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NIH R15s: AREA and REAP Grants

NIH R15s: AREA and REAP Grants. Astrid Haugen Health Specialist Genes, Environment, and Health Branch NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training. Today’s Topics. Overview of R15 Program goals How to read R15 F unding O pportunity A nnouncements ( FOAs )

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NIH R15s: AREA and REAP Grants

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  1. NIH R15s: AREA and REAP Grants Astrid Haugen Health Specialist Genes, Environment, and Health Branch NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training

  2. Today’s Topics • Overview of R15 Program goals • How to read R15 Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) • Learn how R15 applications and projects differ from R01s • Differences between AREA and REAP • Strategies for success

  3. R15 Grant Mechanism • Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) • Undergraduate-Focused Institutions • PAR-18-714 (no CT) and PAR-19-133 (CT) • Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) • Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools • Schools of medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, public health, optometry, allied health, chiropractic, naturopathy, and podiatry • PAR-19-134 (no CT) and PAR-19-135 (CT)

  4. Program Goals • Strengthen research environment of institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH funding • Support useful, interesting, publishable research • Expose students to primary research

  5. Restructuring the R15: Intent and Rationale • Returned to historical intent of AREA • Support undergraduates’ access to research opportunities and entry into biomedical research careers; however… • Continue to provide opportunity for faculty and students in heath professional schools to participate in a dedicated FOA via REAP • For AREA and REAP: • Maintain the key goals of the R15 program • Allow for better reporting and evaluation • E.g., tracking undergraduate students

  6. Key Features • Research Grant mechanism • Up to $300,000 direct cost to be spent over 3 year-project period • 12 page Research Strategy - Same criteria scoring as a R01, but different emphasis • Grants are renewable

  7. Goals & Scope: Part 2, Section I, Funding Opportunity Description ...

  8. R15 vs. R01 • Overall impact of R15 differs from R01 • Smaller-scale research projects • Limited scope • Due to resources (i.e., facilities, personnel) • Must describe opportunities for students • Absent from R01 • Must describe how award will strengthen research environment of the institution • Absent from R01

  9. R15-Specific Eligibility Criteria: Part 2, Section III, Part 1

  10. AREA and REAP are Mutually Exclusive • Each program targets a different pool of faculty • REAP: faculty at Health Professional Schools or Graduate Schools. • AREA: faculty at undergraduate-focused schools and colleges (not Health Professional or Graduate). • Institution could have faculty eligible for each program • However…individual faculty cannot be eligible for both R15 programs

  11. AREA vs. REAP: Primary Appointment

  12. R15 PI Eligibility Criteria: Primary Appointment Primary appointment at eligible institution • REAP Heath Professional School or Graduate School faculty PAR-19-134 (no CT) and PAR-19-135 (CT) • AREA Non-Health Professional School faculty PAR-18-714 (no CT) and PAR-19-133 (CT)

  13. R15 PI Eligibility: Multiple PIs and Collaborators • Multiple PI is OK, if all are FOA-eligible • What about an ineligible collaborator? • Yes! • However…. Be mindful of the intent and unique goals of the R15 • Majority of research should be directed by PI at grantee institution • Student profile & student inclusion are for applicant/eligible component Collaborators add expertise, but be selective

  14. Other R15 PI Eligibility Criteria • May not have an active NIH grant at time of award • Can hold successive New or Renewal grants • Can hold a subaward on someone else’s NIH grant R15 is intended to be a PI’s only NIH research grant

  15. Organization Eligibility Criteria • Organization must award at least a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences • Total NIH support is no more than $6 million per year in 4 of the last 7 years • Calculation parameters have changed • Note instructions in specific FOA

  16. Organization eligibility - AREA • PAR-18-714 (no CT), PAR-19-133 (CT) • All non-health professional components of the institution must have total NIH support no more than $6 million per year in 4 of the last 7 years • Health professional schools not included in this calculation • Undergraduate enrollment MUST be greater than graduate enrollment in the non-health professional school https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/Determing-Organization-Funding-Levels-R15-Eligibility.pdf

  17. AREA Eligibility

  18. Organization eligibility - REAP • PAR-19-134 (no CT), PAR-19-135 (CT) • The entire institution (all components) must have total NIH support no more than $6 million per year in 4 of the last 7 years • Includes support for non-health professional and health professional schools • Undergraduate enrollment level is not a factor for eligibility. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/Determing-Organization-Funding-Levels-R15-Eligibility.pdf

  19. REAP Eligibility

  20. REAP Eligibility Scenario

  21. REAP Eligibility Scenario II Non-Health Professional and Health professional Schools Painted Desert University

  22. Provost Letter • Both AREA and REAP require a signed letter from the Provost or similar official verifying eligibility as specified in the appropriate FOA • Applications submitted without this letter will be withdrawn and returned without review.

  23. Is AREA or REAP right for me?

  24. Application instructions: Part 2, Section IV, Part 2

  25. Before Writing Submission • Read FOA carefully • Write an abstract and sketch out some specific aims—one-pager • Useful tool: use the Matchmaker tool of NIH Reporter (https://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter_matchmaker.cfm) • Check the NIH Institute mission statement page • Talk to a Program Officer after emailing one-pager

  26. The Art of Crafting an R15 Application • Scientifically meaningful - Interesting questions & publishable data • Feasible with - Resources (facility and personnel) - Effort - Students • Appropriate scope • Describe your environment

  27. FOA has R15-specific instructions • Other Project Information: Facilities and Other Resources • Budget • Biographical sketch • Research Plan: Research Strategy Include a resource sharing plan!

  28. Research Strategy • Should touch each review criteria & program goals • Preliminary data • Reviewers can and will evaluate submitted data • Required to demonstrate appropriateness of project and group, including students • Description of involvement & supervision of students

  29. How Students Will Be Involved? Examples provided in both FOAs • Perform & troubleshoot experiments • Present at (lab) meetings & (campus) conferences • (Help) design experiments • Collect & analyze data • Draft articles • Collaborative interactions

  30. Student Involvement Should Be Meaningful • Number of students • Quality of student involvement • Not sufficient to say “there will also be a couple undergrads (with an unspecified or insignificant role)” • Mention how students will be recruited and student level (freshman – senior) for AREA, or graduate students for REAP

  31. The Budget • Can support a wide range of expenses - Student wages - Collaborator salaries (subawards) - Travel • Keep R15 criteria in mind - Student involvement in primary research - Improvement of R15-eligible institution - Impact on R15-eligible investigator

  32. Review criteria: Part 2, Section V, Part 1

  33. R15 Application Review • Where? a. Special Emphasis Panel for only R15 applications b. Chartered standing study sections with R01, R03, R21 • Clustered for review • Streamlined against R15 cluster; some institutes use percentile • Assignment Request Form – request special expertise and study section

  34. When to Apply

  35. After Submission • Make sure your application is correctly assigned • Study section and Institute • Check the meeting rosters and contact SRO, if needed • Check the NIH Institute mission statement page • Useful tool: use the Matchmaker tool of NIH Reporter

  36. Funding Trends Number of Applications and Awards Success Rate Number of Applications Number of Awards Success Rate https://report.nih.gov/success_rates/index.aspx

  37. Funding Trends

  38. After the Award… Due annually, and must include: • 2-page summary annual progress (not summary of history of grant) • Section D – Participants: list students who worked at least 1 person month per year (even if unpaid) - Each student must have Commons ID - Mentioning them in the research update is insufficient - Crucial for tracking students and determining success of R15 program as a whole

  39. No Magic Formula • Do not treat a successful [or not] application as an iron-clad template [of what not to do] • - How many students • - How many papers • - What % of a collaborator • - What % of special facilities • - What amount or type of institutional support • What type of environment Read Summary Statement of review; call your Program Officer; resubmit

  40. Strategies for Success • Build a vital research environment • Understand the NIH extramural research program • Know guidelines, deadlines, submission & correction process, and review criteria • Create an environment for success • Training • Protected time • Set expectations

  41. Institutions • Make a commitment to establish an environment in which research can succeed • Start up packages for equipment and supplies • Pilot grants, student research grants • Credit for student involvement in research • Consider the importance of collaborative research • Do not pressure PIs to submit applications that are not ready

  42. Applicants • Be familiar with the FOA goals and review criteria - address each question in your application • Pick a compelling research topic • State the significance – be articulate, avoid jargon, and write for the expert and non-expert • Propose a realistic scope • Propose clear hypotheses • Publish before you apply, if appropriate Remember…before you begin, consider… • Check institute strategic plan or mission • Speak to institute Program Officer

  43. Applicants (cont.) • Add collaborators as needed to bolster expertise • Approach refers to methods but also to how the research plan will accomplish the objectives you proposed • Include students in a significant manner • Remember, this is not a training grant • Focus on hands-on research, not coursework • Describe PI’s role in research & supervision

  44. Parting thought… don’t be discouraged… resubmit

  45. Links • https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r15.htm • https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/grants-academic-research-enhancement-awards • https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/sample-applications • https://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm • https://public.csr.nih.gov/NewsAndPolicy/PeerReviewVideos

  46. Questions

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