendix files must be sent to:

Ramesh Vemuri, Ph. D.
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Ave., Room 2C212
Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 (use 20814 for express mail)
Telephone: (301) 496-9666
Fax: (301) 402-0066
E-mail: Vemuri@nia.nih.gov

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the PHS398 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed,.

Research Plan

All instructions in the PHS398 Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Resource Sharing Plan

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies; GWAS) as provided in the PHS398 Application Guide, with the following modifications:

Appendix

Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix (please note all format requirements) as described in the PHS398 Application Guide.

3. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates.

Information on the process of receipt and determining if your application is considered on-time is described in detail in the PHS398 Application Guide.

Applicants may track the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.

4. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

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 only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be received on or before the due dates in Part I. Overview Information.

If an application is received after that date, it will not be reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115,

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Overall Impact - Overall

Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Scored Review Criteria - Overall

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?

Innovation

Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?

If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

Additional Review Criteria - Overall

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.

Vertebrate Animals

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Biohazards

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Renewals

Not Applicable

Revisions

For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not for recommended approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.

Additional Review Considerations - Overall

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.

Applications from Foreign Organizations

Not Applicable.

Select Agent Research

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Resource Sharing Plans

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).

Budget and Period of Support

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the National Institute on Aging, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center and will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Council on Aging. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

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 eRA Commons.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee’s business official.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. 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.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.

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. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.

Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award

Not Applicable.

3. Reporting

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

A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

Application Submission Contacts

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
TTY 301-451-5936
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov

eRA Commons Help Desk(Questions regarding eRA Commons registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
TTY: 301-451-5939
Email: commons@od.nih.gov

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Felipe Sierra, Ph. D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-6402
Email: Sierraf@nia.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Ramesh Vemuri, Ph. D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-402-0066
Email: Vemuri@nia.nih.gov

For PAR and RFA only, replace the text block with exactly the same formatted information as shown for Scientific/Research Contact(s) and Financial/Grants Management Contact(s).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

John Bladen
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-469-1472
Email: BladenJ@nia.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Authority and Regulations

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.


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