Frequently Asked Questions for
NCIPC Grants and Cooperative Agreements
GENERAL ISSUES
APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS AND MENTORS
BUDGET
GENERAL ISSUES
1) I’m not sure whether to apply for a grant or
cooperative agreement. How do they differ?
The main difference between a grant and cooperative agreement is the
level of NCIPC’s involvement. For a grant, NCIPC is not substantially
involved in the execution of the research. For a cooperative agreement,
NCIPC may have substantial involvement. The amount of involvement by
NCIPC in a cooperative agreement will be specified in the program
announcement.
2) Can I submit more than one application for the same program
announcement?
You are encouraged to submit only one application in response to a
particular program announcement. With few exceptions (e.g., research
issues needing immediate public health attention), only one application
per principal investigator will be funded per program announcement.
3) Can I apply to more than one program announcement?
Yes, there are no restrictions on the number of program announcements to
which a principal investigator can apply.
4) I have other funding for part of our project/research and want to
apply for NCIPC funding to extend our work. Is this ok?
Yes, you can apply to NCIPC to fund research that is partially funded by
another source. However, the proposed research needs to be different
than that which is already funded; NCIPC will not pay for duplicate
research.
5) I can’t get an application together before the deadline. Will this
type of research be funded again in the future?
NCIPC traditionally publishes program announcements once per year. NCIPC
expects to publish program announcements every year for the R49 research
grants (acute care, violence prevention, unintentional injury,
biomechanics, new investigator awards, and dissertation awards).
However, the research objectives of those program announcements change
from year to year. If you plan on waiting and submitting to a future
program announcement, make sure your application meets the research
objectives of that program announcement. Research cooperative
agreements, on the other hand, are typically published only once. It is
rare that the same program announcement will be published the following
year.
6) I submitted an application last year, and it was deemed nonresponsive.
Why?
The most likely reasons your application was deemed nonresponsive are 1)
proposed research did not match one of the research objectives outlined
in the program announcement; 2) the proposed budget exceeded the award
ceiling listed in the program announcement; 3) the principal
investigator did not meet the eligibility requirements listed in the
program announcement.
7) My application from last year was not funded; can I resubmit it this
year?
You may resubmit your application provided the proposed research meets
the research objectives of a new program announcement. The research
objectives of the program announcements change from year to year, so it
is important that your application meets the current objectives. A
resubmitted application will receive any special treatment; it will be
reviewed as a new submission. However, you will improve your chances of
success if you consider the issues addressed in your previous reviewers’
summary statement.
8) The program announcement says you’re only funding two awards—is there
any flexibility on this?
NCIPC typically funds only the number of awards listed in the program
announcement. However, if additional funds become available, more awards
may be funded.
9) If there are multiple highly rated applications from the same
geographic area, does that lower our chances of being funded?
If the secondary review criteria listed in the program announcement
include geographic balance, the decision to fund your competitive
application could be affected by another competitive application from
your geographic region.
10) If I am not yet sure what intervention (or what population) I will
use, how can I give the detailed description asked for in the
application?
You need to provide as much detail in your application as possible about
your experimental design. If you are still trying to decide between two
interventions (or two study populations), you must explain both in your
application. You must also explain how and when you will decide which
intervention (or population) to use.
If you are undecided on a specific intervention (or study population),
you might consider waiting for a future program announcement when you
have better defined your experimental design.
11) What if I’m not sure whether my proposed research fits the research
objectives of the program announcement?
First, read the research objectives in your particular program
announcement carefully. Second, contact the project officer listed for
your particular program announcement. The project officer will be happy
to discuss your proposed research with you.
Back to Top
APPLICATION PROCESS AND
REQUIREMENTS
1) What form do I use to submit my application?
The application must be submitted using form PHS 398 (OMB number
0925-0001 rev. 5/2001).
2) Where do I find the PHS 398 form?
Interactive forms and instructions are available on the CDC website at
www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/forminfo.htm or on the National Institutes of Health
website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html. If
you do not have Internet access, or if you have difficulty accessing the
forms online, you may request application forms and instructions by
mail. Call the CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information
Management Section (PGO-TIM) at 770-488-2700.
3) Is a letter of intent required?
A letter of intent is not required and will not enter into the review of
your subsequent application. However, we ask that you do submit a letter
of intent. NCIPC uses letters of intent to gauge the level of interest
in the program announcement and plan for the application review.
4) If I missed the deadline for submitting a letter of intent, can I
still submit an application?
Yes, you can submit an application without first submitting a letter of
intent. The letter of intent is not required and is nonbinding.
5) Must I have all my IRB assurances to submit my application?
You do not need IRB approval when you submit your application. However,
if you receive an award, a portion of your funds will be restricted
until all of your IRB assurances are in place.
6) Under eligibility criteria, my type of institution isn’t specifically
mentioned (e.g., city government, school districts). Am I eligible?
If your institution isn’t specifically mentioned in the program
announcement, contact the project officer listed for your particular
program announcement to discuss whether your institution is eligible.
7) Are there requirements formatting requirements for the application?
The application must be printed on one side, single spaced, with one
half inch margins, and unreduced 12-point font..
8) What if I exceed the 25 pages allotted for the research plan section
of my application?
Your application will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be considered
for peer review. The research plan must not exceed 25 pages.
9) Who will review my application?
Your application will undergo a two-tiered review process. First your
application will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an
external peer review panel convened by NCIPC. Applications judged to
have sufficient technical and scientific merit will then undergo a
secondary review. The secondary review will be conducted by the Science
and Program Review Subcommittee of the DHHS Secretary’s Advisory
Committee for Injury Prevention and Control (ACIPC). ACIPC will develop
funding recommendations for the NCIPC director based on the results of
the primary review, the relevance and balance of proposed research
relative to NCIPC programs and priorities, and the avoidance of
unwarranted duplication of federally funded research.
10) Program announcements from other granting agencies have offered a
conference call-in time for potential applicants to ask questions. Can
my research team set up a conference call with you?
At this time, NCIPC does not have set conference call-in times for
questions. However, please contact the project officer listed for your
particular program announcement to request a conference call with your
team.
11) Do you have examples of successful applications I can use as a
model?
No, NCIPC does not have examples of previously funded applications that
you can use as a model.
Back to Top
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS AND
MENTORS
1) How strict will you be in assessing the eligibility
requirements of the principal investigator?
For example, some program
announcements require that the principal investigator has published in
peer-reviewed journals.
Applications from principal investigators who do not meet the
eligibility requirements outlined in the program announcement will be
deemed nonresponsive and will not be considered for further review. This
includes the requirement in some program announcements that the
principal investigator has published in a peer-reviewed journal.
2) Must the principal investigator be employed by the organization
applying for the award?
The principal investigator need not be employed by the applicant
organization. However, the relationship between the principal
investigator and the applicant organization must be clearly stated in
the application.
3) How can a small nonprofit or community-based organization find a
qualified principal investigator?
We suggest they contact local universities to see if someone who meets
the requirements of principal investigator is willing to collaborate
with them on the application.
4) Must the mentor for a new investigator grant be from the same
institution as the applicant?
The mentor need not be from the same institution as the applicant.
However, the mentor must be significantly involved with the research,
and that involvement must be clearly explained in the grant application.
Back to Top
BUDGET
1) Is the average award amount listed
in the program announcement for the first year of the award or for the
entire project period?
The award amount listed in the program announcement is for the first
12-month budget period. An equal award amount is available for the
subsequent years of the award. For example, if the program announcement
listed the length of the project period as three years and an award
amount of $300,000, then a total of $900,000 would be available over the
life of the award.
2) Does the award amount listed in the program announcement include
indirect costs?
The award amount listed in the program announcement includes both direct
and indirect costs. For example, if the program announcement lists the
award amount for the first 12-month budget period as $300,000, then your
first-year budget for both direct and indirect costs must not exceed
$300,000.
3) What if my proposed budget exceeds the ceiling of award amount
listed in the program announcement?
Your application will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be considered
for further review. Please note that the award amount ceiling includes
both direct and indirect costs. For example, if the program announcement
lists the length of the project period as three years and the award
amount for the first 12-month budget period as $300,000, then your total
first-year budget (Item 7b of the PHS 398 cover sheet) may not exceed
$300,000, and the total budget for the entire project period (Item 8b of
the PHS 398 cover sheet) may not exceed $900,000.
4) Can I budget for a “planning year” or a “collaborative-forming”
year?
Yes, a portion of the budget can be used for planning. However, the
majority of the time and money should be used to address a research
question.
5) Should the budget include only research/evaluation costs or can it
also include program implementation costs?
The budget can include money for program implementation if the program
is directly related to the research. Remember, however, that the purpose
of these awards is to conduct research.
6) Can I hire subcontractors to do some of the work?
Yes, you can hire subcontractors.
Back to Top |
