Subject: NIH GUIDE - Vol. 20, No. 10, March 8, 1991 - RFA MH9104
From: Dot Baker <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 08 Mar 91 09:47 EST

Hi,
 #9 please post as: RFAMH-91-04.910308
                                      Dottie
 ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message -----------------------
 
$$XID RFA MH9104 MH-91-04 P1O1 *****************************************
 
SHORT-TERM CLINICAL TRAINING GRANTS
IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS
 
RFA:  MH-91-04
 
P.T. 34; K.W. 0720005, 0715072, 0745020, 0745060, 0745070
 
National Institute of Mental Health
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  May 1, 1991
Application Receipt Date:  May 22, 1991
 
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.244)
 
Under the authority of Section 303, of the Public
Health Service Act, U.S.C. 242a; 42 CFR, Part 64, the
National Institute of Mental Health will accept
applications for short term clinical training grants in
diagnosis and treatment of clinical depression under
the single receipt date of May 22, 1991.
 
Darrel A. Regier, M.D., M.P.H.
Director
Division of Clinical Research
 
Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.
Acting Director
National Institute of Mental Health
 
BACKGROUND
 
Serious depressive disorders are a major public health
problem in the United States.  Because of the existence
of effective psychological and pharmacological
treatments, which are often most effective when used in
combination, most people with depressive disorders can
be successfully treated.  Evidence suggests, however,
that depression is poorly recognized, undertreated, or
incorrectly treated in the health and mental health
system.  The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
developed the Depression Awareness, Recognition and
Treatment (D/ART) program to provide the most up-to-
date research information on depressive disorders to
the general public, primary care providers, and mental
health specialists.
 
PURPOSE
 
As part of the D/ART program, NIMH seeks applications
for programs of short-term (not to exceed 5-days
duration) continuing education.  Each program will be
carried out at multiple locations (minimum of six
different sites per year) and will provide continuing
education for primary care providers and mental health
professionals.  Support is available for the
development, implementation, and evaluation of training
programs that are designed to foster the more effective
recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of major
depressive disorders, including manic depression and
clinical depression.  This initiative is intended to
provide for the development of effective training that
is directly tied to major recent research findings and
clinical knowledge and which incorporates both didactic
and experiential modes of teaching; it is not, however,
designed to test training models.  The focus is on
training providers to more effectively diagnose and
treat clinical depression in adults and adolescents;
childhood depression does not fall within the scope of
this announcement.
 
The training is intended to give primary care providers
and mental health professionals with a didactic and
experiential program that will increase their capacity
to recognize, diagnose, and treat clinical depression
effectively, in a manner appropriate to their
discipline.  Training must include recent major
research findings on psychosocial and pharmacological
aspects of treatment.  Priority in funding will be
given to approved applications from geographic areas,
particularly rural, which have not yet been served by
D/ART grants.
 
ELIGIBILITY
 
Applications may be submitted by:
 
     o    a department of psychiatry in, or associated
          with, a school of medicine, or a free-
          standing mental health institution with an
          approved psychiatric residency program
 
     o    a university-based department of psychology
          offering doctoral training in clinical
          psychology, or a school of professional
          psychology with appropriate accreditation for
          doctoral training in clinical psychology
 
     o    a college or university school of nursing
          which offers a graduate program in
          psychiatric nursing
 
     o    a school of social work with a graduate
          program
 
All applicants must have experience and demonstrated
capacity in the provision of continuing education tied
to research on depressive disorders and must use
multidisciplinary teams of trainers.
 
AREAS OF INTEREST
 
NIMH particularly encourages applications for programs
which contain the following:
 
     o    a focus in part of the curriculum on such
          special populations as the aged, adolescents,
          women, and minorities which include, but are
          not limited to, Blacks, Hispanics, American
          Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native
          Hawaiians.
 
     o    A coherent plan for training staff of
          Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
 
     o    a coherent plan to address issues of co-
          morbidity and depression.
 
APPLICATION CHARACTERISTICS
 
The applicant must provide:
 
     o    a description of the applying entity, its
          relevant personnel, its training resources,
          and its prior experience in the provision of
          continuing education in the area of clinical
          depression
 
     o    the rationale underlying the
          conceptualization of the training
          program,including specific assumptions,
          goals, and objectives
 
     o    a concise review and critical assessment of
          the most up-to-date research in clinical
          depression and a discussion of how the
          research will be incorporated into the
          training program
 
     o    the concepts of depressive disorders on which
          the training program is to be based
 
     o    a detailed description of the proposed
          training program, including proposed
          curriculum, which contains the following
          elements:

          1)   a balanced approach to psychosocial and
               biological aspects of depression
 
          2)   didactic components, i.e., lectures and
               formal presentations which include
               research and clinical knowledge to be
               developed to provide students with the
               context for better diagnoses and
               treatment of depressive disorders
 
          3)   selection and development of the
               experiential components in which the
               students will be directly involved
 
          4)   explanation of how the integration of
               the didactic and experiential components
               will provide students with the
               attitudes and competencies to provide
               effective services
 
          5)   a plan for materials development as
               appropriate
 
          6)   for each area of training, the content
               to be addressed, the teaching materials
               to be used, the proposed faculty, the
               time frames to be allotted to each
               training module, and the teaching
               methods to be employed
 
     o    a description of the proposed participants,
          their manner of recruitment and selection,
          and the relevance of the training to their
          specific needs
 
     o    a description of the number of training
          programs to be offered, the sites at which
          the training is to be presented, the
          rationale for site selection, and the total
          number of proposed students to be trained
 
     o    a comprehensive and detailed plan for an
          evaluation to establish the program's
          effectiveness and generalizability, including
          before and after measures as well as a plan
          for a followup of students who have completed
          training and an assessment of the value of
          curricular content and training experiences
 
     o    a focus on improving the skills and knowledge
          of health care professionals in the
          pharmacological and psychological treatments
          for depressive disorders
 
     o    a comprehensive scope, addressing issues of
          diagnosis, treatment, case management,
          development of coordinated treatment plans,
          and relationships with other health care
          professionals
 
     o    a focus particularly on the early diagnosis
          and treatment of outpatients with depressive
          disorders
 
     o    a broad base in their approach to continuing
          education, including experiential,
          interactive, and didactic teaching methods
 
     o    innovative plans on how to recruit mental
          health and health professionals as students

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT
 
The mechanism of support for these awards will be the
Continuing Education Grants (T15).
 
Period of Support
 
The period of support is up to 3 years (with a maximum
of $125,000 per year), though no firm commitment can be
made beyond the first year.  Therefore, activities in
the first year must be significant with a minimum of
six programs provided at six different sites in each
grant year.
 
Average Size of Award
 
It is expected that up to four awards may be made, each
award generally not to exceed $125,000 total (direct
and indirect) costs per award in fiscal year 1991.
Funds made available under this grant may not be used
to replace currently existing training or other support
for such training.
 
Direct Costs
 
Grants described in this announcement are awarded
directly to eligible applicants.  Funds may be used
only for those expenses which are directly related and
necessary to carry out the project and must be expended
in conformance with DHHS cost principles, the Public
Health Service Grants Policy Statement,* and conditions
set forth in this document.  Regulations at 42 CFR Part
242a are applicable to these awards.
 
*Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement, DHHS
Publication No. (OASH) 90-50,000 (rev. 10/1/90).
 
All budget items must be fully justified at the level
requested.  Grantees are expected to be familiar with
and comply with applicable cost policies.
 
Teaching Costs
 
Direct cost items are allowable for teaching costs
associated with these programs.  They include
personnel, consultants, materials, supplies, travel,
reproduction and printing costs, rental equipment,
minor equipment items, and other items which are
directly related to the proposed training program and
are otherwise unavailable from the institution.
 
Trainee Expenses
 
Trainee expenses are not allowable for support.
Participants may not be charged for training.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Harold Goldstein, Ph.D., Director of Training, D/ART
Program is available for consultation on program
development and may be reached at the address below.
It is further suggested that those who apply send a
brief letter of their intention to Dr. Goldstein.  The
letter of intent is not binding, nor is it a
requirement for applications.  (This letter should be
received by May 1, 1991.)  Preparation of application
may proceed simultaneously.
 
Questions regarding eligibility, application
development, and fiscal and administrative matters should be directed
to:
 
     Harold Goldstein, Ph.D.
     Director of Training
     D/ART Program
     Prevention Research Branch
     Division of Clinical Research
     NIMH
     Parklawn Building, Room 14C-02
     5600 Fishers Lane
     Rockville, MD  20857
     Telephone:  (301) 443-4140
 
Applicants must use the grant application kit (PHS
398, revised 10/88).  Application kits are available
from the Prevention Research Branch, Room 14C-02,
Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,
Maryland  20857, (301) 443-4140.
 
To identify this application as a response to an RFA,
check 'yes' on item 2 page one of the PHS 398 form.
Also enter in item 2 the number and modified title of
this RFA (MH-91-04, Short-Term Clinical Training Grants
on Depressive Disorders).  THE RFA LABEL FOUND IN THE
PHS 398 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 YOUR APPLICATION SUCH THAT IT MAY NOT
REACH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE IN TIME FOR REVIEW.
 
Applications must be complete and contain all
information needed for initial and Advisory Council
review.  No addenda will be accepted unless
specifically requested by the Executive Secretary of
the review committee.  No site visits will be made.
 
The applicant should include a project abstract that
should not exceed two single-spaced typewritten pages.
The narrative section of the application should not
exceed 20 pages; appendices may not be used
inappropriately to expand the narrative section.
Applications exceeding this limitation will be
returned.  Applicants submitting revised proposals of
earlier applications should follow the instructions in
the application kit regarding such revisions.
If the application submitted in response to this RFA is
substantially similar to a research grant application already
submitted to the NIH for review, but has not yet been reviewed,
the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the pending
application or the new one.  Simultaneous submission of identical
applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical
applications be reviewed by different review committees.
Therefore, an application cannot be submitted in response to this
RFA that is essentially identical to one that has already been
reviewed.  This does not preclude the submission of substantial
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications
must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.
 
The original and five copies of the application must
be submitted to:
 
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892**
 
Because of the short time available for initial and
Council review, one (1) additional copy of the
application should also be sent directly to:
 
NIMH
Division of Extramural Activities
Parklawn Building, Room 9C-15
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD  20857
Attention:  Mrs. Edna Hardy-Hill
 
REVIEW
 
Review Procedures
 
A dual review system is used to insure knowledgeable,
objective review of the quality of applications.
Initial peer review for scientific, educational, and/or
technical merit is by groups of non-Federal experts
called Initial Review Groups.  Final review is by the
National Advisory Mental Health Council.
 
Review Criteria
 
Applications submitted in response to this announcement
are not subject to the intergovernmental review
requirements of Executive Order 12372 as implemented through DHHS
regulations at 45 CFR Part 100.
 
Each grant application is evaluated on its own merits.
The following criteria will be used:
 
     o    relationship of the goals of the proposed
          project to the purposes of this announcement
 
     o    appropriateness and feasibility of the
          content, methods, and organization of the
          project to specified project goals and
          objectives
 
     o    quality of the training program plan and its
          linkages to major research findings and
          clinical knowledge
 
     o    balance in the curriculum between
          psychosocial and pharmacological treatments
 
     o    multidisciplinary team of trainers
 
     o    multi-model training using a variety of
          educational techniques including didactic and
          experiential training methods
 
     o    effectiveness of the plans for recruiting
          trainees outreach to geographic locations
          throughout the training area
 
     o    previous experience in the provision of
          continuing education programs.
 
     o    quality of the resources of the applying
          organization
 
     o    qualifications of the program director and
          other staff
 
     o    adequacy of the evaluation plan
 
     o    adequacy of the budget projections and other
          resources for carrying out the project
          activities
 
RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE
 
                            National Advisory
Receipt of      Initial     Mental Health       Earliest
Application     Review      Council Review      Start Date
 
May 22, 1991    July 1991   September 1991      September 1991
 
Applications submitted after this date will be returned
to the applicant.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
The responsibility for award decisions on applications
recommended for approval by the National Advisory
Mental Health Council lies solely with authorized NIMH
program staff.  The basic criteria to be used in making
award decisions will be the quality of the proposed
project as determined during the review process and the
availability of funds.