Full Text GM-97-001
 
INITIATIVE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS:  BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE
DEGREE
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 25, Number 34, October 11, 1996
 
RFA:  GM-97-001
 
P.T. 44, FF

Keywords: 
  Biomedical Research Training 

 
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  November 15, 1996
Application Receipt Date:  January 17, 1997
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the
Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH), National Institutes of
Health (NIH), re-announce two research initiatives directed at
increasing the number of underrepresented minorities entering careers
in biomedical research.  The programs target two different
underrepresented minority student populations: those in colleges and
universities offering only Master of Science (M.S.) degree programs
in biomedically-related sciences and those in two-year junior or
community colleges.  These have been identified as two key transition
points for students considering careers in biomedical research.  This
is the fifth year of this program which seeks to encourage the
development of new and innovative programs and the expansion of
existing programs to improve the academic competitiveness of
underrepresented minority students and facilitate their transition
into the next stage towards careers in biomedical research.
 
This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits new applications for a
partnership program involving two-year colleges awarding the
Associate"s degree and institutions awarding the Baccalaureate
degree.  RFA GM-97-002, a separate announcement, describes a program
targeting the transition from the Master"s degree granting
institutions to universities awarding the Doctoral degree.  Former
applicants of unfunded Bridge proposals are encouraged to submit
revised applications that respond to the prior concerns of the
National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council.
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
General
 
Applications may be submitted by domestic, private or public,
educational institutions.  State or local systems of higher education
(also hereinafter referred to as institutions) may  submit
applications as well.  An institution may be involved as a partner
institution in more than one Bridge program, but can be the APPLICANT
institution for only one Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree and one
Bridges to the Doctoral Degree Program. Institutions with NIGMS
Bridge Program (R25) awards ending on or before September 1997 may
submit COMPETING CONTINUATION APPLICATIONS for three to five years of
continued support (see RFA GM-96-003).
 
An institution may submit ONLY ONE application for this RFA.
Institutions which submit applications in response to this RFA may
also apply for support for a Bridge to the Doctoral Degree (RFA
GM-97-002) if they meet the eligibility requirements. However, a
separate application for each RFA is required.  Institutions
submitting their own applications may participate in programs with
other applicant institutions so long as these interactions are
consistent with institutional resources and their institutional
unified plan described in BOTH applications (see UNIFIED PLAN under
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS).  Institutions participating in more than one
application should provided a justification for each.
 
Programs developed or modified under this initiative must be
specifically designed to target underrepresented minority
undergraduates majoring in the sciences.  For purposes of this
announcement, underrepresented minority students are citizens or
non-citizen nationals of the United States belonging to a particular
ethnic or racial group that has been determined by the grantee
institution to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral
research. Nationally, individuals who have been found to be
underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research include, but
are not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native
Americans and Pacific Islanders.  The term "science" is used in this
RFA to mean the natural, physical, and behavioral sciences and
mathematics relevant to biomedical research.
 
Applications must include a partnership between a two year
institution ("AA Institution") which offers the Associate degree as
the only undergraduate degree in the sciences within the
participating departments AND has a significant enrollment of
underrepresented minorities, and a college or university offering
Baccalaureate degrees in science relevant to biomedical research
disciplines.
 
All applications must involve a partnership of at least two colleges
or universities, but may involve a consortium of several
institutions, and may include several institutions within a single
state system.  One participating institution must be designated as
the applicant institution, must name the program director and must
submit the application.  Each participating institution must name one
individual to act as its program coordinator.  Proposals must include
a description of the collaborative arrangement with all participating
institutions.
 
Institutions offering both the Associate and Baccalaureate degrees
may not use funds from this program for graduates of their own
Associate degree programs to enter their own Baccalaureate degree
programs, even if the student is moving from one department, school,
or college to another.  The program seeks to promote and enhance
partnerships BETWEEN institutions.
 
For additional requirements see: SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
General
 
Awards under this RFA will use the institutional education project
(R25) grant.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and
execution of the proposed project will be solely that of the
applicant.  The total requested project period for applications
submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed two years.
Requested direct costs are not to exceed $320,000 for the two-year
period.  Indirect costs will be paid at 8% of the direct costs, minus
appropriate exclusions, or actual indirect costs, whichever is less.
A budget for each year must be provided.
 
This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Future unsolicited competing
applications will not be accepted.
 
Allowable Costs
 
If appropriate, the budget request may be divided into two phases: a
planning phase with its attendant budget for the minor adjustment
and/or refinement of the partnership program (not intended to serve
as an opportunity to make major changes to the plan approved by peer
review), and an implementation phase with its attendant budget.  The
planning phase costs should be minimal and not exceed a period of six
months.  Faculty release time for planning and implementation of the
program and faculty travel related to program development may be
requested.
 
The implementation phase may include the costs of administering and
coordinating the partnership program within and between each of the
participants.  Requests for equipment, supplies, travel, and other
expenses should be limited to those necessary for program development
and should be carefully and specifically justified.
 
The budget should include travel funds for the Program Director, a
grants manager from the grantee institution, and the Program
Coordinators from the participating institutions to travel to
Bethesda, Maryland for the BRIDGES Program Directors and Coordinators
Meeting each budget year.
 
Each participating institution is responsible for data acquisition
and data entry into E-STAR each year.  E-STAR (Electronic Student
Tracking and Reporting) is a program developed by NIGMS to facilitate
the administration and evaluation of this program by the grantees and
the agency. The budget should also include funds to defray the costs
of data entry.
 
Access to E-STAR will be through Internet and the World Wide Web
(minimum computer needs for E-STAR: an IBM-compatible 386 with 4 meg
of RAM, with Microsoft Windows(tm) 3.1 and WIN32S or a Macintosh
68020 with 4 meg of RAM, a 14.4 kb/s modem, and internet access. Any
computer with Netscape will work).
 
Student remuneration (limited to underrepresented minorities
matriculated at the AA partner institution(s)) through salary/wages
and/or other forms of compensation paid in lieu of wages for
participation in research experiences may be requested.  Tuition
remission (or other forms of compensation paid in lieu of wages)
expenditures are allowable provided the following conditions are met:
 
o  the student is performing necessary work,
 
o  there is an employer-employee relationship between the student and
the institution,
 
o  the total compensation is reasonable for the work performed, and
 
o  it is the institution"s practice to provide compensation for all
students in similar circumstances, regardless of the source of
support for the activity.
 
In summary, allowable costs include, but are not limited to: tuition
remission, supplies, equipment, travel, other expenses, salary,
wages, and fringe benefits for students and faculty.
 
UNALLOWABLE COSTS:
 
Stipends, housing, food, tuition (unless as stated above), and fees
are not allowable costs under this program.
 
FUNDS AVAILABLE
 
An estimated total $9 million will be available in Fiscal Year 1997
for supporting awards made in response to this solicitation, RFA
GM-97-002, and competing continuation applications, RFA GM-97-003.
NIH staff anticipate making a combined total of 20 to 40 new and
competing continuation awards for these RFAs using multi-year
funding, provided NIH receives sufficient numbers of highly
meritorious applications and sufficient funds for this purpose.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
Background
 
This program seeks to promote the initiation and development of new
transitional programs, as well as the expansion and enhancement of
existing programs between those institutions with departments
offering only the Associate"s degree as the undergraduate academic
degree in the sciences, and that have significant enrollments of
underrepresented minority students, and colleges and universities
with Baccalaureate degree programs.  The objective is to facilitate
the transition of underrepresented minority undergraduate students
into Baccalaureate degree programs after obtaining their Associate"s
degree.  Students receiving their Associate"s degree in one field of
science may pursue the Baccalaureate degree in a different area so
long as it is in a discipline related to the biomedical sciences with
a potential for research careers.
 
Collaborative agreements should take the form that best fits the
needs and situations of the institutions involved.  The challenge for
the program director, with the help of the participating partners, is
to design a new partnership program, or enhance an existing program,
THAT WILL FOCUS ATTENTION AND ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO THE ASSOCIATE
DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTION(S) TO ENHANCE THE ACADEMIC
COMPETITIVENESS OF THEIR DEGREE PROGRAMS AND GRADUATES IN THE
SCIENCES.
 
Additional Information
 
These transition programs should be developed to meet the special
requirements of underrepresented minority students interested in
science.  They may include, but are not limited to, the following
elements:
 
o  providing laboratory research experiences at the baccalaureate
institution or other research institutions or industrial laboratories
for students enrolled in the two-year institution (students may
receive compensation for these activities),
 
o  establishing a mentoring program with faculty at the baccalaureate
institution,
 
o  providing research opportunities at the baccalaureate institution
for faculty of the two-year college,
 
o  enriching the curriculum at the two-year institution (e.g.,
special science courses),
 
o  enabling students from the two-year institution to take courses
and/or participate in seminar programs at the baccalaureate college,
 
o  developing visiting lectureships at the two-year college by
science faculty from the baccalaureate institution,
 
o  developing courses at the two-year college jointly taught by
faculty of both institutions,
 
o  guaranteeing acceptance as juniors into the participating
baccalaureate program(s) for students who participated successfully
in the enhancement program,
 
o  academic counseling (e.g., guidance in course selection, tracking
and providing assistance to students who express an interest or show
special aptitude for science),
 
o  additional enrichment activities, such as tutoring, to enhance the
student"s transition to the baccalaureate college,
 
o  nontraditional or other professional degree-granting institutions
should describe those modifications or additions to their programs
that would provide Bridge students with the potential to enter
research career training programs.
 
o  other innovative plans to coordinate these programs.
 
It is an expectation of NIGMS and ORMH that students who enter
Baccalaureate programs as a result of this enhancement program will
receive financial aid packages, if needed, while progressing
satisfactorily in B.S. programs. Applicants should describe the
type(s) of institutional or other financial aid that would be
available to such students.
 
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
 
Applicants should describe fully the proposed transition program and
explain how its design will meet the goals of this initiative.
Applicants should describe the criteria to be used in the selection
and retention of the student participants for this program,
applicants should also describe the criteria for selecting
participating faculty. Applicants with an existing transition program
should describe that program and explain how it would be altered to
meet the goals of this initiative.  Applicant should describe the
methods and facilities available for tracking student participants,
and criteria to be used for program evaluation.
 
Unified Plan
 
To avoid duplication of effort each institution should develop a
unified plan (which may include the physical, natural and behavioral
sciences and mathematics) to facilitate the transfer of its students
from the Associate"s degree program to the Baccalaureate degree
program at another institution.  Applicants should describe how this
proposal fits in with the institution"s overall transition plan.  If
an institution is involved in more than one Bridge Program, the
applicant or the institution"s program coordinator must describe how
the various Bridge Programs interact and are consistent with the
institution"s unified plan.
 
Other Training Programs
 
Colleges with any NIH funding such as the Minority Access to Research
Careers (MARC), Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS),
National Research Service Award (NRSA) training grants, and/or
project grants, or other sources of funds such as National Science
Foundation grants or Howard Hughes Medical Institute grants, should
define the relationship between those programs and this transition
program.  They should delineate how this enhancement program will
influence their partnerships with the other participants and the
manner in which underrepresented minority students in the transition
program will interact with these other sources of support.
 
Consortium Agreements
 
Each applicant institution should delineate appropriate agreements
and consortium arrangements with other institutions consistent with
its own unified institutional plan.  The following statement,
accompanied by signatures of the appropriate administrative officials
from EACH of the collaborating institutions, must be included as part
of the application:
 
"THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMATIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL OF EACH
INSTITUTION INVOLVED IN THIS GRANT APPLICATION ARE AWARE OF THE NIH
CONSORTIUM GRANT POLICY AND ARE PREPARED TO ESTABLISH THE NECESSARY
INTER-INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENT(S)CONSISTENT WITH THAT POLICY."
 
In addition, letters acknowledging participation in the program are
required from each participating institution and must be signed by
the program coordinator and the appropriate institutional official.
 
Reporting Requirements
 
A progress report will be required at the end of the planning phase
(if any) or at the end of the first year, whichever is shorter.  A
final report will be required 90 days after the termination date of
the award and must include information for each student participant
(E-STAR may be used to satisfy part of these requirements). and the
benefits derived from the partnership program.  For applicants
submitting competing renewals the progress report in the competing
application may satisfy this requirement (E-STAR database will not be
available to the peer review committees, a printout or other format
of this data will be necessary for a competing proposal).
 
Student Population and Career Tracking
 
The nature and extent of underrepresented minority student
participation must be thoroughly delineated.  The applicant should
also describe the Associate"s degree-granting institution"s success
in training its students in the sciences, including information on
the numbers of minority students receiving the Associate"s degree and
data on subsequent careers or education of their graduates.
 
The applicant should describe a system by which it would monitor and
track the students participating in this program, including their
future careers, in order to evaluate the success of the program.  The
applicant should maintain data to be able to demonstrate the benefits
of this program on retention rates, graduation rates, transfer rates
to the next higher degree program, and graduation rates from the next
higher degree programs.  These data should be compared to those of
the non-minority students and the minority students that were not in
the bridges program. E-STAR may be used to satisfy part of these
requirements.
 
LETTER OF INTENT
 
Prospective applicants are requested to submit, by November 15, 1996,
a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed
plan, the name, address, and telephone number of the program
director, the identities of other key personnel and participating
institutions, and the number and title of the RFA.  Although a letter
of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into
the review of subsequent applications, the information that it
contains is helpful in planning for the review of applications.  It
allows NIGMS 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 Dr. Americo Rivera at the
address listed under INQUIRIES.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) must be used
in applying for these grants.  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, and from the NIGMS program
administrator listed under INQUIRIES.
 
The RFA label in the PHS 398 application form must be affixed to the
bottom of the face page of the application. 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.  In addition,
the RFA number and title must be typed on line 2 of the face page
form, the "YES" box must be marked.
 
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including
the Checklist, and three photocopies of the signed application in one
package to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, SUITE 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710 **
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)
 
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application
must also be sent to Dr. Americo Rivera, Jr. at the address listed
under INQUIRIES.
 
Applications must be received by January 17, 1997.  Applications
arriving after that date will be returned to the applicant.
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Upon receipt, applications will be administratively reviewed by NIH
staff.  Incomplete and/or unresponsive applications will be returned
to the applicant without further consideration.  Those applications
that are complete and responsive will be evaluated in accordance with
the criteria stated below for scientific and technical merit by
appropriate peer review groups.  The second level of review will be
provided by the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council.
 
Review criteria
 
o  qualifications and experience of the Principal Investigator and
staff to carry out the proposed program (extensive publication
records may be waived for faculty at primarily teaching
institutions),
 
o  appropriateness of the plans to develop the transition program to
meet the goals of the solicitation, appropriateness of the existing
program and of plans to modify that program,
 
o  availability of significant numbers of underrepresented minority
students in the participating science department(s) who are
interested in studying further in biomedical and health-related
fields,
 
o  evidence of underrepresented minority students progressing to
higher education in the sciences,
 
o  appropriateness of the system to track future course of program
participants and monitor the effectiveness of the program,
 
o  budget and cost-effectiveness of the project including
appropriateness to the scope of the program, benefit to the students,
number of students involved, appropriateness of the resources
allocated to AA institution(s), and responsible and prudent senior
personnel costs,
 
o  evidence of institutional commitment, for each institution, and
strength of the collaborative efforts between institutions to foster
professional development of underrepresented minority faculty and to
train underrepresented minority students in the biomedical sciences,
 
o  appropriateness of the administrative plan for managing the
proposed program, including adequacy of space and other institutional
resources.
 
o  appropriateness of applicant"s plan for the evaluation of the
impact the Bridges program has made (before and after) on the
institutions and the underrepresented minor students and faculty.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
The anticipated date of award is September 30, 1997.  Award decisions
will be based on the technical merit of the applications, the
geographical distribution of the awardee institutions, and diversity
of underrepresented minority student participants.  Awards can be
made only to institutions with financial management systems and
management capabilities that are acceptable under PHS policy.  Awards
will be administered under the PHS Grants Policy Statement.
 
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 issues to the program
administrator:
 
Americo Rivera, Jr., Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2AS-13H MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD  20892-6200
telephone:  (301) 594-0533
FAX:  (301) 480-2004
Email:  RiveraA@GM1.NIGMS.NIH.GOV
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Ms Annette Hanopole
Grants Management Specialist
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2AN-50J MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD  20892-6200
Telephone:  (301) 594-3928
FAX:  (301) 480-3423
Email:  HanopolA@GM1.NIGMS.NIH.GOV
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
Awards are authorized by sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health
Service Act, as amended and administered under PHS grants policies
and Federal Regulations 45 CFR Part 74 or 45 CFR Part 92.  This
program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements
of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.  This
program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
No. 93.960, Special Minority Initiatives Program.
 
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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