Core Center Grant Focused on Supporting-Recruiting New Investigators

March 24, 2009 at 6:22 pm · Filed under Biomedical Research Ethics, Funding Opportunities, NIH Advice

LATEST UPDATE: The NIH released the replacement ARRA P30 RFA, which is summarized above.

A P30 application with a 12-page research narrative …

Biomedical Research Core Centers to Enhance Research Resources (P30)
LOI due April 18, applications due May 18

NCI, NHLBI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAMS, NIBIB, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDA, NIGMS, NIMH, NINDS, NINR, NCCAM
Contact info and details for each available tomorrow at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/contacts/RFA-OD-09-005_contacts.htm

The number of applications permitted per institution/organization varies among participating ICs (so be sure to check your institutional limited submission policy). Please be aware that the PI needs to be an Associate Dean/Director for Research or a faculty member at the Full Professor level or equivalent (e.g., Department Chair/Division Chief).

Approximately $100 million of ARRA funds will be obligated to this Core Center Grant program. Budgets will vary by IC, though all will be limited to 2 years of support. The highest program priority will be given to applications that confirm an institutional commitment to provide at least 2 additional years of support after the end of the award. The application should include letters of commitment from appropriate institutional officials describing the recruitment and appointment goals within the context of the FOA requirements and detailing the specific resources that the institution is willing to provide.

The emphasis is on recruiting and supporting new investigators (versus supporting currently funded PIs):

The Core Center should include shared resources for conducting appropriate research projects. These shared resources include salaries and start-up packages for new investigators, supplies and equipment.

That 12-page research plan must address the following:

• Describe the existing research infrastructure and environment at the applicant institution, including human resources (e.g., researchers and support personnel), equipment, physical structure, space layout, and shared resources available to be incorporated into the Core Center, and how this award would contribute to building a community of interdisciplinary researchers focusing on a common research problem.
• Identify the specific research problem to be addressed, or the area(s) of research to be enhanced, by the Core Center, and the rationale for its selection.
• Describe a plan for selecting, developing and conducting research projects that are relevant to the research mission of the Core Center. Criteria for selection of research projects conducted within the Core Center must be included in the application. Note that all research conducted by investigators supported by NIH through this program must be conducted in compliance with all current Federal and NIH regulations, guidance, and policies, even if non-NIH funding is used for the project.
• Describe the qualifications of new investigator(s) who would be recruited into the Core Center, and how such investigator(s) would help to strengthen or expand the scientific capacity of the proposed Center.
• Describe the plans/strategies for recruiting new faculty within the specified area(s) of research or for promoting non-tenured postdoctoral fellows/faculty to tenure-track faculty positions within the Core Center. Note that the NIH encourages the participation of individuals from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, NIH supports the development of a diverse scientific workforce.
• For the specified area(s) of research or research expertise, provide a description of existing collaborative research activities or existing relationships between the applicant institution and other components of the institution/organization. If the applicant institution is not part of an academic health center or university, describe relevant collaborative activities with other institutions. Describe how these separate components will collaborate in the research activities of the Core Center, and how they will collaborate in the recruitment and hiring of new faculty.
• Describe how participation by newly-independent investigators in Core Center research projects will foster development of their academic research careers, and lead towards applications for future independent research project grants to further the mission of the Core Center.
• Describe faculty development plans for the newly-hired/promoted tenure-track investigators. Provide detailed plans for assessing and monitoring the annual progress of the faculty member(s) hired and supported through this award. Describe any additional plans for ensuring the success and retention of these faculty members as productive, independent investigators that can contribute to the scientific mission of the Core Center.
• Describe intra- and inter-institutional links and how the Center’s activities will assist in the development of cooperative linkages and partnerships across the academic health center, university or other collaborating institutions.
• Describe institutional commitment and plans for continuity of support for new investigators at the expiration of the award. Matching funds are not required. However, commitment of an appropriate level of institutional support is expected and the highest program priority will be given to applications that confirm an institutional commitment to provide at least two additional years of support after the end of the award.

Describe the plan for evaluating the overall success of the program, including:

• documenting improvements in the institution’s capability to conduct multidisciplinary research projects in the Core Center’s specified area of science;
• reporting the numbers of people hired, both new tenure-track faculty and support personnel/technicians employed as part of the start-up package(s);
• monitoring newly-hired investigators’ progress in relevant research projects;
• tracking faculty development activities, publications and independent research funding for new faculty members hired;
• documenting inter-institutional linkages made possible by the Core Center and the Center’s research projects; and
• describing each new faculty member’s use of existing institutional resources, e.g. core facilities, shared resources, to provide cost-savings for the investigator as well as promoting collaborative research efforts.

Finally:

In addition to the areas of scientific focus specified by the individual ICs, the NIH is also interested in receiving applications from institutions seeking to develop Core Centers for furthering research in the field of bioethics.

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