Full Text PAR-95-058 MINORITY RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 15, April 28, 1995 PA NUMBER: PAR-95-058 P.T. 34, FF Keywords: Biomedical Research, Multidiscipl Emotional/Mental Health National Institute of Mental Health PURPOSE The Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program (M-RISP) has been established by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in response to recommendations made by scientists from predominantly minority academic institutions to build mental health research programs in these settings. This program announcement supersedes the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) Minority Institutions Research Development Program (MIRDP) program announcement, dated April 1989. The purpose of M-RISP is to increase the capacity of minority institutions and their faculty to conduct rigorous mental health-relevant research. The intent of the research infrastructure program is to strengthen the research environments of minority institutions through grant support to develop and/or expand existing capacities for conducting behavioral and neuroscience research in all fields related to mental health. Minority students will benefit from participation in projects as research assistants and will be encouraged to pursue careers in fields related to mental health. To facilitate the goals of assisting institutions increase their capacity to conduct mental health research, the M-RISP program provides support for two types of core activities: (1) Institutional research development support, to strengthen the institutional infrastructure and enhance the capability of individual faculty members to undertake mental health-related research; and (2) Individual investigator research support, for developing research scientists to conduct small grant research activities that can lead to successful applications for funding under regular research grant mechanisms. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program, is related to the priority area of mental health and mental disorders. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications for M-RISP may be submitted by domestic public and private universities, four-year colleges, non-profit and for-profit domestic organizations such as hospitals, laboratories, units of public agencies of State or local governments, eligible agencies of the Federal government, or other institutions conducting research in mental health related fields. The applicant must indicate which of the following eligibility conditions applies to the institution: o An academic institution with at least 55 percent minority (Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander) student enrollment. o An institution with more than 30 percent minority student enrollment in each of the past three years that can provide evidence of efforts to recruit members of ethnic or racial groups into scientific careers. Additionally, the institution should show evidence of demonstrated commitment to minority faculty recruitment and development in expenditure of resources, as well as documented institutional need for support in its research development program. Potential applicants who intend to apply under this eligibility criterion are advised to consult with NIMH staff (as listed under Inquiries) before submitting an application. o An Indian tribe may apply in conjunction with one or more institutions of higher learning that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in mental health-related fields. Such applicants must have a recognized governing body and perform substantial governmental functions, or qualify as an Alaska Regional Corporation (ARC) as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal investigators. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Grants awarded under the M-RISP program will use the resource-related research projects mechanism (R24) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This mechanism is used to support research projects that enhance capabilities to contribute to extramural research of the Public Health Service (PHS). Grants funded under M-RISP are awarded directly to the applicant institution and are nontransferable. Allowable Costs Each application should include proposals related to both core elements (Institutional Research Development Support and Individual Investigator Research Projects) and indicate how the infrastructure support will enhance the individual research projects. In some cases, the application may also request support for Research Assistantships for students to work with faculty members who have research funding through another mechanism of support. Institutions are encouraged to use funds under M-RISP to increase availability of Research Assistants on these projects, not to be used to replace any Research Assistant positions supported by other Federal or non-Federal awards. The NIMH recognizes that different types of institutions will require different types of research infrastructure development activities and initiatives, depending upon particular needs and circumstances. Accordingly, this announcement provides general rather than specific guidance as to the types of development activities appropriate under M-RISP. Support may be requested for, but is not limited to, the following: o Partial salary support for persons engaged in the project o Research training for junior investigators o Scientific and statistical consultation, including expenses incurred by a scientific advisory committee o Biostatistical and data management services o Research technicians and assistants o Research instruments o Small, project-specific equipment o Pilot and feasibility studies o Research subject costs o Data acquisition costs FUNDS AVAILABLE The average M-RISP grant is $300,000 per year plus negotiated indirect costs. The infrastructure core component of most M-RISP grants averages $50,000 per year, direct costs. Individual Investigator projects average $50,000 per year, direct costs. Support is limited to three years for the first-time application. The core, infrastructure component of an M-RISP grant is renewable for intervals of up to five years. Competitive renewals are permitted so long as new Individual Investigators of subprojects are supported by the program. Individual Investigators who participate in subprojects on the M-RISP grant should not expect more than a total of six years of support through the M-RISP program. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background M-RISP is designed to enable predominantly minority institutions with small research programs in mental health to develop into significantly stronger research settings. It is part of an integrated NIMH approach to developing a broader national infrastructure for mental health research that includes NIMH support for clinical and services research centers, minority research centers, rural mental health research centers, social work research development centers, research infrastructure support programs, and M-RISP. Together, these programs provide a continuum of research infrastructure support for institutions. To facilitate these goals, M-RISP provides support for two types of primary activities: Institutional Research Development Support M-RISP provides support to strengthen the institutional infrastructure so as to enhance the capability of individual faculty members to undertake mental health research. Requests may be made for infrastructure enhancements such as laboratory development, including limited support for equipment, support of collaborative linkages with senior scientists in other institutions, and provision of resources for data management and statistical analyses. For individual faculty development, support may be requested for such activities as enrolling in advanced seminars in scientific techniques, and for pilot work to serve as a basis for the development of individual research projects. Individual Investigator Research Projects. In addition to capacity development support, an M-RISP grant provides support for at least two initial or developmental research subprojects from at least two or more faculty members who serve as Individual Investigators of these subprojects. The intent of this component of M-RISP is to support research activities that will lead to successful applications for funding under the usual investigator-initiated grants programs of NIMH. Individual Investigator projects should be designed to take advantage of the infrastructure development being supported by the program. In addition to these two main elements in M-RISP, an optional component is also available for faculty members who have obtained research funding for mental health research through other sources of funds. Research Assistantships for Associate Investigator Projects. Investigators under this program are research project directors whose funding for the research project has been obtained from other sources (including Federal, State, local, and/or private support). In such cases, additional funds may be requested through M-RISP to support minority undergraduate or graduate students to serve as research assistants on the funded research projects. Application Characteristics An M-RISP application must present a plan that (1) assesses current institutional and faculty capacity to conduct mental health-related research; (2) identifies unmet needs; and (3) describes activities that will be undertaken to develop and strengthen the institutional research infrastructure. The plan should include both an institutional research development program and two or more individual investigator projects. The plan should cover a period of three years (up to five years for competitive renewals) and indicate how the capacity to conduct mental health research will be improved significantly in this time period. The application should contain the following: Institutional Research Development Plan o Specific aims o Summary of relevant ongoing mental health research o Assessment of institutional capacity to conduct state-of- the art research on mental health issues; identification of gaps which M-RISP is intended to fill o Design and procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the research infrastructure development plan over the time period of the proposed project (3 years for new applications; up to 5 years for competitive renewal applications), including plans for administrative structure, recruitment and retention of persons skilled in mental health research, staff training and mentoring, statistical and other consultation and data management, and collaboration with other institutions o Description of equipment, space, and other facility resources available to support the development plan and extent to which enhancement of these resources is needed o Description of institutional financial commitment to support the proposed minority mental health research infrastructure development o Brief descriptions (1 page each) of individual research studies that will be undertaken as part of infrastructure development, including plans for data collection and analysis The research plan section of the application is limited to 25 pages. Individual Investigator Research Projects o Linkages to overall institutional capacity development plan o Specific aims o Background and significance o Progress report/preliminary studies o Literature review o Research plan, including experimental design and methods o Protection of human subjects, where applicable o Protection of vertebrate animals, if applicable o Consultants and collaborators o Consortium/contractual arrangements o Detailed budgets for each project The research plans for the Individual Investigator Research Projects are limited to 25 pages each. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations), which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and reprinted in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994. Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91). Applications will be accepted annually on the single receipt date of June 1 and reviewed on the following schedules: Application Receipt Date: June 1 Initial Review Group: Oct/Nov Council Meeting: Jan/Feb Earliest Start Date: April 1 Application kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/710-0267. The title and number of the program announcement must be typed in Section 2a on the face page of the application: NIMH MINORITY RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM. Applicants should specify in Item 2b that the R24 mechanism is being used. The completed original application and five legible copies must be sent or delivered to: Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-MSC 7710 Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for courier/overnight mail service) REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications that are complete and responsive to the program announcement will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the NIMH in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second-level review by the National Advisory Mental Health Council. Review Criteria Institutional Research Development Plan o significance of overall project to the goals of this program announcement o appropriateness of the institutional research development plan for applicant institution and extent to which this plan will build on current institutional support for mental health research and significantly augment and improve the support for research o quality of the institutional research development plan, including plans for enhancing institutional capacity and individual faculty research development plans and the degree to which the parts enhance one another in achieving overall objectives o probability that proposal can be implemented successfully, and the likelihood that it will result in competitive research proposals from individual faculty members o experience and appropriateness of the Program Director o evidence of institutional support and commitment to the proposed program Individual Investigator Research Projects o significance and originality of proposed research and potential for publication o adequacy of literature review and justification of the proposed theoretical framework o appropriateness and scientific quality of the experimental approach and methodology proposed to carry out the research, including appropriateness of control or comparison groups, plans for recruitment and retention of subjects, use of consultants, and provisions for other scientifically necessary linkages o qualifications and research experience of the Individual Principal Investigator and staff, particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of the proposed research o for competitive renewals, progress report and publications associated with prior funding period o availability of the resources necessary to perform the research, including access to research subjects o appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research o adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research o contribution of Associate Investigator Projects to overall objectives of institutional infrastructure plan and benefits to students participating on the associated projects The initial review group will also examine the provisions for the protection of human and animal subjects. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications assigned to NIMH. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review, availability of funds, and program priority. Priority will be given to those institutions or departments with no other support for infrastructure. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Grant funds may be used for expenses clearly related to infrastructure development and necessary to conduct research projects, including both direct costs which can be specifically identified with the project and allowable indirect costs for the institution. Funds may not be used to establish, add a component to, or operate a treatment, rehabilitation, or prevention intervention service program. Support for research related treatment, rehabilitation, or prevention services and programs may be requested only for costs required by the research. These costs must be justified in terms of research objectives, methods, and designs which promise to yield generalizable knowledge and/or make a significant contribution to theoretical concepts. When independent research funds become available to support Individual Investigator Research Projects, the proposed reallocation of existing funds will be discussed with appropriate Institute staff on a case by case basis. INQUIRIES Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Rodney R. Cocking, Ph.D. Office for Special Populations National Institute of Mental Health Parklawn Building, Room 17C-14 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 Telephone: (301) 443-3641 FAX: (301) 443-8552 Email: RC4@CU.nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Diana S. Trunnell Grants Management Branch National Institute of Mental Health 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-08 Rockville, MD 20857 Telephone: (301) 443-3065 Email: DT21A@nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.242. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement (April 1, 1994). The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and to promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early childhood development services are provided to children. .
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