NHLBI NRSA SHORT-TERM TRAINING FOR MINORITY STUDENTS PROGRAM

Release Date:  July 16, 1998

RFA:  HL-98-019

P.T.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  August 3, 1998
Application Receipt Date:  September 23, 1998

PURPOSE

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) invites grant applications
for the Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program.  This program provides
short-term research support to underrepresented minority undergraduate students,
graduate students, and students in health professional schools to provide them
with career opportunities in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases,
and sleep disorders research.  The grant provides training experiences of two to
three consecutive months and exposes talented students to the various
possibilities in pursuing a biomedical research career.

Within NHLBI, the term "hematologic" covers research on thrombosis and
hemostasis, immunohematology, blood cell disorders, hematopoiesis, thalassemia,
sickle cell disease, transfusion medicine, blood resources including blood
component and derivative therapy, blood substitutes and blood resource
management, aspects of AIDS-products in AIDS prevention and treatment, and AIDS-
related bone marrow and hematologic disorders.  Other Institutes of the NIH are
responsible for research on disorders of white cells, including the leukemias and
other blood malignancies, and basic immunology related to the lymphoid system. 
Therefore, NHLBI cannot provide support for such studies.

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 Request for Applications (RFA), NHLBI
NRSA Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program, is related to the
priority areas of heart disease and stroke, tobacco, educational and community-
based programs, environmental health, maternal and Infant health, diabetes and
chronic disabling diseases, and HIV infection.  Potential applicants may obtain
a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-1 or
Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone
202-512-1800).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by non-federal, domestic, for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, medical
schools, and units of state and local government.  Racial/ethnic minority
individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as
program directors.  Applications from foreign institutions will not be accepted. 
These grants will support short-term research training experiences of consecutive
two to three months duration for minority undergraduate students, minority
students in health professional schools, and minority graduate students.  The
grantee institution will be responsible for the selection and appointment of
trainees.  Special attention should be given to the recruitment of individuals
from minority groups that are underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and
behavioral sciences, i.e., Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives,
and Pacific Islanders.

Trainees must have successfully completed at least one undergraduate year at an
accredited school or university (including baccalaureate schools of nursing) or
have successfully completed one semester at a school of medicine, optometry,
osteopathy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy or public health, or an
institution with an accredited graduate program, prior to participating in the
program.  Trainees appointed to the program need not be from the grantee
institution, but may include a number of minority students from other
institutions, schools, colleges, or universities.  These grants are intended to
introduce students to research that would not otherwise be available through
their regular course of studies.  For graduate students, this may include
graduate students in programs, such as mathematics, where they would not normally
be exposed to biomedical research or minority graduate students who may need a
specialized research experience to supplement their normal graduate education.

Students appointed to this program must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of
the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence.  Noncitizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying
possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island). 
Individuals on temporary or student visas and individuals holding Ph.D., M.D.,
D.V.M. or equivalent doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Short-Term Training
Grant (T35).  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the
proposed training program will be solely that of the applicant.  The total
project period for an application submitted in response to this RFA may not
exceed five years.  Funding beyond the first year of the grant is contingent upon
satisfactory progress during the preceding year and availability of funds. 
Indirect costs will be awarded based on eight percent of total direct costs
exclusive of equipment and tuition and fees.  The anticipated award date is May
1, 1999.

Institutions may request support for at least four but not more than 24, short-
term trainees per year.  The requested number of short-term trainees must be
justified in the application.  Trainees may be minority undergraduate, graduate,
or health professional students.  The stipend level for trainees is $979 per
month.  Stipends may be supplemented from non-federal funds.  Training-related
expenses up to $125 per month per trainee may be requested.  In addition, up to
$500 per trainee may be requested to cover domestic travel to and from the
training site and up to $250 per month per trainee may be requested to cover the
cost of housing at the training site.  Trainee tuition and fees, where necessary
to the research training, must be covered by the Training Related Expenses.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of support for the
entire program is expected to be $320,000 in fiscal year 1999.  The actual amount
may vary, depending on the response to the RFA and availability of funds, but the
anticipated number of awards for the Short-Term Training Program for Minority
Students is anticipated to be 10 new awards.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

Many studies have emphasized the need for minority individuals to participate in
modern research activities to develop their investigative talents.  Whereas
approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population is Black, less than 0.25 percent
of individuals holding a Ph.D. degree in biomedical science are Black.  There are
existing programs at the NIH that are designed to answer this need.  These
include the Minority Institutional Research Training Program, the Minority
Institution Faculty Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, and the
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award for Minority Faculty.  Even though
these programs appear successful in meeting their specific objectives and career
development goals, minority graduate students, health professional students, and
postdoctoral students in minority schools need additional opportunities to
develop biomedical and behavioral research skills and become productive
investigators.

Although there is strong interest in the scientific community in attracting
minority students into research careers, few minority students opt for science
degrees and research careers, and few minority graduates of health professional
schools go on to investigative careers.  The shortage of qualified minority
investigators in academic research positions may even exacerbate the situation
due to a lack of visible role models for students.  One method of addressing this
problem is by attracting minority students to research opportunities and by
providing them with research training to develop their research capabilities in
cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic diseases and sleep disorders.

Other

This RFA is designed to offer research training opportunities for minority
students in an effort to encourage their participation in cardiovascular,
pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research.

The Short-Term Training for Minority Students program is intended to:

o  Provide minority undergraduate students, graduate students, and students in
health professional schools exposure to opportunities inherent in research
careers in areas relevant to cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic diseases, and
sleep disorders.

o  Attract highly qualified minority students into biomedical and behavioral
research careers and increase the supply of minority investigators.

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 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
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," which have been published in the Federal Register of March
20, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513), and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts  Vol.
23, No. 11, March 18, 1994.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by August 3, 1998, a letter of intent
that includes the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal
Investigator, the identities of other key personnel and participating
institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the
application may be submitted.

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
allows NHLBI staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid
conflict of interest in the review.  The letter of intent is to be faxed or sent
to Dr. C. James Scheirer at the address listed under APPLICATION PROCEDURES.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev.
5/95).  Application kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored
research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and
Information Resource, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC
7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301-710-0267, email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Guidelines and supplemental instructions for the Short-Term Training for Minority
Students program may be obtained from NHLBI staff listed under INQUIRIES.

The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) 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 title (NHLBI
Short-Term Training for Minority Students Program) and number (HL-98-019) must
be typed on line 2 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 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/courier service)

Two additional copies of the application must also be sent to:

C. James Scheirer, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Affairs
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7220, MSC 7924
Bethesda, MD  20892-7924
Telephone:  (301) 435-0266
FAX:  (301) 480-3541
Email:  james_scheirer@nih.gov

Applications must be received by September 23, 1998.  If an application is
received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. 
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application to this
RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless
the applicant withdraws the pending application.  The CSR 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 CSR and
responsiveness by NHLBI.  Incomplete and/or non-responsive applications will be
returned to the applicant without further consideration.  Applications that are
complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by a Special Emphasis Panel in the Division of Extramural Affairs, NHLBI,
in accordance with the review criteria stated below.  Following scientific-
technical review, applications will receive a second level review by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council.

As part of the initial merit review, a process 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 assigned a priority score.  Applications determined to be non-
competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the applicant and
the official signing for the applicant organization will be notified.

The following criteria will be considered when assessing the merits of a research
training grant application, including the Short-Term Training for Minority
Students program.

o  Design of the proposed training program;

o  Qualifications, dedication, and previous training record of the program
director and participating faculty, particularly with regard to prior experience
with similar programs;

o  Adequacy of facilities, environment, and resources for the proposed research
training;

o  Methods of recruiting, selecting and assigning minority students;

o  Methods for retaining promising students in the program and methods for
tracking students;

o  Commitment of the institution and participating faculty to the goals of the
training program;

o  Procedures for evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the impact
of the program on the students involved.

AWARD CRITERIA

The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

o  Technical merit of the application as determined by peer review o 
Availability of funds
o  Program balance among the research areas of the announcement

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 program guidelines, supplemental instructions, or
programmatic issues to:

Michael Commarato, Ph.D. or  Beth Schucker, M.A.
Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive,  MSC 7940
Bethesda, MD  20892-7940
Telephone:  (301) 435-0530
FAX:  (301) 480-1454
Email:  michael_commarato@nih.gov
        beth_schucker@nih.gov

Mary Reilly, M.S. or Ann Rothgeb
Division of Lung Diseases
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7952
Bethesda, MD  20892-7952
Telephone:  (301) 435-0222
FAX:  (301) 480-3557
Email:  mary_reilly@nih.gov
        ann_rothgeb@nih.gov

Joyce Creamer, MBA or Bette Houston
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7950
Bethesda, MD  20892-7950
Telephone:  (301) 435-0064
FAX:  (301) 480-1046
Email:  joyce_creamer@nih.gov
        bette_houston@nih.gov

Thomas Blaszkowski, Ph.D.
Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7838
Bethesda, MD  20892-7838
Telephone:  (301) 435-0433
Email:  thomas_blaszkowski@nih.gov

James P. Kiley, Ph.D.
National Center for Sleep Disorders Research
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7920
Bethesda, MD  20892-7920
Telephone:  (301) 435-0199
FAX:  (301) 480-3451
Email:  james_kiley@nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Marie Willett
Grants Operations Branch, Heart Section
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7926
Bethesda, MD  20892-7926
Telephone:  (301) 435-0177
FAX:  (301) 480-3310
Email:  marie_willett@nih.gov

Raymond L. Zimmerman
Grants Operations Branch, Lung Section
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7926
Bethesda, MD  20892-7926
Telephone:  (301) 435-0171
Email:  raymond_zimmerm@nih.gov

Jane Davis
Grants Operations Branch, Blood Section
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7926
Bethesda, MD  20892-7926
Telephone:  (301) 435-0166
Email:  jane_davis@nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, numbers
93.233, 93.837, 93.838, and 93.839.  Awards are made under the authority 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 at 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74.  This program is not
subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or
a 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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