Full Text PAR-96-041
 
MENTORED RESEARCH SCIENTIST DEVELOPMENT AWARD IN AGING
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 25, Number 12, April 19, 1996
 
PA NUMBER:  PAR-96-041
 
P.T. 34

Keywords: 
  Biomedical Research, Multidiscipl 
  Aging/Gerontology 

 
National Institute on Aging
 
PURPOSE
 
The Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Aging (MRSDAA)
is for: (1) Research scientists who have established careers in
biomedical, behavioral or social research and wish to change career
direction towards aging research; (2) more junior researchers with
training in aging research who need an additional period of mentored
research experience prior to becoming fully independent; or (3)
researchers with training and experience in some aspect of aging
research who wish to gain complementary  training to expand their
research interests in aging.  This program announcement identifies
the areas of research that the National Institute on Aging (NIA) will
support under this mechanism and further specifies, for investigators
interested in aging research, the NIH program announcement PA-95-049
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (NIH Guide, Volume 24,
No. 15, April 28, 1995)
 
The award provides an intensive, supervised career development
experience in some aspect of aging research.  The proposed experience
should be in a research area new to the applicant and/or one in which
an additional supervised research experience will demonstrably
enhance the candidate's scientific career.  For example the award may
be used to provide relatively junior candidates expanded or
complementary  training in their major field of study. Alternatively
the award may be used by more senior candidates to introduce them to
a new field of research, for example to provide biologists training
in the demography of aging (or vice versa), or to provide
cardiovascular researchers thorough training in geriatric research. A
candidate must justify the need for a three, four, or five year
period of mentored research experience and must be able to provide a
convincing case that the proposed period of support will
substantially enhance his/her career and/or will allow the pursuit of
a novel or promising approach to a particular research problem. In
general shorter (i.e., three year) awards are more suitable for
senior researchers.
 
Candidates who have interrupted their careers because of illness or
pressing family care commitments may apply if they can clearly
demonstrate the potential for productive independent research and the
need for an additional period of mentored research experience in
order to accomplish an effective scientific reentry.
 
Similarly, faculty members at institutions with a substantial
minority enrollment, who wish to enhance their research skills
through a supervised research experience at a research center, may
also apply, if they agree to return to, and remain at, their parent
institution for at least two years after completing the award.
 
This Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Aging Research
replaces the existing NIA Special Emphasis Research Career Awards
(SERCA). Individuals who were eligible to apply for any one of these
awards are now eligible to apply for this new award.  Therefore, this
Program Announcement (PA) supersedes all previous NIA SERCA program
announcements.
 
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,
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Aging, is related to
the priority area of human resource development.  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) from the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-512-1800).
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
The candidate must have a research or a health-professional doctorate
or its equivalent and should have demonstrated the capacity, or have
shown the potential, for highly productive independent research after
the doctorate prior to applying for this award.
 
The candidate must identify a mentor with extensive research
experience, and must be willing to spend a minimum of 75 percent of
full-time professional effort conducting research and research career
development activities for the period of the award.
Applications may be submitted on behalf of candidates by domestic,
non-Federal organizations, public or private, such as medical,
dental, or nursing schools or other institutions of higher education.
Minorities and women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged
to apply.  Candidates must be U.S. citizens or noncitizen nationals,
or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
 
Candidates may have been principal investigators on PHS research
grants and may have been supported by a research career award in the
past, provided the proposed research experience is a fundamentally
new field of study or there has been a significant hiatus in their
research career because of family or other personal obligations.
Current principal investigators on PHS research grants are not
eligible.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
Awards in response to this PA will use the K01 mechanism. Planning,
direction, and execution of the program will be the responsibility of
the candidate and her/his mentor on behalf of the applicant
institution.  The project period may be for three, four, or five
years and will depend upon the number of years of prior research
experience and the need for additional experiences to achieve
independence. Awards are not renewable.
 
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
 
Research Areas
 
The National Institute on Aging has identified the following research
areas as requiring substantial further investment of human resources
in order to develop the fields. For that reason NIA is targeting this
award to these areas. Individuals interested in pursuing other areas
of aging research should contact the staff listed at the end of this
announcement.
 
Cardiovascular Aging. The aim is to expand the community of
researchers trained in the cardiovascular aging field and focusing on
age-related changes (structure/function) of the cardiovascular,
pulmonary, hematologic, and renal systems and the importance of these
changes to age-related pathologies, pathophysiologies, dysfunctions,
and diseases in mature and older persons.  Emphasis should be placed
on biologically relevant studies in older persons and may also
include relevant investigations in animals.
 
Skeletal aging and age-related skeletal disease.  The objective is to
increase the numbers of qualified researchers interested in human
skeletal aging and age-related skeletal disease using
interdisciplinary approaches and expertise from the areas of bone
biology, bone densitometry, biomechanics, orthopedics,
histomorphometry, endocrinology, geriatrics and epidemiology.
Emphasis should be placed on biologically relevant studies in
middle-aged and older women and men.
 
Research on the causes and effects of menopause. The aim is to
increase research expertise in the areas of aging and reproductive
endocrinology and physiology and in other systems, areas and
disciplines pertinent to the pathophysiology associated with female
reproductive aging. Relevant other areas and systems include the
skeletal and cardiovascular systems and nutrition. Relevant other
disciplines include behavioral science, epidemiology, and clinical,
cellular and molecular studies pertinent to menopause-related issues.
Topics of interest include: role of the ovary and ovarian hormones
across the menopausal transition; pathophysiology and treatment of
clinical disturbances and conditions associated with the
perimenopausal condition; physiological effects of menopause in
various systems; effects of menopause-related endocrine changes on
the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and
other chronic diseases of aging; effects of hormonal and alternative,
nonhormonal, therapies on specific age- and menopause-related
conditions and pathologies  (e.g., hot flashes, sleep disturbance,
osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, alterations in body composition,
etc.); and social and behavioral aspects of menopause and
interrelationships with biomedical processes.  A more extensive list
of topics has been identified in a paper reporting the
recommendations from an NIH workshop on menopause. (Monjan, AA,
Bellino FL, Ory, MG, Sherman, S, Weiss, S. Research Recommendations.
Experimental Gerontology, 29: 525-528; 1994) and in the program
announcement:  Biology of the Menopause: Change of Ovarian Function
(NIH Guide, PA-95-006, vol. 23, no. 40, November 18, 1994).
 
Growth of the aging prostate.  Researchers are encouraged to work
with a mentor to gain experience in the molecular and cellular
mechanisms involved in the age-dependent increase in prostate growth
in older men using appropriate animal models and human prostate
cell/tissue specimens. For sample topics applicants should consult
the program announcement: Prostate Growth in Older Men: Age-dependent
Mechanisms (NIH Guide, PA-93-052, vol. 22, no. 6, February 12, 1993).
 
Nutrition and metabolism. Particular needs to expand human research
resources on this topic can be grouped into two major areas: (1)
molecular and cellular effects of nutritional and metabolic factors
acting over the life span on longevity, health, and diseases of late
life; and (2) mechanistic studies of effects of age-related changes
on nutritional requirements. Sample topics include: mechanisms
responsible for life span extension and retardation of disease by
caloric restriction; long term effects of caloric intake, obesity,
and inadequate to excess intake of specific macro- and
micro-nutrients on longevity and maintenance of health in late life;
nutrient modulation of cellular maintenance and repair, cell receptor
expression and function, cell-cell signaling, signal transduction
pathways, transport mechanisms, and control of proliferation and
senescence; contribution of metabolic byproducts such as free
radicals or glycosylated proteins to age-related processes and
pathologies through their effects on cellular or tissue constituents
and functions; age-related changes in nutrient digestion, absorption,
and metabolism; and effects of physiologic changes with age on
nutritional requirements and intermediary metabolism.
 
Free radical metabolism and aging. Applications are encouraged from
investigators with experience in free radical metabolism/oxidative
damage or in experimental gerontology to work with a mentor who has
interests and experience in both of these areas. For sample topics
applicants should consult the program announcement: Oxidative Damage,
Antioxidant Defense and Aging (NIH Guide, PA 93-017, vol 21, no. 41
November 13, 1992)
 
Demography and Economics of Aging. Population aging raises questions
about the future size, composition, and characteristics of the older
population.  The demography of aging emphasizes research on the
changing social and demographic structure of society; the economics
of aging focuses on the economic consequences of population and
individual aging.  Illustrative topics of interest in the demography
and economics of aging include: forecasting outcomes such as life and
active life expectancy and health care usage; the medical demography
of late life chronic diseases including dementia; early life
determinants of late life health; the oldest old (age 85 and over);
integration of demographic topics with those of epidemiology,
population genetics and nutrition; the emerging fields of bio- and
experimental demography; immigration; the micro and macro dynamics of
intergenerational transfers; studies of the impact of changing
benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security on the elderly
including micro- and macro-simulation studies; international
comparisons; understanding the role of education and economic status
on late-life health status; the determinants and consequences of
savings and retirement patterns on health and wellbeing; studies that
integrate economic, demographic and psychosocial models of the life
course; and the development of new theoretical paradigms and models
that link these fields and questions.
 
Psychosocial Geriatrics Research: Health Behaviors and Aging.
Additional researchers are needed who are trained in the study of
health behaviors and aging. Topics of particular interest include:
Health-related behaviors and attitudes that can affect health and
functioning as people grow older, and how these behaviors and
attitudes develop under varying social, emotional and cognitive
conditions; how they relate to health promotion and disease
prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation or death; and how
they can be modified as relevant new scientific knowledge is
developed. Research on the full range of health and illness behaviors
is relevant to this announcement, including self care, informal or
lay care, and formal care.  Also of interest are studies on the
nature, determinants and consequences of doctor-patient interactions
which have been shown to have a strong influence on health-related
behaviors.  For more sample topics applicants should consult the
program announcement: Psychosocial Geriatrics Research: Health
Behaviors and Aging (NIH Guide, PA 93-064, vol. 22, no. 11  March 19,
1993)
 
Rehabilitation and Aging: Biomedical, Psychosocial, and Cognitive
Perspectives. Researchers are encouraged to expand their training and
experience with research on rehabilitation interventions targeted at
older persons who have a wide range of physical and cognitive
disabilities resulting either from disuse, disorders, or injuries of
the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, cognitive, or other
physiological systems.  More well-trained researchers are needed on
biomedical, social, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of
rehabilitation as well as the combined applications of geriatric,
psychosocial, and cognitive strategies.  Development and assessment
of methods of memory rehabilitation both as related to cognitive
changes associated with the aging process, as well as a result of
specific diseases are of special interest. Also of special interest
are methods for delaying deterioration and promoting function in
Alzheimer's Disease.  Researchers trained in methodological research
are also needed, especially focusing on developing standardized
methods for assessing functional aspects of aging (e.g., cognitive,
biomedical, and psychosocial).
 
Sensory, and motor disorders of aging. The ability to receive
(sensory) and to act (motor) appropriately upon information declines
with age. Investigators with research experience in the traditional
sensory fields, i.e., vision, audition, chemosensation and
somatosensation, are encouraged to apply their expertise to problems
related to the aging population. Research to understand changes with
aging in  brain/behavior relationships, multisensory  processes and
sensory-motor coordination are of particular interest. Studies of
age-associated deficits should utilize contemporary research
techniques, including, but not limited to, neurophysiology,
psychophysics, molecular biology and imaging.
 
Sleep disruptions and disorders among older adults. In light of the
widespread occurrence of chronic sleep disorders and disruptions
among older adults there is a vital need for more basic and clinical
researchers interested and trained in the problems of sleep among
older people. Applications are encouraged from individuals with
research experience in the allied fields of biological or behavioral
sciences who need to have the appropriate training and research
experiences to design and conduct interdisciplinary research related
to the problems of sleep and aging.
 
Environment
 
The institution must have a well-established research and/or clinical
career development program(s) in the proposed field of study and
qualified faculty to serve as mentors.  The institution must be able
to demonstrate a commitment to the development of the candidate as a
productive, independent investigator.  And, the candidate, mentor and
institution must be able to describe a career development program
that will maximize the use of relevant research and educational
resources.
 
Program
 
The award provides three to five consecutive 12 month appointments.
At least 75 percent of the recipient's full-time professional effort
must be devoted to the program and the remainder devoted to other
research-related and/or teaching pursuits consistent with the
objectives of the award.  The candidate must develop knowledge in the
basic sciences and research skills relevant to his or her career
goals.  The candidate may find it appropriate to include relevant
didactic and laboratory or field research experiences.
 
Mentor
 
 The recipient must receive appropriate mentoring throughout the
three to five year program.  Where feasible, women and minority
mentors should be involved as role models.
 
Allowable Costs:
 
1.  Salary:  The NIA will provide salary and fringe benefits for the
K award recipient, based on the institution's salary scale for
faculty at an equivalent experience level. The amount allowed varies
by the length of the award. Up to $60,000 per year (plus commensurate
fringe benefits) is allowed for three year awards. For longer awards,
up to $60,000 is allowed on any three years of the award, and $50,000
is allowed on the remaining year or years.
 
The institution may supplement the NIA contribution up to a level
that is consistent with the institution's salary scale; however,
supplementation may not be from Federal funds unless specifically
authorized by the Federal program from which such funds are derived.
In no case, may PHS funds be used for salary supplementation.
Institutional supplementation of salary must not require extra duties
or responsibilities that would interfere with the purpose of the
MRSDAA.  Under expanded authorities, however, institutions may
rebudget funds within the total costs awarded to cover salaries
consistent with the institution's salary scale.
 
The total salary requested must be based on a full-time, 12-month
staff appointment.  It must be consistent both with the established
salary structure at the institution and with salaries actually
provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members
of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the
department concerned.  If full-time, 12-month salaries are not
currently paid to comparable staff members, the salary proposed must
be appropriately related to the existing salary structure.
 
2.  Research Development Support: The NIA will provide up to $20,000
per year for the following expenses: (a) tuition, fees, and books
related to career development; (b) research expenses, such as
supplies, equipment, and technical personnel; (c) travel to research
meetings or training; (d) statistical services including personnel
and computer time.
 
3.  Ancillary Personnel Support:  Salary for mentors, secretarial and
administrative assistance, etc., is not allowed.
 
4.  Indirect costs:  Indirect costs will be reimbursed at eight
percent of modified total direct costs, or at the actual indirect
cost rate, whichever is less.
 
Evaluation In carrying out its stewardship of human resource related
programs, the NIA or NIH may request information essential to an
assessment of the effectiveness of this program.  Accordingly,
recipients are hereby notified that they 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.
 
Other Income
 
Fees resulting from clinical practice, professional consultation, or
other comparable activities required by the research and
research-related activities of this award may not be retained by the
career award recipient.  Such fees must be assigned to the grantee
institution for disposition by any of the following methods:
 
The funds may be expended by the grantee institution in accordance
with the NIH policy on supplementation of career award salaries and
to provide fringe benefits in proportion to such supplementation.
Such salary supplementation and fringe benefit payments must be
within the established policies of the grantee institution.
 
The funds may be used for health-related research purposes.
 
The funds may be paid to miscellaneous receipts of the U.S. Treasury.
Checks must be made payable to the Department of Health and Human
Services, NIH and forwarded to the Director, Division of Financial
Management, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.  Checks must identify the
relevant award account and reason for the payment.
 
Awardees may retain royalties and fees for activities such as
scholarly writing, service on advisory groups, or honoraria from
other institutions for lectures or seminars, provided these
activities remain incidental and provided that the retention of such
pay is consistent with the policies and practices of the grantee
institution.
 
Usually, funds budgeted in an NIH supported research or research
training grant for the salaries or fringe benefits of individuals,
but freed as a result of a career award, may not be rebudgeted.  The
awarding component will give consideration to approval for the use of
released funds only under unusual circumstances.  Any proposed
retention of funds released as a result of an MRSDAA career award
must receive prior written approval of the NIA.
 
Special Leave
 
Leave to another institution, including a foreign laboratory, may be
permitted if directly related to the purpose of the award. Only
local, institutional approval is required if such leave does not
exceed three months.  For longer periods, prior written approval of
the NIA is required.  To obtain prior approval, the award recipient
must submit a letter to the NIA describing the plan, countersigned by
his or her department head and the appropriate institutional
official.  A copy of a letter or other evidence from the institution
where the leave is to be taken must be submitted to assure that
satisfactory arrangements have been made. Support from the career
award will continue during such leave.
 
Leave without award support may not exceed 12 months.  Such leave
requires the prior written approval of the NIA and will be granted
only in unusual situations.  Support from other sources is
permissible during the period of leave.  Such leave does not reduce
the total number of months of program support for which an individual
is eligible.  Parental leave will be granted consistent with the
policies of the NIH and the grantee institution.
 
Termination or Change of Institution
 
When a grantee institution plans to terminate an award, the NIA must
be notified in writing at the earliest possible time so that
appropriate instructions can be given for termination.  If the
individual is moving to another eligible institution, career award
support may be continued provided:
 
A new career award application is submitted by the new institution;
 
The period of support requested is no more than the time remaining
within the existing award period; and
 
The new application is submitted far enough in advance of the
requested effective date to allow the necessary time for review.
 
NIA may require a review by an initial review group and/or the
appropriate National Advisory Council or Board. Alternatively, review
may be carried out by staff within NIA, depending upon the
circumstances.
 
The Director of the NIH may discontinue an award upon determination
that the purpose or terms of the award are not being fulfilled.  In
the event an award is terminated, the Director of the NIH shall
notify the grantee institution and career award recipient in writing
of this determination, the reasons therefor, the effective date, and
the right to appeal the decision.
 
A final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status
Report are required upon either termination of an award or
relinquishment of an award in a change of institution situation.
 
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 new
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 of March 18, 1994, Volume
23, Number 11.
 
Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from the
program staff or contact person listed under INQUIRIES.  Program
staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the
policy.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications are to be submitted on form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) and will
be accepted on or before the receipt deadlines indicated in the
application kit.  Applications kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from
the Grants Information Office, Office of Extramural Outreach and
Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge
Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267,
email:  ASKNIH@odrockm1.od.nih.gov.  The title and number of the
program announcement must be typed in item 2 on the face page of the
application.
 
The application must address the following issues:
 
Candidate
 
o  Establish the candidate's commitment to a career in aging research
 
o  Establish the candidate's potential to develop into a successful
independent investigator.
 
o  Summarize the candidate's immediate and long-term career
objectives, explaining how the award will contribute to their
attainment.
 
o  Letters of recommendation.  Three sealed letters of recommendation
addressing the candidate's potential for a research career in aging
must be included as part of the application
 
Career Development Plan
 
o  Describe the career development plan, incorporating consideration
of the candidate's goals and prior experience.  It should describe a
systematic plan to obtain the necessary background and research
experience to launch or reinitiate an independent research career in
aging.
 
o  Candidates must describe plans to receive instruction in the
responsible conduct of research.  These plans must detail the
proposed subject matter, format, frequency, and duration of
instruction as well as the amount and nature of faculty
participation.  No award will be made if an application lacks this
component.
 
Research Plan
 
o  The candidate and mentor together must describe the research plan
as outlined in form PHS 398 including sections on the Specific Aims,
Background and Significance, Progress Report/Preliminary Studies,
Research Design and Methods.
 
Mentor's Statement
 
o  The application must include information on the mentor(s)
including information on research qualifications and previous
experience as a research supervisor.  The application must also
include information that describes the nature and extent of
supervision that will occur during the proposed award period.
 
Environment and Institutional Commitment
 
o  The sponsoring institution must document a strong,
well-established research program related to the candidate's area of
interest including a high-quality research environment with staff
capable of productive collaboration with the candidate.  The
sponsoring institution also must provide a statement of commitment to
the candidate's development into a productive, independent
investigator.
 
Budget
 
o  Budget requests must be provided according to the instructions in
form PHS 398.  The request for tuition and fees, books, travel, etc.,
must be justified and specified by category.
 
To identify the application as a response to this PA, check "YES" on
item 2 of page 1 of the application and enter "PAR-96-041, Mentored
Research Scientist Development Award in Aging".
 
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application with
Checklist, and five signed photocopies, in one package to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040  MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Division of
Research Grants and responsiveness to the PA by the appropriate
institute or center staff.  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 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
appropriate national advisory council or board.
 
The following review criteria will be applied:
 
Candidate
 
o  Commitment to an independent research career in aging;
 
o  Potential to develop (or evidence of the capacity to develop) as
an independent investigator;
 
o  Quality and breadth of prior scientific training and experience,
including, where appropriate, the record of previous research support
and publications.
 
Career Development Plan
 
o  Likelihood that the plan will contribute substantially to the
scientific development of the candidate and the achievement of
scientific independence;
 
o  Appropriateness of the research plan to the career goals of the
candidate;
 
o  Appropriateness of the plan to update conceptual and theoretical
knowledge, and the proposed award duration;
 
o  Consistency of the career development plan with the candidate's
prior research and academic experience and the stated career goals;
 
o  Clarity of the goals and scope of the plan and the need for the
proposed research experience; and
 
o  Quality of the proposed training in the responsible conduct of
research.
 
Research Plan
 
All candidates for this award will have had previous research
experience and in some cases will have been Principal Investigators
in other scientific fields. A sound research plan that is consistent
with the career development plan and the candidate's level of
research development must be provided.
 
o  Usefulness of the research plan as a vehicle for enhancing
existing research skills as described in the career development plan;
 
o  Scientific and technical merit of the research question, design
and methodology, judged in the context of the candidate's previous
training and experience;
 
o  Relevance of the proposed research to the candidate's career
objectives; and
 
o  adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their
subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research.
Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated.
 
Mentor
 
o  Appropriateness of mentor's or mentors' research qualifications in
aging research and in the specific areas of the application
 
o  Quality and commitment of the mentor(s) to supervising and guiding
the candidate throughout the award period;
 
o  Previous experience in fostering the development of researchers;
and
 
o  History of research productivity and support.
 
Institutional Environment and Commitment
 
o  Applicant institution's commitment to the scientific development
of the candidate and assurances that the institution intends the
candidate to be an integral part of its research program;
 
o  Adequacy of research facilities and training opportunities;
 
o  Quality of environment for scientific and professional
development; and
 
o  Applicant institution's willingness to develop an appropriate mix
of research, teaching and administrative responsibilities for the
candidate.
 
Budget
 
o  Justification of budget requests in relation to career development
goals and research aims and plans.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
The NIA will notify the applicant of the National Advisory Council's
action shortly after its meeting. Funding decisions will be made
based on the recommendations of the initial review group and council,
the need for research personnel in specific program areas, and the
availability of funds.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Written and telephone inquiries concerning this PA are encouraged,
especially during the planning phase of the application.
 
Dr. Robin A. Barr
Office of Extramural Affairs
National Institute on Aging
Gateway Building, Room 2C218, MSC 9205
7201 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD  20892-9205
Telephone:  (301) 496-9322
FAX:  (301) 402-2945
Email:  rb42h@nih.gov
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Mr. Joseph Ellis
Grants and Contracts Management Office
National Institute on Aging
Gateway Building, Suite 2N212
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, MSC 9205
Bethesda, MD  20892-9205
Telephone:  (301) 496-1472
FAX:  (301) 402-3672
Email:  EllisJ@gw.nia.nih.gov
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
The Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards in Aging are made
under the authority of Title III, Section 301 of the Public Health
Service (PHS) Act as amended (Public Law 78-410, as amended, 42 USC
241). The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42 Part 52, and Title 45
part 74, are applicable to this program. This program is described in
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.121.  This program
is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of
Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.
 
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco
products.  In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of
1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any
portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education,
library, day care, health care or early childhood development
services are provided to children.  This is consistent with the PHS
mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the
American people.
 
.

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