Education and Health: New Frontiers (R21)

Education and Health: New Frontiers (R21) is sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) opportunity from NIH for researchers to explore linkages between education and health.

Expired PAR-16-078: Education and Health: New Frontiers (R21) This notice has expired. Check the NIH Guide for active opportunities and notices. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) of Participating Organizations National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) National Institute on Aging ( NIA ) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA ) Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research ( OBSSR ) Funding Opportunity Title Education and Health: New Frontiers (R21) R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant November 22, 2017 - This PAR has been reissued as PAR-18-362 .

May 10, 2017 - New NIH "FORMS-E" Grant Application Forms and Instructions Coming for Due Dates On or After January 25, 2018. See NOT-OD-17-062 .

- NIH & AHRQ Announce Upcoming Changes to Policies, Instructions and Forms for 2016 Grant Applications (November 18, 2015) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number Companion Funding Opportunity PAR-16-080 , R01 Research Project Grant, PAR-16-079 , R03 Small Grant Program Additional Information on Eligibility . Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) 93. 865; 93.

279; 93. 399; 93.

866 Funding Opportunity Purpose The goal of this funding opportunity announcement is to support research that will further elucidate the pathways involved in the relationship between education and health outcomes and in doing so to carefully identify the specific aspects and qualities of education that are responsible for this relationship and what the mediating factors are that affect the nature of the causal relationship.

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) Letter of Intent Due Date(s) dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

AIDS Application Due Date(s) New Date November 22, 2017 per issuance of PAR-18-362 . (Original Expiration Date: January 8, 2019) Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in (R&R) Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV . When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. Part 1. Overview Information Part 2.

Full Text of the Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Section II. Award Information Section III.

Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Section V. Application Review Information Section VI.

Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information Full Text of Announcement Section I.

Funding Opportunity Description In 2003, NIH issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to advance scientific understanding on the plausible causal pathways that explain the widely accepted, but poorly understood positive association between education and health. Based on a competitive peer review process, 13 grants were awarded by OBSSR.

The scientific contribution of this programmatic effort produced an impressive bibliography of several dozen original peer reviewed publications. Both a brief history and listing of the resulting publications of the 2003 FOA can be read here: https://obssr. od.

nih. gov/scientific-initiatives/health-and-education/ From an NIH perspective, the findings built on previous research by formalizing how education is clearly linked to a variety of specific and important health behaviors and conditions, therefore bringing the science closer to a mechanistic understanding of the causal pathways.

For instance, some researchers found a moderate to strong association between educational attainment and several different biological risk factors, such as markers of inflammation, higher/lower cardiovascular risks, and hypercholesterolemia. Other researchers focused on a wide variety of specific illnesses and health problems, including diabetes, depression, and mental well-being.

Still others examined how education is linked to positive and negative health behaviors, such as smoking cigarettes, drug and alcohol abuse, and utilization of medical screening programs. As is often the case in science, these advances in our understanding also raised new questions.

For instance, many of these studies didn't specifically study the education process, per se, making it difficult to parse out the contributions of education from overall socioeconomic status (SES). Additionally, due to data limitations, many of the studies utilized very limited measurements of education, such as high school completion verses not completed, or cognitive performance and IQ as surrogates for education.

Although this is not an unreasonable empirical strategy when faced with data limitations, these approaches limit our ability to determine which specific features of the educational experience are linked to improved health. For example, what types of skills and knowledge are relevant to speci? c positive health outcomes, and how does schooling lead to the acquisition of these skills and knowledge?

Related, are there critical periods in the life course during which education has a greater impact on the trajectory of an individual’s health than at other times for example, during pre-school, adolescence, or college? Are health benefits associated with adult education and occupational training or continuing education later in life?

Are the health benefits of additional years of schooling constant no matter what the baseline level of education? Does it matter what kind of education you get: private, public, home-school, or for higher level education; technical/vocational or liberal arts; online or in a traditional setting? Does the quality of education matter, and if so, which aspects of quality?

How do you measure 'quality'? How does the role of the teacher versus the family affect the linkage to positive or negative health outcomes?

The goals of this FOA are to further elucidate the pathways involved in the relationship between education and health outcomes and in doing so to carefully identify the specific aspects and qualities of education that are responsible for this relationship and what the mediating factors are that affect the nature of the causal relationship.

Nature of Research Problem In June 2014, OBSSR convened a workshop that brought together clinicians and researchers in education and health in order to identify opportunities and gaps in the field as well as to develop strategies to ensure that education and health research remains a national priority. A summary of the meeting can be read here: https://obssr. od.

nih. gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/OBSSR_Education_and_Health_REV_8-22-2014_FINAL_RLA. pdf Areas of research that were emphasized included: developing better measures of health outcomes (including cognitive function, subjective well-being, etc.), improving study designs, identifying mechanisms underlying the relationship between education and health, and considering contextual issues.

Additionally, it was noted that there must also be attention to longitudinal research to understand long-term implications of early interventions and replication of studies to verify results. Themes evident throughout the meeting included the nature of the causal relationship between education and health, contextual issues, the need for more and better data, and interventions in education and health.

A number of private foundations have current initiatives which examine the links between health and education. The William T. Grant Foundation has recently examined the infrastructure to improve the use and usefulness of research in education ( http://blog.

wtgrantfoundation. org/ ). The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is exploring education and health within its series on the social determinants of health ( http://www.

rwjf. org/en/how-we-work/grants/programs-and-initiatives. html ).

Their work examines the interrelated pathways through which educational attainment is linked to health outcomes, including through employment and income, and social and psychological factors. The W. K.

Kellogg Foundation is addressing the health and well-being of children and families from interrelated fronts, including nutrition and education ( http://www. wkkf. org/grantseekers ).

The Open Society Foundation is committed to supporting quality education across the globe, imagining education as a key to civic participation and healthy lives ( http://www. opensocietyfoundations. org/ ).

This FOA seeks to supplement the work of these foundations by promoting an examination of the specific mechanisms through which educational experiences and activities are linked to health outcomes, elucidate pathways and inform causal models that can inform more targeted interventions.

Recent contemporary work on educational attainment and adult health has demonstrated that the treatment of health is multi-dimensional and the treatment of education is not limited to a simple operationalization.

Both health and education need to be examined in complex ways, using novel methodological tools and datasets, as well as situating analyses across diverse global spaces and within specific historical time periods to better understand the macro mechanisms which link educational attainment with health outcomes.

For this FOA, education refers to the comprehensive formal instruction that spans the human experience, from early childhood programs to pre-school, elementary and secondary schooling, college and adult learning programs. It includes the social and behavioral processes that are combined with formal instruction in educational environments.

A better scientific understanding of the mechanisms linking education and health could lead to additional and improved prevention and therapeutic intervention strategies for important health problems. NOTE: This FOA is not directed at studies which limit their focus to the impact of specific health education courses or programs on health behaviors; rather, the focus is on the impact of more general education experiences.

In order to better understand these pathways, it will be necessary to explore which components or dimensions of education are important to health. The association or pathway between formal education and important health behaviors or diseases may not be causal. Instead it may reflect the influence of confounding or co-existing determinants or bi-directionality.

Appropriate research topics for this FOA may involve pilot studies, new analyses of existing data, longitudinal studies, or a balance of approaches tailored for the study hypotheses. It is strongly encouraged that an application involve new teams of multidisciplinary researchers with expertise in both health and education domains.

Applications for R21 awards should describe projects distinct from those supported through the traditional R01 activity code. For example, long-term projects, or projects designed to increase knowledge in a well-established area, are not appropriate for R21 awards. Applications submitted to this FOA should be exploratory and novel.

These studies should break new ground or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or Research Perspectives and Themes To achieve the goal of a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking education and health outcomes, this FOA encourages the exploration of research perspectives and themes described below. The NIH believes these approaches may move current research efforts to the next level of accomplishment.

Applicants are not required to incorporate all of the themes below into their research applications; however, applicants should explicitly Education and Health Across the Age Formal education often occurs at the stage of the life cycle when significant formation of health behaviors is also occurring; these specific formal educational experiences as well as the social context provided by the school and the behavior and norms of the other students may either directly or indirectly influence the development of health behaviors.

Education may improve health by laying the foundation for the individual's integration in to society, not only in terms of the content of the curriculum, but also in terms of social competencies and the ability to function in hierarchical, structured settings (i.e., universities and colleges, employment settings, civic society, etc.).

Because of the critical need for additional information on the pathways that link education with a variety of diseases and health risk factors, researchers are encouraged, but not required, to include in any research project objectives directed at both (1) better understanding the relationship between education and a specific disease or important macro- and/or micro- health risk factor and (2) better understanding the relationship between one or more pathways that explain the association between education and general health and wellbeing.

Examples of possible relevant topics might include the following (but are in no way limited to this suggested list): - Through which biological pathways (including neurological, inflammatory, and endocrinological networks) does education affect health? - What is the effect(s) of education on the function or structure of the brain (eg.

prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, etc.), during the period of formal education; is there the evidence of the persistence of these alterations into adulthood? - What mechanisms account for the impact of education on the risk of neurological diseases later in life such as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, or cancer-related cognitive impairment?

- How does sleep moderate or mediate the relationship between education and health? - How might education buffer against the acute and chronic effects of physiological and psychological stress in adulthood?

Does education have its effect by an enhancement of coping resources or - What impacts do the demands of various educational programs (at all levels) have on students stress levels and subsequent health outcomes, both in the short and long term? Do stress management programs moderate these effects?

- How does education affect mental health outcomes, including depression and other mental - What is the effect of education and moderating factors such as peer/group effects and/or social context formation provided by the school on the development of health behaviors? - The effect of education and educational outcomes on the initiation, maintenance, and/or cessation of risky behaviors such as substance abuse.

Compare/contrast trajectories of risky behavior with initiation, maintenance, and/or cessation of healthy behaviors. Also, how do these risky/healthy behaviors support or interfere with the pursuit of - How do specific formal education experiences (e.g. public, private, charter, homeschooling, online, etc.) influence health outcomes and behaviors?

- Do changes in educational policies and requirements at the local, state, tribal, and national level result in changes in educational outcomes, attitudes towards education, and health outcomes?

- How does the timing of education, (e.g. Education obtained in adulthood versus the more traditional educational trajectory of grade school and high school) - How do parental inputs, including parental educational status and attitudes towards education, influence educational outcomes?

How do the influences of educational trajectories and health outcomes of siblings and other household members alter - Research on the sensitive periods in prenatal, early and middle childhood development (e.g. small class sizes in kindergarten through 3rd grade, early childhood interventions) and their impact on education and health outcomes.

- How does the changing distribution of mental health diagnoses (e.g., how conditions are defined such as of LD, ADHD, etc.) and how this changes the perception of the link between education and health? Is this different over time and what are the - Are the behavioral, psychological, and neurobiological risk factors associated with poor early educational experiences plastic or malleable in mid-life?

Can we identify targets for intervention in mid-late life that might compensate for or remediate deficits associated with these risk factors? - Research on the mechanisms that account for links between personality and other non-cognitive skills and capacities to educational attainment, and the associated pathways linking these individual difference factors to health outcomes in later life.

- How malleable are personality and non-cognitive skills and capacities throughout the lifespan? Do these factors have an impact on the effectiveness of educational programs at any life stage?

- Research on the supported education for individuals with mental illness or with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in all levels of formal education including post-secondary and its effects on health and quality of life measures, including longer term functioning and employment outcomes.

Particular school-based studies have included the collection of health data, and allow for potentially important research on the links between education and health.

For instance, both the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; birth through kindergarten) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K; kindergarten through eighth grade) include data on children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development in the home, childcare, and school settings.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) High School and Beyond includes data on general health, access to health care, and health insurance status. It is the intention of this FOA to inspire collaborative work across disciplines, and through innovative methodologies to explore the mechanisms linking health outcomes to educational experiences.

Examples of possible relevant topics may include the following (but are in no way limited to this list): - How can we more accurately or completely characterize or measure education (including teacher- student interaction in a more formal education setting, but also non-formal social forms of education, e.g., tribal, church, scouts, musical instruction, school clubs etc.), beyond simply as years of education without regard to the characteristics or nature of the educational experience?

- How do we measure quality of education, such as the relationship between teacher instructional styles and quality of teaching and health outcomes?

- Equivalently, are there innovations in metrics of resilience/personality, either on the individual or structural supports (e.g., family, church, other) that may confer some protection from risk and may help predict why someone in a poor quality education institution can do well later in life?

- In what ways do education quality, content, and/or appropriateness of the curriculum moderate the association between educational attainment and health? - Cross-national comparisons of education’s effects on See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities Grant: A support mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.

Application Types Allowed Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. The combined budget for direct costs for the two year project period may not exceed $275,000. No more than $200,000 may be requested in any single year.

The total project period may not exceed 2 years. Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education: Hispanic-serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses) City or Township Governments Special District Governments Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government U.S. Territory or Possession Independent School Districts Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Faith-based or Community-based Organizations Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , are allowed. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.

Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number.

After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application. System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly CCR) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually .

The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.

must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the eRA Commons registration. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants. gov registration.

eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.

PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization 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 NIH support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement . 3.

Additional Information on Eligibility Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time.

This means that the NIH will A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101 ). Section IV. Application and Submission Information Applicants must obtain the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.

gov . 2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in (R&R) Application Guide , including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise.

Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced.

Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Page Limits must be followed Instructions for Application Submission The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide SF424(R&R) Other Project Information All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: Sharing Plan : Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits.

Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Planned Enrollment Report When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Planned Enrollment Reports as described in the SF424 (R&R) PHS 398 Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report When conducting clinical research, follow all instructions for completing Cumulative Inclusion Enrollment Report as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) See Part 1.

Section III. 1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and 4. Submission Dates and Times Part I.

Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday , the application deadline is automatically extended to the next Organizations must submit applications to Grants.

gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons , NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.

gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants. gov on or before the application due date and time.

If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. 5. Intergovernmental Review This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement .

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Requirements and Information Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted. Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date.

Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration. For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission Electronically .

If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must for Applicants Experiencing System Issues . For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII . All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package .

Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will Post Submission Materials Applicants are required to follow our Post Submission Application Materials policy. Section V.

Application Review Information Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

As part of the NIH mission , all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer For this particular announcement, note the following: The R21 exploratory/developmental grant supports investigation of novel scientific ideas or new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential for significant impact on biomedical or biobehavioral research.

An R21 grant application need not have extensive background material or preliminary information. Accordingly, reviewers will focus their evaluation on the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or understanding.

Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or, when available, from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required for R21 applications; however, they may be included if available.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each.

An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field?

Is there a strong scientific premise for the project? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Field(s) is defined by either or both a health related science and educational sciences. Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators those in the early stages of independent