R21 Funding Opportunities at the NIH : Minority Serving Institutions and small schools Avrom Caplan, PhD Associate University Dean for Rese

Funding Opportunities at the NIH :  
Minority Serving Institutions  
and small schools  
 
 
 
 

Avrom Caplan, PhD

Associate University Dean for Research

The City University of New York 
 

www.cuny.edu/research

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute

on Alcohol Abuse

and Alcoholism 

National Institute

of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal

and Skin Diseases 

National Cancer

Institute 

National Institute

on Drug Abuse 

National Institute

of Environmental

Health Sciences 

National Institute

on Aging 

National Institute

of Child Health

and Human

Development 

National Institute on

Deafness and Other

Communication

Disorders 

National Eye

Institute 

National Human

Genome Research

Institute 

National Institute

of Mental Health 

National Institute

of Neurological

Disorders and

Stroke 

National Institute

of General

Medical Sciences 

National Institute

of Nursing Research 

National Library

of Medicine 

Center for

Scientific Review 

National Center

for Complementary

and Alternative

Medicine 

National Institute

of Allergy and

Infectious Diseases 

Fogarty

International

Center 

National Center

for Research

Resources 

 

Clinical Center 
 

National Center on

Minority Health and

Health Disparities 

National Institute of

Biomedical Imaging

and Bioengineering 

Office of the Director 

Center for

Information

Technology 

National Heart,

Lung, and Blood

Institute 

National Institute

of Dental and

Craniofacial

Research 

National Institute

of Diabetes and

Digestive and

Kidney Diseases

MBRS – minority biomedical research support 

• SCORE – faculty support for biomedical and  behavioral research – 3 different mechanisms for support, with each funding 25-35 new applications annually.  

• RISE – progam for student support – for all students at an MSI  

• IMSD – progam for student support  

• MARC – progam for honors student support – for URMS

MBRS – minority biomedical research support  
Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) 

• developmental program to enhance undergraduate research at an MSI 

• goal is to increase number of  UR minority students advancing to PhD in biomedical and behavioral research. Also, the goal is to ensure that master’s students go onto PhD and for PhD students to graduate 

• one RISE grant  per institution 

• expected to include salary support for undergraduates and plans for curricula enhancement; rcr training etc; rennovation (limited)

MBRS – minority biomedical research support  
Initiative for maximizing student development (IMSD) 

• similar to RISE but don’t have to be MSI 

•  

• one IMSD grant  per institution (can’t have RISE and IMSD) 

• expected to include salary support for undergraduates and plans for curricula enhancement; rcr training etc; rennovation (limited) 

The program offers an opportunity to develop new or expand existing effective academic developmental programs, including student research internships, in order to prepare students from underrepresented groups for competitive research careers and leadership positions in the biomedical or behavioral sciences.

SCORE PROGRAM 

http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Minority/MBRS/SCOREDescription.htm 

• Review is by special emphasis panels rather than  standing study sections.

      No specific payline  
 

• 25 grant maximum per institution; only full time faculty can apply 

• must include developmental objective of the grant will increase research  competitiveness as part of biosketch including plans for transition to R-type  funding. 

• application dates are: Jan 25, May 25 and Sept 25  

• Chief MBRS branch is Hinda Zlotnik – 301 594 3900; zlotnikh@mnigms.nih.gov

SCORE PROGRAM – SC1 

SC1  – RO1-like; 12 page research strategy; up to 5 years; 125-250K/yr. 
 

Collaboration with RO1 funded investigators encouraged 

Only 1 PI and 1 renewal application allowed (ie 10 years) 

Postdocs are allowed on SC1 but not SC2 or SC3 

No student stipends; tuition or journal subscriptions 
 
 
 

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-026.html

SCORE PROGRAM – SC2 – for early investigators 

SC2  – testing new idea; preliminary data; switching to a new field.  3 yr max; 50K-100K/yr w/300K max. No renewal. 6 page research strategy 

You need a mentor for SC2 – mentor activities must be described 

Only 1 PI; no preliminary data needed…. 
 

No postdocs; student stipends; tuition or journal subscriptions 
 
 
 

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-027.html

SCORE PROGRAM – SC3 

SC3  – seek to continue competitive research of limited scope encouraged to participate in collaborations w/RO1 funded scientists. 

renewable (developmental – no Co-Pis).  

4 yrs @ 50K- 75K  

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-028.html

Academic Research Enhancement  Award - AREA (R15)

Must have less than $6 million in support in 4 out of the last 7 years 

• Biomedical and Behavioral research

• expose undergraduate students to research

• improve research environment at the college 

• research grant not a training grant

      - describe student activities; student profiles – put these  in environment and budget justification sections 

• 3 yrs,  $300,000 total; 12 page

• due dates are Feb. 25, June 25 and Oct. 25

• preliminary data not required but recommended

• letter of institutional support is a benefit

• multiple PIs; renewable

• reviewed in regular study section – payline ~19%

The New Research Strategy

(the old Research Plan) 

Specific aims  1 page

Research Strategy 12 pages for R01

      - Significance, Innovation and Approach 

How to write a 12 page grant 

• Significance needs to describe what will be the result of the research assuming everything works – what is the NIH buying?
• Half a page??

• Innovation must described what’s new? 
  

• Approach – put background into the intro  to each aim; needs to include preliminary data 
  

 

Formatted Reviewer Critiques

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

Significance  

Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in  

the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge,  

technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful  

completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments,  

services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

Innovation 

 Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical

practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or

methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts,

approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to

one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement,

improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or

methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

Approach 

Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and

appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential

problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If

the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish

feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?  

If the project  involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects  from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

 Investigator(s) 

Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the

project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early

stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and

training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of

accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is

collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and

integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and

organizational structure appropriate for the project? 

You can address this in your personal statement for the Biosketch

NIH biosketch 

Personal statement. Briefly describe why your experience and qualifications make you particularly well-suited for your role (e.g., PD/PI, mentor) in the project that is the subject of the application.

NIH encourages applicants to limit the list of selected peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press to no more than 15. Do not include manuscripts submitted or in preparation. The individual may choose to include selected publications based on recent, importance to the field, and/or relevance to the proposed research  

NIH biosketch 

Nih now wants a PubMed central reference number if publication was financed by prior NIH support

NIH biosketch 

Research Support. List both selected ongoing and completed research projects for the past three years (Federal or non-Federally-supported). Begin with the projects that are most relevant to the research proposed in the application. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and responsibilities of the key person identified on the Biographical Sketch. Do not include number of person months or direct costs.  

Do not confuse "Research Support" with "Other Support." Though they sound similar, these parts of the application are distinctly different. As part of the biosketch section of the application, "Research Support" highlights your accomplishments, and those of your colleagues, as scientists.

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

 Environment.  

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to

the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and

other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the

project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the

scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? 

Scientific environment: your colleagues – what is the culture in which you work?

      - how interactive is your department; division

      - what is the level of funding?

      - physical environment  

Unique features: John Jay ???

This information is used to assess the capability of the organizational resources available to perform the effort proposed.  

• Identify the facilities to be used (laboratory, clinical, animal, computer, office, other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity and extent of availability to the project. Describe only those resources that are directly applicable to the proposed work. Provide any information describing the Other Resources available to the project (e.g., machine shop, electronic shop) and the extent to which they would be available to the project.  
 

Resources Page 

This part is easy….

 

• Describe how the scientific environment in which the research will be done contributes to the probability of success (e.g., institutional support, physical resources, and intellectual rapport). In describing the scientific environment in which the work will be done, discuss ways in which the proposed studies will benefit from unique features of the scientific environment or subject populations or will employ useful collaborative arrangements. 

  

• For Early Stage Investigators, describe institutional investment in the success of the investigator, e.g., resources for classes, travel, training; collegial support such as career enrichment programs, assistance and guidance in the supervision of trainees involved with the ESIs project, and availability of organized peer groups; logistical support such as administrative management and oversight and best practices training; and financial support such as protected time for research with salary support.  
 
 
 

Resources Page

Resources Page  

institutional support:

      - space and arrangement of labs.

      - how many other funded labs

 

physical resources:

      - what core facilities are available to you at  your college and at CUNY as a whole?

      - include RCMI resources 

intellectual rapport:

      - how many scientists working in your field are in your department?

      - how do you interact (seminars/lab mtgs)

      - how about across CUNY?

 

 

•  SCORE instructions:

Institutions with well developed environments for the conduct of research and/or research training and significant support from NIH RO1 or equivalent are generally not suitable applicants for the SCORE program. 

  

• RO1 instructions:

Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed?  Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?  
 
 
 

Resources Page  

The SCORE and RO1 instructions seem mutually exclusive…?

Formatted Reviewer Critiques

Overall Evaluation/Impact*

• Based upon consideration of the 5 core review criteria (& any additional pertinent review criteria), reviewers provide an overall impact statement and score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved.
• An application need not be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact.  (For example, a project may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative, but is essential to move a field forward, or improve clinical decisions or outcomes).

*It IS NOT the mean score of the the other 5 criteria 

NIH grants: Review Criteria

NIH grants: Review Criteria 

• Overall impact
• Core review criteria

    - Significance – assumes all aims achieved

    - Investigator – that means you!

    - Innovation  - so whats new?

    - Approach – finally, the science itself

    - Environment – that means your dept., college and CUNY 

These apply to RO1, R21, RO3, SC1, SC2 and SC3