Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research

Request for Proposals

Purpose

The purpose of the Creative and Novel Ideas in Research Awards program (CNIHR) is to create a mechanism via the established Centers for AIDS Research (CFARs) to fund developmental projects to bring insight and new ideas to the HIV/AIDS field of study from early stage investigators with expertise in other disciplines. The intent of this program is to attract both international and U.S.-based young, early stage investigators from outside the field of HIV/AIDS research to help address new questions related to emerging issues of long-term survival with HIV infection and the prevention of HIV transmission.

Eligibility

Junior investigators (i.e., who have completed their terminal research degree or medical residency within the last ten years) who are faculty (e.g. assistant professor, senior lecturer, etc.) in good standing at an academic institution or have a comparable position in an organization or institution with a primary mission of research are eligible. (See Section VI.1 for more information about eligible organizations and institutions.)

Post-doctoral trainees are eligible to apply IF they have completed their training and have a faculty or comparable position prior to the full proposal submission deadline of February 9, 2012. A letter of intent from the investigator’s institution indicating the commitment to a faculty position by the deadline must be included in the concept proposal submission. If the applicant does not have the faculty position at the time of full proposal submission, their application will be removed from the pool as ineligible.

Researchers who have had any previous grant, contract, sub-award or publication in HIV/AIDS research are not eligible.

Eligible Principal Investigators (PIs) include: Investigators with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research. They can be from any relevant discipline. Eligible PIs are invited to work with their institution/organization to develop their application. Applicants may be located at a CFAR site or elsewhere. Applicants from all countries (unless excluded because of regulations applicable to embargoed countries – see link: OFAC) are encouraged to apply.

If unsure about your eligibility, first read the FAQ on the CNIHR website. If you still have questions, please contact us at info@cnihr.org.

Types of Projects

Research topics could include any aspect of science, but may not include clinical trials of new drugs, treatments, or devices; or off-label use of a licensed drug. If an applicant is considering a study involving approved drugs and/or standard-of-care, the applicant is encouraged to contact the review administrator to determine whether the proposed project would be eligible for funding at info@cnihr.org.

Funding Available

Awards will be funded for 1-2 years, up to $150,000 (direct costs) per year plus applicable indirect costs. Second year funding is contingent upon demonstration of satisfactory progress during year one. International awardees are limited to 8% IDC on the total direct costs. Additional support will be provided for each grantee and their mentor to attend the International AIDS Society conferences during their award period (e.g. XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. in July 2012 and the IAS Conference in July 2013). Travel support will be prioritized for CFAR-affiliated mentors. Awarded funds may be used for salary, technical support, laboratory supplies, equipment, or travel to a scientific conference or other training activities. Successful applicants will be expected to contribute at least 25% of their time to the CNIHR project. Salary support for the CNIHR effort can be budgeted in the CNIHR project or can come from another source, e.g., an institutional start-up package, etc. Generally, funds may not be used to purchase computers unless they can be justified as key to the conduct of the study (data collection, tied to equipment etc). Additionally, funds may not be used to offset losses of funding incurred through nonrenewal of grant funds or through decreases in grant funds due to across-the-board cuts.

We anticipate making 6-12 awards.

Requests for Second Year Funding: Second year funding is contingent upon demonstration of satisfactory progress during year one.

Overview

The competition will be administered in a two-phase process, the Concept Proposal phase, and the Full Proposal phase. To be eligible to compete in the full proposal phase, the applicant must first successfully compete in the Concept Proposal phase.

RFA Release …………………………………………. June 2011
Concept Proposals Due……….……………………. October 17, 2011
Estimated Review Date…………………….............. November & December, 2011
Estimated Notification Date………………............ December 15, 2011
Assistance with finding a CFAR Mentor Deadline… January 9, 2012
Full Proposals Due…………………………………... February 9, 2012
Estimated Review Date………………................... April 9-13, 2012
Estimated Award Date……………………............. April 16, 2012

Concept Proposals

For further application instructions, please see the RFA.

Concept Proposals will be submitted electronically in one Adobe PDF file via the CNIHR website (http://www.cnihr.org). Applications must be in English. Applicants will certify that they have not received HIV/AIDS research funding and or published in the HIV/AIDS research field in the online application submission form. Please note that applications that do not adhere to the instructions will not be considered.

Review Process and Criteria

A Scientific Selection Committee (SSC) will review the Concept Proposals. Criteria for selection in the Concept Proposal phase are primarily based upon the scientific merit, investigator, significance, approach, and innovation. For descriptions of these criteria, see Review Process and Criteria below.

Researchers whose proposals are selected for the full proposal competition phase will have eight weeks to prepare and submit a full proposal.

Email for all questions is info@cnihr.org.

For further instructions regarding the Concept Proposal phase, please refer to the Request for Proposals.

Full Proposals

Full proposals are due February 9, 2012. Only researchers whose proposals were selected from the concept proposal competition phase are allowed to submit full proposals.

Applicants who are chosen to submit a full proposal and do not already have a relationship with a CFAR are required to establish a mentor/collaborator relationship with a CFAR-affiliated investigator. This includes senior investigators at international institutions affiliated with CFARs.Resources regarding potential CFAR-affiliated mentor/collaborators are provided on the Mentors/Collaborators page (http://www.cnihr.org/mentors), and on the NIH CFAR webpage describing which CFARs are collaborating with international institutions.

Applicants who are unable to find a mentor/collaborator through these resources must contact the CNIHR program at info@cnihr.org on or before January 9, 2012 to receive assistance.

In addition to the CFAR mentor, applicants are allowed to include another mentor/collaborator at a local institution (can be non-CFAR-affiliated). Travel support will be prioritized for CFAR-affiliated mentors.

Successful awardees will be eligible for and encouraged to access CFAR Core services from collaborating CFARs. For more information about CFARs and CFAR Core services, see the NIH CFAR website (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/LabsAndResources/resources/cfar/).

Application Instructions

Full Proposals will be submitted electronically in one Adobe PDF file via the CNIHR website (http://www.cnihr.org). The full proposal will be on PHS 398 forms and should follow a modified NIH investigator initiated grant application (R01) format (For more resources see: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/app/default.htm) with the modifications listed below. The Research Plan (Specific Aims through Approach) is limited to 4 pages (Bibliography and References Cited sections do not count toward the page limit). No appendices are allowed. Do not submit Targeted/Planned Enrollment Tables. Submit a detailed budget, not a modular budget. Applications must be in English.

For further instructions regarding the Full Proposal phase (including full Application Instructions, Budget Development Guidelines and Restrictions, and Review Process and Criteria, please refer to the Request for Proposals.

Review Process and Criteria

Each application will be assigned a minimum of two non-conflicted reviewers with relevant expertise. The evaluation criteria for full proposals include:

• Scientific Merit of the proposal and its likelihood to provide information that can significantly advance our understanding of HIV and/or provide preliminary data that is likely to lead to independent research grant funding.
• Significance – Does the study address an important problem consistent with the objective to advance our understanding of HIV? If the aims are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive the field of HIV and AIDS?
• Investigator – Are the PI, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? Does this person have appropriate experience and training? If the project is collaborative, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise?
• Approach – Are the conceptual framework, design methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternatives?
• Innovation – Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches, or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
• Environment – Does the proposed methodology take advantage of the unique environment and unique populations where appropriate? Are useful collaborative arrangements between resources in the institution(s) utilized where appropriate and described adequately?

The reviewers are asked to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal based on all of the above criteria. Each project is scored according to the NIH scoring system using both scientific merit and relevance to the center’s partnership as a metric for success. The review committee (comprised of senior members of the CFARs, IAS and other eminent scientists with relevant expertise) will convene a formal review within nine weeks of receipt of applications. Those applicants who are selected for funding will be notified immediately. All applicants will receive written critiques in order to enhance their ability to benefit from other funding opportunities.

Pre and Post Award Requirements

For further information regarding the Pre and Post-Award Requirements, please refer to the Request for Proposals.

CFAR and CNIHR support must be acknowledged in all publications derived from the CNIHR award.

In the event that other pending support is funded which overlaps with or reduces the principal investigator’s effort on this project, the PI must notify the UAB CFAR Administrative Director. CNIHR awardee’s funding status will be reviewed and if it is determined that the PI is unable to meet the specific aims of the proposal, the CNIHR award will be revoked.

After project is completed, the CNIHR awardee is required to be available to provide information about publications, collaborations, and future grants related to the CNIHR project.

Types of Eligible Institutions

U.S.-based Institutions:

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education
• Research Institutes
• Hispanic-serving Institutions whose primary focus is research
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions whose primary focus is research
• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) whose primary focus is research
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)whose primary focus is research
• Small Businesses whose primary focus is research
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses) whose primary focus is research
• Regional Organizations whose primary focus is research

Non-U.S.-based Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education
• Research Institutes
• Nonprofit Organizations whose primary focus is research
• Small Businesses whose primary focus is research
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses) whose primary focus is research
• Regional Organizations whose primary focus is research

If unsure about your eligibility, go to the FAQ

This award program was made possible by the International AIDS Society in collaboration with the NIH-funded Centers for AIDS Research and U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Last Updated: 1-27-2012

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