Part I Overview Information

Department of Health and Human Services

Participating Organizations
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov)

Components of Participating Organizations
Fogarty International Center (FIC) (http://www.fic.nih.gov)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) ( http://www.cancer.gov)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) ( http://www.niehs.nih.gov)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) ( http://www.ninds.nih.gov)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) ( http://www.nibib.nih.gov)   

Title:  Framework Programs for Global Health (R25)

Announcement Type
This is a revision of PAR-06-067, which was released on November 10, 2005. 

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. 

APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.

Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-TW-08-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.989, 93.399, 93.113, 93.853, 93.286

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: May 3, 2007
Opening Date: July 20, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): August 20, 2007
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization). 
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s):  September 20, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): January/February 2008
Council Review Date(s): May 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 2008
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: September 21, 2007

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Additional Overview Content

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Part I Overview Information

Part II Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives

Section II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of Support
2. Funds Available

Section III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
    A. Eligible Institutions
    B. Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria

Section IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request Application Information
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates and Times
    A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
          1. Letter of Intent
    B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH
    C. Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental Review
5. Funding Restrictions
6. Other Submission Requirements

Section V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
    A. Additional Review Criteria
    B. Additional Review Considerations
    C. Sharing Research Data
    D. Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
3. Reporting

Section VII. Agency Contact(s)
1. Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review Contact(s)
3. Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations

Part II - Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Research Objectives

Fogarty International Center (FIC) and collaborating Institutes (NCI, NIEHS, NINDS, and NIBIB) invite applications for up to three years of support for the creation of new, multidisciplinary programs that will foster Global Health research and teaching within and between institutions, to be called Framework Programs for Global Health.  Specifically, the objectives of this FOA are (1) to increase interactions and joint activities among investigators already engaged in Global Health teaching and research within a campus and among institutions; (2) to encourage new investigators from diverse faculties and disciplines and new institutions to enter the Global Health field; and (3) to build curricula and develop educational opportunities that will engage the next generation of scientists and health workers to consider careers in Global Health.  The activities initiated under this award will create a framework of support for Global Health initiatives within an institution. 

Two core activities will be to create an administrative framework to bring multiple schools (engineering, economics, business, law, arts and sciences, communications, public health, medicine, nursing, veterinary sciences, environmental studies, agriculture, and others) together on the topic of Global Health and to develop multidisciplinary Global Health curricula at the undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and/or professional school levels.  Each program should leverage and enhance currently funded Global Health projects at the institution, supported by NIH and other sponsors, as well as encourage new training opportunities, collaborations and research areas.  To ensure that institutions support the Framework at the highest level, letters from the University President, Provost, or other Institutional Director will be required. 

Background

As the world becomes an increasingly global community, there is a need for new, integrated, and multidimensional approaches to Global Health.  Health concerns have become the shared concerns of many nations and health crises can rapidly spread from one country to another.  These health threats include infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and drug-resistant tuberculosis, as well as emerging and re-emerging diseases such as SARS and the threat of pandemic influenza.  In addition, because of the demographic transition in the developing world, non-communicable diseases and conditions such as those related to trauma and injury, obesity, tobacco use, adverse impacts of the environment, neurological disorders, mental health, cancer, and cardiovascular disease represent an increasing disease burden on a global scale.  These health challenges encompass biomedical, social, environmental, political and economic dimensions and, consequently, may be best addressed through multidisciplinary teams and interdisciplinary approaches.

Universities and other institutions of research and teaching in the U.S. and abroad play critical roles in conducting Global Health research and in training the next generation of scientists and professionals in Global Health.  To fully harness the expertise in these institutions and include faculties of law, medicine, public health, engineering, journalism and others, new strategies are required.  Greater coordination among faculties would energize the Global Health enterprise.  At the same time, by bringing multiple schools together around a common concern for Global Health, it would be expected that undergraduates and graduate students would become engaged in this field.  An increasing number of institutions have begun to recognize the inherent research interest of Global Health problems and welcome the opportunity to use their substantial creative resources to make a contribution to global welfare by further expansion of Global Health activities. 

The purpose of this award is to catalyze and support the efforts of universities and other educational institutions with significant activities in Global Health that are ready to commit to shaping an integrated Program in this area.  For the purposes of this FOA, “Global Health activities” are defined as research, teaching, clinical care, prevention, and outreach activities directed towards addressing health concerns that contribute a significant burden of disease and disability in low- and middle-income countries and are of general concern to the international health community.  U.S. awards in Global Health are expected to involve partnerships and interactions with institutions in the affected countries. 

Framework Programs

Core Activities:  Curricula Development and Administration of the Framework Program

A core activity of the Framework Programs should be development of new curricula and educational opportunities in Global Health areas at the undergraduate, graduate, and/or postgraduate levels.  Curricula may be developed for a single institution or involve joint curricula or joint degree programs developed for use by all Framework partners (see Eligible Institutions, below).  Curricula should be multi- or inter-disciplinary, provide opportunities for hands-on experience, and encourage interactions between disciplines and, if appropriate, institutions that have not traditionally worked together on Global Health issues.  A variety of approaches and models are encouraged.  It is expected that, in many cases, the Framework Program will be pedagogically innovative at the institution(s). 

All institutions should consider developing a foundational set of workshops and courses that address topics appropriate to a broad range of research areas.  These courses may serve as a common resource to meet the needs of diverse projects within the university and collaborating institutions, thereby providing a “glue” for the Framework program.  For example, all students who will participate in research projects should receive training in the Responsible Conduct of Research.  Workshops in Bioethics, Informatics, and grant and scientific writing, among others, may similarly provide core skills useful in many scientific research areas.  Diverse educational programs within the institution(s) may be linked to bring these aspects into the Framework Program. 

U.S. institutions (unless they are “partnering” with institutions in low- or middle-income countries: see Section III.1.A. Partners vs. Collaborators for definitions), should build on this foundation to develop a program with a broad curriculum that is as inclusive as possible of the range of global health interests and approaches at the institution.  This may include perspectives from the infectious, non-communicable, behavioral, and environmental health disease areas, as well as consideration of economic and social drivers of health, the need for bioengineering and appropriate technologies, and other areas. However, the specific educational opportunities developed under the Framework may take a variety of forms, as appropriate to each institution’s strengths and needs. 

In Framework Programs from institutions in low- and middle-income countries, or in Framework Programs from U.S. institutions that are developing Framework curricula and programs in partnership with institutions in low- and middle-income countries, once a set of workshops or courses are established that meet the common foundational needs of the academic community, the institutions may choose to initially concentrate their advanced curricula in a more focused area that addresses their current strengths, faculty resources, and perceived national public health priorities.  The focus area must still use multidisciplinary approaches and be topically broad.  For example, “mental health” or “infectious diseases” would be acceptable, while focus on a single disease such as major depression or HIV/AIDS would not be allowed.  Applicants should justify the choice of a focus area and provide well-defined capacity building goals in this area for the institution(s) involved.  The Framework built around this focus area may serve as a model that can be expanded to include other areas in the future.  Conversely, institutions in low- and middle-income countries that already have a broad base of expertise may choose to develop a more comprehensive and inclusive Global Health curriculum and Framework.  If there is any question about the choice of a focal area, or whether a focal area is appropriate, applicants are encouraged to contact the FIC Program Officer.

The curricula developed through this program, whether focused or broad, should be truly multidisciplinary.  It should involve novel interactions and synthesis between disciplines rather than parallel offerings or the expanded inclusion of students from other disciplines into established programs.  To foster a culture of multidisciplinary dialogue and teamwork among both students and faculty, at least three Schools within the institution must be formal participants in the proposed Framework program.  These Schools should involve distinct disciplines.  That is, three Departments within a School of Medicine, such as Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and Obstetrics, would not be sufficient.  Instead, innovative programs involving Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Biological Sciences, Public Health, Veterinary Sciences, Chemistry, Ecology and Environmental Studies, Economics, Business, Engineering, International Relations and Political Science, Law, Computer Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and others are encouraged.  While not every course or activity will bring these disciplines together, a portion of the curricula should specifically address this goal.

Many of the programs sponsored by the FIC are, by their nature, multidisciplinary and provide examples of the types of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches that may be developed in a Frameworks curriculum.  Examples include Programs in Health and Economic Development; Ecology of Infectious Diseases (which studies ecological and biological mechanisms that govern the relationships between anthropogenic environmental changes and the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, in many cases generating mathematical models); AIDS International Training and Research Program (biomedical and behavioral science); Stigma and Global Health (which explores the role of stigma in health); Informatics Training for Global Health (informatics as applied to health research); International Training and Research Program in Environmental and Occupational Health (biomedicine, epidemiology, and engineering control technology); International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (drug discovery, biodiversity conservation, and economic development); and others. More information on Fogarty programs can be found at http://www.fic.nih.gov. 

Groups studying HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or diarrheal diseases may choose to team with groups studying brain disorders in developing countries to offer a course on the mental health sequelae of infectious diseases.  A course in implementation science, which studies how to effectively implement evidence-based health interventions, might involve discussions of epidemiology, economics, informatics, behavioral and social research, clinical research and clinical trial design, and political science. There are many possible combinations. 

Institutions must have, or be significantly involved in, a minimum number of active NIH awards in Global Health areas to be eligible to apply for a Framework grant (see Eligible Institutions, below).  It is expected that key personnel on these awards will work together to develop associated curricula.  In this way, curriculum development may become one means of increasing interactions among these groups, promoting joint training opportunities and allowing for more efficient use of funds to achieve goals common to each of their projects. 

Under “Core Activities,” applicants should address each of the three areas that follow:

1.      Purpose and Goals of the Curricula to Be Developed:  What are the specific goals that the institution wishes to address through the curricula to be developed?  How will the set of proposed offerings contribute to the Framework for an integrated program in Global Health?  In light of the specific goals of your institution in initiating a Global Health Program, how would the opportunities at the institution change if the proposed curricula were implemented?

2.      Course Content:  Applicants should describe the courses (both didactic and experiential) to be developed through the Framework award, as far as they can be anticipated.  You should be as specific as possible in describing the proposed program, including courses to be offered, length of courses or workshops, frequency of classes, who will teach the courses and under what departmental or other auspices, selection criteria for participants entering the Program, and target enrollment once the program is established.  What process will be used to determine which new courses will be developed under this program?  Where distance learning courses are proposed, you must include opportunities for individual mentoring and interaction with students, as well as address infrastructure requirements to access the courses.  Finally, you should describe the approval process for new courses at the institution(s), how this will be navigated for the Framework courses in aggregate, and how this might impact pilot courses and workshops to be implemented during the grant period. 

The application must propose the development of new courses.  Current offerings at the institution may be included in support of the Framework, but simply listing these together would not be sufficient.  In addition, for all institutions, but particularly for institutions in which there is already a strong foundation in Global Health curricula and activities, the value added by the Framework Program must be explicitly discussed.

3.      Administration of the Framework Program:  All applications should describe how the Framework Program would be administered in a way that would maximize contributions from three or more Schools at the University and from any potential partners.  As activities must be coordinated across the entire campus or among several institutions, it may be useful to appoint a Program Administrator or develop a Framework Administrative Group.  Such a resource may provide significant added value to new and ongoing research training grants at the institution, facilitate logistics and integration of foreign students into Framework activities, help with preparations for courses and conferences, match potential trainees and opportunities, arrange for lectureships and other activities of the Framework, and provide a useful point of contact for those interested in learning more about Global Health. 

Supporting Activities

Activities that complement and expand upon the proposed curricula development or provide further collaborative opportunities across multiple Schools and research programs should be proposed.  They should contribute to creating a Framework identity and more visibility for Global Health on campus and at all collaborating institutions, as well as bring new researchers and new students into the Global Health discussion by increasing activity, interactions, and information in the Global Health area.

Applications should describe supporting activities in detail and offer specific examples of each activity.  For example, if structured opportunities for student research experiences are proposed, include letters from research programs willing to accept students for short research experiences.  Also discuss how students would be prepared for these experiences, including preparatory work on Human Subjects concerns and the Responsible Conduct of Research, how they would be mentored, and if there would be any follow up activities upon the completion of the experience. Students should work under the umbrella of established, peer-reviewed research projects. If conferences are proposed, the potential topics to be addressed, participants to be included, and how such a conference would integrate with and further the goals of creating a Framework program should be described.  Clinical activities can be supported only in the context of currently funded clinical research projects that have already undergone peer review and IRB approval.  For example, students may work under a funded project for a short research experience.  Framework programs may not offer to fund small faculty or student research grants from the award.  This NIH funding mechanism does not allow grantees to make secondary research grants from an NIH award.  However, competitive funding to allow new investigators to integrate into ongoing projects, carry out networking and planning activities that would lead to new research applications with new collaborators, and otherwise increase research interactions in the spirit of broadening the Global Health research arena, will be allowed.  Such activities should not involve work with human subjects that would require new IRB approval for the research project per se, although approval to add an individual to an established project is allowable. 

Structure of the Proposed Framework Program

Applicants should describe the structure of the proposed Framework program.  All participating Departments, Schools, and partner institutions should be described and plans for how these diverse entities will be coordinated and integrated must be discussed.  If details of these entities are provided in the Resources or another earlier section, that information should not be repeated here.  Rather, refer to that information and instead focus on issues of coordination and integration.  For example, if partnering between units at distant sites, how will communication between the parts be coordinated and maintained so as to produce integrated curricula and training activities?  Will there be a continuing liaison with the University leadership?  Are there any practical challenges within the University structure that must be overcome in order to initiate a Framework program, such as credit for junior faculty who participate in the program outside their Departments, faculty release time to work on curricula, coordination of academic structure (e.g. quarters versus semester systems) between participating units, course approval for cross-listed courses, administrative challenges, and others?  How will these be tackled?

In addition, applicants should describe the relationship of the proposed Framework program to funded Global Health projects at the institution. How will the proposed program leverage and include those projects? 

Plans for evaluation of the design of the Framework Program overall and of individual courses, workshops, and activities should be an important component of the structure of each Program and should be discussed in the application, although a formal evaluation plan is not required.  It may be useful to establish an internal and/or external board of advisors to provide advice during the development of the program and to provide counseling and monitoring as it is implemented.  If this is a component of the program, describe how this advisory board would be established after the award is made, but do not name individuals to avoid conflict of interest issues during the NIH review. 

Finally, applicants should state a clear definition of Global Health in the context of their institutions and describe the long-term vision of the institution in the area of Global Health.  How will the proposed curricula and other activities help attain that vision?  How will the institution sustain and build upon activities initiated under this award at the conclusion of the award period?

Interests of Collaborating NIH Institutes and Centers

Fogarty International Center (FIC) is interested broadly in promoting Global Health training and research in the U.S. and abroad.  Any institution or institutional partnerships fulfilling the requirements of this FOA may be funded by FIC.  FIC, the international component of the NIH, addresses Global Health challenges through innovative and collaborative research and training programs, and supports and advances the NIH mission through international partnerships. 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the U.S. Federal Government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, is interested in supporting Global Health through curriculum development and training efforts that focus on preventing and controlling the global burden of tobacco use.  The World Health Organization reports that, already, tobacco use is responsible for about five million deaths each year worldwide (one in ten adult deaths), a figure that is expected to increase to about ten million deaths annually by 2020.  Increasingly, tobacco use and tobacco-caused diseases are shifting from developed countries to low- and middle-income nations, which can ill afford the enormous death, disease and financial burden that increased tobacco use will bring.  In addition to educational and programmatic interventions, it is widely recognized that tobacco control policies, such as tobacco tax increases, smoke-free workplaces and public places, and bans/restrictions on the advertising and promotion of tobacco products can play a major role in preventing and controlling tobacco use.  Multidisciplinary training programs that consider the behavioral, socio-cultural, economic, and policy factors that help determine tobacco use are needed to equip scientists and practitioners with the appropriate knowledge and skills to effectively combat the tobacco epidemic.

Neurological disorders affect up to one billion people worldwide. The recent World Health Organization report identified neurological disorders as one of the greatest threats to public health, which requires immediate action before it becomes an unmanageable problem on a global scale. Reduction of the burden of neurological disorders will require international contributions of expertise and resources. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is interested in supporting international collaborative multi-disciplinary curriculum development and training efforts focused on research, prevention, and treatment of neurological disorders. The supported research training under this FOA is expected to have high relevance to the mission of the NINDS, particularly as it relates to brain and nervous system disorders in low- and middle-income countries. The NINDS is also interested in supporting collaborations between eligible U.S. minority institutions and partners in institutions in low- and middle-income countries. The NINDS encourages research training on the study of the normal and diseased nervous system, on clinical trials of interventions of therapeutic modalities, and on epidemiological research to identify risk factors and to establish prevalence and incidence estimates of pathologic conditions. Specific disease areas of interest include, but are not limited to, research training on genetic or non-genetic diseases in the brain, brain injury, epilepsy, neurological consequences of AIDS, stroke, muscular dystrophy, autism, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is committed to improving health care in our nation and the world through the development and successful application of emerging biomedical technologies. NIBIB’s mission includes the development of new biomedical imaging and bioengineering techniques and devices to better understand disease and to fundamentally improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.  In addition, the NIBIB is interested in the enhancement of existing imaging and bioengineering technologies, for example, by supporting advances that reduce cost or improve function, by exploring new uses of existing technologies, or by combining technologies for new purposes. There is an increased emphasis on biomedical science in engineering and physical science departments. The fields of bioengineering and imaging will be further enhanced by multidisciplinary input from chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineers, as well as chemists and physicists. NIBIB’s goals include targeted research programs that take advantage of novel technological advances and scientific discoveries, accelerate translation of promising technologies to improve human health, and reduce health disparities through new and affordable medical technologies. The NIBIB is particularly interested in interdisciplinary curricula and training activities that prepare students for careers that bridge the life and physical sciences.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is emphasizing Global Environmental Health as a cornerstone of its strategic plan for 2006-2011 (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/plan2006/home.htm).  It is well established that environmental factors including exposure to metals, pesticides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and many other compounds are major contributors to the evolution of diseases and result in significant worldwide morbidity and mortality.  Unfortunately, the burden of these exposures and the resulting diseases is disproportionately high in middle- to low-income countries.  Therefore, the NIEHS is interested in establishing interdisciplinary curricula to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of environmental influences on human disease, to increase awareness of global environmental health issues and to investigate strategies for intervention from both clinical and public health perspectives on a global scale.

See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information

1. Mechanism of Support

This FOA will use the NIH Research Education Grant (R25) award mechanism. As an applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.  

This FOA uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the non-modular budget format.  Applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Budget Component found in the application package for this FOA. 

Research education grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal (formerly “competing continuation”) applications will not be accepted.  Up to two resubmissions (formerly “revisions/amendments”) of a previously reviewed research education grant application may be submitted.  Those applicants that submitted an unsuccessful application to the previous Framework PARs (PAR-05-050, PAR-06-067) should treat the application to this FOA as a resubmission and should include an introductory section to respond to previous critiques.  If the same institution is applying with a new PI/PD and the educational plan has changed substantially from the previous submission, report that in the Introduction and on the Checklist.  See NOT-OD-03-041, May 7, 2003. 

2. Funds Available

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research education program will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the FIC and collaborating Institutes (NCI, NIEHS, NINDS, and NIBIB) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed three years. Although the size of award may vary with the scope of the research education program proposed, budgets may not exceed $125,000 direct costs annually.  Applications that exceed these limits will not be reviewed. 

The applicant organization’s administration must provide the necessary management for the transfer of funds and material to the collaborator(s) and any subcontracts (consortia).  Subcontracts (consortia) may only charge eight percent F & A costs of applicable direct costs.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA. 

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants, if applicable, are not included in the direct cost limitation.  See NOT-OD-05-004.  

All awards are subject to the availability of funds. The estimated amount of funds available for support of projects awarded as a result of this announcement is $1.5 million for fiscal year 2008. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

1.A. Eligible Institutions

You may submit an application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics: 

All non-U.S. entities applying as an applicant institution must be in a country defined by the World Bank, according to Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, as “low-income,” “lower-middle-income,” or “upper-middle-income” (see http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/CLASS.XLS).  

In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed research education program will complement other ongoing research training occurring at the applicant institution and that a substantial number of program faculty will have active research projects in which participants may gain relevant experiences consistent with their research interests and goals. Institutions with existing Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (e.g., T32), Fogarty D43 awards, or other federally funded training programs may apply for a research education grant provided that the proposed educational experiences are distinct from those training programs receiving NIH support.  Moreover, the R25 mechanism is not intended to support long-term training by NRSA-eligible individuals and may not be used to circumvent or supplement Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA research training mechanisms. 

As the purpose of this FOA is to act as a unifying mechanism for Global Health research-related activities across a campus, only one application will be accepted from any single institution.  Similarly, institutions may only be partners in one application.  However, separate campuses within one university system (for example, the University of California) will be considered separate institutions for the purposes of this FOA.  Separate institutions may be defined as those having separate grants administration capabilities.  Separate campuses in close geographical proximity that belong to one university system, however, are strongly encouraged to submit a joint application, particularly where faculty have joint appointments at both institutions.  Current awardees, or institutions listed as partners on current awards, may not submit a new application either as an applicant institution or as a partner institution (with “partners” as defined below). 

The eligibility criteria for domestic and foreign institutions differ.  If there is any uncertainty about eligibility, applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their potential interest and the eligibility of their institutions with the FIC Program Officer. 

All Institutions:  Failure to meet the following criteria at the time of application will disqualify the application from consideration:

1.      Applicant institution is in an eligible country and has the pre-requisite number and type of currently funded Global Health awards;

2.      At least three Schools representing distinct disciplines are included as participants;

3.      Appropriate letters of support from University leadership are provided (see Section III.1.B.3., below);

4.      The budget is within the cost cap; and

5.      The development of new curricula is proposed.  

For the purpose of this FOA, “Global Health awards” are defined as those that address serious health concerns in low- and middle-income countries.  For U.S. domestic institutions, these must involve international partnerships and activities in those countries, as evidenced in the cited grant application of key personnel and performance sites from those countries.

An eligible award should have the following characteristics:

  1. It must be active at the time of application submission.
  2. The direct costs must be greater than or equal to $100,000 per year.
  3. Eligible grants are those that use the NIH R, U, P, D43, or T37 award mechanisms, or comparable mechanisms from other funding agencies, and do not include contracts.  D43 awards are training grants to build Global Health research capacity in low- and middle-income countries through collaborations between U.S. and low- and middle-income country institutions.

Include a table in the body of your application (in the Research Plan) listing each qualifying grant with the following information: 

U.S. Institutions:  Applicant institutions must have a minimum combination of five research grants, training grants, or cooperative agreements in Global Health areas, awarded to one or more of the participating Schools within the institution.  Four of these awards must be from NIH, while the fifth award may be from NIH or be an equivalent Global Health award from another funding agency.  Four of the awards must be made directly to the applicant institution (i.e., the PI must be on the faculty of the applicant institution).  In recognition of the important role of collaboration between institutions in Global Health training and research, the fifth award may involve the applicant institution as a subcontract or involve a faculty member from the applicant institution as co-PI and key personnel on an award to a different institution. 

Foreign Institutions:  Foreign institutions must have a minimum of three research grants, training grants, or cooperative agreements in Global Health areas important to public health concerns in their countries.  Two of these awards must be from NIH, while the third award may be from NIH or from an equivalent funding source external to the institution, including the research funding agencies of other countries, private foundations, and other sources.  Foreign institutions may be the direct recipients of the award or may be a foreign component/subcontract on a grant awarded to another institution.  However, personnel from the foreign institution must be listed as “key personnel” on the grants cited.  Eligible foreign countries are defined as low- and middle-income countries according to the World Bank list of economies found at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/CLASS.XLS

Partners vs. Collaborators:  Multiple institutions may participate in a single Framework Program and may be named on a single application.  Many institutions work with collaborators from other countries on Global Health research.  These collaborators may play roles in the Framework program without becoming “partners” on the application and may choose to submit their own Framework applications.  In such cases, the collaborating institutions may plan to interact for some activities but do not plan to develop parallel framework curricula at their institutions.

Alternatively, institutions that have a history of working together and/or have common goals in the Global Health area may choose to submit an application together for the purposes of developing joint curricula, activities or degree programs.  These institutions will be named as “partners” in the application, with key personnel from each institution listed in the application, partner institutions listed as “performance sites” for the award, and appropriate budget provided to fulfill the roles of each partner.  Partner institutions applying together may not also submit separate Framework applications.

Every institution to be included as a partner must be named (that is, open networks are not allowed) and each institution must submit a letter indicating their commitment to participating in a joint award.  Include information for  each partner institution in the Facilities and Other Resources attachment, #9 under Research and Related, Other Project Information; include the letter under #13, Letters of Support.  A key individual should be named as the coordinator at each partner institution.  This individual may be named as a PI under the Multiple PD/PI policy (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi%5Fpi/).  The maximum direct costs allowable will remain the same regardless of the number of institutions participating in the application.  While the applicant institution (the institution of the PD/PI) must be from the U.S. or an eligible foreign country, partners in the application may be from these or other countries.  The applicant institution must be able to fulfill the grant eligibility requirements above (i.e., the requirements cannot be fulfilled as the sum of awards at all partnering institutions), while additional partners need not fulfill these requirements on their own.  Finally, as described under “Core Activities,” personnel from three or more Schools representing distinct disciplines must be active participants in the design of curricula and other activities.  These three Schools may be distributed among the separate partner institutions. 

Explain in the Research Plan (#5) why the particular partnerships were chosen, how they add value to the proposed program, and why these partners have the potential to successfully develop a program together.  This may be based on a prior history of working together, in which case evidence of established joint activities, with shared grants, publications, faculty or other interactions should be documented in the application.  On the other hand, developing new multidisciplinary programs and programs involving multiple educational levels may bring new groups together who share a common vision but have not previously worked together.  Formalizing such linkages by forming a joint program may create expanded research and training opportunities for all partners.  Such a program may involve shared curricula, faculty and student exchanges, sharing of research resources, and even joint degrees.  In addition, research institutions may need to partner with teaching institutions in order to provide both research and training components for a Framework Program. 

1.B. Eligible Individuals

Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research education program as the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Women and individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.  The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program, submitting annual reports as required. (See Section VI.3., “Reporting.”)

The PD/PI should be associated with one of the qualifying NIH grants (for example, as a listed key personnel), or be designated by their institutions to provide leadership in a trans-institutional Global Health program.  They should have demonstrated experience in international training and research programs.  Multiple PIs/PDs will be allowed for this FOA.  However, as this award is intended to unify a campus around the issues of global health, coordinate activities across multiple entities on campus, and break down the barriers that have traditionally separated global health activities in different disciplines, only one PI/PD will be allowed at any single institution.  Where two or more institutions are partners for the purposes of this award, and if desirable, each institution may choose to designate a PI/PD to provide leadership on their campus, using the multiple PI/PD option (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-017.html).

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement.

3. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria

Sponsoring Institution: The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed research education project. Appropriate institutional commitment to the project includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned research education project. As the purpose of this FOA is to shape a Framework for Global Health that will catalyze the expansion and coordination of Global Health activities across institutions, it is important that the institutions are fully committed to implementing the products of this grant and sustaining them into the future.  Consequently, institutions must provide some evidence of that commitment.  This may take the form of in-kind contributions, matching funds, or other means, at the discretion of the applicant.  In addition, applications must include a letter of commitment from the respective University President or comparable Institution Director, in support of the activities proposed, including a commitment to implement the curricula developed under this award, pending approval through established University processes.  Where there is more than one institution participating, letters of commitment should be included from each partner institution.  Include letters under Research Plan, #13.

Participants: Describe who the intended participants are, and what eligibility and/or specific educational background characteristics are essential for participation in the proposed program.  

Applicants are required to include a plan for Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (see Section IV.6).

See also, below, under Section IV.2. “Research Education Program.”

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.

A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:

PD/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the eRA Commons.

Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:

1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started

2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons

3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.

Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.

Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.

1. Request Application Information

Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.

For further assistance, contact GrantsInfo: Telephone 301-435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-0088.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the “Credential” log-in field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” component must contain the PD’s/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see “Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission” on the front page of “Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”

The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:

Required Components:
SF424 (R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
Research & Related Other Project Information
Research & Related Senior/Key Person
Research & Related Budget
PHS398 Cover Page Supplement
PHS398 Research Plan
PHS398 Checklist

Optional Components:
PHS398 Cover Letter File
Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form

Foreign Organizations (Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity)

NIH policies concerning grants to foreign (non-U.S.) organizations can be found in the NIH Grants Policy Statement at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part12.htm#_Toc54600260.

Several special provisions apply to applications submitted by foreign organizations. Applications from foreign organizations must:

Research Education Program

While the proposed research education program may complement other, ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support.

Although research education grants are not typical research instruments, they do involve experiments in education and/or dissemination of research knowledge that require an evaluation plan in order to determine the degree of success or failure. A plan must be provided for program evaluation. Benchmarks should be specified, and specific plans and procedures must be described to capture, analyze and report outcome measures that would determine the success of the research education program in achieving its objectives.  

Allowable Costs 

Allowable costs must be consistent with NIH policy and be reasonable, allocable, well documented and fully justified for the research education program proposed in the application. Grant funds may not be used to supplant funds otherwise available at the applicant institution.

Personnel: Individuals participating in the design and implementation of the research education program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program.  These expenses must be itemized in Sections A and B, as appropriate, of the Research & Related Budget.  Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities with students/participants are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then mentoring and other interactions with students/participants are non-reimbursable from grant funds). Limited administrative and clerical salary costs associated distinctly with the program that are not normally provided by the applicant organization may be direct charges to the grant only when specifically identified and justified.  Salary support for an administrator to oversee and manage the entire Framework Program is allowable up to 50 percent salary and fringe benefits.  The Program Director may receive salary and fringe benefits compensation for up to 25 percent professional effort devoted to the Framework Program. 

Other Program-Related Expenses: Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed research education program and must not duplicate items generally available for educational programs at the applicant institution. These expenses must be itemized, as appropriate, in Sections C. (Equipment), D. (Travel), and F. (Other Direct Costs) of the Research & Related Budget. FIC will hold a network meeting for Principal Investigators from all Framework Programs each year on the NIH campus.  Funds to travel to this meeting should be included in the budget.

Participant Costs: Participants are those individuals who benefit from the proposed research education program.  Participant costs must be justified as specifically required for the proposed research education program.  Participant costs must be itemized in Section E. (Participant/Trainee Support Costs) of the Research & Related Budget.  Note that tuition and salary support for research fellows to work for an extended period on Global Health research-related projects, while recognized as an important component of any institutional program, would not be consistent with the aims of this program, nor would the award size allow for this cost.  On the other hand, support for students, residents, and fellows during short research or externship experiences, or to allow faculty to explore new research collaborations, is allowable, including subsistence, travel, and limited research expenses.

Funds will not be provided for fringe benefits or health insurance for participants in any research education program. Individuals supported by NIH training and career development mechanisms (K, T, or F awards) may receive, and indeed are encouraged to receive, educational experiences supported by the R25 mechanism, as participants, but may not receive salary or stipend supplementation from a research education program.

Because the R25 mechanism is not intended as a substitute for an NRSA institutional training program (T32), costs to support full-time participants are not allowable. A full-time participant is defined for the research education program as an individual supported for 40 hours per week for a continuous, 12-month period.

Institutional Commitment: Evidence of institutional commitment to the research educational program is strongly encouraged. 

See Section III.1.B.3.

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs: F&A costs for the applicant organization and consortium participants will be reimbursed at eight percent of modified total direct costs.  

3. Submission Dates and Times

See Section IV.3.A for details.

3.A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: July 20, 2007 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: August 20, 2007
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): September 20, 2007
Peer Review Date(s): January/February 2008
Council Review Date(s): May 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2008

3.A.1. Letter of Intent

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent by the date listed in Section IV.3.A.

The letter of intent should be sent by mail or email to:

Flora Katz, Ph.D.
Division of International Training and Research
Fogarty International Center
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Building 31, Room B2C39
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: (301) 402-9591
Fax: (301) 402-0779
Email: katzf@mail.nih.gov

3.B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH

To submit an application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow steps 1-4. Note:  Applications must only be submitted electronically.  PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

In order to expedite the review, applicants are requested to notify the Fogarty International Center Referral Office by email (katzf@mail.nih.gov) when the application has been submitted.  Please include the FOA number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application.

3.C. Application Processing

Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the NIH Electronic Research Administration process for validation. 

Once an application package has been successfully submitted through Grants.gov, all errors have been addressed, and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two business days to view the application image.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons. 

The NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless the applicant withdraws the pending application.

4. Intergovernmental Review

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

5. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
 
Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such costs are necessary to conduct the project, and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award.

The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

6. Other Submission Requirements

The NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the “PROFILE – Project Director/Principal Investigator” section, “Credential” log-in field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” component. The applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see “Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission” on the front page of “Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”

Renewal (formerly “competing continuation” or “Type 2”) applications are not permitted.

All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide are to be followed, with the following requirements for R25 applications:

Appendix Materials

NIH has published new limitations on grant application appendix materials to encourage applications to be as concise as possible while containing the information needed for expert scientific review. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-018.html.

Applicants must follow the specific instructions on Appendix materials as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm).

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan. An application that does not observe these limitations may be delayed in the review process.   

Warning: Please be sure that you observe the direct cost, project period, and page number limitations specified above for this FOA. Application processing may be delayed or the application may be rejected if it does not comply with these requirements.

Note: While each section of the Research Plan needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.   

Supplementary Research Education Program Application Instructions

Applicants should use the following guidance, in addition to the instructions accompanying the SF 424 (R&R) form.  Applications that do not conform to the specific instructions detailed below will be returned. 

1. SF 424 Research & Related Project/Performance Site Location(s): Include collaborating sites, if appropriate.

2.  SF 424 Research & Related Other Project Information, Item 9 (Facilities & Other Resources):  Describe the educational environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and implementation of the proposed program.  List all thematically related sources of support for research training and education following the format for Current and Pending Support. 

3.  SF 424 Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile: Key Personnel must include the PD/PI as well as any other key persons (such as those involved in the development, implementing, directing, monitoring, evaluating, etc., who are integral to the proposed research education program) participating in the research education program. 

4.  Research & Related Budget:  Complete for each budget period requested.

A.  Senior/Key Person: complete for all senior/key persons associated with the research education program.  The PD/PI must be included here.

B.  Other Personnel: complete for all other personnel (including clerical and administrative staff) associated with the research education program.

C.  Equipment: self-explanatory.

D.  Travel: include here any travel funds requested for senior/key persons and other personnel (i.e. those persons identified in Sections A. and B.) associated with the research education program. 

E.  Participant/Trainee Support Costs: include here all allowable categories of funds requested to support participants in the research education program.  If categories in addition to those listed in this section of the 424R&R form are needed, describe in Other. State the number of Participants/Trainees to be supported by the proposed research education program.  As described in Section IV.2, tuition and salary support for research fellows to work for an extended period on Global Health research-related projects is not allowed.  On the other hand, support of students, residents, and fellows during short research or externship experiences, or to allow faculty to explore new research collaborations, is allowable, including subsistence, travel and limited research expenses.

F.  Other Direct Costs: itemize as appropriate and allowed for the research education program.

K.  Budget Justification: provide a detailed justification for each category for which funds are requested.  For Section E, itemize each category of support costs per participant and justify, where known and appropriate.

5.  PHS 398 Research Plan Attachments:

Part 4 of this section (Preliminary Studies/Progress Report) should contain information on steps that have led to the proposed research education program. For those applicants who received prior Framework planning grants, summarize the progress during that period and how the program has evolved to the form proposed in the present proposal.

Part 5 of this section (Research Design and Methods) should be retitled "Research Education Program Plan" and should contain material organized under the following subheadings in a single attachment and as appropriate to the specific program:

Program Director(s): Describe arrangements for administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the mission of the FIC and/or co-sponsoring NIH ICs, and can organize, administer, monitor, and evaluate the research education program, as well as evidence of institutional and community commitment and support for the proposed program.

Program Faculty/Staff: Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating faculty; provide evidence that the participating faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of the FIC and/or the co-sponsoring NIH ICs.

Proposed Research Education Program: Provide programmatic detail on the special activities proposed (e.g., courses, curricula, seminars, workshops). Distinguish classes open to everyone from specific competitive opportunities such as summer student research internships and faculty networking awards.

Responsible Conduct of Research: Describe plans to provide formal and informal instruction to participants on scientific integrity and ethical principles in research. The plan should be appropriate for the duration and content of the proposed research education program.  Although the NIH does not establish specific curricula or formal requirements, all programs are encouraged to consider instruction in the following areas: conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, data management, data sharing, and policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects. Plans must address: 1) the subject matter of the instruction, the format of the instruction, the degree of program faculty participation, participant attendance, and the frequency of instruction; and 2) the rationale for the proposed plan of instruction.

If such training is not appropriate for the proposed research education program, then the PD/PI must provide a strong justification for its exclusion.

Program Participants: Provide details about the pool of proposed participants, their qualifications, recruitment strategies and sources of applicant pool, etc. 

Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan:  Provide a detailed diversity recruitment and retention plan for the research education program. 

The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences research workforce. The NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the educational and training environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in setting research priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and to improve the Nation's capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.

Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity on a national or institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of participants:

A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/women/start.htm). In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.

B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:

1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size; published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such participants have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.

2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.  Recruitment and retention plans related to a disadvantaged background are most applicable to high school and perhaps to undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of academic achievement.

Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the diversity recruitment and retention plan after the overall score has been determined.  Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.  The review panel’s evaluation will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement.  If the diversity recruitment and retention plan is judged to be unacceptable, funding will be withheld until a revised plan (and report) that addresses the deficiencies is received.  Staff within the Fogarty International Center, with guidance from the appropriate national advisory committee or council, will determine whether amended plans and reports submitted after the initial review are acceptable.

Plan for Sharing Research Data

All applicants must include a plan for sharing research data in their application.  The data-sharing policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing.  All investigators responding to this FOA should include a description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data sharing is not possible. 

The reasonableness of the data-sharing plan or the rationale for not sharing research data will be assessed by the reviewers.  However, reviewers will not factor the proposed data-sharing plan into the determination of scientific merit or the priority score. 

Data sharing may include publications that discuss lessons learned in setting up a Global Health Program in a particular country or context, as institutions throughout the world increasingly consider this option.  Investigators on Framework awards will meet once a year to share progress and experiences with each other.  After the establishment of the network, investigators may also choose to make some or all of their curricula available to each other or to the general academic community, as consistent with their institutional intellectual policy guidelines.  In some cases, it will be desirable to make selected portions of these curricula available over the World Wide Web so that institutions in low- and middle-income countries that do not have these awards might make use of the products of the Framework network in building their own curricula and Global Health Programs. 

Sharing Research Resources

Not applicable.

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria 

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate review group convened by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) in accordance with the review criteria stated below.

As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:

Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

The goals of NIH-supported research training, education, and career development programs are to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in adequate numbers and in appropriate scientific areas to address their Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.  The goals of NIH-supported science education projects at science centers and museums are to provide public education and outreach on NIH-supported research at these institutions. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research education program will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.

Note that an application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. These criteria are not listed in any order of priority.

Significance: Does the proposed research education program address an important problem? How will implementation of the proposed program advance the objectives of this funding opportunity announcement? Will these activities have a significant impact on the academic structure and opportunities at the applicant and other participating institutions?

Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?  Is there evidence that the program is based on sound research concepts and educational principles?  Is the approach feasible and appropriate to achieve the stated research education goals?  If the proposed program will recruit participants, are the recruitment, retention, and follow-up activities adequate to ensure a highly qualified and diverse participant pool? Are there adequate plans for the coordination and integration of the ongoing Global Health projects, multiple Schools and Departments, and institutional partners that will participate in the Framework Program?  Are the curricula to be developed likely to achieve the institution’s vision for Global Health?  In the curriculum plan, is there an adequate balance between didactic and experiential learning opportunities?  Are the proposed curricula and supporting activities truly multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary, so that the disciplines synergize and challenge each other rather than run along parallel tracts?  Finally, do the applicants discuss plans to implement the curricula once they are developed and to sustain the activities initiated under this award at the conclusion of the award period?

Innovation: Is the research education program original and innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area?   Adaptations of existing research education programs may be considered innovative under special circumstances, e.g., the addition of unique components and/or a proposal to determine portability of an existing program. Are multiple scientific disciplines engaged and integrated in a thoughtful and creative manner?

Investigators: Do the Principal Investigator and the faculty identified as “key personnel” have the necessary experience in Global Health-related research and training to lead an effort in this area?  Has the Framework Program taken advantage of the personnel involved in the qualifying and supporting Global Health grants listed in the application to lead and participate in the Framework Program?  Does the Global Health Framework team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project?  For U.S. institutions, do the Principal Investigator and other key personnel have international experience relevant to the teaching goals?  Have the key personnel committed adequate time to carry out the goals of this program?  For applications involving multiple institutions, do the partnering institutions and personnel have a previous history of successfully working together and/or a strong justification for submitting a joint proposal?

Environment: Does the scientific/educational environment in which the program will be conducted contribute to the probability of success? Does the proposed research education program benefit from unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of appropriate collaboration among participating programs, departments, and institutions? Are adequate plans provided for coordination and communication between multiple sites? Are the facilities available adequate to carry out the proposed curricula, including any requirement for information technology infrastructure?  Finally, is there evidence of strong institutional commitment at the highest levels to supporting and sustaining a Framework Program on campus? 

Is the evaluation plan and timeline adequate for assessing the effectiveness (process and outcome) of the program in achieving its goals and objectives?

2.A. Additional Review Criteria:

In addition to the above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority score:

Resubmission/Applications (formerly “revised/amended” applications):  Are the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group adequate?  Are the improvements in the resubmission application appropriate?

2.B. Additional Review Considerations

Budget and Period of Support: The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research education program will be assessed by the reviewers. The priority score should not be affected by the evaluation of the budget.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research: Peer reviewers will assess the applicant's plans for training in the responsible conduct of research on the basis of the appropriateness of topics, format, amount and nature of faculty participation, and the frequency and duration of instruction.

The plan will be discussed after the overall determination of merit, and the review panel's evaluation of the plan will not be a factor in the determination of the priority score. Plans will be judged as acceptable or unacceptable. The acceptability of the plan will be described in an administrative note on the summary statement. Regardless of the priority score, applications with unacceptable plans will not be funded until the applicant provides a revised, acceptable plan. Program staff will judge the acceptability of the revised plan.

Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan: The NIH recognizes a unique and