Department of Health and Human Services


Part 1. Overview Information
Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Funding Opportunity Title

Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) (R25)

Activity Code

R25 Education Projects

Announcement Type

Reissue of PAR-10-004

Related Notices

  • March 4, 2016 - This PAR has been reissued as PAR-16-118.
  • December 15, 2014 - Update to Budget Instructions for PAR-13-196. See Notice NOT-GM-14-142.
  • October 15, 2014 - See Notice NOT-GM-14-131. Notice to Clarify Underrepresented Groups for PAR-13-196 "Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) (R25)"
  • June 4, 2014 - Notice NOT-14-074 supersedes instructions in Section III.3 regarding applications that are essentially the same.
  • March 7, 2014 - See Notice NOT-GM-14-107. Notice of Technical Assistance Webinar.
  • May 30, 2013 (NOT-OD-13-074) - NIH to Require Use of Updated Electronic Application Forms for Due Dates on or after September 25, 2013. Forms-C applications are required for due dates on or after September 25, 2013.
  • June 7, 2013 - See Notice NOT-GM-13-122. Notice of Additional Application Due Dates and Allowable Post-Submission Material.
  • May 3, 2013 - See Notice NOT-GM-13-112. Notice of Technical Assistance Workshop.
  • May 3, 2013 - See Notice NOT-GM-13-111. Notice of Correction to Eligibility Information and Application Submission Instructions.
  • April 22, 2013 - See Notice NOT-GM-13-010. Notice to Clarify Institutional Eligibility.

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number

PAR-13-196

Companion Funding Opportunity

None

Number of Applications

Only one application per institution is allowed, as defined in Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

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

93.859

Funding Opportunity Purpose

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will award Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) research education grants (R25) to institutions focused on developing new or expanding existing effective institutional developmental programs designed to academically and scientifically prepare underrepresented (UR) students in the biomedical or behavioral sciences for competitive research careers. The RISE program provides grants to institutions with significant enrollment of students from populations underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences that propose well-integrated developmental activities designed to strengthen students academic preparation, research training and professional skills that are critical to the completion of the Ph.D. degree in the biomedical and/or behavioral sciences.

Key Dates
Posted Date

April 15, 2013

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

May 20, 2013

Letter of Intent Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Application Due Date(s)

June 20, 2013 (Additional Dates added May 28, 2014; May 28, 2015 per NOT-GM-13-122) by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

AIDS Application Due Date(s)

Not Applicable

Scientific Merit Review

October-November, 2013

Advisory Council Review

January, 2014

Earliest Start Date

June 21, 2014

Expiration Date

(Extended to May 29, 2015 per NOT-GM-13-122), Originally June 21, 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


Background

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to put forth special effort toward stimulating creative and innovative research education programs in areas pertaining to its mission. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), under the NIH Research Education (R25) grant mechanism, encourages applications from institutions that are committed to the development of a diverse pool of highly trained biomedical and behavioral scientists

The mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is to conduct and support research and research training and a critical aspect of this is the development of a highly skilled workforce. To compete successfully the United States needs a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce that is well educated and trained. Diversity in science matters: social scientists have long observed the ability of heterogeneous groups to derive a greater number of alternatives and perspectives that led to more complete and inventive solutions, which are critical for scientific innovation and problem solving (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 15534225). Although the NIH currently provides multiple opportunities to develop research careers and to improve participation for individuals from groups with low representation in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, a recent report from an Advisory Committee to the NIH Director on Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce indicates that achieving diversity in the biomedical research workforce remains an important problem that must be actively addressed (see http://acd.od.nih.gov/dbr.htm). The NIH and NIGMS expect that efforts to diversify the biomedical research workforce will:

The historical mission of some institutions of higher learning has been to educate students from underrepresented backgrounds, and to provide assistance to the underserved communities. For example, the focus of minority-serving institutions (MSIs) has been the education and graduation of students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (i.e., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and natives of U.S. Pacific Islands). Some other institutions have a mission to educate students with disabilities and provide services to the disability community (J.V. Van Cleve and B. A. Crouch, A Place of their Own: Creating the Deaf Community in America, GU Press, 1989). As a group, these institutions have trained science graduates from underrepresented groups who have gone on to pursue research careers (NSF Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities Report 2011) and have gained scientific prominence in their research. Some of these graduates provide health care to underserved populations and are, therefore, uniquely positioned to engage underserved populations in research and in the translation of research advances into culturally competent, measurable, and sustained improvements in health outcomes (Estape et al., Clin. Transl. Sci. 5(10): 112, 2011).

By promoting educational opportunities available at institutions with track records of successfully attracting underrepresented groups, NIGMS seeks to increase the entry of individuals from these groups into the biomedical research workforce with the expectation that this will further foster the development of the next generation of a diverse pool of scientists who are available to address the nation’s research needs.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the RISE Program is to increase the number of students from UR groups in biomedical and behavioral research who successfully complete the Ph.D. degree in these fields. In doing so, the overarching expectation is that through its support of new and ongoing institutionally-designed student and faculty developmental programs, the RISE Program will help reduce the gap in the completion of Ph.D. degrees between UR and non-UR students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences at the national level. At the institutional level, it is expected that the following objectives will be achieved:

Program Overview

Efforts to diversify the scientific enterprise over the last four decades have led to a better understanding of what factors confer UR student persistence in STEM (see Summers, M. and Hrabowski , F.; SCIENCE Vol. 311, March 2006; Matsui, J., Liu, R. and Kane, C.; Cell Biology Education Vol. 2, Summer 2003 and Jolly, E., Campbell, P., and Perlman, L.; GE Foundation, September 2004 for details). Exemplar programs offer student participants the following:

All factors are interdependent and each is necessary to ensure student persistence or continuance and success. Proposed RISE programs must select and employ well-integrated strategies, rooted in education research, that provide students what they need to progress to the next stage of the science education continuum.

RISE applications are institutional in nature and therefore they must reflect the plans and priorities of the participating institutions. Thus, each application must conduct a comprehensive institutional self-assessment relative to its capacity to support students in their efforts to attain undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. To that end, the self-assessment must provide baseline institutional data with respect to the baseline number of students retained and graduating in the sciences relevant to biomedical and/or behavioral research. In addition, the self-assessment must contain information pertaining to institutional mission and core themes, current institutional resources and capacity, and indicators of institutional effectiveness toward achieving its mission as it relates to the biomedical and behavioral science disciplines.

The RISE Program recognizes and values the heterogeneity in institutional settings and institutional missions. Based on this, various strategies may be utilized to attain the objective of increasing the number of UR individuals engaged in research via the RISE program. These may include, but are not limited to, student development, academic enhancement and research training activities. Applicant institutions have wide latitude in the design of the program; however, each applicant institution must establish the proposed program’s specific aims, which should be consonant with the RISE Program goals and objectives, based on the findings of the self-assessment. These specific aims should inform the design of an institutional research education program with potential for significant institutional impact and contribution to the overall RISE goals.

The RISE program supports the initiation of new academic developmental activities as well as the expansion, enhancement, and/or improvement of existing activities. Some institutions may opt to offer programs to improve preparation of UG students for admission to research doctoral degree programs, others may concentrate on training graduate students to obtain their doctoral degrees and prepare for successful research careers, and still others may concentrate on both. The proposed research education program may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. The R25 is not a substitute for an institutional research training program (T32) or MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research Award (T34) and cannot be used to circumvent or supplement Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanisms.

Applicants are strongly advised to review the RISE Programs Answers to Frequently Asked Questions section on the NIGMS website.

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
Renewal
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.

Award Budget

There are no specific budget limitations; however, the requested direct costs must be reasonable, well documented, fully justified and commensurate with the scope of the proposed program.

Award Project Period

The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum period is 5 years.

Other Award Budget Information
Personnel Costs

Individuals designing, directing, and implementing the research education program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities with students/participants are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then any costs associated with the mentoring and other interactions with students/participants are not allowable costs from grant funds).

Limited program-related administrative and clerical salary costs associated distinctly with the program that are not normally provided by the applicant organization may be direct charges to the grant only when they are in accordance with applicable cost principles. For institutions covered by OMB Circular A-21, this type of research education program may qualify as a major project where administrative salaries are allowable as a direct cost. When specifically identified and justified, these expenses must be itemized in Sections A and B, as appropriate, of the R&R Budget.

Salary support for the PD/PI/co-Investigators (or combination of multiple PDs/PIs/co-Investigators) is limited to up to 3.6 person months (i.e., 30% on a 12-month basis), depending on person months devoted to the administration of the program.

The total salary support for other administrative personnel (e.g., program administrator/program coordinator and/or program assistant) is limited to up to 6.0 person months (i.e., 50% on a 12-month basis), depending on person months devoted to the administration of the program.

Participant Costs

Participants are those individuals who benefit from the proposed activities and experiences involved in the research education program. Participant costs may be paid if specifically required for the proposed research education program and sufficiently justified. Participant costs must be itemized in the proposed budget. Allowable participant costs depend on the educational level/career status of the individuals to be selected to participate in the program.

Individuals supported by NIH training and career development mechanisms (K, T, or F awards) may receive, and indeed are encouraged to receive, educational experiences supported by the R25 mechanism, as participants, but may not receive salary or stipend supplementation from a research education program.

Because the R25 mechanism is not intended as a substitute for an NRSA institutional training program (T32), costs to support full-time participants (supported for 40 hours/week for a continuous, 12-month period) are not allowable.

Other Program-Related Expenses

Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.

Costs of student academic skills development workshops (e.g., problem-solving, communication, time management, and grant-writing) are allowed, but these costs must be reasonable and well justified.

Costs of research supplies and participant travel to training or national scientific meetings are allowed.

Travel expenses are also allowed for the program staff [program director(s) and program coordinator(s)] to attend one training or national scientific meeting per year and should be included in the budget.

For new applications, institutions may request up to a maximum of $12,500/student participant for other program-related expenses. For renewal applications, institutions may request up to a maximum of $10,500/student participant for other program-related expenses.

Indirect Costs

Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees and expenditures for equipment), rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement.

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:

This funding opportunity announcement is open to all institutions of higher learning with a historical mission of educating students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research as defined by the National Science Foundation (NSF, see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/) (i.e. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, U.S. Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities). Applicant institutions must be located in the United States of America or its territories including Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, Guam, American Samoa, or the successor States of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau). In addition, these institutions must confer the baccalaureate degree in subjects related to biomedical or behavioral science.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program.

Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32) or other Federally funded training programs including MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research Award (T34) may apply for a research education grant provided that the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs receiving NIH support. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed research education program will complement ongoing research training occurring at the applicant institution.

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 diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women 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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

The PD/PI should be a full-time faculty member with strong records in research, training, and teaching, and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.

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 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:

Preceptors/Mentors

Researchers from diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and women are encouraged to participate as preceptors/mentors. Mentors should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program. Efforts should be made to include mentors from the pool of faculty members currently participating in funded biomedical and/or behavioral research as PDs/PIs. Mentors must be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of the mentee s participation in this award.

Participants

The RISE program is an institutional program and it is expected that program-supported activities will be open to all students at the institution. The program should not deny participation in program-supported activities to anyone based solely on his/her race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion or disability. The program-supported participants are selected by the applicant institution. To receive salary support from the RISE program, students must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals or permanent residents and must be enrolled full time in academic degree programs in biomedical or behavioral science fields at the applicant institution. (A non-citizen national is a person who, although not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the U.S. This is generally a person born in a land that is not a state, but that is under U.S. sovereignty, jurisdiction, or administration -- for example, American Samoa.) An individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence must possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551) or other legal verification of such status prior to appointment on the grant. Individuals on temporary visas, those seeking asylum, or refugees are not eligible for support from the RISE program.

The purpose of the RISE Program is to achieve greater participation in the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise of this country of students from UR groups. For the purpose of the RISE Program UR groups include those reported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as the National Academies to be nationally underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences (i.e., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and Natives of US Pacific Islands, and people with disabilities). Applicants may include and identify any other categories that institutional policies have determined to be underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research fields with a strong rationale, appropriate references, and official validated documentation. Selection of program-supported participants should take into consideration whether the student’s participation would help achieve the overall goals/objectives of the proposed institutional program and the RISE goals. It is the responsibility of the applicant institution to establish the qualifications of students prior to their selection for the RISE program.

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.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Required and Optional Components

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

SF424(R&R) Cover

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Include collaborating sites, if appropriate. If multiple sites are involved in the research education program, the applicant institution must be one of these sites for the program. A justification must be included for sites other than the applicant institution in the program narrative.


SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information Component

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:

Other Attachments

Facilities & Other Resources. Describe the educational environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and implementation of the proposed program. List all thematically related sources of support for research training and education following the format for Current and Pending Support.

Advisory Committee. An institutional RISE Advisory Committee may be included as a component of the program. If this component is included in the application, describe its role and how it will provide counsel to the PD/PI and to the chief executive of the institution in meeting the goals of the RISE program and the institution. The composition of the committee must reflect the institutional approach and support for the proposed program and may include representatives of the administration, faculty, investigators, mentors, collaborators, PDs/PIs of other T32 training and student development programs at the institution and current and former student participants. Describe the composition and functions of the advisory committee and list the names and titles of the members including their institutional affiliations. Note that proposed Advisory Committee members should not be named in the application, particularly if they include individuals from outside the institution. However, renewal applications with Advisory Committees should include names of existing external advisors. Please name your file Advisory_Committee.pdf .

The following are some typical functions of an advisory committee:

The filename provided for each Other Attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional modifications:

Key Personnel must include the PD/PI (or multiple PDs/PIs, if applicable) and the program coordinator (if any) from the applicant institution, program evaluator, as well as any other key persons (such as those involved in developing, implementing, directing, monitoring, evaluating, etc., who are integral to the proposed research education program) participating in the research education program.

Provide the biographical sketches of the faculty members with past records in training and mentoring UR students, include their teaching and/or research achievements, and extramural research support in the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile Section (see Section IV.6, SF424, above). Also include a biographical sketch for the Program Coordinator.

R&R Budget

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additional modifications:

PHS 398 Cover Letter

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

PHS 398 Research Plan

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

The Research Strategy section must be used to upload the Research Education Program Plan, which must include the following components described below: Proposed Research Education Program, Institutional Environment and Commitment, Program Director/Principal Investigator, Program Faculty/Staff, Program Participants, Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research, Evaluation Plan, Dissemination Plan.

Introduction. An introduction is required and permitted only for resubmissions. The introduction must provide detailed information regarding the changes to the proposed project in response to the comments provided by reviewers in the summary statement of the previous application.

Specific Aims. RISE applications are institutional in nature and therefore they must reflect the plans and priorities of the participating institutions. Thus, each application must conduct a comprehensive institutional self-assessment relative to its capacity to support students in their efforts to attain undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. The applicant institution must examine the findings of the institutional self-assessment and determine the area(s) most appropriate to target in their proposed research education plan. Based on this, applicant institutions must propose program specific aims tailored uniquely to these areas of emphasis that are also compatible with RISE Program goals and objectives. These specific aims should inform the design of a clear and well-structured institutional research education program with potential for significant institutional impact and contribution to the overall RISE goals.

The institutional self-assessment must contain information pertaining to:

*Applicants must provide the baseline number of students retained and graduating in the sciences relevant to biomedical and/or behavioral research along with the proposed increase so that the % change (as referenced above in Goal and Objectives) can be derived.

The RISE Program recognizes and values the heterogeneity in institutional settings and institutional missions. Various strategies may be utilized to attain the objective of increasing the number of UR individuals engaged in research via the RISE program. These may include, but are not limited to, student development, academic enhancement and research training activities. Applicant institutions have wide latitude in the design of the program; however, each applicant institution must establish the proposed program’s specific aims, which should be consonant with the RISE Program goals and objectives, based on the findings of the self-assessment.

Research Education Program Plan.

Proposed Research Education Program. While the proposed research education program may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. When research training programs are on-going in the same department, the applicant organization should clearly describe the distinction between the intended participants in the proposed research education program and the research training supported by the training program. The information should include a description of the education and/or career levels of the planned participants.

The applicant must address:

(a) The overall goals and specific measurable objectives (including anticipated milestones defined as anticipated intermediate steps toward the objectives) that the institution expects to accomplish in preparing UR students to pursue/complete Ph.D. degrees in biomedical and/or behavioral science research and in striving to achieve the RISE goals and expectations;

(b) The future impact of the proposed RISE program on the institutional demographics of both the student and faculty pools, particularly with respect to improvement of student retention in biomedical and/or behavioral science majors; and

(c) The overall number of UR students at the institution that complete degrees in biomedical and/or behavioral sciences at the applicant institution, that matriculate in Ph.D. programs at institutions with research-intensive environments (as well as at the applicant institution, if applicable) and that continue competitive postdoctoral training and engage in productive research careers.

Provide programmatic detail on the proposed developmental activities; these activities must address the needs and requirements, as identified by the institutional self-assessment, of UR students who are enrolled full-time at the applicant institution and must be designed to improve their competitiveness for completion of the Ph.D. degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences.

Describe the criteria and procedures for identification, selection and retention of RISE students into the program and for the selection of participating faculty. Provide a brief rationale for, and a detailed description of, each activity proposed and the role of faculty/personnel involved. Describe how each activity will contribute toward realization of the specific aims. Give a brief account of the equipment, space, and other resources available to implement the activity. Briefly outline the proposed schedule. Discuss any perceived impediments to implementing the proposed activities and alternative strategies to achieve the specific aims.

Applications proposing mentored research experiences during the academic year/summer must demonstrate that participants will have meaningful research experiences in the laboratories or research groups of investigators who are actively engaged in biomedical/behavioral research and who have peer-reviewed publications. Proposed summer research experiences must be at least two consecutive months in duration.

NIGMS recognizes that some RISE-eligible institutions may not have enough active researchers with extramural funding to support on-campus research experiences. However, such institutions could create a biomedical/behavioral interdisciplinary research training classroom/laboratory/course, as well as establish collaborative arrangements with research institutions that have a significant number of mentors with NIH or other extramural research support to have their students benefit from off-campus research experiences, especially during the summer. Thus, each RISE program is strongly encouraged to establish collaborations with institutions that have research-intensive environments (i.e., NIGMS IMSD and/or T32 institutions) in order to facilitate the networking and transition of RISE-supported students to T32 training programs, as well as to magnify the institutional impact of the program. Information about NIH training (T32) programs is available at: http://grants.nih.gov/training/T_Table.htm.

The application should describe a system for monitoring RISE student progress throughout the undergraduate and/or, where relevant, graduate experience, including their retention and successful completion of the baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree.

Proposed student development activities may include, but are not limited to:

These activities may be offered to students enrolled full time during the academic year and/or in special summer sessions.

Institutional Environment and Commitment. Describe the institutional environment, reiterating the availability of facilities and educational resources (described separately under Facilities & Other Resources ), that can contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of institutional commitment to the research educational program is required. A letter of institutional commitment must be attached as part of Letters of Support. Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education program.

Include in the description of institutional environment the following:

Applicants are encouraged to use the suggested format tables below to provide the following data on institutional environment:

Table 1. Institutional Setting and Current Status of the Undergraduate and/or Graduate Biomedical Science-Related Academic Program

Table 2. Cumulative Institutional Baseline Data

Table 3. Institutional Faculty Data

Table 4. Institutional Graduation Data

Provide a brief description of the following to address the Institutional Commitment:

Vision and Anticipated Value of the Proposed RISE Program to the Applicant Institution (Subcomponent of Institutional Environment and Commitment)

The applicant should describe briefly the following:

Program Director/Principal Investigator. Describe arrangements for administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the mission of NIH, and can organize, administer, monitor, and evaluate the research education program, as well as evidence of institutional and community commitment and support for the proposed program.

The application should also describe the organizational structure of the institutional administration, show how the PD/PI will interface with it, and describe how the proposed structure will allow the PD/PI to implement RISE program activities. The PD/PI assumes responsibility for the overall execution of the RISE program, and is typically responsible for the selection of students and the coordination and implementation of developmental education and mentoring activities. The PD/PI is the principal contact with NIGMS at the institution and prepares and submits, in a timely manner, the required reports, e.g., annual progress reports, changes in program activities if any, etc. The PD/PI is responsible for monitoring the progress of individual program elements and the overall functioning of the RISE Program.

An institutional RISE Advisory Committee may be included as a component of the program. If this component is included in the application, describe its role and how it will provide counsel to the PD/PI and to the chief executive of the institution in meeting the goals of the RISE program and the institution. For full details, see "Advisory Committee" under the Other Project Information form.

Program Faculty/Staff. Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating faculty; provide evidence that the participating faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of NIH. .

Program Participants. Where the proposed program involves participants, provide details about the pool of expected participants, their qualifications, recruitment strategies and sources of applicant pool, etc. Applicants must include a description of the potential applicant pool based on the selection criteria established for the proposed RISE program. The data on student pool in the participating departments must be consistent with the enrollment numbers provided in Table 2 (Cumulative Institutional Baseline Data) in the Institutional Environment and Commitment section of the PHS 398 Research form. Applicants requesting support for a graduate component (M.S. and/or Ph.D.) must also include an applicant outreach and recruitment plan listing of the institutions that will be providing the potential RISE participants.

New applications must include a description of plans to enhance recruitment of a diverse participant pool and may wish to include data in support of past accomplishments.

Renewal applications must also include a description of plans to enhance recruitment of a diverse participant pool as well as include a detailed account of recruitment during the previous funding period. Information must be included on successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies including aggregate information on the distribution of:

For those individuals who were enrolled in the program, the report should include information about the duration of education and whether those individuals finished the program in good standing.

PProgress Reports must be included in renewal applications. Applications with more than one previous funding cycle must provide information on the past two consecutive funding cycles. In the report, state the original and specific measurable objectives, anticipated milestones and outcomes, as well as a summary of the accomplishments of the RISE program. The progress report must include a list of program-supported undergraduate and graduate participants, including name, contact information (phone, address, email), UR group, gender, current academic status, degree pursued and institution.

Applicant institutions are encouraged to use Format Tables 5 and 6 to provide the following data on student outcomes (tables relevant for the program levels (undergraduate, M.S., Ph.D.) supported by RISE at the applicant institution should be selected):

Describe the progress made in improving outcomes for UR students, such as, but not limited to, persistence in the major, increase in overall GPA, and increased progression to a Ph.D. program or, where relevant, postdoctoral appointment. Describe what has been learned through the program evaluation and any changes made in the program as a result of the evaluation.

Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Every participant supported by this Research Education grant must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research. All applications must include a plan to provide such instruction. The plan must address five components (format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction) as detailed in NOT-OD-10-019. Renewal (Type 2) applications must, in addition, describe changes in formal instruction over the past project period and plans for the future that address any weaknesses in the current instruction plan. All participating faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers, and/or discussion leaders during the past project period must be named in the application.

Applications lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research will not be reviewed. The background, rationale and more detail about instruction in the responsible conduct of research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019. If such instruction is not appropriate for the proposed research education program, then the PD/PI must provide a strong justification for its exclusion.

Evaluation Plan. Applications must include a plan for evaluating the activities supported by the award. The application must specify baseline metrics (e.g., numbers, educational levels, and demographic characteristics of participants), as well as measures to gauge the short- or long-term success of the research education award in achieving its objectives.

Dissemination Plan. A specific plan must be provided to disseminate nationally any findings resulting from or materials developed under the auspices of the research education program, e.g., sample curricula, web postings, presentations at scientific meetings, workshops, etc.

The plan must describe how the resources (including but not limited to websites) will be maintained and/or institutionalized beyond the funding cycle. Applications that lack a dissemination plan will not be reviewed.

Resource Sharing Plans. 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 modifications:

Applications are expected to include a software dissemination plan if support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of software is requested in the application. There is no prescribed single license for software produced. However, the software dissemination plan should address, as appropriate, the following goals:

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.

Additional biographical sketches of faculty members that can serve as mentors can be included as a document in the appendix..

3. Submission Dates and Times

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

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies) using other electronic submission systems. 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 due date 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.

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.

Significance

Does the proposed research education program address an important problem or critical question in research education or other critical issues? How will implementation of the proposed program advance the objectives of the proposed program? Are the proposed goals and specific measurable objectives consonant with the recognized needs of the applicant institution? In what ways will the proposed program produce a significant improvement in the academic preparation and competitiveness of students for successful completion of Ph.D. degree programs? If the aims/objectives of the program are achieved, what effect will they have on the number of well-prepared UR students, and on the UR graduation rate in the participating department(s), college(s), and institution? If the aims of the application are achieved, will the proposed RISE program significantly improve the institutional baseline number of UR students that advance to the next academic step?

Investigator(s)

Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers appropriately trained and well suited to the proposed research education program? Is the PD/PI a full-time faculty member with strong records in research, training, and teaching, capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed research education program? If Early Stage Investigator or New Investigator, or in the early stages of an independent career, does the PD/PI have appropriate experience to lead the program? 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? Is there evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program leadership to ensure the program's objectives?

Innovation

Is the proposed research education program characterized by innovation and scholarship? Does the proposed program challenge and seek to shift current research education paradigms or clinical practice, or address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Are the proposed concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies novel for this area? Does this proposed program duplicate, or overlap with, existing research education, training and/or career development activities currently supported at the applicant institution or available elsewhere? Adaptations of existing research education programs may be considered innovative under special circumstances, e.g., the addition of unique components and/or a proposal to determine portability of an existing program.

Approach

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the proposed research education program? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the program is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? If called for, is the proposed plan for evaluation and/or dissemination of the education program sound and likely to provide data on the effectiveness of the education program? Is there evidence that the program is based on sound research concepts and educational principles? Is the approach feasible and appropriate to achieve the stated research education goals? If the proposed program will recruit participants, are the recruitment, retention, and follow-up activities adequate to ensure a highly qualified and diverse participant pool?

If the program 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/educational environment in which the proposed research education program will be conducted contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional commitment and support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the program proposed? Will the program benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of appropriate collaboration among participating programs, departments, and institutions? If multiple sites are participating, is this adequately justified in terms of the research education experiences provided? Are adequate plans provided for coordination and communication between multiple sites (if appropriate)? To what extent does the institution's historical mission and track record render confidence that the goal of increasing the number of UR students who complete a Ph.D. degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences will be met?

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

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

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

For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last two funding periods, if applicable, and the success of the program in attracting and retaining individuals from diverse populations, including populations underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research. Specifically, the committee will consider:

1) the achievement of the program's stated objectives with regard to substantially increasing the number of UR students who enter into and successfully complete Ph.D. degrees in RISE-relevant fields;

2) the institutional impact of the program as demonstrated by changes in institutional baseline numbers and institutional outcomes; and

3) institutionalization of RISE-supported activities that have proven successful in preparing UR students to pursue graduate degrees in RISE-relevant sciences.

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.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Taking into account the specific characteristics of the research education program, level of participant experience, and the particular circumstances of the participants, the reviewers will address the following questions. Does the plan satisfactorily address the format of instruction, e.g., lectures and/or real-time discussion groups? Do plans include a sufficiently broad selection of subject matter, such as conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety? Do the plans adequately describe how faculty will participate in the instruction? Do the plans ensure participants will receive instruction (or in the case of more senior level participants, provide instruction) for an appropriate amount of time given the length of the research education experience? Plans and past record will be rated as acceptable or unacceptable, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee.

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;3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS); and 4) Software.

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 NIGMS, 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 on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines 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 NIGMS Advisory Council. 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, 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.

3. Reporting

The Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) and financial statements as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are required annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. Programs that involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of research and complete a Training Diversity Report, in accordance with the PHS 2590 Additional Instructions for Preparing a Progress Report for an Institutional Research Training Grant, Including Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.

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.

Failure by the grantee institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award.

Other Reporting Requirements

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

4. Evaluation

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH will assess the program’s overall outcomes, gauge its effectiveness in enhancing diversity, and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program. Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a) continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with modifications, or (c) discontinue the program.

The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following.

For programs involving undergraduate students:

For programs involving graduate students:

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)

Robin S. Broughton, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Telephone: 301-594-3900
Email: broughtonrs@mail.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Helen Sunshine, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Telephone: 301-594-2881
Email: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Lori Burge
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Telephone: 301-451-3781
Email: burgel@nigms.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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