Full Text HD-95-013 POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 21, June 9, 1995 RFA: HD-95-013 P.T. 04 Keywords: Population Studies Behavioral/Social Studies/Service Sociology National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Letter of Intent Receipt Date: July 1, 1995 Application Receipt Date: October 20, 1995 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 that uses many of the approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences. The DBSB supports a fixed number of Population Research Centers, which support integrated groups of research projects and supporting core services (P50) or core services and facilities that serve a large number of active research projects that are supported by NIH and outside funding sources (P30). Three existing center grants are due for competitive renewal in FY 96. This Request for Applications (RFA) is a solicitation for applications for center grants (P30, P50) in this program. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service 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, 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 Number 017-001-00494-1) 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. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The support mechanisms for this program are the specialized research center grant (P50) and the center core grant (P30). Applications should be consistent with the guidelines, which are available from DBSB. Each center is given a commitment of five years of support and are renewable at five year intervals. Renewals must be invited by a specific RFA that also will 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. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this RFA is five years. The anticipated award date will be July 1, 1996. FUNDS AVAILABLE The DBSB anticipates funding three centers in FY 96. $1,620,000 has been set aside for first year total cost. This is contingent on the approval of funds in the FY 96 appropriations. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background 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 each given a commitment for five years of support, after which they may submit an application for a renewal in competition with other institutions in the field for an additional five years of support. It is anticipated that three centers will submit renewal applications in FY 96. The FY 96 competition will allow other institutions to compete for new awards. Depending on quality of applications and resources available, DBSB anticipates making three awards. Other 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. Examples of desired population research topics are listed below, and centers may concentrate on any combination of these topics: 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 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, 1996, and that includes at least one NIH and two other federally funded grants. A minimum of three cores is required for each year of a funded P30 grant. Each core unit must provide essential facilities and services for at least three federally funded research projects at all times, 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 should be consistent with the guidelines contained in the NICHD P30 CENTER CORE GRANT GUIDELINES, which are available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES. Cooperation between independent institutions is allowed in some circumstances. In these instances, core facilities may be located in both institutions if they are cost effective and promote the overall goals of the center program. Consult the statement of clarification about center program principles that 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 thematically related, approach to the problems to be investigated. These research projects may be accompanied by an appropriate number and type of core facilities providing 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 the NICHD P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES, which are available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES. Applicants must request travel funds to attend an annual meeting of the directors of P50s and P30s in Bethesda, MD. New P50 applications may not request more than $600,000 for first year direct costs. New P30 applications may not request more than $500,000 for first year direct cost support. Previously funded centers may not request more than 120 percent of the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council recommended direct costs for the final year of the preceding project period. Applications exceeding these budget guidelines will be returned to the applicant, unless they have received written permission from NICHD to exceed them. 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 are 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 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 below. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by July 1, 1995, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed center, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of key personnel and participating institutions and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application may be submitted. Although the letter of intent is not required, not binding, and will not be considered in the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NICHD staff to estimate review workload and avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. 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 in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research; from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3032, MSC 7762, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/710-0267. The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) application form 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. 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 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for courier/express service) At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must be sent to: Susan Streufert, Ph.D. Director, Division of Scientific Review National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01 Bethesda, MD 20892 Rockville, MD 20852 (for courier/express service) Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants (DRG) by October 20, 1995. If an application is received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. The DRG will not accept any application in response to this RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The DRG will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the previous critique. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by DRG and responsiveness by the NICHD. Incomplete applications or non-responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be reviewed by the Population Research Committee or a Special Review Committee of the NICHD for scientific merit and by the NICHD's Advisory Council for program relevance and policy issues before awards for meritorious applications are made. Review procedures and criteria are detailed in the NICHD P30 CORE CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES or the NICHD P50 CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES which are available from DBSB staff. 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 judged 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. Review Criteria o scientific, technical or medical significance and originality of proposed research; o appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and methodology proposed to carry out the research; o qualifications and research experience of the Principal Investigator and staff, particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of the proposed research; o availability of the resources necessary to perform the research o appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the proposed research; o Adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated. The initial review group will also examine the provisions for the protection of human and animal subjects and the safety of the research environment. AWARD CRITERIA The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1996. Funding decisions will be based on scientific and technical merit as determined by the initial review committee, 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 to: V. Jeffery Evans, Ph.D, J.D. Center for Population Research National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Executive Building, Room 8B13 6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express mail) Telephone: (301) 496-1174 FAX: (301) 496-0962 Email: evansj@hd01.nichd.nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Melinda Nelson Office of Grants and Contracts National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Executive Building, Room 8A17 6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510 Bethesda, MD 20892-7510 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express mail) Telephone: (301) 496-5481 FAX: (301) 402-0915 Email: nelsonm@hd01.nichd.nih.gov AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.864 (Population Research). Awards made are 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 grant 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 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 routing 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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