Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

The most recent funding announcement: PA-23-189

Applying

Submitting and Application

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov or eRA Commons per NOT-OD-18-111.

Required Documents

Research Plan
Provide a description of the proposed research experience, not to exceed six pages, that includes the following components:

• Summary or Abstract and Specific Aims of the funded parent grant or project (not included in the six-page limit);
• Research and Career Development Plan and Timeline proposed for the candidate;
• Training Description: A Description of how the research and career development experiences will expand and foster the research capabilities of the candidate, and how the proposed experiences relate to the specific research goals and objectives of the parent grant;
• Mentoring Experience: Evidence of adequate mentoring experience and success of the mentor(s)/PD(s)/PI(s) and evidence that the candidate will receive research career mentoring.

Biosketch

Submit a NIH Biosketch for the candidate, the PD/PI, and all Senior/Key Personnel in compliance with the Notice to the Guide NOT-OD-15-032 . Please note that biosketches not in compliance with the new policy will not be accepted and the application will be withdrawn.  Additionally all candidates must provide their ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifiers) to allow for greater longer-term tracking of applicants (Additional information about the ORCID iD can be found at  NIH NOT-OD-19-109.)  The ORCID iD should be placed in the Contributions in Science section. 

Human Subjects Section (if applicable)

If your research will include Human Research Subjects:

• Please visit Human Subject Research for the most up to date information.
• State whether or not you intend to charter a Data and Safety Monitoring Plan. Visit Policies & Regulation - Human Subjects  for more information.
• Submit a copy of your IRB approval letter, with clearly legible approval and expiration dates
  • If your research proposal is currently pending IRB review, submit a letter documenting that the IRB review is pending
  • Note that any award for a Research Supplement will require documentation of IRB approval prior to the activation of any award
• For any person identified as Senior/Key Personnel, submit documentation for Human Subjects Education Requirements programs that have been completed

Vertebrate Animals Section (if applicable)
If your proposed research will involve live vertebrate animals:

• Submit a “Vertebrate Animals Section” in support of your application
  • See the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare at the NIH website
  • As a guide for the preparation of this section, use the Grant Application VAS Worksheet (PDF, 153 KB) .
  • If appropriate, you may submit your “Vertebrate Animals Section” from your parent award, provided that the animal studies to be conducted by the candidate are encompassed by the original research plan
• Submit a copy of your Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval letter, with clearly legible approval and expiration dates and Animal Welfare Assurance number
  • If your research proposal is currently pending IACUC review, submit a letter documenting that the IACUC review is pending
  • Note that any award for a Research Supplement will require documentation of IACUC approval prior to the activation of any award

Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs)
If the proposed project involves hESCs, then the application must identify an hESC line from the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry.

Responsible Conduct of Research
NIDDK recognizes that instruction in the responsible conduct of research occurs formally and informally in educational settings and that informal instruction occurs throughout the research training experience.

• Provide a formal training plan for your candidate during the requested timeframe of support
• Use "Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research", NOT-OD-10-019 , to help in prepare this section
• The Responsible Conduct of Research may be up to three pages in length, and is not included in the six page limit for the description of the abstract, research plan and career development, and how the proposed research plan will benefit the candidate

Additional Personal Statement
A separate signed personal statement of the candidate’s career and research goals is required. This is not the same as the “Personal Statement” reported on Section A. of the NIH Biosketch form. However, as described in NOT-OD-11-045 the content of the personal statement should:

“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. Within this section you may, if you choose, briefly describe factors such as family care responsibilities, illness, disability, and active duty military service that may have affected your scientific advancement or productivity.”

Additionally, please include some comments on your long-term career goals, and how a Research Supplement will allow you to reach those goals. Notably, this is written and signed by the candidate, not the Principal Investigator of the parent award.

Transcripts
Official transcripts for candidates in high school, undergraduate, post-Baccalaureate or post-Master’s degree, and graduate research assistants must be submitted with the application in order for the application to proceed to the review process. For post-Master’s degree candidates and graduate research assistants, we require both undergraduate and graduate school transcripts.

Letter of Applicant Eligibility
A signed statement from the PD(s)/PI(s) and an institutional official clearly establishing the eligibility of the candidate for support under this program. The statement must include:

• Clearly establishes the basis (e.g., race, ethnicity, disability, or disadvantaged status) for the candidate's eligibility as an individual from an underrepresented background
• Clearly presented information on the candidate’s citizenship
  • For candidates who are US Permanent Residents, before an award may be activated, a notarized photocopy of a candidate’s US Permanent Residency must be received by the NIDDK
• A description of how the appointment of this specific candidate will address the issue of diversity within the national scientific workforce, or within the workforce or the relevant population at the grantee institution (see Section I: Recruitment and Retention to Enhance Diversity)
• Describe any current or previous Public Health Service research grant support that the candidate has received

The strength of this statement will be considered by the NIDDK administrative review committee along will all the other materials provided.

ERA Commons Registration
Candidates for this supplement support must have an eRA Commons account and the candidate's Commons Username must be entered in the Credential field and on her/his NIH Biosketch.

Budget

Submit the completed "Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period," "Budget for Entire Proposed Project Period" and "Checklist" paged from PHS398. Please include the “Institutional Base Salary” on the budget pages so that our Grants Management Staff can evaluate the appropriateness of the stipend requested, as well as a "Justification" for the salary/stipend, travel and supplies, and tuition requested. Section IV, “Application and Submission Information”, heading 5, “Funding Restrictions”, outlines the allowable funding support based upon the career level of the candidate.

Deadlines

Funding decisions will be made three times per year in January, April, and June.

Review

Applications are reviewed at the end of each review month (from October through June). No applications will be reviewed in July, August, September, or December.

• Applications must be received before 5:00 PM local time on the 1st business day of the month for the application to be reviewed in the same month.
• Applications received after the 1st business day of the month will be reviewed at the next scheduled monthly meeting.
• For applications submitted between June 2 through November 1 the earliest start date would be 01 February.
• For applications submitted between November 2 through March 1 the earliest start date would be 01 May.
• For applications submitted between March 2 through June 1 the earliest start date would be 01 August.

Notifications will be sent out by the Project Officer for the parent award following the approval of the funding pay plan. Administrative Notes and priority scores from the review meeting will not be made available to the PD/PIs, and your Project Officer for your parent award will provide any feedback regarding your application after a recommendation from the Committee has been made.