ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

FY2006 Guidelines and Information for Applicants

(Revised 1/4/2006 - supercedes all previous versions)

PURPOSE

The Division of Cancer Biology (DCB) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announces for fiscal year 2006 the opportunity to seek supplemental funding for existing DCB-funded research projects to support and encourage multidisciplinary scientific collaboration among DCB grantees, as well as with other members of the scientific community. This initiative known as the Activities to Promote Research Collaborations (APRC) can support novel collaborative activities in cancer biology that bring together new ideas and approaches from disparate scientific disciplines. It is essential, however, that proposed APRC activities be within the overall scope of the parent DCB grant.

The APRC program provides funding support for two specific types of collaborative activities: (1) Consortia, and (2) Exploratory Meetings/Workshops. Before submitting an application for a collaborative activity, all grantees must call their DCB Program Director to discuss the planned application.

This document describes the: (1) types of administrative mechanisms available to promote research collaborations under this program, (2) eligibility requirements, (3) review considerations and criteria, (4) application procedures, (5) post-award requirement for grantees who are awarded APRC supplements, (6) application deadline, (7) mailing address, and (8) contact information for inquiries.

BACKGROUND

The DCB supports research that enhances our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of cancers. DCB supports and funds grants in basic cancer cell biology, tumor biology and metastasis, cancer immunology and hematology, cancer etiology (including chemical & physical carcinogenesis, and viral carcinogenesis), mechanisms underlying DNA and chromosome aberrations, and structural biology and technology development.

Many of the most novel and exciting advances in cancer biology derive from the synthesis of previously disparate fields of research. For such advances to be made, it is necessary for researchers with varying interests (possibly in differing fields) to initiate collaborative research interactions. Through the APRC program, DCB can provide administrative supplements to DCB grantees for such interactions.

Examples and/or descriptions:

· Collaborations that allow the participants to move into new and important areas of cancer research

· Collaborations that include expertise from other fields, and thereby have the potential to expand the pool of talented scientists working in cancer biology

· Collaborations that bring a novel approach to an important area of cancer biology

ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISMS FOR PROMOTING RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

Two types of activity are eligible for support under the APRC program (a combination of the two types is not acceptable).

1. Research Consortia

One approach to supporting multidisciplinary research collaboration is the establishment of new research consortia among investigators in complementary fields in developing or rapidly moving areas of cancer research. Typically, APRC consortia are composed of 2-5 investigators focused on achieving specific research objectives by pooling their respective expertise and efforts. The APRC consortium will carry out joint research that would not be possible to conduct expeditiously, if at all, in the absence of these collaborators and this additional funding support.

The collaborative research project must be within the general scope of the PI’s DCB-funded grant and cannot be duplicative of any active or previously funded research topic for any of the consortium members.

Important: The collaborative research project proposed must be NEW. Collaborators with prior history of collaboration (including publications) in the past 5 years are not eligible as individual (separate) collaborating units. If collaboration has occurred within 5 years, these particular collaborators will be considered a single (combined) collaborating unit. In this instance, another collaborator or collaborating unit is required for APRC eligibility.

· The maximum total direct costs allowed for a collaborating unit within a consortia is $40,000 per year.

· The maximum combined consortium direct cost is $120,000 per year, regardless of the number of collaborators or collaborating units

2. Exploratory meetings/workshops

Another approach to establishing collaborations is through exploratory meetings/workshops that bring together investigators from a broad range of fields to discuss and develop new insights, paradigms, reagents, or technologies that will move a field forward in a different direction, establish a new field, and/or address unique research opportunities or controversial topics. The desired goal of such activities would be the initiation of new collaborations that had not been previously considered.

· Typically, APRC exploratory meetings/workshops are composed of 5-20 participating investigators.

The PI must have at least two (2) collaborating investigators for this program and all must be involved in developing and conducting the meeting.

· The maximum direct costs allowed for an exploratory meeting/workshop is $25,000.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Only researchers with active DCB-funded grants may submit and be the PI of an APRC application.
The PI must have an active R01, R37, P01, U54/U56 (but must be a new collaboration outside of the ICBP), Phased Innovation Award (combined R21/R33), Phase II SBIR (R44), or Phase II STTR (R42) grant with at least one full year remaining at the time of anticipated funding (May 1, 2006).
All members of the consortium must have active research funding support at the time of APRC funding, but it may be from other peer-reviewed sources.
Investigators may come from the same or different departments within an institution, or from different institutions.
Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate in this opportunity for APRC supplemental support.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS AND CRITERIA

DCB program staff will conduct the review. The number of awards and level of support will depend on the number and diversity of meritorious applications received. Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

· The importance of the specific questions to be asked and the potential benefit to cancer research

· The novelty or uniqueness of the opportunity presented by the proposed activity

· The novelty or uniqueness of the collaboration, and the extent to which disparate scientific disciplines are represented within the collaboration

Proposed activities should also demonstrate:

· Additional value to the underlying funded research (parent grant) of the PI and the collaborating investigators

· Sound experimental design

· Realistic scope of work, given the time and budget requested

General (all applications must include the following)

(1) Cover letter – Identify the eligible parent grant(s). Specify type of APRC application (consortia or exploratory workshop/meeting). Provide an APRC title (must be different from that of the parent grant). The cover letter must be signed by the PI, collaborating investigators at the same institution as the PI, and the appropriate official from the parent grantee institution.

(2) PHS Form Page 1 (Face Page)

(3) PHS Form Page 2 (Abstract and Key Personnel) – Include the specific aims, objectives, and projected outcomes.

(4) Summary of Each Collaborator’s Specific Contributions – [1 page total for all collaborators combined] Specify the contribution to the research project or role in developing the exploratory meeting/workshop.

(5) PHS Biographical Sketch Format Page – Each collaborator

(6) PHS Other Support Format Page – Documentation of active research grant funding (i.e., NIH, other federal, private sources, etc.) for all collaborating investigators.

(7) PHS Form Page 4 (Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period)

Budget Specifications

a. All APRC funding will be in the form of administrative supplements to existing DCB funded research grants. Generally, a single supplement is written to the parent grant.

b. The institution may subcontract to the outside collaborators.

c. Funding is limited to the life of the PI’s current grant. At least one full year must remain on the parent grant at the time of APRC funding; two full years for two-year requests. No-cost extensions on the parent grants to accommodate lengthier APRC supplements request will not be permitted.

d. Consortia requests should be for 12-24 months. Requests for longer periods will not be considered.

e. A detailed budget explanation and justification must be included in the application with each year’s budget clearly detailed. Include justified budgets for each collaborating unit.

f. Facilities and Administrative costs (indirect costs) are permitted at the grantee institution’s current negotiated rate. These must be clearly annotated.

g. APRC supplements are not subject to the modular grants requirements.

h. PI and collaborator’s salary support is not permitted.

(8) PHS Form Page 5 (Budget for Entire Proposed Period of Support) – Entire consortia or exploratory/meeting/workshop.

(9) Relationship to Parent Grant – [1 page maximum] Describe how the consortia research project or exploratory meeting/workshop relates to the parent grant.

(10) Research Plan/Meeting Plan [strictly limited to 5 typed pages; see specific sections below for research consortia and exploratory meetings/workshops] – Appendices and supplemental material will not be accepted.

(11) Literature cited

Research Consortia (only)

· Letters of Intent to Collaborate – Provide a letter for each collaborating investigator located at an institution different from that of the PI, cosigned by the appropriate official from that institution.

· Research project plan (5 pages total):

(1) Specific aims, background, and significance (not to exceed 2 pages).

(2) Preliminary studies and experimental design (not to exceed 3 pages). Experimental design must be presented in adequate detail to allow scientific evaluation of the feasibility.

· Budgets – Synchronize budgets to the parent grant and prorate as necessary. For example, if the APRC supplement is approved for 24 months, the parent grant has a budget period starting February 1^st, and the prescribed APRC funding start date is May 1^st, then the budget must be illustrated as follows for a total of 24 months:

Current fiscal year remaining = 9 months (May 1– January 31)

Next Fiscal year = 12 months (February 1 – January 31)

Following fiscal year = 3 months (February 1 – April 30)

If there is less than 3 months remaining on the parent grant’s current year at the time of APRC funding, APRC funding will be delayed to synchronize with the anniversary date of the parent grant. For example, if the APRC supplement is approved for 24 months, the parent grant has a budget period starting July 1^st, and the prescribed APRC funding start date is May 1^st, then the budget must be structured as illustrated in the following example:

First full fiscal year = 12 months (July 1 – June 30)

Next fiscal year = 12 months (July 1 – June 30)

· All human and animal studies must receive the appropriate IRB or IACUC review and approval prior to funding authorization for the APRC supplement. Verification of this approval must be sent to your DCB Program Director. Note that since APRC-funded projects are supplemental to existing projects and within the scope of those studies, modifications to assurance approvals are usually all that are needed.

Exploratory Meetings/Workshops (only)

· Meeting/workshop plan (5 pages total):

(1) Description of the proposed activity and what will be accomplished (i.e., bringing together potential collaborators working in disparate fields of science, attempt to resolve controversial issues, etc.)

(2) Description of the scientific areas to be addressed and the potential collaborations that might be formed

· Proposed skeletal agenda (2 pages maximum)

· A list of proposed participants and their institutional affiliations

· Letters of collaborative support from at least two (2) investigators who are attendees of the meeting/workshop and involved in its organization

Proposals for exploratory meetings/workshops will not be accepted from SBIR/STTR grantees

· DCB program staff will assist in the post award planning of the workshop/meeting as a part of their roles and responsibilities for programmatic oversight and management of the project

POSTAWARD REQUIREMENTS

· Final Report

Within 90 days after the conclusion of the funded activity, the PI must submit to the DCB Program Director a Final Progress Report that includes a description of the activities and outcomes and an assessment of the success in meeting the stated aims and objectives

· DCB-Sponsored APRC Workshop

All Principal Investigators funded in FY06 will be expected to attend a DCB-sponsored APRC Workshop in September 2007 (DCB will assume these costs). Collaborators are encouraged to attend.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

There is a single FY06 receipt date for APRC applications. Applications must be postmarked by February 15, 2006. Late applications will not be accepted.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSION

Send applications (1 original, 6 copies, and 1 electronic file of the abstract on a diskette/CD or via e-mail attachment) to:

ATTN: Activities to Promote Research Collaborations

Special Assistant to the Director

Division of Cancer Biology

National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS

6130 Executive Boulevard

Executive Plaza North

Room 5048

Bethesda, MD 20892-7150

whitest@mail.nih.gov

INQUIRIES

Direct all program related questions or inquiries to:

John Sogn, Ph.D.

Deputy Director

Division of Cancer Biology

National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS

Executive Plaza North, Room 5050

6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7380

Bethesda, MD 20892-7380

Telephone: (301) 496-8636

FAX: (301) 496-8656

E-mail: js150x@nih.gov

Direct all grants management related questions or inquiries to:

Crystal Wolfrey

Acting Section Chief, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Section

Grants Administration Branch

National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS

Executive Plaza South, Room 243

6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7150

Bethesda, MD 20892-7150

Telephone: (301) 496-8634

FAX: (301) 496-8601

E-mail: crystal.wolfrey@nih.gov