NHLBI MINORITY INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM (T32M) Release Date: May 26, 1999 RFA: HL-99-017 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: July 1, 1999 Application Receipt Date: August 26, 1999 PURPOSE This Minority Institutional Research Training Program (T32M) is a National Research Service Award (NRSA) Program intended to support training of graduate and health professional students and individuals in postdoctoral training at minority schools having the potential to develop meritorious training programs in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders. Graduate and health professional students and individuals in postdoctoral training in minority schools need further opportunities to develop biomedical and behavioral research skills. The Minority Institutional Research Training Program is designed to attract students in their developmental stages; to increase their awareness of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research; and to encourage them to pursue research career opportunities. 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, Minority Institutional Research Training Program, is related to the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at the following URL address: http://www.crisny.org/health/us/health7.html ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS A. Minority School The Institution must be a domestic medical or non-medical college, university, or equivalent school in which students of underrepresented minority ethnic groups including Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders comprise a majority (more than 50%) of the school's enrollment. It must have ongoing staff and facilities required for the proposed program. The program director at the minority school will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees and the overall direction of the training program. B. Trainees The individual to be trained must be a citizen of the United States, a non- citizen national, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence at the time of appointment for training, and have a baccalaureate degree. Trainees must be training at the post-baccalaureate level (i.e. predoctoral level) in a relevant biomedical or behavioral science and have made a strong commitment to completing a doctoral degree, be enrolled in a minority health professional school, or have a doctoral degree or equivalent in a biomedical or behavioral science. The Minority Institutional Research Training Program may not support studies leading to a health professional degree. Research trainees who have or are pursuing clinical degrees are expected to devote their time to research training and to confine clinical duties to those which are a part of the research training. C. Research Center The minority institution must identify and collaborate with a research center (medical school or comparable institution) that has strong, well-established cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep disorders research and research training programs. Cooperation between institutions is needed to provide each trainee with a mentor who is recognized as an accomplished investigator in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic or sleep disorders research and who will assist the advisor at the minority institution in the trainee's development and research plan. Plans for summer training as well as academic year training should be developed by the student and advisor at the trainee's home institution in collaboration with the mentor at the research center. It is expected that both advisor and mentor will guide the trainee through the initial training period and continue this interaction throughout the award. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional National Research Service Award mechanism. 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. Facilities and Administrative Costs will be awarded based on 8% of total direct costs exclusive of equipment and tuition and fees. The anticipated award date is April 1, 2000. FUNDS AVAILABLE The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of support for the entire program is expected to be $250,000 in fiscal year 2000. The actual amount may vary, depending on the response to the RFA and availability of funds. Two new awards are anticipated. OBJECTIVES Background Many studies have emphasized the need for minority individuals to participate in research activities to develop their investigative talents. There are existing programs at the National Institutes of Health that are designed to address this need, such as the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program, the Minority Access to Research Careers Program, and the Minority Research Supplement Program. Even though these programs are successful in meeting their specific objectives and career development goals, graduate and health professional students and individuals in postdoctoral training in minority schools need further opportunities to develop biomedical and behavioral research skills. The Minority Institutional Research Training Program is designed to offer research training grant awards in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research to minority schools to enable qualified graduate and health professional students and individuals in postdoctoral training to participate in research programs. It is expected to attract students in their developmental stages, increase their awareness of these diseases, and to encourage them to pursue career opportunities in research related to the mission of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Provisions of the Award The trainees may be appointed for 9 - 12 months at any time during the course of the budget period. Students must have been accepted on a full-time basis. A strong interest in a cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep disorder research career must be evident. Short-term training positions for health professional students are allowed under this program. Funds may be requested for: A. Stipends - The current stipend level for graduate and health professional student trainees at all levels of experience is $14,688 per year. Current stipend levels for postdoctoral trainees are as follows: Years of Experience Per Annum Stipend 0 $26,256 1 $27,720 2 $32,700 3 $34,368 4 $36,036 5 $37,680 6 $39,348 7 or more $41,268 B. Tuition, Fees, and Medical Insurance (individual coverage) when regularly charged to all students regardless of their source of support, are allowable trainee costs. C. Trainee Travel Costs - The institution may request funds to cover the costs of trainee travel including attendance at scientific meetings that are necessary to the individual's training. The maximum allowable per student per year is $800. Funds for commuting expenses that are clearly in excess of those incurred during the usual home to work travel of the trainee may also be requested. D. Training-related Expenses - Funds are provided to partially defray the cost of training such as staff salaries, equipment, research supplies, staff travel, and other expenses. The current level of training related expenses is $1,500 per annum per full-time graduate or health professional student and $2,500 per annum for postdoctoral trainees. E. Facilities and Administrative (Indirect) Costs - The Notice of Grant Award will provide facilities and administrative (indirect) costs based on 8% of total direct costs, exclusive of equipment, tuition, and fees. F. Payback Agreement - The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 substantially modified the service payback requirement for individuals supported by the NRSA programs. Beginning with new appointments and reappointments made on or after June 10, 1993, the following new guidelines will apply: Predoctoral trainees will not be required to sign the Payback Agreement Form (PHS Form 6031) and will not incur a service payback obligation. All postdoctoral trainees must sign an agreement to fulfill the NRSA payback requirements when they are appointed initially to a training grant or receive an individual fellowship. Postdoctoral trainees in the first twelve months of postdoctoral support must sign the payback agreement form and will incur one month of payback obligation for each month of support. Postdoctoral trainees in the thirteenth and subsequent months of support will not sign the Payback Agreement Form and will incur no obligation for that support. The thirteenth and subsequent months of postdoctoral support will be considered acceptable payback service for prior postdoctoral support. Individuals who were appointed to their initial NRSA postdoctoral period on or after June 10, 1993, and continued under that award for two years will have fulfilled their first year obligation by the end of the second year. Service payback obligations can also be paid back by engaging in health-related research and/or teaching that averages more than 20 hours per week of a full year. Minority Institutional Research Training Awards may be made for periods up to five years' duration. Funds will be provided on an annual basis to develop and maintain a stable research training experience for qualified students. Successful applicants may compete for a second or subsequent awards of up to five years' duration upon completion of the initial grant period. The minority institution will identify and complete arrangements with an established cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep disorders research center(s) before submitting an application. Arrangements between the participating institutions for the recruitment of trainees and joint selection of trainers for the provision of training, and for ongoing cooperation between the institutions in the implementation of the program, should be clearly outlined. Procedures for annual evaluation of the program should include plans to measure the impact of the program on the individual student and plans to measure the trainee's progress. The procedures should also describe plans to monitor the future career course of individual trainees, to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall program, and assess the impact of the training program on the institution. Predoctoral trainees appointed to the grant may receive support for up to five years. Postdoctoral trainees appointed to the grant may receive support for up to three years. The trainee and his or her faculty advisor at the minority institution will jointly select a faculty mentor at the research center. A written commitment to the training plan signed by the intended faculty mentors at the research center, the department(s) involved and countersigned by both institutional officials, must be part of the application. Students may not spend more than 50% time at the research training center over the course of the year, including a period of intensive research training during the summer. Students are expected to pursue their research training on a full-time basis devoting no less than 40 hours per week as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. Students are expected to meet the degree requirements at their institution. INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN STUDY POPULATIONS 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 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 was published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No. 11, March 18, 1994, and at the following URL address: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html 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 is available at the following URL address: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by July 1, 1999, a letter of intent that includes 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 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 sent to Dr. C. James Scheirer, at the address listed under APPLICATION PROCEDURES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The PHS grant application form PHS-398 (rev. 4/98) and its Additional Instructions for Preparing Institutional National Research Service Award Applications (Pages V-1 - V-8; Substitution Pages NN - PP) is to be used in applying for these grants. This form is 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 301-435-0174, E-mail: grantsinfo@nih.gov: and at the following URL address: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html The RFA label found in the PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) 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 Minority Institutional Research Training Program" and number HL-99-017 must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form and on the RFA label, and the YES box must be marked. The sample RFA label available at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf has been modified to allow for this change. Please note this is in pdf format. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application and three (3) signed 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) At the time of submission, send two additional copies of the application to: Dr. C. James Scheirer Division of Extramural Affairs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7924 Bethesda, MD 20892-7924 Telephone: (301) 435-0266 FAX: (301) 480-3541 Email: js110j@nih.gov It is important to send these two copies at the same time as the original and three copies are sent to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). These copies are used to identify conflicts and help ensure the appropriate and timely review of the application. Applications must be received by August 26, 1999. 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 in response 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. Applicants for research training grants who wish to include a request for a short-term research training program should also use the instructions for Institutional Research Training Grants included with Form PHS 398. Short-term positions must be identified separately within each category on the budget page, listing as instructed, the number of short-term trainees, the total stipend amount, and the total amount of the training related expenses. Under stipends, short-term positions should be listed under the "Other" category. The description of the short-term research training program must be included in the application for the regular research training program, but must be separated from the description of the regular program within each section of the application. In addition to the information requested in the section called the Program plan, the applicant must also address the relationship of the proposed short-term program to the regular research training program and provide assurance that the short-term program will not detract from the regular program. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by the 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. As part of the initial merit review, a process may be used by the initial review group in which applications receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. Review Criteria The following criteria will be considered in the evaluation of the proposed NHLBI Minority Institutional Research Training Program: o Design of the proposed training program; o Qualifications, dedication, and previous training record of the program director and all participating faculty, particularly with regard to prior experience with similar programs; o Adequacy of facilities, environment, and resources for the proposed research training, both at the minority institution and the established research center; o Adequacy of the cooperative arrangements between the minority institution and the established research center; o Recruitment and selection plans for trainees, and the availability of high quality candidates; o Methods for retaining promising students in the program and methods for tracking students; Commitment of the relevant faculty and the two institutions to the goals of the training program; and o Procedures for evaluation of the impact of the program on the trainees involved. Because the research training environment provides a powerful context in which to promote responsible research practices, all competing applications must include a description of formal or informal activities or instruction related to the responsible conduct of research that will be incorporated into the proposed research training program. AWARD CRITERIA The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o Scientific, technical, and research training merit of the application as determined by peer review, o Availability of funds, and o Program balance among the research areas of the RFA. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are welcome. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants prior to preparation of an application is strongly encouraged. Direct inquiries regarding program guidelines or programmatic issues to: Robert Musson, Ph.D. 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: rm65o@nih.gov Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Marie Willett Division of Extramural Affairs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7926 Bethesda, MD 20892-7926 Telephone: (301) 435-0144 FAX: (301) 480-3310 Email: marie_willett@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 PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.
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