FundScience Blog

First, yet another specialized ARRA funding opportunity, and then an unusual NCMHD R21 opportunity for Innovative Faith-Based Approaches to Health Disparities Research. For the ARRA K12ish FOA, NCI, NCRR, NCCAM, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NIAMS, NIDA, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, and, interestingly, NLM are on board.

Institutional Comparative Effectiveness Research Mentored Career Development Award (KM1)

Application Due Date: March 25, 2010

The mentored career development approach will permit research-intensive institutions to develop an interdisciplinary environment catering to the needs of diverse populations of scholars including (but not limited to) those with backgrounds in medicine, pediatrics, surgery, dentistry, nursing, allied health, pharmacology, health care administration and management, clinical research design, epidemiology, biostatistics, biomedical informatics, economics, quality improvement, modeling systems, ethics, behavioral science, engineering, and law. Scholars supported through this program could include recent doctoral graduates who are entering the research workforce as well as established investigators who are seeking to extend their expertise or experience in CER in a mentored environment.

Total costs cannot exceed $2,500,000 for the 3-year project period; 8-10 awards are anticipated

The narrative cannot exceed 25 p in addressing: Background; Program Plan; Recruitment and Retention to Enhance Diversity; and Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Please see RFA for appropriate program contact.

Innovative Faith-Based Approaches to Health Disparities Research (R21)

LOI Receipt Date: February 9, 2010
Application Due Date: March 17, 2010

Standard R21 budget ($275k-2y)/narrative length (6 p) – up to 8 awards are anticipated

NCMHD intends to cultivate empirical, formative, evaluative and transdisciplinary intervention research on faith-motivated initiatives, concepts and theories that have played an important role in addressing health disparities. The focus on exploratory, evaluative and/or intervention research will allow studies to assess the impact of faith-based initiatives and programs in health disparity populations; formulate hypotheses about the role and unique characteristics of faith communities in addressing health disparities; design targeted interventions; and track the efficacy of community and faith-based or faith-motivated programs that result from a participatory approach to research in the community.

Scientific/Research Contacts:

Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD MPH
Acting Director, Office of Innovation and Program Coordination, NCMHD
Telephone: (301) 402-1366
Email: dankwamullani@mail.nih.gov

Four competitive revision (supplement) opportunities from OppNet, each of which must propose new research objectives and aims outside of the scope of the parent award (see notices for details & application instructions). For each opportunity, direct costs cannot exceed $150,000 for a maximum of 1 y project period. 20-30 awards are anticipated in response to the first 3 (ARRA-funded) notices, 5-10 awards in response to the last (non-ARRA) notice listed in this post. Letters of intent are all sent to:

William N. Elwood, Ph.D.
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Office of the Director, NIH
31 Center Drive, Suite B1-C19 (MSC 2027)
Bethesda, MD 20892-2027
Telephone: 301-402-0116
Fax: 301-402-1150
Email: william.elwood@nih.hhs.gov

Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, and R37)
LOI Receipt Date: January 18, 2010
Application Due Date: March 2, 2010 (or maybe February 17, 2010 … conflicting dates in the notice)

Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, and R37) for HIV/AIDS-related Research
LOI Receipt Date: February 16, 2010
Application Due Date: March 25, 2010 (or maybe March 15, 2010)

Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications for SBIR/STTR Grants (R43/R44 and R41/R42)
LOI Receipt Date: February 16, 2010
Application Due Date: March 25, 2010 (or maybe March 15, 2010)

HIV/AIDS Funds for Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, R37) for HIV/AIDS-related Research
LOI Receipt Date: April 7, 2010
Application Due Date: May 7, 2010

Yet another unique offering with ARRA funds … this one a little less extravagant:

NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet) Short-term Mentored Career Development Awards in the Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences for Mid-career and Senior Investigators (K18)

Letters of Intent Receipt Date: January 20, 2010.
Application Due Date: February 18, 2010

Two categories of candidates are targeted: (a) biomedical or clinical researchers with little experience in basic behavioral and social sciences research (b-BSSR) who seek training with a well established b-BSSR investigator in order to explore the introduction of b-BSSR into their research programs; and (b) investigators in the basic or applied behavioral and social sciences who wish to build new components or domains of basic-BSSR into their research programs.

Candidates must identify one or more mentors with extensive research experience in an appropriate domain or discipline, who are well-qualified and willing to sponsor the short term research career development experience. It is expected that the proposed career development plan will represent a novel extension of the research of the candidate. In most cases, the candidate and the proposed host laboratory/research program will not have any previous research collaborations, but candidates may propose such arrangements with justification as to why this program will facilitate career development that could not be achieved solely through a research grant mechanism.

• Funding may be requested for between 3-12 months.
• Budget proposals are limited to $50,000 per year for research support. These funds may be used to cover the cost of tuition, technical support, personnel consultant fees for mentor, travel and housing at a host institution, but not living expenses.
• All candidates must devote a minimum of 25% but no greater than 50% of full-time professional effort. The total salary provided by the award will be prorated based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment and the support period requested, up to the maximum legislated salary level.
• This program will provide up to $20,000 in direct costs for research development support to cover career enhancement training experiences, such as tuition and fees for short-term courses, consultant fees, travel to scientific meetings, and research related costs, primarily supplies and technical services. The award will also provide fringe benefits on the calculated base salary at the established institutional rate.

Program officers for this trans-NIH initiative are listed by participating IC.

So here’s how NIDDK decided to spend some of their ARRA money …

Research On Biosamples From Selected Diabetes Clinical Studies (RC4)

LOI Receipt Date: February 10, 2010
Application Due Date: March 11, 2010

Total costs cannot exceed $400K over a 2-year project period … NIDDK anticipates making 5-10 awards … 6-p Research Strategy narrative with special instructions for the Approach section

The goal of this activity is to provide a mechanism for funding to investigators for laboratory tests on non-renewable (non-DNA) samples generated by selected studies and clinical trials (see RFA for list & details on each – advance approval needed from some consortiums). Funding or access to samples will not be provided for assay development or exploratory animal models research, or any research utilizing samples other than those that derive from the listed studies. Investigators should propose to test scientifically meritorious hypotheses related to the clinical trial’s goals and within the intent of the signed consent form for each study or trial. Applications should explain in what ways the study is meritorious, the assay technique is validated, and that the laboratory is able to carry out the assays with the highest quality standards. Applicants for consortium-controlled samples must provide their requests for access to samples approved in writing and documentation received at the NIDDK Review branch at least 2 weeks prior to the review date. In the case of consortium controlled samples, successful applications will be clearly collaborative, with scientific input from the clinical consortium’s clinical or laboratory scientists and biostatisticians. Applicants must explain how the proposed research will take advantage of the associated clinical and phenotypic data, and why the proposed research specifically requires samples from the selected trial or clinical study.

Contact the appropriate program officer for the selected parent study

NIH Director’s Opportunity for Research in Five Thematic Areas (RC4)

NIH-wide

LOI Due Date: February 15, 2010
Application Due Date: March 15, 2010

This program will support projects that address research endeavors in specific areas that will benefit from significant 3-year funds (at least $1.5M in total costs) without the expectation of continued NIH funding beyond this period. The research supported by the program should have high short-term impact, and a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health, and health care delivery. ($80M committed)

Applicants must propose (customized 12-p Research Strategy) to develop and implement critical research innovations in one or more of these 5 thematic areas:

Applying Genomics and Other High Throughput Technologies
Translating Basic Science Discoveries into New and Better Treatments
Using Science to Enable Health Care Reform
Focusing on Global Health
Reinvigorating the Biomedical Research Community

Program officers listed by participating IC.

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Methodology Development in Comparative Effectiveness Research (RC4)

NHLBI, NCI, NIBIB, NIDDK, NINDS, NLM, NIA, NIAAA

No LOI, Application Due Date: February 26, 2010

Total costs cannot exceed $1.5M for 3-year project period … 6-7 awards to be made … standard 12-p Research Strategy

This FOA solicits applications for projects proposing innovative approaches to enhance, develop, or evaluate methodologies to improve the efficiency, validity, and credibility of CER studies. Broad areas of methodology research include (but are not limited to) control for confounding and bias in observational studies, systematic combination of data from randomized and observational studies to streamline comparative assessments, linkage and use large amounts of data derived from practice-based warehouses, health economics, decision analysis, altered treatment effects in the setting of multiple comorbidities, value-of-information research and CER simulations, robust sub-group or personalized treatment interactions, rapid roll-out of observational studies and pragmatic trials within integrated health care systems or existing large-scale registries, use of Internet platforms to perform mega-randomized trials at low cost, and innovative approaches for rapid and efficient design, implementation, and completion of large-scale pragmatic trials and implementation studies, including Bayesian, adaptive, and cluster designs.

When appropriate, this FOA encourages investigators to produce publicly available CER tools, such as software, computerized trial algorithms, and web tools for study management.

Scientific/Research Contact:
Michael S. Lauer, MD
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, NHLBI
Telephone: (301) 435-0422
Email: lauerm@nhlbi.nih.gov

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Comparative Effectiveness Research on Upper Endoscopy in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Eradication Methods for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Dementia Detection and Management Strategies (RC4)

NIA, NIAID, NIDDK, NIMH

No LOI, Application Due Date: February 26, 2010

Total costs cannot exceed $1.25M for a 3-year project period … 3-4 awards are expected per research area … standard 12-p Research Strategy narrative

This FOA solicits applications for small, 3-year projects proposing analyses of archival or administrative datasets, pilot clinical trials, observational studies, planning of future definitive research protocols, building of research networks or registries, or demonstration projects from multidisciplinary teams with relevant expertise to conduct CER studies of upper endoscopy in GERD, MRSA eradication methods, or dementia detection and management strategies. The research proposed must address the IOM recommendation for studies in the selected area. (more details on each in RFA)

Program contacts by research area

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Behavioral Economics for Nudging the Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Research: Pilot Research (RC4)

AHRQ, NIA, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, NIDA

No LOI, Application Due Date: March 19, 2010

Total costs cannot exceed $1.25M for the 3-year project period … 4-5 awards are anticipated … standard 12-p Research Strategy narrative

This FOA solicits applications for pilot clinical trials, observational studies, or demonstration projects from multidisciplinary teams with relevant expertise in behavioral economics, psychology, and health services targeting the uptake of specific, previously identified CER. Broad areas of problematic uptake include (but are not limited to) the prescription of comparatively more effective medications or procedures where not directly counter-indicated, failures to schedule or execute indicated screening tests (which also clearly have a patient component), inadequate post-procedure follow-up assessment, failure to adopt education programs to educate patients about effective options (such as smoking cessation after AMI, weight loss programs for the obese, etc.), failure to use new management technologies (such as electronic medical records), and failure to adopt new training methods (such as surgery simulators, residents working past the recommended 16-hour limit for shifts without naps, etc.). Applicants must provide a rationale for the specific behavioral economic methods they propose to evaluate, and demonstrate how they differ from currently implemented P4P methods.

Scientific/Research Contacts:

Jonathan W. King, Ph.D.
Division of Behavioral and Social Research, NIA
Telephone: (301) 402-4156
Email: kingjo@nia.nih.gov

Bill Encinosa, Ph.D.
Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets, AHRQ
Telephone: 301-427-1437
Email: William.encinosa@ahrq.hhs.gov

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Behavioral Economics for Nudging the Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Research: Clinical Trials (RC4)

AHRQ, NIA, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, NIDA

No LOI, Application Due Date: April 7, 2010

Total costs cannot exceed $7.5M for the 3-year project period … 2 awards are anticipated … standard 12-p Research Strategy narrative

This FOA solicits applications for large-scale, multi-site, 3-year projects proposing randomized clinical trials (RCTs), cluster randomized trials (CRTs), or other robust randomized trial designs from multidisciplinary teams with relevant expertise in behavioral economics, psychology, epidemiology, clinical and health services research targeting the uptake of specific, previously identified CER. Broad areas of problematic uptake include (but are not limited to) the prescription of comparatively more effective medications or procedures where not directly counter-indicated, failures to schedule or execute indicated screening tests (which also clearly have a patient component), inadequate post-procedure follow-up assessment, failure to adopt education programs to educate patients about effective options (such as smoking cessation after AMI, weight loss programs for the obese, etc.), failure to use new management technologies (such as electronic medical records), and failure to adopt new training methods (such as surgery simulators, residents working past the recommended 16-hour limit for shifts without naps, etc.). Applicants must provide a rationale for the specific behavioral economic methods they propose to evaluate, and demonstrate how they differ from currently implemented P4P methods.

Scientific/Research Contacts:

Jonathan W. King, Ph.D.
Division of Behavioral and Social Research, NIA
Telephone: (301) 402-4156
Email: kingjo@nia.nih.gov

Bill Encinosa, Ph.D.
Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets, AHRQ
Telephone: 301-427-1437
Email: William.encinosa@ahrq.hhs.gov

Recovery Act 2009 Limited Competition: Expansion of Research Capability to Study Comparative Effectiveness in Complex Patients (R24)

No LOI
Application Receipt Date: January 20, 2010

The total costs cannot exceed $1M per award. Funding may be sought for up to 2 years. The anticipated number of awards is 12.

AHRQ is soliciting grant applications from applicant organizations that propose to build or enhance partnerships, datasets and methodologies that will increase the capacity of high quality epidemiologic and comparative effectiveness research to be done that will inform the health system of the future in its ability to care for people of all backgrounds with multiple chronic illnesses (referred to as Complex Patients). The Research Plan component of the application may not exceed 35 pages, including up to 25 pages to describe the infrastructure and up to 10 pages to describe the small research project.

Mary Barton, M.D.
Center for Primary Care, Prevention and Clinical Partnerships, AHRQ
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Telephone: (301) 427-1638
Mary.Barton@ahrq.hhs.gov