AHRQ National Research Service Award (NRSA) Program Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)

AHRQ National Research Service Award (NRSA) Program Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) is sponsored by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This program supports individual postdoctoral research training to develop promising fellows into productive, independent investigators in health services research.

Expired PA-09-229: AHRQ Individual Awards for Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) This notice has expired. Check the NIH Guide for active opportunities and notices.

Part I Overview Information of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, (AHRQ), ( http//www. ahrq. gov http//www.

ahrq. gov ) of Participating Organizations Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations, (OEREP), ( http://www. ahrq.

gov ) Title: AHRQ Individual Awards for Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions stated in this announcement may differ from those used by the NIH. Opportunity Announcement updates and supersedes PAR-06-409 released on May 12, 2006.

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued: August 9, 2012 - This PA has been reissued as PA-12-261. February 18, 2011 - See Notice NOT-HS-11-007 Extension of Expiration Date and Use of Adobe B1 Application Form. August 16, 2010 - IMPORTANT NOTE!

NIH has eliminated the error correction window for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond. As of January 25, all corrections must be complete by the due date for an application to be considered on-time. November 5, 2010 - See Notice NOT-OD-11-018 Notice of Need to Expire and Reissue Fellowship Applications (Fs) to Comply with Language in New Application Forms.

This FOA has been updated to reflect the new requirements from NIH’s Enhancing Peer Review Initiative. The new requirements are effective for submissions intended for due dates January 25, 2010 and beyond. If submitting an application intended for a due date of January 25, 2010 and beyond, follow the guidance below and be sure to use the Adobe-Forms-B version of the application forms and instructions.

If applying for a due date before January 25, 2010, follow the guidance in the archived version of this FOA and be sure to use the Adobe-Forms-A version of the application forms and instructions. 10, 2009 - See Notice NOT-HS-09-008 AHRQ Announcing the Transition of Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship (F) Applications to Electronic Submission .

Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants. gov ( http://www. grants.

gov ) using the SF 424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF 424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide for use by NIH and AHRQ applications. MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT . must be read in conjunction with the individual fellowship application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants.

gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants. gov/Apply). registration process is necessary before submission, and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date.

See Section Announcement (PA) Number: PA-09-229 of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s) Release Date: July 2, 2009 Opening Date: July 8, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted Application Receipt Date(s): Standard dates for Individual Kirschstein-NRSA awards apply: see http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.

htm Peer Review Date(s): Generally two months after receipt date Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Generally two months after peer review date Expiration Date: New Date: September 8, 2012 (per issuance of NOT-HS-11-007 ), Previous Date: January 8, 2011 (per issuance of NOT-OD-11-018 ), Original Date: Purpose: The purpose of this individual postdoctoral research training fellowship is to provide support to promising Fellowship Applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in health services research in research areas and priorities relevant to the mission of AHRQ.

Mechanism of Support: This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) uses the Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Postdoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanism (F32).

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards: The total amount to be awarded and the number of F32 fellowships awarded will depend on the quality and scientific merit of the applications received, their relevance to the program priorities of AHRQ and the Budget and Project Period: Aggregate NRSA postdoctoral support normally may not exceed 3 years.

See Section Application Research Strategy Length: The F32 Research Strategy section may not exceed 6 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts. Eligible Institutions/Organizations: Institutions/organizations listed in Section III are eligible to apply. Eligible Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI): The PD/PI is the individual Fellowship Applicant.

Applicants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. See Section III for definitions associated with specific eligibility requirements. Individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to submit an application.

Number of PDs/PIs: Only one PD/PI may be designated on the application. Number of Applications: Fellowship Applicant s may have only one individual fellowship application pending peer review within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) at any time. resubmission is allowed.

Resubmissions have the same due dates as new applications. Resubmission applications must include an introduction addressing the previous peer review critique (summary Renewals: Awards are not renewable and are not transferable from one PD/PI to another. Application Materials: See Section IV for application materials.

General Information: For general information on SF 424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission, see SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information: http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/424/index.

htm General Information on Electronic Submission of Grant Applications: http://era. nih. gov/ElectronicReceipt/ Hearing Impaired: Telecommunications for the hearing impaired is available at: TTY 301-451-5936.

II Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description 1. Research Training Objectives 1.

Mechanism(s) of Support III. Eligibility Information 2. Cost Sharing or Matching 3.

Other - Special Eligibility Criteria IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Information 2.

Content and Form of Application Submission 3. Submission Dates and Times A. Receipt and Review and Anticipated Start Dates B.

Sending an Application Electronically to the NIH C. Application Processing 4. Intergovernmental Review 6.

Other Submission Requirements V. Application Review Information 2. Review and Selection Process 3.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates VI. Award Administration Information 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 1.

Scientific/Research Contact(s) 2. Peer Review Contact(s) 3. Financial/ Grants Management Contact(s) VIII.

Other Information - Required Federal Citations Part II - Full Text of Announcement Section I. Funding Opportunity Description Research Training Objectives of the postdoctoral fellowship (F32) award is to provide support to promising postdoctoral applicants who have the potential to become productive and successful independent research investigators.

The proposed postdoctoral training must offer an opportunity to enhance the applicant’s understanding of health services research and must be responsive to AHRQ’s mission, which is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The research sponsored and conducted by AHRQ develops and presents scientific evidence regarding all aspects of health care.

It addresses issues of organization, delivery, financing, utilization, patient and provider behavior, outcomes, effectiveness and cost. It evaluates both clinical services and the system in which these services are provided.

These scientific results improve the evidence base to enable better decisions about health care, including such areas as disease prevention, appropriate use of medical technologies, improving diagnosis and treatment utilizing comparative effectiveness research, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities.

In addition, AHRQ is interested in the application of health information technology (health IT), as well as reducing medical errors and improving identified strategic goals as priority research areas. Research applications must address one of these areas. Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus on topical areas unique to AHRQ, demonstrating how expected results can be used or made available for use to improve healthcare quality.

Results should be directly relevant to customers, such as providers and practitioners, administrators, payers, consumers, policymakers, and insurers.

The strategic research goals are: Safety/quality Reduce the risk of harm from health care services by promoting the delivery of appropriate care that achieves the best Efficiency Achieve wider access to effective health care services and reduce health care costs Effectiveness Assure that providers and consumers/patients use beneficial and timely health care information to make informed decision particular interest in supporting postdoctoral fellows whose research relates to the following portfolios of work: comparative effectiveness, health IT, patient safety, prevention and care management, value, and healthcare innovations.

To learn more about AHRQ’s focus within these portfolios of work, please visit http://www. ahrq. gov/fund/portfolio.

htm particular opportunities emphasizing special research areas of interest within AHRQ’s priorities are occasionally posted on AHRQ’s web site at http://www. ahrq. gov/fund/ragendix.

htm . Applicants are encouraged to access AHRQ’s website for updates.

are further encouraged to address health services research issues critical to AHRQ priority populations, including: individuals living in inner city and rural (including frontier) areas; low-income and minority groups; women, children, the elderly; and individuals with special health care needs, including those with disabilities and those who need chronic or end-of-life with a health professional doctoral degree may use the proposed postdoctoral training to satisfy a portion of the degree requirements for a master's degree, a research doctoral degree or any other advanced research degree program.

from diverse racial and ethnic groups and individuals with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are always encouraged to apply for VIII , Other Information - Required Federal Citations, for policies related opportunity will use the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA individual postdoctoral fellowship award mechanism (F32).

As a Fellowship Applicant, the individual together with his/her sponsor and institution, are jointly responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed research training program.

mechanism is intended for candidates who will have received a PhD, MD, DO, DC, DDS, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, Dr PH, DNSc, ND (Doctor of Naturopathy), PharmD, DSW, PsyD, or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution prior to activation of the award. information and detailed requirements for this NRSA award mechanism can be found at: http://grants. nih.

gov/training/nrsa. htm . financial plans AHRQ provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications, the AHRQ program priorities and availability of Stipends: Kirschstein-NRSA awards provide stipends to fellows as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research and clinical training experiences.

The awards are not provided as a condition of employment with either the Federal government or the sponsoring institution. For the most recent stipend levels, see the following website: http://grants2. nih.

gov/training/nrsa. htm . AHRQ will adjust awards on the anniversary date of the fellowship award to ensure consistency with the stipend level in effect at that time.

No departure from the published Kirschstein-NRSA stipend schedule may be negotiated between the institution and the fellow. less than one full year of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of award will receive initial support at the zero level.

Relevant experience may include research (including research in industry), teaching, internship, residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in full-time studies in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. AHRQ will adjust awards on the anniversary date of the fellowship award to ensure consistency with the stipend schedule in effect at that time.

No departure from the published Kirschstein-NRSA stipend schedule may be negotiated between the institution and the fellow. The stipend for each subsequent year of Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA support is the next level of experience using the stipend schedule in effect at sponsored by domestic non-federal institutions, the stipend will be paid through the sponsoring institution.

For fellows sponsored by Federal institutions, the monthly stipend payment will be deposited in the fellow's U.S. bank account or paid directly to the fellow by U.S. Department of Treasury Fees: AHRQ will contribute to the combined cost of tuition and fees at the rate in place at the time of award. Tuition, for the purposes of this policy, means the combined costs of tuition and fees.

For the most recent tuition/fees levels, see the following website: http://grants2. nih. gov/training/nrsa.

htm . Allowance: F ellows sponsored by nonfederal or nonprofit institutions (domestic or foreign) will receive an institutional allowance to help defray fellowship expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books, and travel to scientific meetings.

Self-only health insurance (available to fellows without families) or family health insurance is an allowable cost for fellows at the sponsoring institution only if such self or family health insurance is applied consistently to all persons in a similar training status and regardless of the source of support.

This allowance is intended to cover training-related expenses for the individual fellow and is not available until the fellow officially activates the award. If an individual fellow is enrolled or engaged in training for less than six months of the award year, only one-half of that year's allowance may be charged to the grant. The Notice of Award will be revised and the balance must be returned to AHRQ.

not available to cover the costs of travel between the fellow’s place of residence and a training institution. However, in an individual case of extreme hardship, a one-way travel allowance may be authorized by the sponsoring institution. Such travel must be paid from the institutional allowance.

For the most recent institutional allowance levels, see the following website: http://grants2. nih. gov/training/nrsa.

htm . Training Costs: As part of this award, additional funds may be requested. In all cases, the additional funds requested must be reasonable in relationship to the total dollars awarded under the fellowship and must be directly related to the approved research training experience.

Such additional funds shall be provided only in exceptional circumstances that are fully justified and explained by the sponsoring institution in the application.

Reasonable accommodations: Additional funds may be requested by the sponsoring institution to make changes or adjustments in the academic or research environment that will make it possible for an otherwise qualified individual with disabilities to perform the work necessary to meet the requirements of the degree program in which he/she is enrolled.

Individuals with disabilities are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (see: Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page ). The accommodations requested under this program must be directly related to the work required to meet the requirements as regards to both course work and laboratory experience, and must be appropriate to the special needs of the applicant.

Some types of accommodations that might be provided under this award include, but are not limited to: specialized equipment, assistive devices, and personnel such as readers, interpreters, or assistants. This award is not meant to relieve the sponsoring institution of its obligation to provide reasonable accommodations as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NIH will not provide funds for infrastructure alterations such as lowering countertops, widening doorways, etc. Off-site research training: Additional funds may be requested by the sponsoring institution if the research training of a fellow involves extraordinary costs for travel to field sites remote from the sponsoring institution. fellowship training at AHRQ may only be made to domestic institutions.

However, limited travel to a foreign site may be permitted with sufficient justification and prior approval by AHRQ. Such travel must be paid from the institutional allowance. For information on NRSA stipend schedule, tuition, fees, and institutional allowance see http://grants.

nih. gov/training/nrsa. htm of Stipends, Compensation, And Other Income: The sponsoring institution is allowed to provide funds to the fellow in addition to the stipend paid by AHRQ.

Such additional amounts either may be in the form of an augmented stipend (supplementation) or in the form of compensation, provided the conditions described below are met. Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation or the services provided for compensation interfere with, detract from, or prolong the fellow's approved Kirschstein-NRSA training program. See also: http://grants.

nih. gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part10. htm#_Toc54600200 .

Supplementation: Supplementation, or additional support to offset the cost of living, may be provided by the sponsoring institution. Supplementation does not require additional effort from the fellow. DHHS funds may not be used for supplementation under any circumstances.

Additionally, no funds from other Federal agencies may be used for supplementation unless specifically authorized by AHRQ and the other Federal agency. The sponsoring institution may provide additional funds to a fellow in the form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition remission) for services such as teaching or serving as a research assistant.

A fellow may receive compensation for services as a research assistant or in some other position on a Federal research grant, including a DHHS research grant. However, compensated services should occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal research training activities, which require a minimum of 40 hours per week.

In addition, compensation may not be paid from a research grant supporting the fellow's research training Loans or G. I. Bill: An individual may make use of Federal educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (G.

I. Bill). Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation.

fellowship training may only be made to domestic institutions. However, limited travel to a foreign site may be permitted with sufficient justification and prior approval by AHRQ. Such travel must be paid from the Costs: These costs, also known as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, are not allowed on individual fellowship III.

Eligibility Information 1. A. Eligible Institutions submit an application(s) if your institution/organization has any of the following characteristics: Public or non-profit private institution, such as a university, college, or a faith-based or community-based organization; Units of local or State government; Eligible agencies of the Federal government.

Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized); Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organizations. fellowship training may only be made to domestic institutions.

authorizing legislation does not allow for-profit organizations to be eligible to lead applications under this research mechanism, thus for the purpose of this FOA, AHRQ will make grants only to domestic non-profit organizations. For-profit organizations may participate in projects as members of consortia or as subcontractors only.

Because the purpose of this program is to improve healthcare in the United States, foreign institutions may participate in projects as members of consortia or as subcontractors only. Applications submitted by for-profit organizations or foreign institutions will not be reviewed.

Organizations described in section 501(c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying are not individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training is invited to work with his/her sponsor and institution to develop an application for support.

Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for AHRQ support.

Citizenship: By the time of award, the individual applicant must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status). Non-citizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).

Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. Individuals may apply for the F32 in advance of admission to the United States as a Permanent Resident recognizing that no award will be made until legal verification of Permanent Resident status is provided. Requirements: Before a Ruth L.

Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral fellowship award can be activated, the individual must have received a PhD, MD, DO, DC, DDS, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, Dr PH, DNSc, ND (Doctor of Naturopathy), PharmD, DSW, PsyD, or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Certification by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution that all degree requirements have been met is also acceptable. A Ruth L.

Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DO, DDS, DVM, or other similar health-professional degrees. Neither may these awards be used to support the clinical years of residency training. However, these awards are appropriate for the research fellowship years of a research-track residency program.

Research clinicians must devote full-time to their proposed research training and confine clinical duties to those activities that are part of the research training program. does not require cost sharing for applications in response to this FOA. Other-Special Eligibility Criteria Applications.

An individual may not have two or more competing NIH fellowship applications pending review concurrently. Resubmission(s): Applicants may submit one resubmission application, but such application must include an Introduction addressing issues raised in the Renewals: Awards are not renewable and are not transferable from one PD/PI to Support: Individuals may receive up to 3 years of aggregate Ruth L.

Kirschstein-NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of support from institutional training grants (T32) and individual fellowship awards (F32). However, it is not allowable to have concurrent Kirschstein-NRSA support from two different sources (e.g., F32 and T32). Applicants must consider any prior Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral research training in determining the duration of fellowship support requested.

Accurate information regarding previous Kirschstein-NRSA support must be included in the application and will be considered at the time of award.

Applications not providing this information or showing a combined prior and proposed duration of NRSA postdoctoral support exceeding 3 years by the time of an award are not beyond the 3-year aggregate limit may be possible under certain exceptional circumstances, but a waiver from AHRQ is required. Individuals seeking additional Ruth L.

Kirschstein-NRSA support beyond the third year are strongly advised to consult with relevant AHRQ staff before preparing a justification. Any waiver will require a detailed justification of the need for additional research training. A waiver request should be made to the program official at AHRQ at least six months prior to the termination date of the fellowship award.

A request for a waiver cannot be made prior to the issuance of the initial award. awardees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies.

Support for subsequent years of the fellowship award beyond the first budget period is based upon evidence of satisfactory progress in the postdoctoral research training program which is determined by the AHRQ Program staff review of information documented Sponsor: Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must identify a sponsor (also called mentor or supervisor) who will supervise the training and research experience.

The sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research training and be committed both to the research training of the Fellowship Applicant and to the direct supervision the applicant’s research. The sponsor must document the availability of sufficient research support and facilities for high-quality research training.

The sponsor, or a member of the mentoring team, should have a successful track record of mentoring. Applicants are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research and training program. In such cases, one individual must be identified as the principal sponsor who will coordinate the applicant’s research training program.

The applicant must work with his/her sponsor(s) in preparing the application. should describe the research training plan for the applicant (coordinated with the applicant’s research strategy). The sponsor and any co-sponsors are also expected to provide an assessment of the applicant’s qualifications and potential for a research career.

The research environment and the availability and quality of needed research facilities and research resources (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, available research support, etc.) must also be described. The description should include items such as classes, seminars, and opportunities for interaction with other groups and scientists.

Training in career skills, e.g. grant-writing and presentation skills are Institution: Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must also identify a sponsoring institution.

The sponsoring institution must have appropriate staff and facilities available on site to provide a suitable environment for performing high-quality research training and be demonstrably committed to research training in the particular program proposed by the applicant. In most cases, the fellowship supports research training experiences in new settings in order to maximize the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.

However, in unusual circumstances, applicants may propose postdoctoral training experiences at their doctorate institution or at the institution where they have been training for more than a year. In such cases, the applicant must carefully document the opportunities for new research training experiences specifically designed to broaden his/her scientific Section IV.

Application and Submission a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, use the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or link to http://www. grants. gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.

registrations with Grants. gov and eRA Commons must be completed on or before the due date in order to successfully submit an application . Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more.

Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered with both Grants. gov and the Commons . All registrations must be complete by the submission deadline for the application to be considered on-time (see 3.

C. 1 for more information about on-time submission). registration is required for institutions/organizations at both: Grants.

gov ( http://www. grants. gov/applicants/get_registered.

jsp ) eRA Commons ( http://era. nih. gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.

htm ) Applicant) should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH eRA Commons. additional separate actions are required before an applicant can submit an electronic application, as follows: Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.

gov/Get Registered Your organization will need to obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) as part of the Grants. gov registration process. If your organization does not have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN), allow for extra time.

A valid TIN or EIN is necessary for CCR registration. The CCR also validates the EIN against Internal Revenue Service records, a step that will take an additional one to two business days. Direct questions regarding Grants.

gov registration to: Business Hours: M-F 7:00 a. m. - 9:00 p.

m. Eastern Time 2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons To find out if an organization is already Commons-registered, see the Grantee Organizations Registered in NIH eRA Commons. Direct questions regarding the Commons registration to: Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free) Business hours M-F 7:00 a.

m. 8:00 p. m.

Eastern Time Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) The individual designated as PD/PI on the application must be registered also in the NIH eRA Commons. The PD/PI must hold a PD/PI account in the Commons.

Applicants should not share a Commons account for both an Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) role and a PD/PI role; however, if they have both a PD/PI role and an Internet Assisted Review (IAR) role, both roles should exist under one Commons account. This registration/affiliation must be done by the AOR/SO or his/her designee who is already registered in the Commons.

PD/PI and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application image. Note: The registration process is not sequential. Applicants should begin the registration processes for both Grants.

gov and eRA Commons as soon as their organization has obtained a DUNS number. Only one DUNS number is required and the same DUNS number must be referenced when completing Grants. gov registration, eRA Commons registration and the SF424 (R&R) forms.

Request Application Information Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) individual fellowship application forms and the SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide for this FOA through Grants. gov/Apply . Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a specific FOA can be used.

You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA. For further assistance, contact GrantsInfo -- Telephone 301-710-0267, Email: [email protected] .

Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY: (301) 451-5936 Content and Form of Application Submission applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms for this FOA through Grants. gov/Apply and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide ( http://grants. nih.

gov/grants/funding/424/index. htm ). (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH.

Some fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH ( e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID ). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide.

For additional information, see Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications . (R&R) application has several components. Some components are required, others are optional.

The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants. gov/APPLY includes all applicable components, required and optional.

A completed application in response to this FOA includes the data in the following SF424 (R&R) (Cover component) Research & Related Project/Performance Research & Related Other Project Research & Related Senior/Key Person PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form Note: Specific instructions related to each of the components are included in the Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424 (R&R). 3. Submission Dates and Times 3.

A. Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates Opening Date: July 8, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted Application Due Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants. nih.

gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule. htm Peer Review Date(s): Generally two months after receipt date Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): Generally two months after peer review date intent is not required for this funding opportunity. Submitting an Application Electronically to the AHRQ application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.

grants. gov/applicants/apply_for_grants. jsp and follow Steps 1-4.

Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically . PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .

pdf extension must be used. may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be successfully received by Grants. gov no later than 5:00 p.

m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application due date(s). (See Section IV.

3. A. for all dates.)

If an application is not submitted by the due date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process