|
|
|
|
GUIDELINES
for
Minority Supplements to the NCI Cancer Education and Career Development
Program (R25T)
|
| |
|
INTRODUCTION
The Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch (CMBB) of the National
Cancer Institute (NCI) has established a new strategy for increasing
the number of underrepresented minority populations engaged in basic,
clinical and population-based biomedical cancer research. This strategy
is called the Continuing Umbrella of Research
Experiences (CURE) Program for underrepresented minority
populations. This program begins with introductory science experiences
at the high school student level and continues progressively and
selectively to the production 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 Education and Career Development
grantees to participate in the CURE Program by submitting administrative
supplements to place minority predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates
in cancer prevention, control and population sciences research settings
that are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative.
|
| |
|
PURPOSE
The purpose of the R25T CURE supplement is to support the
development and implementation of curriculum-dependent programs
to train minority predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates in cancer
research settings that are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative.
The R25T program is particularly applicable to cancer prevention
and control, epidemiology, nutrition, and the behavioral and population
sciences. It may also be considered by other highly interdisciplinary
areas of research such as imaging and molecular pathology, that
will require sustained leadership, dedicated faculty time, specialized
curriculum development and implementation, interdisciplinary research
environments, and more than one mentor per program participant to
achieve their education and research career development objectives.
NIH recognizes the need to increase the number of underrepresented
minority scientists participating in biomedical and behavioral research.
The NCI is emphasizing the use of the administrative supplement
process to reach individuals from underrepresented populations interested
in cancer prevention, control, behavioral, and population sciences
research.
|
| |
|
ELIGIBILITY
Any NCI-supported Cancer Education and Career Development (R25T)
grantee focused on the training and career development of prevention,
control and population scientists is eligible to apply for this
supplement. These supplements must be used for the sole purpose
of including an individual from an underrepresented population in
the grant program. For CMBB purposes, a person is an underrepresented
minority if he or she belongs to a particular ethnic and/or 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 researchers,
e.g., first generation college graduates, socio-economically disadvantaged,
etc.
The minority supplement program is not intended to provide an alternative
means of supporting minority individuals who already receive support
from a research grant or a research training grant or any other
DHHS funding mechanism.
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 visas are not eligible.
Individuals NOT eligible for appointment to the R25T program include
former principal investigators on NIH research project grants (R01),
FIRST Awards (R29), sub-principal investigators of program project
(P01) or cancer center (P30) grants, and the equivalent. Former
principal investigators of NIH Small Grants (R03) or Exploratory/Developmental
Grants (R21) remain eligible.
|
| |
|
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The R25T CURE program uses administrative supplement to
an NCI R25T and provides for up to five years of funding for predoctoral
candidates and three years of funding for postdoctoral candidates
per project period. This supplement is not subject to the Just in
Time or the modular grant application procedures or the Streamlined
Noncompeting Application Process (SNAP). Expanded authorities are
in place, except that carry over funds from one fiscal year to the
next requires NCI approval.
Allowable costs
The NCI may provide support for salary and fringe benefits, supplies
and travel. The requested salary and fringe benefits must be in
accordance with the salary structure of the grantee institution,
consistent with the level of effort. For predoctoral appointees,
salaries of up to $20,000 per year plus fringe benefits may be paid.
For postdoctoral appointees, salaries of up to $75,000 per year
plus fringe benefits commensurate with the institutions full-time
salary scale for persons of equivalent qualifications, experience
and rank may be paid. In addition, up to $20,000 for predoctoral
and up to $30,000 for postdoctoral appointees, can be provided in
direct costs per year for research expenses such as supplies and
technical personnel; tuition, fees and books related to career development;
travel to research meetings and training; and statistical services
including personnel and computer time. The minority supplement funds
for this program may not be used to purchase equipment.
|
| |
|
SPECIFIC APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
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 for a Cancer Education and
Career Development (R25T) supplement may be submitted at any time.
In making requests, the grantee institution, on behalf of the principal
investigator of the parent grant, 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 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 applicants should follow the format provided below:
- A completed face page using Format Page 1 of PHS Form 398. Include
the title and grant number of the parent grant on line 1 and in
line 2 write "R25T CURE Supplement."
- PHS Form 398 budget pages (Form Pages 4 and 5) for the current
and future years.
- A biographical sketch of the candidate (using the Biographical
Sketch Format Page) including background and achievements to date.
- A biographical sketch of the mentor(s) who will be responsible
for the candidate.
A brief description of the experience proposed for the candidate
in education, training, and career development. The institution
must provide, in accordance with the purpose of the R25T program
(PAR-00-064), wide access to multiple scientific disciplines and
methodologies; involve mentors from more than one discipline; and
tailor the experience to meet the individual candidate's education
and training needs.
|
| |
|
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
The review of these supplemental applications will be conducted
by staff of the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch and the
Cancer Training Branch of the NCI using the following review criteria:
The quality of the candidate's background and achievements at his/her
current level of career development.
The degree to which the proposed core education curriculum and
the development and implementation curriculum have been linked to
the purpose and objectives of the program.
The type of didactic experiences to be provided to the candidate.
The quality and breadth of the overall training and education plan
for the candidate over the entire period of training.
|
| |
|
FUNDING
Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved
applications. The applications will be rated and the ones ranked
the highest will be funded by the NCI. Funding decisions may take
approximately 3-4 months from receipt of a complete application.
It is expected that three to six positions will be funded each fiscal
year. Funding will be provided as an administrative supplement to
the parent grant; however continued funding for the supplement is
contingent upon successful progress of the minority investigator
and continued funding of the parent grant. Requests for future years
of support cannot exceed the parent grant project period.
NOTE
Trainees should be informed that their selection for this supplement
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 future 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-competitive NCI Cancer Education and Career Development
Program (R25T) application under a separate section entitled "R25T
CURE" using the Non-Competitive
Continuation for Minority Supplements for NCI Cancer Education and
Career Development Program (R25T) form attached. The NCI has
removed this mechanism from the Streamlined Noncompeting Application
Process (SNAP).
|
| |
FINAL REPORT
At the end of the supplement period, the Principal Investigator
must provide a final progress report which includes 1) name and
ethnicity of the appointee, 2) narrative description of the specific
research accomplishments, and 3) future direction of the minority
individual. The original of the final progress report should be
sent to your Grants Management Specialist and a copy sent to Ms.
Bobby Rosenfeld at the address listed below under the Inquiries
section.
|
| |
|
INQUIRIES
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues 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
E-mail: bf18m@nih.gov
|
| |
|
