Frequently Asked Questions for Fiscal Year 2018 – Request for Applications (FY18 RFA)

This document is intended to answer many of the questions that potential applicants for the Request for Application RFA-AR-18-001, Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) (P50) may have regarding required components of each center, provision of the award and administrative requirements. This information will also be provided to the reviewers as guidance in evaluating the applications. Information in this document clarifies guidance provided in the RFA and is in addition to the instructions for the SF424 guide (PDF - 2.6 MB).

  1. Because the Training Core has a 25-page limit and the other projects and cores are limited to 12 pages each, does this mean that the Training Core is more important or will be weighed more by reviewers?

    No. NIH policy requires that the Training Core have a 25-page limit to accommodate sections describing the Background, Program Plan, and Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity (attachments 2–4 of Research Training Program Plan form), however applicants are advised against using the full 25 pages. Although training is an important feature of a Wellstone Center, the direct cost budget for the Training Core is $100,000, which is 10% of the overall budget of the Center. It is unlikely that this budget will support more than two full-time trainees at a time. Both applicants and reviewers should take into consideration the relatively modest scope of the Training Core in comparison to the rest of the Center and reviewers will be instructed not to overly emphasize this core, relative to the whole, based on the page limit.

  2. The RFA indicates that National Research Service Award (NRSA) Tables are not applicable to this FOA, but the instructions for the NRSA Training component (pages G181 – G185 of the Public Health Service SF424 Application Guide - Forms Version D-Series) direct the applicant to refer to these tables when writing the sections on, the Program Plan, including the Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity. How can applicants write these sections without including the tables?

    Wellstone Center applicants should not include the training tables normally found in an institutional training grant application (e.g., T32). Other than omitting the training tables, applicants should follow the instructions for writing the Program Plan, including the Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity included in SF424 Application Guide.

  3. Does the Training Core require individual development plans (IDPs) for the trainees?

    No. As described in NOT-OD-14-113, NIH will not require but strongly encourages institutions to develop and use IDPs for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers supported by NIH awards. Beginning on October 1, 2014, annual progress reports are required to include a description of whether the institution uses IDPs and how they are employed, if applicable, to help manage the training and career development of those individuals. Additional information on IDPs can be found in NOT-OD-13-093.

  4. The RFA calls for a progress report for the prior Training Core, but does not mention progress reports for the other cores and projects. Are progress reports allowed for these other components in a renewal application from an existing Center?

    Yes, you can include a progress report for each project and core, and for the overall. The description of the Training Core in the RFA specifically described this, since the new Training Core is a little different from the previous “Training and Education Core.” But, each section of the application should follow the standard SF424 guidance. That guidance states that the progress report for renewal applications should be included in the Research Strategy section. See page 113 of the SF424 guide (PDF - 2.6 MB).

  5. If an applicant were to include letters of support for the Shared Resource Core, would the researchers who provided the letters be excluded as candidate reviewers of the application?

    Yes, the writer of a letter of support for a grant application could not review that application. However, the application can list names of researchers who have previously utilized the Shared Resource Core. Unless those researchers were significantly involved in the Center or presented some other conflict of interest, they could be candidate reviewers for the RFA.

  6. We applied for a Wellstone Center through a previous funding opportunity, but were not successful. If we apply to this RFA will it be considered a new application or a resubmission?

    Applications for this RFA should be written as new applications. Applications should not include an introduction to resubmitted application, and there should be no mention of the previous review, which will be grounds for withdrawal of the application.

  7. We currently have a Wellstone Center award; will our application be designated as new or a renewal?

    Applications from currently funded Centers should be written as renewal applications, and include progress reports for cores, projects and overall.

  8. Do all of the projects, cores or investigators for a Center need to work at the same institution or in the same city?

    No. Investigators can be distributed at other institutions across the nation or internationally so long as an effective plan for collaboration and engagement of all investigators is provided. Each Center should have a primary institution that will receive the award, and research at other sites can be supported through subcontracts. The majority of awarded funds should remain at the primary institution.

  9. Does each Center need to conduct a clinical trial?

    No, other types of clinical research may be most appropriate for the Center application, such as a natural history or an epidemiologic study. A clinical intervention trial can be included as a Center project if the constraints of timing, budget and relatedness to the rest of the Center activities can be adequately addressed. Stand-alone clinical trials may also apply for support through other mechanisms. Contact NIH program staff for additional information.

  10. If the Center will also be receiving funds from other public or private sources to conduct the research or support the cores, how should this be described in the application?

    Large collaborative research activities often require support from multiple sources and public-private partnerships are encouraged. Industry involvement in translational and clinical research is encouraged, as are collaborations and support from private health organizations. Such partnerships would strengthen an application. The application should describe the overall research activities and how the NIH support will fit into this overall plan. The application must specify both scientifically and in budget categories, what will be supported by NIH funds.

  11. Can the shared Scientific Research Resource Core charge a fee for its services?

    The Center award should support the establishment of the core and partial salary for the leadership and technical personnel. If services or resources constitute a significant financial burden to the Center, or if demand for the core leads to the need for increased personnel, the core may establish a reasonable fee schedule to cover the costs to the Center. The fee schedule may be described in the application or may be developed after the award in consultation with the Center Advisory Committee (CAC) and the NIH Program Official.

  12. Can foreign investigators be involved in a Center application?

    Yes, Centers can have subcontracts to foreign institutions as long as a convincing justification is provided for the unique expertise or resources available at this institution and not available in the United States. Foreign institutions may not be the primary site of a Wellstone Center award.

  13. How are Indirect Costs handled for the Training Core of this FOA?

    Applications can request indirect costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) for the Training Core based on your institution’s negotiated rate agreement. Some software systems used to prepare the application may issue a warning if the F&A rate is other than 8%, but grants.gov will still accept the application. If you have already prepared your application with the 8% rate, there is no need to change it before you submit the application. The award can be made at the full F&A rate, regardless of the level requested in the application.

  14. Why was the activity code changed from a U54 to a P50, does that mean the centers are no longer encouraged to collaborate with others?

    As stated in the FOA, the activity code change is being made to better align the MDSRCs with NIH policy and similar centers across the NIH, and will have no effect on the structure of individual MDSRCs, the MDSRC network, nor the level of involvement by NIH staff. NIH encourages the MDSRCs to continue to collaborate and share resources within the network as well as with investigators in the broader community, as is the case for all awards that are supported by the NIH. Therefore, the only impact the activity code change will have is in internal NIH administrative processes.