Decoding RFAs and PAs

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• Decoding RFAs and PAs
• Charlotte Flipp Division of Epidemiology
• Community Health (EpiCH)
• Anne Everett Division of Epidemiology
• Community Health (EpiCH)
• Kevin McKoskey Sponsored Projects Administration
• February 17, 2009

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Topics for Discussion

• PA (Program Announcement)
• RFA (Request for Application)

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Top 3 Things to Do When Working on PAs and RFAs

• Read the announcement
• For PAs and RFAs send copies to your Grants
  Administrator ASAP
• Read the announcement

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Program Announcement (PA)

• Identifies areas of increased priority and/or
  emphasis on particular funding mechanisms for a
  specific area of science
• Usually accepted on standard receipt (postmarked)
  dates on an on-going basis
• Remains active for three years from date of
  release unless the announcement indicates a
  specific expiration

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Program Announcement (PA)(Continued)

• Method of submission (grants.gov, paper)
• Executive Summary includes mechanism of support,
  budget/project lengths, general information
• Special Types
• - PAR A PA with special receipt, referral
  and/or review considerations, as described in the
  PAR announcements
• - PAS A PA that includes specific set-aside
  funds as described in the PAS announcement

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Research Project Grant Parent R01 (PA-07-070)

• Parent R01 Website
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07
  -070.html
• Definition of an R01
• The Research Project (R01) grant is an award
  made to support a discrete, specified,
  circumscribed project to be performed by the
  named investigator(s) in an area representing the
  investigators specific interest and
  competencies, based on the mission of the NIH.

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Parent R01 (PA-07-070)

• Characteristics
• Limited to 500,000 direct cost per year. See
  NOT-OD-02-004, October 16, 2001, for special
  instructions for applications requesting 500,000
  (direct costs) or more per year
• Requires Detailed Budget if more than 250,000 in
  annual direct costs in any year. If less than
  250,000 per year, must use modular budget which
  has a limit of 250,000 per year.
• Generally awarded for 1-5 budget periods, each
  normally 12 months in duration

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Parent R01 (PA-07-070)

• Characteristics (Continued)
• Page Limits Items 2-5 (Specific Aims,
  Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies,
  and Research Design and Methods) components of
  the PHS398 Research Plan including tables,
  graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must not
  exceed 25 pages.

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NIH Small Research Grant Program Parent
R03(PA-06-180)

• Parent R03 Website
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06
  -180.html
• Definition of an R03
• The NIH Investigator-Initiated Small Grant (R03)
  funding opportunity supports small research
  projects that can be carried out in a short
  period of time with limited resources.
  Investigator-initiated research, also known as
  unsolicited research, is research funded as a
  result of an investigator submitting a research
  grant application to NIH in an investigators
  area of interest and competency. The R03 grant
  mechanism supports different types of projects
  including pilot and feasibility studies
  secondary analysis of existing data small,
  self-contained research projects development of
  research methodology and development of new
  research technology.

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Parent R03 (PA-06-180)

• Characteristics
• R03 applications will use the modular budget
  format and Just-In-Time concepts, with direct
  costs of up to two 25,000 modules, or 50,000
  per year, may be requested for up to two years
  (i.e., a maximum of 100,000 over two years in
  four modules of 25,000 each).
• (Specific Aims, Background and Significance,
  Preliminary Studies, and Research Design and
  Methods) components of the PHS398 Research Plan
  including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and
  charts must not exceed 10 pages, including
  tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts.

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Parent R03 (PA-06-180)

• Characteristics (Continued)
• Introduction (required for a resubmission
  application) is limited to one page.
• Appendix Materials see Parent R03 Program
  Announcement for specific instructions on
  allowable appendix materials.

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NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant
Program Parent R21 (PA-06-181)

• Parent R21 Website
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06
  -181.html
• Definition of an R21
• The Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21)
  mechanism is intended to encourage exploratory
  and developmental research projects by providing
  support for the early and conceptual stages of
  these projects. These studies may involve
  considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough
  in a particular area, or to the development of
  novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models,
  or applications that could have a major impact on
  a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical
  research.

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Parent R21 (PA-06-181)

• Characteristics
• R21 applications will use the modular budget
  format and Just-In-Time concepts, with direct
  costs requested in 25,000 modules, up to the
  total direct costs limitation of 275,000 over an
  R21 two-year period. No more than 200,000 in
  direct costs will be allowed in any single year.
• Page Limits Items 2-5 (Specific Aims,
  Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies,
  and Research Design and Methods) components of
  the PHS398 Research Plan including tables,
  graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must not
  exceed 15 pages, including tables, graphs,
  figures, diagrams, and charts.

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Parent R21 (PA-06-181)

• Characteristics (Continued)
• Introduction (required for a resubmission
  application) is limited to one page
• Preliminary data is not required but may be
  included if available
• Appendix Materials see Parent R21 Program
  Announcement for specific instructions on
  allowable appendix materials

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Request for Application (RFA)

• Key to provide SPA notice and copy of RFA early
  in the process
• Identifies a more narrowly-defined area for which
  a sponsoring Agency has set aside funds for
  awarding grants
• Usually has a single receipt (received on or
  before) date specified in the RFA announcement
  NOT standard receipt dates

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Request for Application (RFA)(Continued)

• May require letter of intent prior to proposal
  submission (does not need to go through SPA)
• If paper submission multiple submit to
  addresses or electronic (via grants.gov or
  proposal central, etc.)
• Usually reviewed by a Scientific Review Group
  convened by the issuing awarding component

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Request for Application (RFA)(Continued)

• In the Executive Summary section of the RFA under
  Funds Available, it will be noted if there is a
  direct cost dollar limitation per year and also
  the number of years of the application and other
  specific information

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Request for Application (RFA)(Continued)

• Specific budgetary information imbedded in
  announcement (Steering Committee meetings, Data
  Safety Monitoring Board DSMB meetings,
  allowable cost categories). All of this is
  listed under the section called Other Submission
  Requirements and Information.

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Request for Application (RFA)(Continued)

• Occasionally the RFA will limit the number of
  applications coming from an institution. If this
  is the case, please follow the instructions found
  at the following website
• http//cflegacy.research.umn.edu/opportunities/ex
  tramural/index.cfm

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Top 3 Things To Do When Working on PAs and RFAs

• Read the announcement
• For RFAs send copies to your Grants Administrator
  ASAP
• Read the announcement

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Decoding PA and RFAs

• Charlotte Flipp Division of Epidemiology
  Community Health
• (EpiCH)
• Anne Everett Division of Epidemiology
  Community Health
• (EpiCH)
• Kevin McKoskey Sponsored Projects
  Administration
• Any Questions?
• Thank you!

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