Subject: RFA DC-91-01 l2/7/90 NIH Guide
From: Dot Baker <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 90 14:41 EST

Hi Paul,
  This is the third of three items from the NIH Guide l2/7/90.  Please
post this one as: RFADC-91-01.901207
    Please call me at 966-5625 for a brief discussion to answer a
question I have.  Also, please let me know when these announcements
are posted.  Thanks.
                    Dottie
 ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message -----------------------
 
REQUEST FOR RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATIONS: RFA
RFA:  DC-91-01
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
 
NATIONAL MULTI-PURPOSE RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTERS
 
P.T. 34, 44; K.W. 0715055, 0720005, 0410001, 0785035, 1004017
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  January 30, 1991
Application Receipt Date:  February 21, 1991
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD) announces its intent to designate and support
a limited number of National Multi-purpose Research and Training
Centers (RTC) for the multi-disciplinary study of communication
sciences and disorders.  The goal of the RTC is the support of
basic and clinical research; research training; continuing
education for health professionals; and dissemination of
information to the general public in one or more of the program
areas of the Institute.
 
A National Research and Training Center is a national resource
and is dedicated to working with the NIDCD in furthering the
goals of the Institute through a multi-disciplinary,
coordinated approach involving basic and clinical research,
research training, continuing education for health care
professionals, and dissemination of information to the public.
An RTC may focus on one or more of the major scientific areas of
the Institute (hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and
language), but each of the components including the research
training and education components, must relate to the central
theme of the Center.  All of the components must be of high
quality as judged by the NIH standards for biomedical and
behavioral research excellence.
 
BACKGROUND
 
In 1988, Congress established the National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders in Public Law 100-553 that
mandated that  "the Director of the Institute shall, after
consultation with the advisory council for the Institute,
provide for the development, modernization, and operation
(including care required for research) of new and existing
centers for studies of disorders of hearing and other
communication processes".
 
The law further specified that each Center shall conduct--
 
  "(1)  basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis,
early detection, prevention, control and treatment of disorders
of hearing and other communication processes and complications
resulting from such disorders, including research into
rehabilitative aids, implantable biomaterials, auditory speech
processors, speech production devices, and other otolaryngologic
procedures;
 
  "(2)  research training programs for physicians, scientists,
and other health and allied health professionals;
 
  "(3)  information and continuing education programs for
physicians and other health and allied health professionals who
will provide care for patients with disorders of hearing or
other communication processes; and
 
  "(4)  programs for the dissemination to the general public of
information--
 
    "(A)  on the importance of early detection of disorders of
hearing and other communication processes, of seeking prompt
treatment, rehabilitation, and of following an appropriate
regimen; and
 
    "(B)  on the importance of avoiding exposure to noise and
other environmental toxic agents that may affect disorders of
hearing or other communication processes".
 
In 1989, over 100 U.S. scientists representing various
specialties in the communication sciences met to develop a
research plan for the NIDCD.  One panel of these scientists
addressed the issue of the National Multi-purpose Research and
Training Centers. With the Congressional mandate providing
guidance,  the Task Force  identified and elucidated the
critical features of such Centers, that is, research, training,
continuing education, and information dissemination.
 
In FY90, a Request for Applications (RFA) (DC-90-01, NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts, December 22, 1989, Vol. 18,
No. 45), was issued for Research and
Training Centers.  Three Centers were awarded.  The purpose of
this current RFA is to request
additional applications for Research and Training Centers.
 
ELIGIBILITY
 
Any of the following organizations are eligible to apply:
non-profit institutions of higher education; other non-profit
and for-profit organizations; state and local governments and
their agencies; and authorized Federal agencies.  Holding an
NIDCD or other currently-funded NIH Program Project, Clinical
Research Center Grant, or Institutional Training Grant does not
preclude an organization from applying.
 
OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE
 
The purpose of the National Multi-purpose Research and Training
Centers is to enhance research in communication sciences and
disorders. The Centers will stimulate important areas of basic
and clinical research.  By utilizing a multidisciplinary
approach, these Centers will provide broad-based solutions to
complex human communication problems.
 
Each Center must have research activity in the basic sciences.
This activity may include disciplines such as molecular biology
and genetics, cellular biology, neurochemistry, immunology,
microbiology, epidemiology, and biomedical engineering.
Ideally, the Center will draw together the multidisciplinary
resources of the institution to study or investigate the
etiology, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and  prevention
of specific communication impairments.  The Center may also
undertake/conduct population-based studies and genetic studies
related to the specific communication disorder(s) being studied.
 
Clinical research and/or clinical investigations will focus on
the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and
prevention of specific impairments.  Suggested areas may include
deafness and hearing disorders in children; presbycusis; balance
or vestibular disorders, particularly in the elderly; aphasia;
stuttering; and disorders of smell and taste.  Clinical
research-oriented activities may also include studies of
implantable biomaterials and biomechanical diagnostic and
assistive devices. Each Center should seek to establish the
effectiveness of new and improved methods of detection,
referral, and diagnosis of individuals at risk for developing
the particular disorder of hearing or other communication
process that is the focus of the research program of the Center.
 
The Center will provide research training opportunities, thereby
strengthening the quality and increasing the number of
investigators in communication sciences.  Residents, pre- and
post-doctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and students will
benefit from research training in a multidisciplinary
environment.  Special emphasis may be placed on independent
investigators who apply such disciplines as immunology or
molecular biology to problems of deafness, balance, and so forth.
In addition, research training for clinical professionals such
as otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, or
audiologists, is encouraged.
 
Each Center should develop programs of information and
continuing education for physicians and other health care
professionals who will provide care for patients with the
disorder(s) that is (are) the research focus of the Center.
Educational programs should provide didactic materials on
current methods of early diagnosis and treatment.  These
programs should seek to disseminate the results of research,
screening, and other activities and develop means of
standardizing patient data and record keeping.
 
Centers will also include programs for the dissemination to the
general public of information on the importance of early
detection of the particular disorders or impairments under
study, of seeking prompt treatment, rehabilitation, and when
indicated, of following an appropriate therapeutic regimen.
When appropriate, these public information programs may also
focus on the importance of avoiding exposure to noise or other
environmental toxic agents that may effect the impairments under
examination.
 
It is essential that the continuing education programs for
health professionals and the public information programs utilize
evaluation methodology that measures the effectiveness of the
outreach strategies so that useful techniques may be shared with
other Centers and health care providers.
 
The NIDCD expects each Center to develop its own program in
accordance with local strengths, talents, interests, and
resources.  Each RTC must be willing to cooperate actively with
other Centers awarded under this and other Center solicitations.
 
The NIDCD program officer will coordinate plans for any special
activities of mutual interest to the Institute and the RTC.
This may include training, information techniques, or continuing
education, for example.  The program officer will make periodic
visits to the RTCs and will be responsible for evaluating
progress.  To foster cooperation among Centers, the Center
Directors must agree to meet together at least once a year with
the NIDCD program officer to review progress and coordinate
similar activities.  Representatives of each Center will form
working groups in the four major areas of Center activity, that
is, basic and clinical research, research training, continuing
professional education, and information dissemination to the
public.
 
MECHANISM, NUMBER OF YEARS, AND BUDGET
 
National Multi-purpose Research and Training Centers will be
funded through the Comprehensive Center grant mechanism (P60).
Five (5) years of support must be requested at a direct cost not
to exceed $1 million for the first year.  Budget increments after
the first year will be limited to necessary cost-of-living
increases.  At present, the Institute plans to award renewals of
one or more additional periods of not more than five (5) years of
support.  Supplements to the Center grant are discouraged.
However, one per project period is allowable.
 
BUDGET GUIDELINES
 
o   Requests for travel should include an estimate for one
meeting per year of the Center Director with NIDCD program staff
in Washington, DC.  In addition, requests for travel should
include meetings of the working groups in the four major areas
of center activity (see "Objective and Scope").
 
o   Alteration and renovation costs must be limited to $200,000
total for the five-year period.  Renovation must be limited to
facilities that are required solely to support Center
activities.  Please refer to the PHS Grants Policy Statement
DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 82-50,000
(revised October 1, 1990) for
guidance on the information which must be made available to and
approved by NIDCD should an award include significant funds for
alterations and renovations.
 
o   Stipends for research trainees should be set at the level of
NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) program.
 
o   Consideration should be given in budget planning to those
activities that would not be able to start immediately such as
continuing education or information dissemination.  Costs should
be phased in for these activities based on realistic start dates.
 
o   All costs must be well justified by the programmatic
activities of the Center.
 
Although this solicitation is included in the plans for Fiscal
Year 1991, support of grants pursuant to this request for
applications is contingent upon availability of funds for this
purpose.  It is anticipated that two Centers will be funded
under this RFA.  The level of funding of individual Centers will
be influenced by the individual merit of the proposals, the
level of support recommended by the initial scientific review,
and the amount of funds available to the NIDCD.
 
It is expected that investigators collaborating within the
Center will not necessarily derive all of their support from the
Center grant  mechanism.  However, if proposed projects within
the Center grant mechanism overlap with current support (for
example, with an ongoing R01), the investigator must accept the
project support only within the Center grant mechanism.  While
the development of new instrumentation or assistive devices may
be a part of the Center, support for such development alone
should not be funded in the RTC.  In general, funds will not be
provided for the purchase and installation of expensive
equipment.  Institute staff should be consulted if an applicant
has questions regarding these limitations.
 
METHOD OF APPLYING
 
Applications should be developed in close cooperation with the
NIDCD extramural program official(s) who will provide guidance
to applicants on both scientific and administrative issues prior
to submission.
 
To facilitate Institute planning, applicants are requested to
submit a letter of intent to the NIDCD on or before January 30,
1991.  The letter should include a descriptive title, names of
investigators who might be involved, and names of any
participants outside the applicant institution.  The Institute
requests such letters only for the purpose of providing an
indication of the number and scope of applications to be
received and, therefore, usually does not acknowledge their
receipt.  A letter of intent is not binding; it will not enter
into the review of any application subsequently submitted, nor
is it a  requirement.
 
A letter of intent should be sent by January 30, 1991 to:
 
Ralph F. Naunton, M.D.
Director
Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders
National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders
National Institutes of Health
Executive Plaza South, Room 750
6120 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 496-1804
Fax:  (301) 402-6250
 
The applicant should prepare a complete application on research
grant application Form PHS 398 (revised 10/88).  Copies of this
form are available in the applicant institution's office of
sponsored research, or may be obtained from the following:
 
Office of Grants Inquiries
Division of Research Grants
Westwood Building, Room 449
National Institutes of Health
5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, MD  20892
 
Applicants should utilize the instructions described in the
document "Application Guidelines: National Multi-purpose
Research and Training Centers (RTC) ," available upon request
from the contact person identified above.
 
To identify the application as a response to this RFA, check
"yes" in Item Number 2 on the face page of the application and
enter the title "National Multi-purpose Research and Training
Centers" and the RFA number DC-91-01 in the space provided.
 
The RFA label found in the Form PHS-398 application kit must be
affixed to the bottom of the face page of the original completed
application form.  Failure to use this label could result in
delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach
the review committee in time for review.
 
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
 
Applicants for the "National Multi-purpose Research and Training
Centers" Grant Award must propose a program that includes:
 
    1)   Basic and Clinical Research:  The research program must
have a central theme, involving  basic research and clinical
research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention,
and treatment of one or more disorders of hearing, balance,
smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.  There must be three
or more related and integrated research projects of high quality
that provide a multi-disciplinary yet unified approach to the
problems being investigated. Each project must be described
fully. Each individual research component must be meritorious.
The Center Director coordinates all projects included in the
Center and must have recognized skills as both a scientist and a
research administrator.
 
Investigators should be aware that NIH requires applicants to give
added attention, where feasible and appropriate, to the inclusion
of minorities and women in study populations.  Gender and minority
population differences should be noted and analyzed wherever
possible.  If minorities and/or women are not included in a given
study, a clear reason for their absence must be provided.  Merely
including an arbitrary number of minority group and women
participants in a given study is insufficient to guarantee
generalization of results.
 
    One or more cores, for the support of resources serving the
research projects,  may be included.  These cores are most
appropriate for common resources such as equipment, tissue
culture, biostatistics, and so forth.
 
    2)  Research Training:  The training program enables
cross-disciplinary training  for physicians,  pre- and
post-doctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and students  in the
areas of communication sciences and disorders which are the
focus of the RTC. The research training component of the RTC
must provide research training  opportunities for individuals
with varying  levels of research experience.  Plans for
recruitment of underrepresented minorities, women and
individuals with disabilities must be included within this
component of the application.
 
In the preparation of an application, it is required that a
description of the institution's plan to provide instruction
on ethics in research training be included (see the announcement
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts dated August 17, 1990,
Vol. 19, No. 30).
 
    3) Continuing Education:  Educational programs are designed
for physicians and other health and allied health professionals
who will provide care for individuals with disorders of hearing
or communication processes.  The design, scope, and steps in
implementation of these programs  are left to the applicants to
develop.
 
    4)  Information Dissemination: Information from the Center
is disseminated to the public and, when appropriate, technology
is transferred for clinical utilization and commercial product
development.  This component of the RTC should include programs
for the dissemination to the general public of information on
the importance of early detection of disorders of the
communication processes  which are the focus of the Center, of
seeking prompt treatment, rehabilitation, and of following an
appropriate therapeutic regimen.
 
Other Activities:
 
In addition, where appropriate, the Centers may pursue the
following activities:
 
      a)   Evaluation of the effectiveness of existing, new, and
improved methods of habilitation and rehabilitation (especially
with hearing-impaired and language-impaired children, the
elderly, and multi-cultural populations); and detection,
assessment, and treatment of communication disorders.
 
      b)  Epidemiologic and genetic studies related to specific
communication disorders.
 
Basic and clinical research should comprise approximately fifty
percent of the activity and resources of the Center.  Research
training should also be a significant proportion of the Center
activity.  The remaining resources may be distributed among
information dissemination, continuing education and other
activities (if included).
 
The Center director must be a scientist who can provide strong
and effective administrative leadership. This Center director
will be responsible for the organization and operation of the
RTC and for communication with NIDCD on scientific and
operational matters.
 
Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary collaboration among
scientists working within the Center is considered a necessity
for an effective center grant.  Each application should contain
a plan to assure continuing interaction among participating
scientists and among other NIDCD-funded research and training
Centers.
 
Scientific personnel and institutional resources capable of
providing a strong research base in the field of communication
sciences and disorders must be available.  In addition, the
applicant institution and pertinent department(s) should show a
strong commitment to the Center's support. The Center should
typically share common resources, including technical, clerical
and administrative personnel, instrumentation, computer
resources, subject populations, and data bases.
 
The Center may be a consortium of institutions, organizations,
and medical facilities.
 
TIMETABLE FOR RECEIPT AND REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS
 
The original and four copies of the application are due in the
Division of Research Grants on or before February 21, 1991.
Awards will be made by September 1991.  Applications received
after February 21, 1991 will be considered ineligible.
Applications must be sent to:
 
Application Receipt Office
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892**
 
One additional copy of the application must be sent to the
Scientific Review Branch, NIDCD, at the same time as the
original and four copies are sent to the Division of Research
Grants. Otherwise, the NIDCD cannot guarantee that the
application will be reviewed in competition for this RFA.  Send
to:
 
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders
Executive Plaza South, Room 750
6120 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD  20852
 
REVIEW PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
 
Applications will be reviewed by NIDCD for responsiveness to the
RFA and scientific merit.  Applications that do not meet the
specified criteria will be returned to the applicants.  Those
applications judged to be responsive will be further evaluated
for scientific and technical merit by a Special Review Committee
in the NIDCD, and site visits or applicant interviews in
Bethesda, Maryland, will be held.  The final level of review will
be made by the National Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders Advisory Council for funding in September 1991.
 
The Special Review Committee will use the following criteria in
evaluating the applications:
 
a)  The criteria for reviewing the program as an integrated
effort are:
 
  o  relevance of the proposed program to the NIDCD mission;
 
  o  the integration of the multidisciplinary enterprise with
adequate plans for interaction and communication of information
among the collaborating investigators;
 
  o  the coordination and interrelationship among the individual
research projects and cores and the relationship of the project
objectives to the common theme, including the relationship of
the basic science projects to the clinical research components;
 
  o  leadership ability and scientific stature of the Center
director and her/his ability to devote adequate time and effort
to provide effective leadership;
 
  o  participation of a suitable number of responsible,
experienced investigators;
 
  o  an organizational and administrative structure appropriate
for effective attainment of program objectives;
 
  o  arrangements for internal quality control of ongoing
research, the allocation of funds, day-to-day management,
collaborative arrangements with other institutions, if any, and
internal communication and cooperation among the investigators
in the program;
 
  o  extramural advice and consultation;
 
  o  evidence of a history of successful coordination and
cooperation among a variety of disciplines;
 
  o  the adequacy of facilities to support the various
components of the RTC, including the availability of space,
equipment, and subjects;
 
  o  the rationale for and cost of the modernization and
remodeling of facilities which will serve the RTC;
 
  o  institutional commitment to the requirements of the
program;
 
  o  appropriateness of the overall budget for the proposed
program; and
 
  o  for cores: the technical merit and justification of each
core unit; the appropriateness of each research project's use of
core services; and the cost effectiveness and quality control of
core units.
 
b)  The criteria for reviewing the basic and clinical research
components are:
 
  o  the advantages of pursuing the proposed research within an
RTC grant rather than through individual research grants; the
appropriateness of the size of the program (small enough to
afford effective interaction focused on a specific central theme
and large enough to achieve greater synergy and economies not
provided by regular research grants);
 
  o  the scientific merit of each project in the context of the
proposed program, including the originality and feasibility of the
approach, and the adequacy of the experimental design;
 
  o  the specific scientific objectives of each project that
will benefit significantly from, or depend upon, collaborative
interactions with other projects in the program (i.e.,
objectives that can be uniquely accomplished or specific
contributions to the accomplishments of objectives that can be
achieved with greater effectiveness and/or economy of effort;
 
  o  qualifications, experience, and commitment of the
investigators and their ability to devote the required time and
effort to the program;
 
  o  the appropriateness of the budget for each research project;
 
  o  the adequacy of the means proposed for protecting against
risks to human subjects, animals, and the environment;
 
  o  the adequacy of internal and external procedures for
monitoring and evaluating the quality of research in progress;
and
 
o  Investigators should be aware that NIH requires applicants to give
added attention, where feasible and appropriate, to the inclusion
of minorities and women in study populations.  Gender and minority
population differences should be noted and analyzed wherever
possible.  If minorities and/or women are not included in a given
study, a clear reason for their absence must be provided.  Merely
including an arbitrary number of minority group and women
participants in a given study is insufficient to guarantee
generalization of results.
(See NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 19, No. 31, August 24,
1990, and Vol. 19, No. 35, September 28, 1990,
for further information).
 
c)     The criteria for reviewing the research training
component are:
 
  o  the proposed research training objectives and program
design;
 
  o  the need for research personnel in the proposed area of
research training;
 
  o  appropriateness of recruitment plan, including
 
  o   an affirmative plan for the recruitment of
underrepresented minorities, women and disabled individuals,
which may include any or all of the following: advertisements in
scientific or science-oriented journals; posters and/or flyers
for display and distribution at scientific meetings; visits by
program director and/or preceptors to minority institutions to
advertise training opportunities; cooperative programs with
nearby minority colleges; specific procedures of the
institution's Office of Graduate Studies or Research
Administration to identify potential applicants; and invitations
to prospective minority applicants to visit the Center.  (See
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 18, #20, June 9, 1989
for further information).
 
  o  characteristics of the training environment (including the
qualifications and research experience of the participating
faculty; laboratory and clinical facilities; access to patients);
 
  o  characteristics of the training plan: uniqueness and
appropriateness (including length of training, didactic program,
and basic and clinical research opportunities);
 
  o  the previous training record of the research program and
its ability to attract high caliber trainees; and the successful
transition of trainees as independent investigators;
 
  o  the extent of the institutional commitment; and
 
  o  opportunities for the more established investigator to:
 
  oo  acquire new research capabilities,
  oo  attain or enlarge command of an allied research field, and
  oo  increase capabilities in health-related research.
 
  o   In the preparation of an application, it is required that a
description of the institution's plan to provide instruction
on ethics in research training be included (see the announcement
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts dated August 17, 1990,
Vol. 19, No. 30).
 
d)  The criteria for reviewing the continuing professional
education component are:
 
  o   the major continuing education goals and functions of the
sponsoring organization;
 
  o  the audience served, that is, the range of professionals
who would participate;
 
  o   procedures to be used to determine the continuing
education needs of the audience served;
 
  o  the adequacy of the proposed  program content and plans for
its provision;
 
  o  qualifications of the individual responsible for continuing
education component and the teaching staff;
 
  o  appropriateness, range, and scope of the educational
programs offered to health-related professionals;
 
  o  administrative support and physical facilities available
for these activities; and
 
  o  adequacy of evaluation methodology to determine the
effectiveness of the continuing education program.
 
e) The criteria for reviewing the dissemination of information
are:
 
  o  The appropriateness of the proposed methods to assure the
quality of information disseminated (for example, review by
peers in the field);
 
  o  the adequacy of the proposed plan for information
dissemination and technology transfer;
 
  o  the format and content of the information to be
disseminated;
 
  o  the breadth or range of audiences which will be served;
 
  o  previous experience of the applicant organization in
information dissemination and technology transfer; and
 
  o  adequacy of evaluation methodology to determine the
effectiveness of the information dissemination programs.
 
The criteria for reviewing Other Activities (if included) are:
 
  o  evaluation of effectiveness of methods of habilitation and
rehabilitation: the criteria (as appropriate) noted above for
review of the basic and clinical research component.  Rating of
these studies would occur within the basic and clinical research
component.
 
  o  epidemiologic and genetic studies: the criteria (as
appropriate) noted above for review of the basic and clinical
research component.  Rating of these studies would occur within
the basic and clinical research component.
 
FUNDING
 
It is anticipated that 2 awards will be made in FY 1991.  The
award of National Multi-purpose Research and Training Centers
grants is contingent upon the assessment of the applications by
peer review and the allocation of appropriated funds for this
purpose.  Funding for Center grants beyond the initial period
will be subject to competitive renewal.
 
INQUIRIES
 
For further information, potential applicants may call or write
to:
 
Ralph F. Naunton, M.D.
Director
Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders
National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders
National Institutes of Health (See Method of Applying)
Executive Plaza South, Room 750
6120 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  (301) 496-1804
Fax:  (301) 402-6250
 
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.173, Research Related to Deafness and
Communication Disorders.
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 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR
Part 74.  This program is not subject to review by a Health
Systems Agency.