Grant Application Form PHS 416-1 for Individual NRSA (Kirschstein) Fellowship

(11/01/2008)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted new application forms for both new and continuing individual NRSAs.  The new version (dated rev. 9/08) must be used for all deadlines falling in December 2008 and thereafter, until this program transitions to electronic submission via Grants.gov (expected sometime during 2009).

Applicants should read the instructions carefully on the NIH website at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. The following is a list of notable changes to the instructions for new applications:

Implementation of Grants.Gov Terminology

As part of the ongoing effort to keep the PHS 416-1, 398 and the SF424 (R&R) synchronized, new terminology is implemented throughout this document. For reference, the following table is provided:

Structure of Document

• Instructions are reorganized for greater consistency with the SF424 (R&R) and PHS 398 Component Instructions used for electronic submission. A numerical reference system is incorporated in order to more closely parallel the SF424 (R&R) instructions.
• Part II is revised for purposes of clarity and ease of reference, and the definitions related to human subjects research are moved to Part III.

Suggested Cover Letter Format

• A suggested cover letter format is provided for greater consistency and to facilitate the use of requests for specific institutes or Centers (ICs) or Scientific Review Groups.

Indefinite Plans for Involvement of Human Subjects or Use of Vertebrate Animals

• Instructions for the Research Training Plan sections addressing human subjects and vertebrate animals are modified to provide clearer guidance to applicants when plans are indefinite at the time of application.

Appendix Format

• Incorporates the new NIH policy requiring appendix material to be submitted only on CDs in PDF format, and no longer on paper. See NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-08-031.

Part II, Instructions for Preparing the Protection of Human Subjects Section of the Research Training Plan

• All six human subjects exemptions are provided in one scenario (Scenario C).
• A new scenario for "Delayed Onset of Human Subjects Research" is incorporated.

Select Agent Research

• The requirements of the Research Training Plan have been revised to include a new section dedicated specifically to Select Agent Research. This new section is only required when applicable.

Changes to specific form and format pages are noted below:

416-1 Face Page

• 4k. Citizenship data fields updated to include check boxes for: Permanent Resident of U.S. Pending; and Non-U.S. Citizenship with temporary U.S. Visa. Note the additions to the Citizenship section are to allow broader use of these forms for individual Fellowship programs outside of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) authority. There are no changes in NRSA policy regarding citizenship requirements.
• 9b. Human Subjects Assurance has been changed to Federalwide Assurance.
• 10a. IACUC approval date deleted since information is collected only as a Just-in-Time submission.

Signatures

• Implements a change in business process by replacing the Applicant (Fellow) and Faculty Sponsor Signatures on the Face Page with an institutional assurance (see companion NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-007). This change in business process removes these signatures from the Face Page. The only required signature on the Face Page is that of OSP.

416-1 Form Page 3

• Updated to collect specific information for each Training (Project/Performance) Site; added DUNS and Congressional District fields for each Training (Project/Performance) Site. This structured data requirement is necessary to comply with the Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.

Checklist Form Page

• Deleted Section II for the Sponsoring Institution. Assurances/Certifications are listed in Part I of the 416-1.

Important Reminders for all Applicants

Font and margin specifications must be followed; if not, application processing may be delayed or the application may be returned to the applicant without review. NIH requires the use of one of four approved fonts and a font size of 11 points or larger. The approved font options include two serif fonts (Palatino and Georgia) and two sans serif fonts (Arial and Helvetica). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; the font size requirement still applies. A smaller font size may be used for figures, graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, figure legends, and footnotes, but this type must follow the font typeface requirement and be readily legible.

Prepare a succinct Research Training Plan. There is no requirement for applicants to use the maximum allowable pages allotted to the Research Training Plan (Sections 2-5). The remaining sections of the Research Training Plan have no maximum allowable pages, but should also be succinct.

Several elements of an application are not required at the time the application is submitted. This information is requested later in the review cycle (i.e., just-in-time) to ensure that it is current. See Just-In-Time Policy in Part III. 1.5.

Use OSP’s modified Form Page 1 containing New York University-specific information. Current stipend levels for all Kirschstein-NRSA awards made for calendar year can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-057.html (unchanged from 2007).

Also use OSP’s Supplemental Synopsis form for NRSA Applications.

For all other forms for new proposals: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/phs416.htm

Forms for non-competing continuations: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/416-9/phs416-9.htm

Stipend levels for all Kirschstein-NRSA awards can be found at the following web site: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-057.html