Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)

Funding Opportunity Title

High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)

Activity Code

S10 Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants (ORIP)

Announcement Type

Reissue of PAR-11-228

Related Notices

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

PAR-13-101

Companion Funding Opportunity

None

Number of Applications

There is no limit on the number of applications an institution may submit provided the applications are for different instruments. See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

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

93.351

Funding Opportunity Purpose

The ORIP High-End Instrumentation Grant (HEI) program encourages applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase a single major item of equipment to be used for biomedical research that costs at least $750,000. The maximum award is $2,000,000. Instruments in this category include, but are not limited to, biomedical imaging systems, NMR spectrometers, mass spectrometers, electron microscopes and supercomputers.

Key Dates
Posted Date

February 1, 2013

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

August 13, 2013

Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Application Due Date(s)

September 13, 2013, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Scientific Merit Review

January to February, 2014

Advisory Council Review

May, 2014

Earliest Start Date

July 1, 2014

Expiration Date

September 14, 2013

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) 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. 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.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the 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

With advances in technological development, biomedical scientists require ever more powerful tools for their research. As new instruments with enhanced performance become available, their importance for research increases along with the costs. Although the Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (SIG) provides a cost effective mechanism for groups of NIH supported investigators to obtain commercially available equipment costing between $100,000 and $600,000, there is a continuing need for an NIH program that provides expensive, high-end instruments to the broad community of basic and clinical scientists. To meet this need, ORIP continues the HEI program that was initiated in FY 2002 to support expensive, high-end instruments. The focus of the HEI Program is on a new generation of instruments that cost over $1,000,000 but the floor for the program has been set at $750,000. Applications for routine instruments such as midfield NMR spectrometers or other applications for requests totaling over $750,000 which are the result of an over-estimation of price and/or an excessive number of accessories, are not appropriate.

Applicants may also propose an Integrated Instrument system in which the components, when used in conjunction with one another, perform a superior or innovative function that no single component instrument could provide for the user group. The integrated components must be dedicated to the system and not used independently. Increase in productivity or efficiency is not sufficient justification for an integrated system. The Integrated Instrument cannot require research and development but may include minor adaptations, as needed, to connect commercially available instruments and components. Applicants must contact HEI scientific program officials (See Section VII) prior to submitting an application for an Integrated Instrument system and must obtain a letter of permission from program staff to be included in the HEI application. Instruments must be for research purposes only. Foreign made equipment is allowable.

Examples of HEI instruments include, but are not limited to:

Applications for synchrotron equipment, with the exception of detectors, are not appropriate for this FOA.

The HEI program will not support requests for:

For eligibility, a major user group of three or more investigators who are PDs/PIs on active NIH research grants with the following activity codes, P01, R01, U01, R35, R37, DP1 and DP2 must be identified. Once this eligibility requirement has been met, additional users with other types of active NIH research grants (such as but not limited to R00, R03, R21, P30, P41, P50) mechanisms) can be added as major or minor users. NIH training grants and contracts are not eligible. To demonstrate the clear need for the requested instrumentation, projects supported by NIH research grants should require at least 75 percent of the total usage time.

Major users can be individual researchers, or a group of investigators within the same department or from several departments at the applicant institution. NIH extramural awardees from other nearby institutions may also be included.

If the major user group does not require total usage of the instrument, access to the instrument should be made available to other users upon the advice of the internal advisory committee (see below). These users need not be NIH awardees, but priority should be given to NIH-supported scientists engaged in biomedical/behavioral research.

It is expected that some of the equipment requested under the HEI Program will be of a specialized nature and will require a high level of technical expertise to operate the instrument and conduct experiments. Therefore, for the requested instrument to be used effectively and to avoid abuse of the instrument, which frequently occurs in an open access environment, the bulk of the research time may have to be reserved for a few investigators. Alternatively, some type of instruments might be accessed by the research community through collaborations with appropriate investigators. Other types of instruments requested may not be so dedicated; such instruments will serve a broadly diversified biomedical community and should be located within a central core facility.

Each applicant institution must propose a PD/PI who can assume administrative/scientific oversight responsibility for the instrumentation requested. This person need not be an NIH grantee but must be affiliated with the applicant institution. An internal advisory committee must be named to assist the PD/PI in administering the grant and overseeing the usage of the instrument. The committee should include members with diverse expertise. The PD/PI and the advisory committee are responsible for:

The PD/PI also will be responsible for:

Section II. Award Information
Funding Instrument

Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed

New
Resubmission

The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) 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.

ORIP intends to fund an estimate of 10-15 awards, corresponding to a total of $20 million, for fiscal year 2014. Since the cost of the various instruments will vary, it is anticipated that the size of the award also will vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend on the funds available for the HEI program.

Award Budget

Applications will be accepted that request a single, commercially available instrument or integrated system which costs at least $750,000. There is no upper limit on the cost of the instrument, but the maximum award is $2,000,000.

Award Project Period

The project period is limited to one year.

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

Under the general research support authority of Section 301(a) (3) of the Public Health Service Act, High End Instrumentation Grant awards are made to public and non-profit domestic institutions only. These institutions include health professional schools, other academic institutions, hospitals, health departments, and research organizations. Note that Federal institutions, foreign institutions and for-profit institutions are not eligible to apply. A Federal institution is defined by the NIH as a Cabinet-level department or independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal Government or any component organization of such a department or agency. Foreign (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not allowed.

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 SF424 (R&R) 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(s)/PI(s)) 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 6 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(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) 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.

Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed under the S10 mechanism.

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 for a different instrument.

NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:

Determination of New Application Status: A new application is expected to be substantially different in content and scope with more significant differences than are normally encountered in a resubmitted application. For S10 applications, there must be a substantial change in more than one critical aspect of the application, which may include a change in the composition of major or minor users due to a change in instrumentation needs or NIH grant support, inclusion of new preliminary data for several users, specific documented changes in institutional commitment or changes in technical expertise and the administrative/management structure.

Major Users

For eligibility, a major user group of three or more investigators who are PDs/PIs on active NIH research grants with the following activity codes, P01, R01, U01, R35, R37, DP1 and DP2 must be identified. Once this eligibility requirement has been met, additional users with other types of active NIH research grants (such as but not limited to R00, R03, R21, P30, P41, P50 mechanisms) can be added as major or minor users. NIH training grants and contracts are not eligible. To demonstrate the clear need for the requested instrumentation, projects supported by NIH research grants should require at least 75 percent of the total usage time.

Major users can be individual researchers, or a group of investigators within the same department or from several departments at the applicant institution. NIH extramural awardees from other nearby institutions may also be included.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) 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.

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Required and Optional Components

The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed, with the following exception:

For this FOA, there is no overall page limit for the entire Instrumentation Plan. However, there are specified page limitations for each section of the Instrumentation Plan as described below. The sections cannot exceed the page limit including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts. Although there is no overall page limit, applicants are reminded to be informative yet succinct.

Note: Letters of Support are not included in the page limitations.

Special Application Instructions for this FOA

Below are special instructions for this FOA describing the information that must be included in the required components of the application.

SF424(R&R) Cover Component

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions.

Descriptive Title

Enter the generic name of the instrument requested in the title (for example, 600MHz NMR Spectrometer).

Proposed Project

Enter start date of 07/01/2014 and end date of 06/30/2015.

Estimated Project Funding

Total Federal Funds Requested. Enter the total Federal funds for the requested instrument. This will be the total cost since the award period for the HEI program is one year. If the cost of the instrument is more than $2 million enter $2 million on this line, since this is the maximum award under the HEI program.

Total Non-Federal Funds. If Total Federal Funds Requested (described immediately above) and Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds (described immediately below) are not the same, enter the difference. Explain how the difference will be paid in the Equipment section on the SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information component (described below).

Total Federal & Non-Federal Funds. Enter the total cost of the instrument from the quote.

Estimated Program Income. Enter zero as Program Income does not apply to the HEI Program.

** NOTE: A warning will be generated during submission for any S10 with a budget in excess of $500,000. This warning can be ignored.

SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information Component

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions.

Note that Human Subjects are not involved and Vertebrate Animals are not used. Both should be checked "No".

Project Summary/Abstract

The Project Summary/Abstract is meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when disassociated from the application. State the application’s broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health relatedness of the project. Describe concisely the research design and methods for achieving the stated goals. This section should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader.

NOTE: The Project Summary/Abstract must be no longer than 30 lines of text.

Project Narrative

Using no more than two or three sentences, describe the relevance of this research to public health. In this section be succinct and use plain language that can be understood by a general, lay audience.

Bibliography & References Cited

Each major user should list only those publications that demonstrate the user's expertise in using the requested instrumentation.

Facilities & Other Resources

Not applicable. Do not include an attachment here.

Equipment

Describe the instrument requested including manufacturer and model number. The model chosen should be justified by comparing its performance with other available instruments where appropriate. Specific features and any accessories should be justified, both in this section and in the description of research projects. Such accessories must be utilized by at least half of the users. Provide a detailed budget breakdown of the main equipment and accessories requested including tax and import duties, if applicable. An itemized quote, with appropriate discount from a vendor is required. The quote must be scanned and combined in a single attachment with the equipment description as part of this upload. Applications without itemized quote(s) will not be reviewed. As described above in SF424 Cover Component, include an explanation of Total Non-Federal Funds in this section (if applicable). If human or infectious materials, which could create a potential biohazard, are to be analyzed, funds for accessory containment equipment for the instrument may be requested in the budget. In this case, a signed letter from the institutional biosafety committee stating that they have reviewed the proposed containment plan and that the plan adheres to documented biosafety regulations is required in the application, and must be scanned and uploaded in the Other Attachments (described immediately below).

Other Attachments

Instrumentation Plan (in lieu of Research Plan section). The entire Instrumentation Plan (with the sections described below) must be saved as a single file (named Instrumentation Plan) and attached via the Other Attachments. Organize the Instrumentation Plan in the specified order (described below) starting each section with the appropriate section heading (i.e. Justification of Need, Research Projects etc.). Do not include links to websites for further information. Do not include animations.

Letters of Support. Letters of support from institutional officials confirming specific dollar and other support commitments ( that are described in detail in the section on Institutional Commitment) and any letters from the biosafety committee (as described in Equipment) should be combined in a single file named Letters of Support and uploaded as a separate attachment via Other Attachments.

If requesting an Integrated Instrument (see Part2. Section I. See (Section I. Funding Opportunity Description); attach the letter of approval for this request provided by the ORIP scientific staff.

Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded Component

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Each applicant institution must propose a PD/PI who can assume administrative/scientific oversight responsibility for the instrumentation requested. This person need not be an NIH grantee but must be affiliated with the applicant institution.

Major users can be individual researchers, or a group of investigators within the same department or from several departments at the applicant institution. NIH extramural awardees from other nearby institutions may also be included.

Include profiles for the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s), the Major Users, and for the technical person(s) responsible for the maintenance and operation of the instrument. For the Major Users, select Other under Project Role. Then complete the Other Project Role Category by inserting Major User. For technical person(s), select Technician for Project Role field. Follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for Additional Senior/Key Person Profile(s) if there are more than 8 major users.

NOTE: Current and Pending Support. Since Just-in-Time does not apply to the S10 mechanism, this FOA requires current and pending support for the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s), each major user and/or technician at the time of application submission. Follow the format provided in Other Support section of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (Part III. Section 1.8. Other Support.)

PHS 398 Research Plan Component

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The Research Plan component is not required in this FOA. However, an Instrumentation Plan must be uploaded via Other Attachments (see above for details).

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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

Appendix

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modification:

3. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.

Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the deadline in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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.

Under the S10 mechanism, funding requests are limited to the purchase cost of the instrument only. Support for technical personnel, service contracts, extended warranties, and supplies are not allowable. Cost sharing towards purchase of the instrument is not required. If the amount of funds requested does not cover the total cost of the instrument, the application should describe the proposed source(s) of funding for the balance of the cost of the instrument. Documentation of the availability of the remainder of funding, signed by an appropriate institutional official, must be presented to ORIP prior to issuance of award.

The program does not provide facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or support for construction or alterations or renovations. Matching funds are not required. However, commitment of an appropriate level of institutional support to ensure the associated sustaining infrastructure is expected and should be described. Appropriate Grants will be awarded for a period of one year and are not renewable. Supplemental applications will not be accepted.

Applicants proposing purchase of an instrument that the institution is planning to lease prior to award are urged to consult with their institutional sponsored projects office regarding applicable NIH policy prior to executing the leasing agreement. If the leasing agreement was executed more than one year prior to submission of the HEI application, the applicant must provide strong justification for the requested Federal funds. This justification must demonstrate that the leased instrument is considered state-of-the-art at the time of submission appropriate award adjustments may be necessary. Execution of a purchase order or agreement, making a down payment or other formal commitment to purchase the equipment prior to award will automatically eliminate an applicant from eligibility for an award.

6. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.

Important reminders:
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

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

Reviewers will provide an overall impact 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

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.

Justification of Need

Is the need for the instrument clearly and adequately justified? Is the equipment essential and appropriate? Justification of selection of proposed instrument may include but is not limited to comparison with other available instruments of similar function. If the applicant is requesting an Integrated Instrument, is the request justified by superior results, as compared to a single commercially available instrument, that is necessary to satisfy the needs of the user group?.

Technical Expertise

Does the institution have the technical expertise to make effective use of the requested equipment? How well qualified are the participating investigators or other assigned personnel to operate and maintain the instrument, conduct the projects, and evaluate the research results? How will new users be trained? How will biosafety procedures be implemented?

Research Projects

Will research with the requested instrument advance the knowledge and understanding of the proposed projects? How will the research project of each major user be enhanced?

Administration

Is the plan for the management and maintenance of the requested instrument appropriate? Are there plans for maximizing the effectiveness of the investment in instrumentation? Is the membership of the advisory committee broadly based to oversee the use of the instrument for a wide range of biomedical investigators? How will research time be allocated among the projects? Are the sharing arrangements equitable? If needed, are the policies to manage human subject, animal or biohazardous materials projects adequate? Is the Financial Plan for long term operation and maintenance of the instrument reasonable?

Institutional Commitment

Is the institutional commitment for continued support of the utilization and maintenance commensurate with the level of sophistication of the requested instrument? Institutional Commitment to the specific financial plan for operation and maintenance of the instrument may include, but is not limited to, support of maintenance contracts, preparation and maintenance of the installation site, contribution to the costs of the operating staff, and any other financial contribution towards the support and acquisition of the instrument. Is institutional infrastructure (technical support, space, environment and utilities) adequate to support the instrument? Is there an institutional track record for making technology available? Is there appropriate documentation (letters from institutional officials)?

Additional Review Criteria

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 score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

Vertebrate Animals

Generally not applicable. Reviewers should bring any concerns to the attention of the Scientific Review Officer.

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

Not Applicable

Additional Review Considerations

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 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

Not Applicable

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 Center for Scientific Review, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. 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

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, SAM 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

Final Progress Report

Ninety days after the expiration of the grant, a Final Progress Report is required that describes the instrument purchased, and a list of all users and description of the value of the instrument to the investigators and to the institution as a whole. This report is needed by the NIH for informing the public, administrative and Congressional officials about the research resources it supports. The following information must be included in the HEI Final Progress Report:

1. Information about the award and the instrument:

Grant Number: 1S10OD#####-01

Principal Investigator: (Name, Institution, Department, Address)

Funding Period

Name of Instrument (including manufacturer and model)

Total Purchase Cost

Total HEI Award Amount

Other Sources of Funding (if appropriate)

2. Describe the HEI instrument purchased, its usage and its impact on the research community, specifically the NIH funded users. Use a summary table to list the names of the current major users (last, first), the complete NIH grant numbers (e.g. 5R01HL123456-01A1), brief titles of the projects and the percentage of use.

3. Describe the administration, operation, and plans for the maintenance of the instrument.

4. Describe (in language understandable to the lay public) any research accomplishments resulting from the use of the instrumentation. Explain the developments in terms of their contributions to new knowledge and potential for the improvement of human health. Provide a list of publications, if available. Any publications on your final progress report should be consistent with the NIH public access policy (http://publicaccess.nih.gov).

5. Include any other additional information which you would consider useful to the NIH.

The HEI Final Progress Report must be submitted electronically through the Closeout feature in eRA Commons.

Annual Equipment Usage Report

In addition, for the period of four years after the final progress report, annual equipment usage reports must be provided to the NIH. The annual equipment usage reports must include:

1. The equipment usage records, specifically the name of the user; number of hours used per year; and the active supporting NIH grants of the user.

2. Machine downtime and explanation of any remediation plans.

3. Any changes in administrative and technical operation of the equipment from originally described in the application.

4. A list of publications and other research reports depending, in part, on use of the awarded instrument. The publication list should be consistent with the NIH Public Access Policy.

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

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov

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)

Abraham Levy, PhD
Shared Instrumentation Program
Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), NIH
Telephone: 301-435-0777
Email: SIG@mail.nih.gov

Steven Birken, PhD
Shared Instrumentation Program
Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), NIH
Telephone: 301-435-0815
Email: birkens@mail.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Jenelle D. Wiggins
Office of Grants Management
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, DHHS
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, DPCPSI, NIH, DHHS
Telephone: 301-435-0843
Fax: 301-480-3777
Email: JWiggins@mail.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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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices



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