GUIDELINES
for
NCI Cancer Center Supplements
for High School and Undergraduate Student
Research Experiences (P30S)

Application Receipt Dates: October 1, February 1

INTRODUCTION

The Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch (CMBB) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has established a new strategy for increasing the number of underrepresented populations engaged in basic, clinical and population-based biomedical cancer research. This strategy is part of the Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Program for underrepresented minority populations. The program begins with introductory science experiences at the high school student level and continues progressively and selectively to the level of well-trained scientists conducting independent cancer research (http://minorityopportunities.nci.nih.gov). It is clear that the success of research designed to reduce the disproportionate burden of cancer incidence and mortality in many ethnic and racial groups will depend substantially on the presence of a cadre of culturally sensitive, well-trained scientists from these underrepresented populations.

The NCI invites NCI-supported Cancer Centers to participate in the CURE Program by submitting administrative supplements for placing promising high school and undergraduate students in peer-reviewed funded research programs that form the research base of the cancer center.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the P30 CURE supplement is to engage the scientific curiosity and promote the potential cancer research careers of promising young high school and undergraduate students and to take full advantage of the community outreach and research capabilities of NCI-supported Cancer Centers to. Ultimately, it is hoped that the cancer centers will develop and conduct successful programs for placing high school and undergraduate students in peer-reviewed, funded research environments, and become partners with the CMBB by providing these same individuals with continuing opportunities for becoming independent scientists in basic, clinical and population-based research.

The goal of this supplement initiative is to expose promising high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented populations to the excitement of state-of-the-art biomedical research in the basic, clinical and population sciences, and to actively promote careers of such individuals in cancer research through the opportunities available in the CURE program. These supplements would extend and expand on NCI's past Science Enrichment Program for high school and undergraduate students which was conducted in Bethesda some time ago by making it a nationwide program and by linking it to careers in cancer research. It is clear that exposing high school and undergraduate students to the biomedical sciences has not been achieved through the supplementation of individual research project grants. For the NCI, this program has only been successful in reaching individuals at the graduate, postdoctoral and investigator levels. By using supplements to P30s rather than R01s, a broad array of research projects can be accessed rapidly by the center in order to provide a far more efficient way to place large numbers of high school and undergraduate students in these research environments.

ELIGIBILITY

Any NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) (P30) is eligible to apply for this supplement. These supplements must be used for the sole purpose of providing research experiences for high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority populations. For CMBB purposes, a person is an underrepresented minority if he or she belongs to a particular ethnic and racial group that has been determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in cancer-related biomedical, behavioral, clinical or social science research. Underrepresented individuals are not limited to racial and ethnic minorities but can also include individuals, as selected by the institution, as underrepresented as cancer research, e.g. first generation college graduates, the economically disadvantaged, etc. Applications from institutions that are not NCI-supported cancer centers or applications not addressing an underrepresented group will be returned.

Candidates must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Noncitizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

High School students must be in good standing at their high schools and demonstrate a high aptitude and interest in science. Undergraduate students may be affiliated with the applicant institution or another academic institution and must be in good academic standing and demonstrate a high aptitude and interest in science.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The mechanism of support will be an administrative supplement to an active NCI Cancer Center Support Grant with the Center Director as the Principal Investigator. The maximum period of grant support that a center may request is five years. The maximum period of continuous support that any high school or undergraduate student receives may not exceed five successive years. The duration of an award for a supplement will be contingent upon the CCSG parent grant having sufficient time to complete the student research experience within the existing project period. Supplemental support cannot be approved for a period past the project period end date of the parent grant.

Candidates cannot receive concurrent salary support from any other PHS award while being supported by the P30 program.

Allowable costs

Costs are limited to partial salary and supplies (which may include recruitment and advertising costs) for the administrative coordinator of the program, and to salaries and supply costs for high school and undergraduate students. The annual salary for a high school or undergraduate student should not exceed the equivalent of the State or Institutional minimum wage. Part time costs are reimbursable at the same rate. Supply costs of up to $500 annually can be provided for each student. No equipment may be purchased with these funds.

Students are expected to devote a total of at least three months during any one year, which may include a full-time summer experience and/or part-time experience during the school year, at the cancer center. In most cases, the period of support for any individual should last at least two years. Exceptions to these requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Total direct costs for the program may not exceed $75,000 per year.

Additional resources invested in this program from non-Federal funds are encouraged (e.g., community organizations). However, other Federal funds can only be used to supplement this program if authorized by the agency from which the funds are derived.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Center Director ultimately is responsible for the conduct and success of the program. This would include the plans and strategies for assigning students to appropriate research environments and mentors, assuring that they are participating fully in the research activities, educating them about the problems and challenges of cancer, and exposing them to the excitement of the biomedical and behavioral sciences, proposing strategies to help the students successfully progress to the next stage of a cancer research career. Center Directors should seek trainees who will devote a minimum of two years to this program and who would remain in contact with the center and the CURE program with regard to career opportunities in biomedical and/or behavioral research.

SPECIFIC APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Applications for Cancer Center (P30) CURE supplements are to be submitted on either October 1 or February 1.

The PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/01) at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html are to be used in applying for these supplements. This version of the PHS 398 is available in an interactive, searchable PDF format. NIH will return applications that are not submitted on the 5/01 version. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 301/435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

A request for a minority supplement to a CCSG must be received on one of the two due dates (October 1, February 1). If an application is received after the specified due date, it will be held until the next review cycle. In making the request, the grantee institution, on behalf of the principal investigator, must submit the request for supplemental funds directly to the NCI. Please note that this procedure is different from the instructions in the PHS 398 application package. The applicant must be sure to state in line 2 of the face page that this is a "P30 CURE" supplement. The original and three (3) legible copies of the supplemental application should be sent to:

NCI Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Blvd., Room 8041, MSC-8329
Rockville, MD 20852 (express courier)
Bethesda MD 20892-8329

All applications should follow the format provided below:

1. A completed face page (with appropriate signatures) using Form Page 1 of PHS Form 398 (Rev. 05/01). Include the title and grant number of the parent grant on line 1 and in line 2 write "P30 CURE Supplement."
2. PHS Form 398 budget pages (Form Pages 4 and 5) for the current and future years. If a salaried coordinator for the program is included in the budget, the responsibilities and percent time should be described and well justified.
3. A brief narrative overview of the program, generally discussing how the program will work. Include a list of all key personnel who will serve a significant role in managing the program, whether salaried on this grant or not.
4. A list of the Cancer Center research projects of the cancer center members who have agreed to take part in the program should be provided. The list should include the grant number, title of the grant, the project period, and Principal Investigator. Preferably, the scientists who will participate in this program should represent the broad range of research interests of the center.
5. A description of how the selection of high schools agreeing to participate in the program will provide opportunities for underrepresented minority students that would not likely be realized without this program. Include letters from the high school principals stating their commitment to participate and the process that they will use in identifying underrepresented students who are in good academic standing and have a high aptitude for and an interest in science.
6. The criteria for selecting undergraduate schools that will participate. Include letters from appropriate academic leaders stating their commitment to participate and the process they will use in identifying underrepresented students who are in good academic standing and who have a high aptitude for and an interest in science.
7. A description of the plan proposed by the Center for assigning students to research groups and mentors.
8. A description of the process by which the Cancer Center will monitor the quality of the research experience, the performance of the student, and the performance of the mentor.
9. A description of the plans for establishing a tracking system that will provide a strategy to follow the students for up to five years after the student graduates from the program. The tracking system should include for each student, his/her name, home address, high school or college, information on race/ethnicity, research experience in the center, research group in the center, and time periods supported.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

The review of these supplemental applications will be conducted by staff of the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch and the Cancer Centers Branch of the NCI using the following review criteria:

1. The quality and breadth of the scientific projects/investigators that will form the basis for training of the underrepresented high school and undergraduate students in this program.
2. The experience and qualifications of the investigators as mentors who will participate in the program.
3. The effectiveness of the cancer center's partnership with the community to provide opportunities for underrepresented minority high school students and undergraduate students. The quality and effectiveness of the plans submitted by participating high schools and colleges for identifying the most promising and talented students.
4. The quality of the plan proposed by the center for assigning students to research groups.
5. The quality of the center's plans for monitoring the students' performances and the quality of the experiences being provided by the research groups.
6. The adequacy of the student tracking system both during and after the program for a period of up to five years after the student has left the program.
7. The potential effectiveness of the strategies proposed to help high school and undergraduate students successfully progress to the next stage of a career in cancer research.

FUNDING

Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications. Funding decisions may take approximately 3-4 months after receipt of a complete application. Funding will be provided as an administrative supplement to the CCSG up to the number of years remaining in the grant project period. Continued support for this supplement is contingent on the successful renewal of the Cancer Center Support Grant beyond the current project period. Requests for future years of support cannot exceed the parent grant project period.

NOTE

Students should be informed that their selection by the Center will automatically make them Members of the CURE program of the National Cancer Institute. This will entitle them to receive the CURE Newsletter and have access to the multiple activities aimed at facilitating the next steps of a career in cancer research. Information about the CURE program of the NCI is published on the web at http://minorityopportunities.nci.nih.gov.

CONTINUATION OF SUPPORT

A progress report and budget page on the supplement should be submitted in the non competing Cancer Center Support Grant application under a separate section entitled "P30 CURE" using the Non-Competing Continuation for Minority Supplements to NCI Cancer Center (P30) for Minority High School and Undergraduate Research Experiences form attached. This mechanism is excluded from the Streamlined Noncompeting Application Process (SNAP).

FINAL REPORT

At the end of the supplemental period, a final report should be submitted which includes a list of all past and present students, where each student is presently located (high school, college, graduate school, etc.), home address, telephone number, and whether they are currently supported by a research supplement, or other Federal support mechanism.

The final report should also include a summary of the plans for establishing a simple tracking system for each student that will provide tracking for up to five years after the student left the program. The original Final Progress Report should be sent to your Grants Management Specialist with a copy to Ms. Bobby Rosenfeld at the address listed below under the Inquiries section.

INQUIRIES

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues should be made to:

Ms. Bobby Rosenfeld
Senior Program Analyst
Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch
Office of Centers, Training and Resources
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Boulevard
Suite 7028, MSC 8350
Bethesda, MD 20892-8350
Rockville, MD 20852 (express/courier service)
Telephone: 301-496-7344
Fax: 301-402-4551
E-mail: rr63v@nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Ms. Barbara A. Fisher
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
Executive Plaza South, Room 243
6120 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 846-1015
FAX: (301) 846-5720
Email: bf18m@nih.gov