Release Date: June 23, 1998
PA NUMBER: PA-98-082
P.T.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
PURPOSE
Progress in several areas of biological science supported by the National
Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), is critically dependent on
the involvement of scientists with training in both traditional
quantitative disciplines (such as mathematics, physics, engineering, and
computer science) and biology. Therefore, the NIGMS is encouraging
applications for individual postdoctoral and senior fellowships from
highly qualified individuals with doctoral training in the above
quantitative areas who are seeking additional training in biological areas
congruent to the mission of NIGMS.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Individuals must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States,
or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent
residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card
I-551, or other legal verification of such status) at the time of
application. Noncitizen nationals are generally persons born in
possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).
Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Applicants
for individual postdoctoral fellowships must have completed all of the
requirements for the doctoral degree by the time of award. Applicants for
senior fellowships must have had at least seven years of relevant research
or professional experience beyond the doctoral degree. In addition, a
significant amount of retraining is required for senior fellowship
applicants. Applications from women, underrepresented minorities and
individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
This program announcement will use the postdoctoral (F32) and senior (F33)
fellowship mechanisms. The stipend levels for the individual postdoctoral
(F32) fellowships range from $21,000 to $33,012 depending on the number of
years of relevant experience subsequent to the award of the doctoral
degree. The stipend level for senior (F33) fellowships is $32,300 per
annum. NIH will provide an institutional allowance of $4,000 per 12-month
period to non-federal, non-profit sponsoring institutions to help defray
such awardee expenses as self-only health insurance, research supplies,
equipment, and travel to scientific meetings. The NIH will provide up to
$3,000 for fellows sponsored by Federal laboratories or for-profit
institutions for expenses associated with self-only health insurance,
travel to scientific meetings, and books. The NIH also will provide
additional funds to offset the combined cost of tuition and fees for
specific courses, which support the research training experience, at the
following rate: 100 percent of all costs up to $2,000 and 60 percent of
costs above $2,000. Individuals may receive up to three years of aggregate
NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of
support from institutional training grants and individual fellowship
awards
Recipients of National Research Service Awards are subject to payback
provisions. Details about this requirement and the policies governing
this program can be found in the National Research Service Awards
Guidelines (see NIH Home Page; URL is:
http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/f32.htm). Single copies are also
available from this office.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
NIGMS supports individual postdoctoral and senior fellowships in those
areas covered by its research grant portfolio. These areas include
biomedical engineering, cell biology, molecular biophysics, genetics and
developmental biology, pharmacology, physiology, especially burn and
trauma research and biological chemistry. More details can be found on
the NIGMS homepage at http://www.nih.gov/nigms. Progress in many of these
areas, for example, structural biology, bioinformatics, modeling of
complex and interacting systems, population genetics and evolution, would
benefit from including individuals with training in the quantitative
disciplines cited above. It is the objective of this announcement to
encourage applications from such individuals at either the beginning
postdoctoral on more senior levels. The individual postdoctoral
fellowship (F32) and senior fellowship (F33) mechanisms require that an
individual identify a mentor, and prepare a research application via the
normal mechanisms described below.
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and
their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and
behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and
compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of
the research. This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read
the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in
Clinical Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of
March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994.
NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN
RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of
21) must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or
supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not
to include them. This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications
submitted for receipt dates after October 1, 1998.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read
the "NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as
Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in
the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at
the following URL address:
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html
Investigators also may obtain copies of the policy from the program staff
listed under INQUIRIES. Program staff may also provide additional
relevant information concerning the policy.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 416-1
(rev. 8/95). Application kits are available from most institutional
offices of sponsored research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach
and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge
Drive, MSC 7910; Bethesda, MD 20892-7710, telephone (301) 435- 0714,
email: grantsinfo@nih.gov.
Applications for fellowships awards must include at least three sealed
letters of reference. Fellowships applications submitted without the
required number of reference letters will be considered incomplete and
will be returned without review.
All individual fellowship applications are on an expedited review
schedule. Receipt dates for applications are April 5, August 5, and
December 5 annually. The earliest dates that awards can be made are
November, January, and May, respectively.
The original and two copies of the application must be submitted to:
CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral
guidelines. Applications submitted in response to this program
announcement will be reviewed in accordance with the standard NIH peer
review procedures. The following factors are considered in the review of
fellowship applications: (1) the candidate's potential for a research
career; (2) the scientific or scholarly merit and training potential of
the research proposal; (3) the training environment and resources; and (4)
assessment of the value of the proposed fellowship experience. The second
level or review is performed by the appropriate oversight group of the NIH
awarding component.
AWARD CRITERIA
Applications will compete for available training funds with all other
approved fellowship applications. The following will be considered in
making funding decisions: Quality of the fellowship application as
determined by peer review, availability of funds, and program priority.
INQUIRIES
Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or
questions from potential applicants is welcome.
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
James C. Cassatt, Ph.D.
Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Building 45, Room Number 2AS19
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-0828
FAX: (301) 402-2004
Email: cassattj@nigms.nih.gov
James Anderson, Ph.D.
Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-0943
FAX: (301) 480-2228
Email: andersoj@nigms.nih.gov
Peter Preusch, Ph.D.
Division of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biological Chemistry
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5938
FAX (301) 480-2802
Email: preuschp@nigms.nih.gov
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
Ms. Carol Tippery
Grants Management Office
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5135
FAX: (301) 480-1969
Email: tipperyc@nigms.nih.gov
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
No. 93.821, 93.862, and 93.859. Awards are made under authorization of the
Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended
by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS
grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74.
This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements
of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.
The Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients
to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco
products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994,
prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of
a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care,
health care or early childhood development services are provided to
children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance
the physical and mental health of the American people.