Mental Health National Research Service Awards for Research Training (93.282)
Program
93.282 Mental Health National Research Service Awards for Research Training
Federal Agency
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Authorization
Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Section 487, Public Law 99-158, 42 U.S.C. 288, as amended.
Program Number
93.282
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To ensure a continuing and adequate supply of well-trained personnel who are able to conduct research on mental health problems. The program provides training grants to institutions and fellowships to individuals at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. There are awards to medical students proposing to become basic clinical researchers. In addition, there are special programs targeted toward minorities. Awards are made for training in the areas of: basic biomedical, clinical neuroscience, and behavioral research; the epidemiology of mental disorders; the etiology, description, diagnosis and pathogenesis of mental disorders; treatment development, assessment and evaluation; public health intervention and prevention approaches; and programs designed to increase the supply of underrepresented minority mental health research scientists trained to work in the above areas.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Individual fellowships are made to students seeking predoctoral or postdoctoral support for full-time research training or who are enrolled in an established M.D./Ph.D. program. An institutional allowance will be provided to the sponsoring institution for each awardee. In addition, any domestic public or nonprofit institution may apply for an institutional research training grant in a specified area of research from which a number of stipend awards will be made to individuals selected by the training program director at the institution. Support is available for both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and will include an amount for institutional expenses. Indirect costs may be requested at 8 percent of total direct costs, exclusive of tuition and related fees and expenditures for equipment, or actual indirect costs, whichever is less. Postdoctoral students receiving fellowships or stipend support under both individual and institutional grants for 12 months or less are obligated to pay back this support through an equivalent period of continued postdoctoral training or a period of health related research and/or teaching activities after the completion of their training. Postdoctoral students in their thirteenth and subsequent months of support will incur no further obligation, and such support will be considered acceptable postdoctoral payback service. Annual FY 03 stipend levels will be $119.968 for predoctoral awards and $34,200 to $50,808 for postdoctoral awards dependent upon the number of years of postdoctoral relevant experience. Research training support may not be used for internships or other clinical training. COR Honors Undergraduate grants are to increase the number of well-prepared students from institutions with substantial minority enrollments and who can compete successfully for entry into Ph.D. degree level programs. Stipends of $10,526 per year may be requested for each full-time, Junior/Senior level trainee and other related institutional costs may be requested as described in the applicable program announcement.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
For a training grant, an institution must be a domestic public or nonprofit private organization. The applicant institution must have, or be able to develop, the staff and facilities to provide the proposed research training in an environment suitable for performing high-quality work. An applicant for individual predoctoral fellowship support must be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program by the proposed activation date of the fellowship. A postdoctoral applicant must have received a Ph.D., Psy.D., M.D., D.D.S., Sc.D., D.N.S., D.O., D.S.W., or equivalent degree from an accredited institution. An application for an M.D./Ph.D. fellowship must be enrolled in an M.D./Ph.D. program at an approved medical school, accepted in a related scientific program, and supervised by a mentor in the related scientific field. An institution applying for a COR Honors Undergraduate Program Award must be a 4-year college, university, or health professional school whose student enrollment is drawn substantially from one or more of the following ethnic groups: American Indians or Alaskan Natives; Asian or Pacific Islanders; Black, not of Hispanic origin; and Hispanic. All individuals to be supported under the NRSA program must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Individuals and nonprofit organizations will benefit.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions. For other grantees, costs will be determined in accordance with HHS Regulations 45 CFR, Part 74, Subpart Q, and 42 CFR Part 66.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (revised May 2001). The PHS 398 is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/ohs398/phs398.html in an interactive format. for further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov. Information concerning current areas of science being supported are available from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Completed forms should be submitted to the Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710, Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 or Bethesda, MD 20817 (for express/courier service). This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State and local governments and OMB Circular No. A-110 for nonprofit organizations.
Award Procedure
Applications are reviewed for scientific merit by nonfederal consultants recruited nationwide from the mental health field. Applications other than fellowships must also be reviewed by the National Advisory Mental Health Council. If recommended for approval and a decision to make an award is made, a formal award notice will be sent to the applicant and sponsor. Postdoctoral students to be supported must submit required appointment forms, including a payback agreement and a Statement of Non-Delinquency on Federal Debt Certification. Predoctoral students whose appointments began after June 10, 1993, no longer incur a payback obligation. Honors undergraduates incur no payback obligations as a result of COR support.
Deadlines
Fellowships: April 5, August 5, and December 5. NRSA Institutional and Short-term training Grants: May 10. AIDS training grants: January 10, May 10, and September 10. NIMH Career Opportunities in Research Education and Training (COR): May 10.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
A principal investigator (P.I.) may question the substantive or procedural aspects of the review of his/her application by communicating with the staff of the Institute. A description of the NIH Peer Review Appeal procedures is available on the NIH home page http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not97-232.html.
Renewals
By law an individual may receive no more than 5 years of support in the aggregate at the predoctoral level and 3 years of support in the aggregate at the postdoctoral level under the NRSA program (through an individual and/or institutional award). Any exception to these limitations requires a waiver from the Director of the awarding Institute based on review of justification from the awardee and the program director for the institutional grant.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
By law an individual may receive no more than 5 years of support in the aggregate at the predoctoral level and 3 years of support in the aggregate at the postdoctoral level under the NRSA program (through an individual and/or institutional award). For an M.D./Ph.D. fellowship, 6 years may be requested. In practice, recommendations of review committees are generally for 2 or 3 years. Awards for institutional grants may be made for project periods of up to 5 years.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Annual progress reports are required. Financial status reports are required for Institutional and COR honors undergraduate National Research Service Grants. Annual reports of activities for tracking payback provisions are required from postdoctoral fellows and trainees upon termination of support.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal Awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for the year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. For nongovernmental grant recipients, audits are to be carried out in accordance with the provisions set forth in OMB Circular No. A- 133. In addition, grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspection and audits by DHHS and other Federal officials.
Records
Records must be retained for at least 3 years; records shall be retained beyond the 3-year period if audit findings have not been resolved.
Program Accomplishments
In fiscal year 2002, 365 individual awards and 185 institutional grants were awarded. In fiscal year 2003, an estimated 365 individual awards and 185 institutional grants will be made. In fiscal year 2004, an estimated 365 individual and 185 institutional grants will be made.
Financial Information
Account Identification
75-0892-0-1-552.
Obligations
(Fellowships and Grants) FY 02 $54,348,000; FY 03 est $58,515,000; and FY 04 est $57,346,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
FY 02: Predoctoral stipends: $18,156 is the average. Postdoctoral stipends: $31,092 to $48,852; COR Honors Undergraduate: $10,224.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
42 CFR 66. NIH Grants Policy Statement Revised March 2001).
Related Programs
93.242, Mental Health Research Grants; 93.281, Mental Health Research Career/Scientist Development Awards.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Not applicable.
Headquarters Office
Program Contacts: Dr. Stephen Foote, Director, Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science. Telephone: (301) 443-3563. Dr. Ellen Stover, Director, Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research and AIDS. Telephone: (301) 443-9700. Dr. Grayson S. Norquist, Director, Division of Services and Intervention Research. Telephone (301) 443-3266. Dr. Ernest Marquez, Director, Office for Special Populations. Telephone: (301) 443-3675. Grants Management Contact: Ms. Rebecca Claycamp, Grants Management Officer, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; 6001 Executive Blvd, Room 6122, MSC 9605, Bethesda, MD 20892. Telephone: (301) 443-2811. Use the same numbers for FTS.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
(1) Mental health statistics; (2) normal and abnormal development; (3) personality and psychopathology; (4) behavioral biology; and (5) mental health service delivery research and evaluation; and (6) molecular and cellular neuroscience.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The following considerations will be used in determining projects to be funded: (1) scientific and technical merit; (2) facilities and environment for the training program; (3) previous training records; (4) relevance to NIMH priorities; and (5) potential contribution to mental health field.
