kristoff@GENBANK.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson) (09/27/90)
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990
NOTICES
ADAMHA/NIH POLICY CONCERNING INCLUSION OF MINORITIES IN STUDY POPULATIONS ... 1
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (84/168)
National Institutes of Health
Index: ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE, AND MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NOTICE OF MEETING - ANIMAL WELFARE EDUCATION ...........(171/205)............ 2
National Institutes of Health
Index: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs)
GENETIC MONITORING OF INBRED RODENTS (RFP) .............(211/254)............ 2
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Index: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
GRANTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES DISSERTATION RESEARCH, 1991 (RFA HS-90-02) ....... 3
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (257/366, 884/1239)
Index: HEALTH CARE POLICY, HEALTH CARE RESEARCH
ONGOING PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RESEARCH APPRENTICE PROGRAM (PA-90-35) ......... 4
National Center for Research Resources (372/544)
Index: RESEARCH RESOURCES
HITCHINGS-ELION FELLOWSHIPS FOR JUNIOR U.S. SCIENTISTS (PA-90-36) ........... 7
Fogarty International Center (561/660)
Index: FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER
LANGUAGE LEARNING IN DEAF CHILDREN (PA-90-37) .........(663/804)............. 8
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Index: DEAFNESS, COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
NOTICES
ADAMHA/NIH POLICY CONCERNING INCLUSION OF MINORITIES IN STUDY POPULATIONS
P.T. 34, FF; K.W. 1014002, 1014006
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration
National Institutes of Health
There are clear scientific and public health reasons for specifically
including members of minority groups in study populations. Accordingly, the
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) and the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) require that applications/proposals for
clinical research must give appropriate attention to inclusion of minorities
in study populations, unless compelling scientific or other justification for
not including minorities is provided. For the purpose of this policy,
minorities include U.S. racial/ethnic minority populations (specifically:
American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and
Hispanics), and clinical research includes human studies of etiology,
treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and epidemiology of diseases, disorders and
conditions, including but not limited to clinical trials and research on
health service and its impact on disease. Grants, cooperative agreements, and
contracts are covered by this policy.
This statement is published as a reiteration and further interpretation of the
existing ADAMHA/NIH policy concerning inclusion of minorities in study
populations. This policy was previously published in the NIH Guide for Grants
and Contracts on September 25, 1987, Vol. 16, No. 32; January 15, 1988, Vol.
17, No. 2; and June 16, 1989, Vol. 18, No. 21. While the focus of this policy
is on inclusion of minorities in general population studies, ADAMHA and NIH
also encourage attention to gaps in knowledge about specific U.S.
racial/ethnic minorities and health problems that significantly affect them.
Examples of these problems include but are not limited to: cancer, substance
abuse, heart disease and stroke, homicide and accidents, diabetes, infant
mortality, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Addressing these
gaps may be appropriate justification for focusing a particular study on a
single racial/ethnic group.
While this policy statement refers to inclusion of minorities, applicants are
strongly reminded that a similar policy exists regarding women (NIH Guide for
Grants and Contracts - October 24, 1986, Vol. 15, No. 22; January 23, 1987,
Vol. 16, No. 3; January 15, 1988, Vol. 17, No. 2; June 16, 1989, Vol. 18, No.
21; and August 24, 1990, Vol. 19, No. 31). Both policies must be considered
when preparing research applicants/proposals for submission to ADAMHA/NIH.
Applicants for grants/cooperative agreements and offerors for contracts should
be aware that in attempting to include minority groups in a particular study,
attention must be paid to research design and sample size issues. ADAMHA and
NIH recognize that it may not be feasible or appropriate in all research
projects to include representation of the full array of U.S. racial/ethnic
minority populations. However, applicants/offerors are urged to assess
carefully the feasibility of including the broadest possible representation of
minority groups.
In all applications or proposals for clinical research, applicants must
describe the anticipated race/ethnic composition of the study population. In
conducting peer review for scientific and technical merit, members of Initial
Review Groups (IRGs)/Technical Review Groups (TEGs) will be instructed to
evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed minority composition:
1) If there is insufficient attention to inclusion of minorities in a
study design AND this affects the potential to answer the
scientific question(s) addressed, that will be considered a
weakness or deficiency and must be reflected in the assigned score
given to the application/proposal, and in the summary statement of
the review.
2) However, if an applicant proposes that there is justification for
conducting a study where there will be limited minority
participation or inclusion of only one racial/ethnic group, a
strong scientific rationale or other well-supported justification
must be provided. The IRG/TEG will be instructed to evaluate the
merit of such justifications. Appropriate justification will not
adversely affect the assigned score. The ADAMHA/NIH will not
fund/award such applications unless the justification is
compelling.
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 1
3) For grant and cooperative agreement applications, if there is
inadequate information on the study population to allow evaluation
of the scientific question(s), the review will be deferred or the
application returned.
It is important to note that the ADAMHA/NIH funding components will not
fund/award grants, cooperative agreement, or contracts that do not comply with
this policy.
NOTICE OF MEETING - ANIMAL WELFARE EDUCATION
P.T. 42; K.W. 0201011, 1014003
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, Office for Protection from Research Risks,
is cosponsoring with the University of Rhode Island on December 3-4, at the
Newport Marriott in Newport, Rhode Island, an animal welfare education program
that will focus on problems that concern small vs. large institutions.
The workshop is open to institutional administrators, members of Institutional
Animal Care and Use Committees, laboratory animal veterinarians,
investigators, and other institutional staff who have responsibility for
high-quality management of sound institutional animal care and use programs.
CONTACT: The University of Rhode Island Conference Center - (401) 792-2170 or
Mr. Kevin McAndrews
Vice Provost for Research Office
70 Lower College Road
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881
Telephone: (401) 792-2833
For information regarding this workshop or future workshops please contact:
Mrs. Roberta Sonneborn
Executive Assistant for Animal Welfare Education
Office for Protection from Research Risks
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, Room 5B59
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-7163
NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs)
GENETIC MONITORING OF INBRED RODENTS
RFP AVAILABLE: NIH-ES-90-28
P.T. 34; K.W. 1002019, 1002002, 0780025, 0755010
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), is soliciting proposals from offerers having the
capability for the genetic monitoring of inbred rodents. The objective of
this project is to determine the genetic integrity of rodents used in the
National Toxicology Program (NTP) chemical exposure studies. The contractor
will be required to monitor up to 15 designated loci for each strain or hybrid
by electrophoresis of erythrocyte lysates, kidney, liver, pancreas, and lung
homogenates and serum proteins. Immunochemical methods may also be employed.
The contractor will receive up to 900 inbred rodents per year at a rate of 20
mice and 10 rats per week (40 to 60 mice and 20 to 30 rats per month) for
genetic monitoring by biochemical procedures. In addition, frozen tissues
(usually kidneys) from approximately 300 mice/year (kidneys from 20 to 30
mice/month) will be shipped to the contractor by the NIEHS/NTP toxicology
testing laboratories for genetic marker isozyme analyses. The contractor will
be required to evaluate up to 200 inbred rodents/year by skin graft procedure.
Based on the availability of methods, other inbred rodents such as hamsters
may be included for genetic monitoring. The Government estimates that .55
professional person years and .95 technical person years will be required per
year. This project will cover a five-year period. The estimated issue date
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 2
of RFP NIH-ES-90-28 is October 1, 1990, and responses will be due 45 days
thereafter.
The Institute expects to make one award from this solicitation.
Requests for this solicitation should reference RFP NIH-ES-90-28 and should be
forwarded to:
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contracts and Procurement Management Branch, OM
ATTN: Jo Ann Lewis
79 T.W. Alexander Drive, 4401 Building
P.O. Box 12874
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
GRANTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES DISSERTATION RESEARCH, 1991
RFA AVAILABLE: HS-90-02
P.T. 34; K.W. 0730000, 1014006
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
Application Receipt Date: January 24, 1991
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was established in
December 1989 by P.L. 101-239 as the successor to the National Center for
Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment (NCHSR). The
Agency is charged with conducting research that will enhance the quality,
appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services. AHCPR announces a
request for applications for doctoral dissertation research on topics related
to the organization, delivery, financing, or quality of health care services.
RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE
The AHCPR Dissertation Grant Program provides funds to support doctoral
dissertation research projects for doctoral students who have completed all
university requirements for a doctoral degree except their dissertation.
Grant support is designed to aid the career development of new health services
researchers and to encourage individuals from a variety of academic
disciplines and programs to study complex health services delivery problems.
Research must be in the areas identified in section 902 of the Public Health
Service Act. These include: the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of
health care services; outcomes of health care services and procedures,
clinical practice, including primary care and practice-oriented research;
health care technologies, facilities, and equipment; health care costs,
productivity, and market forces; health promotion and disease prevention;
health statistics and epidemiology; and medical liability.
SCOPE OF AWARDS
The budget of an application must not exceed $20,000 in total direct costs for
the entire project period. Expenses usually allowed under PHS research grants
will be covered by AHCPR dissertation research grants. Dissertation grants
are usually awarded for a period of 12 months or less but may be awarded for
up to 17 months. Investigators who need 18 months or more to complete the
research project will be required to submit a continuation application for
support beyond the first 12 months. An investigator who receives support for
dissertation research under a grant from AHCPR may not at the same time
receive support under a predoctoral or fellowship grant awarded by any other
agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
The mechanism of support will be the small grant (RO3). Grants to support
dissertation research will provide no more than $20,000 in total direct costs.
Dissertation research grants will be administered in accordance with 42 CFR,
Part 67, Subject A. Awards will depend on the availability of funds. AHCPR
expects to fund about 10 to 20 dissertation research projects in 1991.
METHOD OF APPLYING
All applications for dissertation grants must be submitted on Form PHS-398
(rev. 10/88) in accordance with special instructions provided in the
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 3
September 1990 publication "Grants for Health Services Dissertation Research,
1991" and in the dissertation grant application kit.
Materials and application kits may be obtained from:
Office of Scientific Review
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-A-20
Rockville, Md 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-3091
Applicants are encouraged to discuss the suitability of their research project
by letter or by phone with AHCPR staff members or contact Mr. John Gallicchio,
Director of the Office of Scientific Review at the above address and phone
number.
The original and six copies of the application must be sent or delivered to:
Application Receipt Office
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD 20892**
An application sent to any other address is likely to encounter a delay that
may preclude its review.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DRG ON OR BEFORE THURSDAY, JANUARY 24,
1991. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THAT DATE WILL BE RETURNED.
APPLICATION REVIEW
Awards are made on a competitive basis, and only those applications judged to
be of highest merit will be awarded. Applications are reviewed by non-Federal
experts, senior AHCPR staff members and other experts in the Federal
Government. Because reviews are rigorous, considerable methodological detail
is important in the narrative of the application. All elements of the
application will be considered in the review process. Primary emphasis will
be given to the scientific merit, feasibility, and relevance to AHCPR research
areas as described in Section 902 of the Public Health Services Act and
mentioned in the "Research Goals and Scope" above. Applications are reviewed
to determine their suitability to review criteria in four major areas:
problem significance, research design, personal qualifications and support
structure, and budgetary appropriateness. Funding decisions will be announced
about 5 months after submission. In FY 91, AHCPR plans to award between 10
and 20 dissertation research grants.
ONGOING PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RESEARCH APPRENTICE PROGRAM
PA: PA-90-35
P.T. 44, FF; K.W. 0710030
National Center for Research Resources
Application Receipt Date: November 30, 1990
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institutes of
Health (NIH), currently plans to continue and expand the Minority High School
Student Research Apprentice Program in 1991. The purpose of the program is to
provide minority high school students with a meaningful experience in various
aspects of health-related research in order to stimulate their interest in
careers in science.
In FY 1991, in addition to encouraging institutions to apply for an increased
number of apprentices, the program is including a high school science teacher
initiative. This new program extension will allow teachers who are members of
a minority group, or who teach a significant number of minority students, to
participate in a summer research project in order to update their knowledge
and skills in modern research tools and techniques. Such a hands-on research
experience should strengthen teaching skills and provide teachers the
opportunity to bring back to the classroom a sense of the excitement of
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 4
research, which should stimulate students to pursue scientific careers. A
longer range goal is to establish year round links between science teachers,
secondary school students, and biomedical researchers.
Please note, however, that expansion of the program in FY 1991 is contingent
on the availability of appropriated funds. Thus, allocations may be reduced
below the requested amount. Upon recommendation of the National Advisory
Research Resources Council, the Center will give preference in making awards
to those institutions that can support a summer program having a "critical
mass" of at least five or six students.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible institutions are those that were awarded grants during the latest
complete Federal fiscal year 1990 from either the Biomedical Research Support
Grant (BRSG) Program or the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)
Program. ALL ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THOSE NOT CURRENTLY FUNDED, ARE
STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Only one application for the Apprentice Program
may be submitted by a component of an institution that is the recipient of
both the BRSG and MBRS awards.
Students eligible for support under this program are those who (1) identify
themselves as minority (i.e., Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan
Native, Pacific Islander, or Asian); (2) are U.S. citizens or have a permanent
visa; and (3) are enrolled in high school during the 1990-91 academic year.
(Students who will graduate from high school in 1991 are eligible, as is a
student who participated in a previous year provided he/she is still enrolled
at the high school level.)
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
The mechanism of support for this program will be the NIH grant-in-aid (S03).
Awards will be for one year. Awards will be effective March 1, 1991,
contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Support will be provided
at a level of $2,000 for each student apprentice and $5,000 for each high
school science teacher. Funds for ONE high school science teacher may be
requested for EACH FIVE students requested and multiples thereof. No indirect
costs will be paid. Direct support must be as salary; stipends are not
allowed. Funds allocated may also be utilized for supplies, extending the
research experience, or if adequate funds exist, for the addition of a student
apprentice. However, funds from these grants may only be used for the costs
of the apprentice program. The Program Director is responsible for the
recruitment and selection of the apprentices, as well as the high school
science teachers, and assignment of each to an appropriate investigator.
Students:
Recruitment and selection of students should emphasize factors including the
students' motivation, ability, scholastic aptitude, and accomplishments. In
addition, consideration should be given to science teachers' recommendations
and, where possible, the degree of parental commitment. Assignments should be
made to investigators involved in health-related research who are committed to
increasing the high school student's understanding of research and the
technical skills needed.
Teachers:
Recruitment and selection criteria should include: experience and teaching
responsibilities, level of interest in participating in a research program,
expected impact on their teaching programs, ability to stimulate minority
students to pursue scientific careers, and future plans for continued
interaction with the research institution.
METHOD OF APPLYING
Eligible institutions should submit an application consisting of no more than
(a) a letter stating the justification for the number of student and teacher
positions requested (preference will be given to those institutions with a
demonstrated commitment and a documented history of encouraging students to
pursue scientific careers); together with (b) the original and one signed and
completed copy of the Grant Application Form, PHS 398 (Rev. 10/88) face page,
page 4 "Detailed Budget for First 12-Month Budget Period Direct Costs Only,"
and checklist page only. The required pages of the PHS 398 application form
should be completed according to instructions provided in the PHS 398 (Rev.
10/88) kit except for the following:
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 5
Face Page:
Item 1 - Leave blank.
Item 2 - Check the box marked "YES" and indicate the announcement title as
"Minority High School Student Research Apprentice Program, PA-90-35."
Items 4, 5, 7b, 8, and 10 - Not applicable; do not complete.
Item 6, Dates of entire proposed project period - Enter 91-03-31 through
92-02-29.
Item 7a - Insert the total dollar amount of the request, which is the sum,
from application page 4, of the number of student positions requested times
$2,000 per student and $5,000 per teacher.
Item 14, Organizational component to receive credit towards a Biomedical
Research Support Grant - Use this space to enter the code and the BRSG
component and/or MBRS grant numbers on which eligibility for this Minority
High School Student Research Apprentice Program application are based (no
credit will be given for the S03 application).
Page 4, "Detailed Budget for First 12-Month Budget Period Direct Costs Only" -
Using ONLY the Other Expenses category, enter on separate lines the number of
students requested at $2,000 per student and the number of high school science
teachers requested at $5,000 per teacher. Not more than one teacher position
may be requested for each five student positions requested. Enter the sum of
the amounts requested for each under the "TOTALS" column for the Other
Expenses category and under "Total Direct Costs for First 12-Month Budget
Period" at the bottom of the page.
The original and one copy of the signed Program Director's report and each
student and teacher report should be submitted with the renewal application by
November 30 in order that the data contained in these reports can be used by
NCRR to decide about policies and future funding for the Minority High School
Student Research Apprentice Program. These reports should also be submitted
at the same time even if renewal support is not requested.
In any event, all reports including the Financial Status Report must be
submitted to the NIH by the grantee institution no later than May 31, 1991
unless an extension of the budget period end date has been authorized in
writing.
Mail the completed application by the November 30, 1990 firm deadline for
receipt of applications to:
Office of Grants and Contracts Management
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 849
5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892**
Inquiries can be made of Dr. Marjorie A. Tingle at the above address or by
calling (301) 496-6743.
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, No.
13.337, Biomedical Research Support. Grants will be awarded under the
authority of the Public Health Service Act, Section 301 (a)(3); Public Law
78-410 (42 USC 241) as amended, and administered under PHS grant policies and
Federal Regulations 45 CFR 74 and the Guidelines for Minority High School
Student Research Apprentice Program. This program is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review.
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 6
HITCHINGS-ELION FELLOWSHIPS FOR JUNIOR U.S. SCIENTISTS
PA: PA-90-36
P.T. 22; K.W. 0720005, 0710030, 0404000
Fogarty International Center
Application Receipt Date: January 10 of each year
PURPOSE
The purpose of these fellowships is to promote scientific collaboration
between British and American scientists in all fields of biomedical and
behavioral research. The Hitchings-Elion Fellowships will support two years
of collaborative research by a junior U.S. scientist at a sponsor's laboratory
in the United Kingdom and a third year at a sponsor's laboratory in the United
States.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The Hitchings-Elion Fellowships, named after the 1988 Nobel Laureates in
Physiology and Medicine, provide support to junior U.S. scientists to conduct
collaborative research in the United Kingdom. The program, which is a
collaboration between The Wellcome Trust, The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the
Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, provides
fellowship support for three years: two years in the United Kingdom and a
third in a laboratory in the United States. The types of activity supported
by these programs include collaboration in basic or clinical research and
familiarization with or utilization of special techniques and equipment not
otherwise available to the applicant. The programs do not provide support for
activities that have as their principal purpose brief observational visits,
attendance at scientific meetings, or independent study.
ELIGIBILITY
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident, hold a
doctorate level degree in one of the clinical, behavioral, or biomedical
sciences, and be within ten (10) years of the last doctoral degree.
ELIGIBLE COSTS
The Wellcome Trust will provide an annual stipend allowance with a base rate
beginning at #12,792, which increases with years of experience to a maximum of
#19,613, an additional yearly allowance depending on location in the United
Kingdom, a special allowance for those working in London, research expenses
fare expenses for the fellow and up to three dependents, and a stipend for one
year upon return to the United States at a level comparable, but not
necessarily equivalent, to that received in the United Kingdom. The Burroughs
Wellcome Fund will provide $7,500 per annum for research expenses in the
United States. Third year support will not be available, through this
program, at U.S. Government laboratories. Indirect costs will not be provided
in either the United Kingdom or the United States.
REVIEW PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA
The administration of the program will be integrated into the administration
of other Fogarty International Center fellowship activities and the
application receipt and review processes of the Division of Research Grants,
NIH. Application kits and information may be obtained from the Fogarty
International Center at the address listed below. In addition to biographical
data, references, and letters of invitation from the U.K. and U.S. sponsors, a
description of the proposed activities in the U.K. and the U.S. and the
benefit expected of the experiences will be required. While it is the
applicant's responsibility to arrange for his or her research program with the
U.K. and U.S. sponsors, it may be done directly or through correspondence by a
senior U.S. scientist. In the United Kingdom, host institutions can include
universities or government laboratories.
AWARD CRITERIA
Funding decisions will be made on the basis of the quality of the application
as determined by peer review. Final decisions on awards will be made and
announced by The Wellcome Trust.
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 7
METHOD OF APPLYING
Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants, NIH, by
January 10 of each year. Special application forms must be used and are
available along with detailed instructions, from:
International Research and Awards Branch
Fogarty International Center
Building 31, Room B2C21
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-1653
Questions concerning the application review and award process may be referred
to:
Dr. David Wolff
Chief
International Research and Awards Branch
Telephone: (301) 496-1653
LANGUAGE LEARNING IN DEAF CHILDREN
PA: PA-90-37
P.T. 34; K.W. 0715050, 0410001, 0414005
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
I. BACKGROUND
Hearing loss has a profound impact on how a child develops, particularly in
the area of language. The term "deaf" is applied to children whose hearing
impairment is so severe that they are not able fully to acquire spoken
language without some assistive device, such as a hearing aid, cochlear
implant, or tactile device. A large proportion of these individuals use a
form of sign language as their primary mode of communication. A somewhat
smaller group uses spoken English exclusively. Many use both.
The patterns of language acquisition in such children are still poorly
understood. Research is needed to study the patterns of acquisition of
American Sign Language and its relation to cognitive and psychosocial
development among prelingually deaf children of deaf parents. In addition,
patterns of language acquisition in deaf children exposed primarily to signing
systems which model or support English also need to be documented.
Because deaf children of deaf parents constitute only a small proportion of
the total population (perhaps five percent of the total), it is imperative to
understand the patterns of language development in deaf children of hearing
parents. Studies of the identification and description of patterns of speech
and language acquisition in deaf children exposed primarily to oral language
are also needed. Factors associated with successful acquisition of oral
language need to be identified.
The purpose of the Program Announcement is to encourage research in language
development in two different groups of congenitally deaf children: those with
deaf parents and those with hearing parents. Such studies can directly or
indirectly address such important issues as critical periods of language
learning, characteristics of successful language users, and educational
management and performance.
The Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders (DCSD) of the National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) requests
submission of individual research project grants (R01 or R29) to investigate
language learning in congenitally deaf children. Studies of signed and/or
spoken language acquisition are encouraged.
II. RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE
The NIDCD encourages investigations into the language learning of congenitally
deaf children. Investigators are encouraged to develop single-investigator or
interdisciplinary studies in the following areas, which are not exclusive:
o The impact of parental language abilities on language acquisition.
o Variations in the acquisition of specific syntactic, semantic,
and/or pragmatic abilities, in signed vs. oral language.
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 8
o Acquisition of manual communication in deaf children of hearing
parents, including differences from deaf of deaf parents, as well
as approaches and techniques for training of hearing parents of
deaf children in the use of sign.
o Nonlinguistic cognitive outcomes of early language exposure or
deprivation, including aspects of cognition which may be
differentially affected by different early experiences.
o Variable associated with successful acquisition of manual or oral
language skills.
o Efficacy of early oral training protocols.
o Development of measures for assessing oral or manual language
acquisition in the preschool deaf child.
o Oral vs. signed acquisition of prosody.
o Comparision of acquisition of specific language abilities in
differing signed systems, for example, natural signed languages,
manually coded English (that is, forms of signed English), and
fingerspelling.
o Acquisition of speech, English, and reading skills by children
enrolled in total communication, manual and oral education
programs.
o Critical periods for acquisition, with studies focusing on the
effects of different ages of acquisition on speech and language
abilities.
Applicants are required to include, where feasible and appropriate, women as
well as men and minorities in the study of populations for all clinical
research efforts and to analyze, where appropriate, differences between these
populations. If women and minorities are not to be included, a clear
rationale for their exclusion should be provided.
III. MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT
The support mechanism for grants in this area will be the individual research
grant (R01) and the FIRST award (R29). Under these mechanisms, the principal
investigator and any participating investigators will plan, direct, and
perform the research.
IV. APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURES
Applications must be submitted on form PHS 398 (Rev. 10/88) using the
instructions included in the application kit. These kits are available from
the address cited below or from the Division of Research Grants, National
Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Receipt dates for new research project grant and FIRST award applications are
February 1, June 1, and October 1.
On page 1 of form PHS 398, check "yes" in item 2 and type: NIDCD
Announcement: "Language Learning in Deaf Children, PA-90-37". Use the
mailing label provided in the application kit and mail the signed original and
six exact copies to the Division of Research Grants (DRG).
Research project grant and FIRST award applications will be reviewed for
scientific and technical merit by an appropriate study section in the DRG.
Secondary review will be by an appropriate National Advisory Council.
For further information, potential applicants are encouraged to call or write
to:
Judith A. Cooper, Ph.D.
Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Federal Building, Room 1C-06
7550 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-5061
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.
13.854, Biological Basis Research in the Neurosciences and Communicative
Sciences, and No. 13.853, Clinical Basis Research in the Neurosciences and
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 9
Communicative Sciences. Awards will be made under the authority of the Public
Health Service Act, Section 301 (42 USC241) and administered under PHS grant
policies and Federal Regulations 42 CRF Part 52 and 45 CFR 74. This program
is not subject to review by a Health Systems Agency.
**THE MAILING ADDRESS GIVEN FOR SENDING APPLICATIONS TO THE DIVISION OF
RESEARCH GRANTS OR CONTACTING PROGRAM STAFF IN THE WESTWOOD BUILDING IS THE
CENTRAL MAILING ADDRESS FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. APPLICANTS WHO
USE EXPRESS MAIL OR A COURIER SERVICE ARE ADVISED TO FOLLOW THE CARRIER'S
REQUIREMENTS FOR SHOWING A STREET ADDRESS. THE ADDRESS FOR THE WESTWOOD
BUILDING IS:
5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20816
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990 - Page 10
----------------------Full Text of RFAs follows-------------------------
GRANTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES DISSERTATION RESEARCH, 1991
RFA AVAILABLE: HS-90-02
P.T. 34; K.W. 0730000, 1014006
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
Application Receipt Date: January 24, 1991
Notice
All 1991 dissertation research grant applications must be
received by the Division of Research Grants (DRG)
on or before Thursday,
January 24, 1991. Funding decisions will be announced about 5
months after submission.
All application material must be sent directly to DRG at the
address below. An application sent to any other address is
likely to encounter a delay that may preclude its review.
Line 2 of the application face page must be completed by
typing in the title and number of this request for
applications (RFA).
The RFA label (found in the 10/88 revision of application form PHS 398) must be
affixed to the bottom of the face page of the original copy of the
application. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of
your application such that it will not reach the review committee in time for
review.
The application and 6 copies must be sent to:
Application Receipt Office
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD 20892**
Submissions must conform to the instructions for the dissertation
research grant application on page 3 of the dissertation brochure and to
the special instructions inserted in the dissertation grant
application kit (PHS 398, rev. 10/88), both of which are
available upon request.
The grant application kit may be obtained from:
Office of Scientific Review
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-A-20
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-3091
Introduction
The AHCPR was
established in December 1989 by P.L. 101-239 as the successor to
the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care
Technology Assessment (NCHSR). As the eighth and newest agency
in the Public Health Service (PHS), AHCPR is charged with
conducting research that will enhance the quality,
appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services. The
provision of dissertation grant support is part of AHCPR's effort
to stimulate the development of innovative and timely research on
issues related to the delivery of health care services.
Dissertation grant support will be available in 1991 for doctoral
research on the organization, delivery, financing, or quality of
health care services. Grant support is designed to aid the career
development of new health services researchers and to encourage
individuals from a variety of academic disciplines and programs
to study complex health services delivery problems.
The mechanism of support will be the small grant (RO3).
Grants to support dissertation research will provide no more than
$20,000 in total direct costs. Dissertation research grants will
be administered in accordance with 42 CFR, Part 67, Subject A.
Awards will depend on the availability of funds. AHCPR expects
to fund about 10 to 20 dissertation research projects in 1991.
Studies Eligible for Support
Only applications that propose studies in the areas identified in
section 902 of the Public Health Service Act are eligible for
support. Section 902 authorizes research in the following areas:
* Effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of health care services
* Outcomes of health care services and procedures
* Clinical practice, including primary care and practice-oriented
research
* Health care technologies, facilities, and equipment
* Health care costs, productivity, and market forces
* Health promotion and disease prevention
* Health statistics and epidemiology
* Medical liability
Applicants are encouraged to discuss the suitability of their
research topics by letter or by phone with AHCPR staff members or
contact:
Mr. John Gallicchio, Director
Office of Scientific Review
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-A-20
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-3091
Eligibility
A student applying for a dissertation research grant must be
enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program in the social,
management, medical, or health sciences. The student must also
be conducting or intending to conduct dissertation research on
issues related to the delivery of health care services as
described above. The proposed principal investigator must be a
registered doctoral candidate in resident or nonresident status.
All requirements for the doctoral degree other than the
dissertation must be completed by the time of the award. This
information must be verified in a letter of certification from
the thesis chairperson and submitted with the grant application
(see Application Requirements).
The applicant may be either the institution that will administer
the grant on behalf of the proposed principal investigator or the
proposed principal investigator applying as an individual.
Whenever feasible, the proposed principal investigator is
encouraged to have the application administered through an
institution. This may be either the degree-granting institution
or another nonprofit institution with which the proposed
principal investigator is professionally affiliated. In
determining which type of institutional applicant is more
appropriate, the student should consider the extent to which the
resources of the designated institution are capable of supporting
the research effort proposed.
A proposed principal investigator for dissertation research grant
support need not be a citizen of the United States. However, an
investigator who is not a citizen and does not have a permanent
resident visa must apply through an institution. Also, an
application from a student enrolled in a foreign institution will
be accepted provided that the application is in English and the
investigator applies through an institution.
Scope of Awards
The budget of an application for a dissertation research grant
must not exceed $20,000 in total direct costs for the entire
project period. A proposal that exceeds this amount will be
returned.
Investigators should request support for the amount of time
necessary to complete the dissertation. A dissertation research
grant usually is awarded for a period of 12 months or less but
may be awarded for up to 17 months. Investigators who need 18
months or more to complete the research project will be required
to submit a continuation application for support beyond the first
12 months. Continuation support may be awarded if satisfactory
progress is being made, but the total direct costs of the entire
project may not exceed $20,000.
An investigator who receives support for dissertation research
under a grant from AHCPR may not at the same time receive support
under a predoctoral or fellowship grant awarded by any other
agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Allowable Costs
Expenses usually allowed under PHS research grants will be
covered by AHCPR dissertation research grants. Allowable costs
include the investigator's salary; direct project expenses such
as travel, data processing, and supplies; and for institutional
applicants only, indirect costs.
For the purpose of calculating indirect costs, dissertation
research grants are considered to be training grants. Therefore,
in accordance with PHS policy, indirect costs are limited to 8
percent of total direct costs.
Application Requirements
Application form. Research grant application materials and
special instructions for dissertation grant applications are
available from the Office of Scientific Review (see address at
beginning of announcement). The application must be submitted on
Form PHS-398 (rev. 10/88) in accordance with the special instructions
described in this solicitation.
Complete line 2 of the application face page by inserting the
title and number of this RFA.
The RFA label (found in the 10/88 revision of application form PHS 398) must be
affixed to the bottom of the face page of the original copy of the
application. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of
your application such that it will not reach the review committee in time for
review.
Closing date. Applications must be received by Thursday, January 24,
1991. Application materials must be sent directly to DRG
(see address at beginning of
announcement).
Copies required. The applicant must submit the original and six
copies of the complete application, which includes a detailed
narrative project description.
Letter of approval. A letter from the faculty committee or
university official directly responsible for supervising the
development and progress of the dissertation research must be
submitted with the application. The letter must (1) fully
identify the members of the committee and certify their approval
of the dissertation proposal, (2) certify that all requirements
for the doctoral degree except the dissertation are completed (or
will be completed by the time of the grant award), and (3) note
that the university official or faculty committee expects the
doctoral candidate to proceed with the approved project proposal
with or without AHCPR support.
Conformity. A proposal that does not conform to the instructions
will be returned. The information in the required narrative
project description must be presented in a form suitable for
detailed scientific and technical review.
Resubmission. Applicants should not revise rejected applications
and resubmit them without the concurrence of the Director, Office
of Scientific Review. Resubmissions are seldom funded.
Application Review Process
Dissertation research grant applications will be reviewed by
non-Federal experts, senior AHCPR staff members, and other
experts in the Federal Government. Reviewers will be selected on
the basis of their health services research accomplishments and
knowledge and their experience in research career development.
Because reviews are rigorous, considerable methodological detail
is important in the narrative of the application. All elements
of the application will be considered in the review process.
Primary emphasis will be given to the scientific merit,
feasibility, and relevance of the project to the AHCPR research
priorities noted above. Review results and funding decisions
will be announced approximately 5 months after the submission
date. Review criteria, funding decisions, and continuation of
support are described below.
Review criteria
Applications are reviewed to determine their suitability to
review criteria in four major areas: problem significance,
research design, personal qualifications and support structure,
and budgetary appropriateness:
Problem significance
* The project is focused primarily on a significant problem in
the delivery of health care.
* The anticipated methodology or results of the project have
national interest, provide a basis for generalized conclusions,
or have practical applicability.
Research design
* The problem to be addressed by the research is clearly defined.
* The proposal reflects an adequate knowledge of other research
related to the problem.
* Questions to be answered or hypotheses to be tested are well
formulated and clearly stated.
* Research methodology is fully described, including, where
applicable, explanation of sampling procedures, description of
types and sources of data to be gathered, discussion of
methodological problems expected to be encountered, and
description of specific analyses to be made.
* The proposal adequately describes the plans for managing the
project, including a tentative schedule for the main steps of the
investigation within the project period requested.
Personal Qualifications and Support Structure
* The applicant shows promise as a health services research
investigator.
* The experience and training of the applicant are sufficient to
carry out the research.
* The available facilities and organizational arrangements are
appropriate to the research.
* Faculty advice and support are suitable.
Budgetary appropriateness
* The allocation of time and money reflects an understanding of
the research tasks to be accomplished and of the problems likely
to arise.
* Where appropriate and feasible, the suggested approach uses
data available or being collected through government and other
sources.
Funding decisions
Reviewers may recommend that an application be approved,
disapproved, or approved for funding with specific modifications.
In addition, reviewers give their individual views of the
significance of each project. Final funding decisions are based
on the recommendations of the reviewers, the relevance of the
project to program priorities, and the availability of
appropriated funds.
Continuation of support
Grantees who have been funded for 12 months of a project
requiring 18 months or more must submit a continuation
application with a progress report 10 months after the study
begins. Decisions concerning support beyond 12 months are based
on the availability of appropriate funds and on evidence of
acceptable progress.
Grant Conditions
The following conditions apply to dissertation grants:
o Work on the funded project must be initiated within 9 months
after the date of the award.
o A principal investigator who discontinues or suspends a project
during the grant period must inform AHCPR immediately in
writing. AHCPR may suspend or terminate the grant as requested
by the principal investigator or on its own initiative.
o The dissertation constitutes the final report of the grant.
Three copies of the dissertation must be submitted. The
dissertation must be officially accepted by the faculty
committee or university official responsible for the
candidate's dissertation and must be signed by the responsible
officials.
o The dissertation and all financial status reports must be
submitted in English.
o Information concerning other conditions applicable to a
dissertation research grant is contained in the Code of Federal
Regulations, 42 CFR, Part 67, Subpart A. A copy of these
regulations and the dissertation research grant application
instructions will be among the materials sent to each applicant.
The requirements of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs," are not applicable to AHCPR research.