RFA-AI-00-004: PREPAREDNESS AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE USE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)

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PREPAREDNESS AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE USE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS Release Date: October 5, 1999 RFA: AI-00-004 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Letter of Intent Receipt Date: December 10, 1999 Application Receipt Date: January 19, 2000 THIS RFA USES THE "MODULAR GRANT" AND "JUST-IN-TIME" CONCEPTS. IT INCLUDES DETAILED MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS THAT MUST BE USED WHEN PREPARING APPLICATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFA. PURPOSE The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to support basic research on molecular and genetic aspects of pathogenesis of, and host immune/defense responses to, the following bacterial pathogens: Bacillus anthracis,Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, or Brucella species. It is hoped that research from funded projects will be used to devise appropriate defense strategies that can be implemented shortly before or soon after bioterrorist acts. 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 RFA, PREPAREDNESS AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE USE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, is related to the priority area of immunization and infectious diseases. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign for- profit and non-profit organizations; public and private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments; and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Specific application instructions have been modified to reflect "MODULAR GRANT" and "JUST-IN-TIME" streamlining efforts being examined by the NIH. Complete and detailed instructions and information on Modular Grant applications can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm The mechanisms of support will be the individual research project grant (R01) and the Small (Pilot) Research Project Grant (R03). The total requested project period for an application submitted in response to this RFA should not exceed four years for an R01 or three years for an R03. Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant. NIAID uses R03 grants to support small, highly innovative or pilot projects. Applicants for R03 grants may request up to $50,000 annual direct costs for a period not to exceed three (3) years. Funds and time requested should be appropriate for the research proposed. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Future competing renewal applications will compete with all investigator- initiated applications and will be reviewed according to customary referral and review procedures. FUNDS AVAILABLE The estimated total funds (direct and facilities and administration [F&A] costs) available for the first year of support for all awards made under this RFA will be $ 1.0 million; depending on Fiscal Year budget appropriations, this amount may increase. In Fiscal Year 2000, the NIAID plans to fund approximately 3-5 awards. The usual PHS policies governing grants administration and management will apply. Although this program is provided for in the financial plans of the NIAID, awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose and the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit. Funding beyond the first and subsequent years of the grant will be contingent upon satisfactory progress during the preceding years and availability of funds. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background In recent years, there has been a significant change in both the nature and degree of the threat posed by the use of weapons of biological warfare. The increased risk of misuse of infectious agents as weapons of terror, as well as instruments of warfare has prompted the Congress of the United States to pass statutes to protect the public from the illegitimate use of bacterial pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, and Brucella species. Under normal circumstances, the incidence of naturally occurring infections caused by these bacterial pathogens is extremely low in the United States. For this reason, the cadre of investigators conducting basic research on these agents is small and of limited scope. Substantial gaps in our knowledge concerning mechanisms involved in host immune/defense responses and pathogenesis exists. Specifically directed research is essential in order to devise appropriate protective strategies that could be implemented soon after or shortly before - a bioterrorist incident. Research Objectives and Scope Research proposals submitted in response to this RFA must demonstrate that they are relevant to one or more of the following objectives: o Identification and characterization of key biochemical, molecular, or genetic processes (or factors) that contribute to virulence, pathogenesis, and/or host resistance/susceptibility with potential for use as candidate targets for new vaccines, drug intervention, or immunotherapy to limit in vivo growth or negate the deleterious effects of those bacterial pathogens described above. o Design of novel therapeutic strategies, that can be implemented soon after a bioterrorist event, to prevent the germination of bacterial spores in vivo (in the case of anthrax), arrest or interrupt the spread of infection in vivo, and/or neutralize -or block-the synthesis of toxins (or other microbial products) that damage host tissues early during infection. o Develop novel or improved candidate vaccines that will generate significant protective immunity against aerosol challenge within a relatively short period of time after immunization with a minimal number of doses, as well as define serologic correlates or measures of the degree of protective immunity. Although appropriate animal models may be used to acquire and evaluate the experimental data obtained, the development of a new animal model should not be the major focus of a proposal submitted in response to this RFA. Proposals on the development of methods for the rapid detection of these bacterial pathogens, as well as for the rapid diagnosis of the infections they elicit, would be of value in the development of a comprehensive response to bioterrorism. However, such proposals should be submitted for consideration and funding as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants, not in response to this RFA. 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 sub-populations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear, compelling rationale, and justification are provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research", published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No. 11, March 18, 1994 which is available via the WWW at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS: It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and which is available at the following URL address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from Phillip J. Baker, Ph.D. (listed in INQUIRIES below) who may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by December 10, 1999, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the overall proposed research; the name, address and telephone number of the Principal Investigator; and the number and title of this RFA. Although the letter of intent is not required, is not binding, does not commit the sender to submit an application, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains allows NIAID staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is to be sent to Madelon Halula, Ph.D. at the address listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applicants are strongly encouraged to call NIAID program staff with any questions regarding the responsiveness of their proposed project to the goals of this RFA. The modular grant concept establishes specific modules in which direct costs may be requested as well as a maximum level for requested budgets. Only limited budgetary information is required under this approach. The just-in-time concept allows applicants to submit certain information only when there is a possibility for an award. It is anticipated that these changes will reduce the administrative burden for the applicants, reviewers and Institute staff. The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be used in applying for these grants, with the modifications noted below. BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS Modular Grant applications will request direct costs in $25,000 modules. For R03 applications an annual maximum direct cost of $50,000 may be for up to three years. R01s requesting up to a total direct cost request of $250,000 per year must use the modular application format. Applications that request more than $250,000 direct costs in any year must follow the traditional PHS398 application instructions. For modular grant applications, the total direct costs must be requested in accordance with the program guidelines and the modifications made to the standard PHS 398 application instructions described below: PHS 398 o FACE PAGE: Items 7a and 7b should be completed, indicating Direct Costs (in $25,000 increments up to a maximum of $250,000) and Total Costs [Modular Total Direct plus Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs] for the initial budget period Items 8a and 8b should be completed indicating the Direct and Total Costs for the entire proposed period of support. o DETAILED BUDGET FOR THE INITIAL BUDGET PERIOD - Do not complete Form Page 4 of the PHS 398. It is not required and will not be accepted with the application. o BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE PROPOSED PERIOD OF SUPPORT - Do not complete the categorical budget table on Form Page 5 of the PHS 398. It is not required and will not be accepted with the application. o NARRATIVE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - Prepare a Modular Grant Budget Narrative page. (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm for sample pages.) At the top of the page, enter the total direct costs requested for each year. This is not a Form page. o Under Personnel, List key project personnel, including their names, percent of effort, and roles on the project. No individual salary information should be provided. However, the applicant should use the NIH appropriation language salary cap and the NIH policy for graduate student compensation in developing the budget request. For Consortium/Contractual costs, provide an estimate of total costs (direct plus facilities and administrative) for each year, each rounded to the nearest $1,000. List the individuals/organizations with whom consortium or contractual arrangements have been made, the percent effort of key personnel, and the role on the project. Indicate whether the collaborating institution is foreign or domestic. The total cost for a consortium/contractual arrangement is included in the overall requested modular direct cost amount. Include the Letter of Intent to establish a consortium. Provide an additional narrative budget justification for any variation in the number of modules requested. o BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH - The Biographical Sketch provides information used by reviewers in the assessment of each individual's qualifications for a specific role in the proposed project, as well as to evaluate the overall qualifications of the research team. A biographical sketch is required for all key personnel, following the instructions below. No more than three pages may be used for each person. A sample biographical sketch may be viewed at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm - Complete the educational block at the top of the form page; - List position(s) and any honors; - Provide information, including overall goals and responsibilities, on research projects ongoing or completed during the last three years. - List selected peer-reviewed publications, with full citations; o CHECKLIST - This page should be completed and submitted with the application. If the facilities and administation (F&A) rate agreement has been established, indicate the type of agreement and the date. All appropriate exclusions must be applied in the calculation of the F&A costs for the initial budget period and all future budget years. o The applicant should provide the name and phone number of the individual to contact concerning fiscal and administrative issues if additional information is necessary following the initial review. Applications are to be submitted on the grant application for PHS 398 (rev. 4/98). These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research; from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267, email: grantsinfo@nih.gov; and on the internet at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html For purposes of identification and processing, item 2a on the face page of the application must be marked "YES" and the RFA number "AI-99-014" and the words "PREPAREDNESS AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE USE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS" must be entered on the face page. The RFA label and line 2 of the application should both indicate the RFA number. The RFA label must be affixed to the bottom of the face page. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. The sample RFA label available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf has been modified to allow for this change. Please note this is in pdf format. Applications must be received by January 19, 2000. Applications not received as a single package on the receipt date or not conforming to the instructions contained in PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) Application Kit (as modified in, and superseded by, the special instructions below, for the purposes of this RFA), will be judged non-responsive and will be returned to the applicant. If the application submitted in response to this RFA is substantially similar to a grant application already submitted to the NIH for review, but that has not yet been reviewed, the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the pending application or the new one. Simultaneous submission of identical applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical applications be reviewed by different review committees. Therefore, an application that is essentially identical to one that has already been reviewed cannot be submitted in response to this RFA. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three signed, exact, single- sided photocopies, in one package to: Center for Scientific Review National Institutes of Health 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040 - MSC 7710 Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express mail or courier service) At the time of submission, two additional exact copies of the grant application and all five sets of any appendix material must be sent to Madelon Halula at the address listed under INQUIRIES. Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research Resources may wish to identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting the proposed research. If so, a letter of agreement from either the GCRC Program Director or Principal Investigator should be included with the application. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness and adherence to the Special Instructions above by the NIH Center for Scientific Review and for responsiveness by NIAID staff; those judged to be incomplete or not in the format specified in this RFA will be returned to the applicant without review. Those considered to be non-responsive will be returned without review. Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by NIAID in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, a process will be used by the initial review group in which all applications will receive a written critique but only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council. Review Criteria The five criteria to be used in the evaluation of grant applications are listed below. To put those criteria in context, the following information is contained in instructions to the peer reviewers. The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health. The reviewers will comment on the following aspects of the application in their written critiques in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered by the reviewers in assigning the overall score weighting them as appropriate for each application. Note that the application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward. 1. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field? 2. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? 3. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or method? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies? 4. Investigator. Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)? 5. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support? In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following: o The adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. o The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research o The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project proposed in the application. The personnel category will be reviewed for appropriate staffing based on the requested percent effort. The direct costs budget request will be reviewed for consistency with the proposed methods and specific aims. For modular grant applications, any budgetary adjustments recommended by the reviewers will be in $25,000 modules. The duration of support will be reviewed to determine if it is appropriate to ensure successful completion of the requested scope of the project. AWARD CRITERIA Funding decisions will be made on the basis of scientific and technical merit as determined by peer review, program balance, and the availability of funds. The earliest anticipated date of award is September 15, 2000. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic (research scope and eligibility) issues to: Phillip J. Baker, Ph.D. Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 6700-B Rockledge Dr., MSC 7630, Room 3114 Bethesda, MD 20892-7630 Telephone: (301) 435-2855 FAX: (301) 402-2508 E-Mail: pb26o@nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding review issues and special instructions for application preparation; address the letter of intent to; and mail two copies of the application and all five sets of appendices to: Madelon Halula, Ph.D. Division of Extramural Activities National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 6700-B Rockledge Dr., MSC 7616, Room 2150 Bethesda, MD 20892-7616 Telephone: (301) 402-2636 FAX: (301) 402-2638 E-Mail: mh30x@nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Annette Hanopole Division of Extramural Activities National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 6700-B Rockledge Dr., MSC 7614, Room 2122 Bethesda, MD 20892-7614 Telephone: (301) 496-7075 Fax: (301) 480-3780 E-mail: ahanopole@niaid.nih.gov Schedule Letter of intent receipt date: December 10, 1999 Application receipt date: January 19 2000 Scientific review date: May, 2000 Advisory Council date: June,2000 Earliest award date: September, 2000 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is supported under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Sec. 301 (c), Public Law 78-410, as amended. The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Citations are Sec. 93.856, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research, and No. 93.855 - Immunology, Allergy, and Transplantation Research. Awards will be administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems review. The Public Health Service 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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