Full Text HD-95-001 POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 23, June 17, 1994 RFA: HD-95-001 P.T. 04 Keywords: Population Studies Demography Sociology National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Letter of Intent Receipt Date: July 1, 1994 Application Receipt Date: October 19, 1994 PURPOSE The Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for Population Research (CPR), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) supports population research using a variety of approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences. The DBSB supports Population Research Centers that are designed to provide either integrated groups of research projects and supporting core services (P50) or core services and facilities in support of a large number of active research projects that are supported by a variety of NIH and outside funding sources (P30). Two existing center grants are due for competitive renewal in FY95. This Request for Applications (RFA) is a solicitation for the competition for center grants in this program. The DBSB supports a national network of population research centers that provide both infrastructure and direct support of a wide range of topics relevant to the causes and consequences of population change. These centers are given a commitment for five years of support and are subject to competitive renewal at which time they must compete with other institutions in the field to win an additional five years of support. In FY 95, two centers are subject to competitive renewal and it is anticipated that these centers will submit renewal applications. The FY 95 competition will allow other institutions to compete for awards. Depending on the quality of applications and funding available, DBSB anticipates making two awards. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," the PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This RFA, Population Research Centers, is related to the priority areas of family planning, educational and community based programs, maternal and infant health, HIV infection, and immunization and infectious diseases. 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 may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State or local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The support mechanisms for this program are the Specialized Research Center Grant (P50) and the Center Core Grant (P30). Applications must be consistent with the guidelines governing these two mechanisms. These centers are given a commitment of five years of support, which is renewable at five year intervals. Renewals must be invited by a specific RFA that will also give interested organizations a chance to compete with the incumbent for the award. Because population research center grants are complex entities, it is strongly recommended that interested applicants contact the DBSB staff for a personal consultation regarding the centers program. The current policies and requirements that govern the research grant programs of NIH will prevail (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Part 52 and Title 45, Part 74). The total project period for an application submitted to this RFA is five years. The anticipated award date will be July 1, 1995. A center core grant (P30) must be predicated on the existence of a substantial number of research grants that will be active on July 1, 1995, including at least one NIH and two other federally funded grants. A minimum of three cores are required for each year of a funded P30 grant. Each core unit must provide essential facilities and services for a least three federally funded research projects, at least one of which is NIH funded. These grants must be active users of the core facilities and services proposed in the center grant application. The applications must be consistent with the guidelines contained in P30 CENTER CORE GRANT GUIDELINES, which are available from the programm staff listed under INQUIRIES. Cooperation between independent institutions is allowed in some circumstances. In these instances core facilities may be located in both institutions as long as they are cost effective and promote the overall goals of the center program. Consult the statement of clarification about center program principles, which is available from DBSB. A specialized research center (P50) must have three or more related, integrated, and high quality research projects that provide a multidisciplinary, yet thematic approach to the problems to be investigated. These research projects may be accompanied by an appropriate number and type of core facilities to provide cost-effective technical support. The projects and theme of the center must be relevant to the DBSB funding mission. The applications should be consistent with the guidelines contained in P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES, which are available from DBSB. FUNDS AVAILABLE The DBSB anticipates funding two centers in FY 95. $1,800,000 of first year total cost support will be set aside for this competition. This is contingent on the availability of funds in the FY 95 appropriations. New P50 applications may not request more than $600,000 in first year, direct cost support. New P30 applications may not request more than $500,000 in first year, direct cost support and previously funded centers should not request direct costs of more than 120 percent of the council recommended direct cost for the final year of the preceding project period. Applications exceeding these budget guidelines will be returned to the applicant unless they receive written permission from NICHD to exceed them. The award of a center is dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit and the availability of funds to support new centers. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The DBSB supports research on population dynamics using a variety of approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences. This RFA is specifically designed to stimulate the research community to organize or to maintain population research centers of high quality that will serve as a national research network that fosters communication, innovation, and high quality research. Applications are encouraged, but not limited to, the population research topics listed below: 1. Fertility and Family Planning 2. Social acceptability of measures for the biological regulation of human fertility 3. Sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and contraception 4. Family and household dynamics 5. Age at marriage and first birth, child spacing, family size, and fertility 6. Status and roles of women in relation to fertility, with special emphasis on implications for the U.S. 7. Relation of economic development to population growth and decline 8. Antecedents and consequences of stability or change in the size of the U.S. population 9. Population modelling for the projection and/or prediction of human population change in the U.S. 10. Migration of human population groups 11. Population redistribution 12. Population composition and structure 13. Mortality of human population groups 14. Population and physical environment 15. Status of children 16. Demographic aspects of health, morbidity, and disability in pre-retirement populations SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Applicants should request travel funds to attend an annual meeting of the directors of P50s and P30s in Bethesda, MD. STUDY POPULATIONS 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 rational 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 Population, 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 9, 1994 (FR 59 11146- 11151), 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 below. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by July 1, 1994, a letter that includes a brief description of the proposed center, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application may be submitted. The letter of intent is not binding and will not be considered in the review of the application. The sole purpose of the letter of intent is to alert the program staff of the proposed application so that the program may be of assistance in explaining the complex nature of the mechanism. The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. V. Jeffery Evans at the address listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used to prepare the application. The type of center grant requested (P30) or (P50) must be indicated on the face page of the application in item #2b. The RFA label available in the form PHS 398 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 the review. In addition, the RFA Title and number must be typed on line 2a of the face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked. The PHS 398 is available from the office of sponsored research at most institutions and can also be obtained from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, or by calling (301) 710-0267. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three signed, photocopies, in one package to: Division of Research grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 Bethesda, MD 20892** At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must also be sent to: Susan Streufert, Ph.D. Division of Scientific Review National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01 Bethesda, MD 20892 (for Express mail use Rockville, MD 20852) Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants by October 19, 1994. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS The applications will be reviewed by the Population Research Committee of the NICHD for scientific merit and the NICHD National Advisory Council for program relevance and policy issues before awards for meritorious applications are made. Review procedures and criteria are detailed in P30 CORE CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES, which is available from DBSB staff. Each application will be reviewed by NICHD staff for responsiveness to the RFA and for relevance to program goals. Those found to be non-responsive will be returned to the applicant. 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 the NICHD in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, a process (triage) may be used by the initial review group in which applications will be determined to be competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit relative to other applications received in response to the RFA. Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be assigned a priority score. Applications determined to be non-competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the Principal Investigator and the official signing for the applicant organization will be notified. AWARD CRITERIA The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1995. Funding decisions will be based on the IRG and NACHHD Council recommendations, program relevance, and the availability of funds. 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 and address the letter of intent to: V. Jeffery Evans, Ph.D, J.D. Center for Population Research National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8B13 Bethesda, MD 20892 (for Express mail use Rockville, MD 20852) Telephone: (301) 496-1174 FAX: (301) 496-0962 Direct Inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Melinda Nelson Office of Grants and Contracts National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8A17 Bethesda, MD 20892 (for Express mail use Rockville, MD 20852) Telephone: (301) 496-5481 FAX: (301) 402-0915 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.864 (Population Research). 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 Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372, or to Health Systems Agency review. The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. .
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