NIOSH Small Research Grant Program (R03) is sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This program supports small occupational safety and health research projects, including pilot and feasibility studies, secondary data analysis, or development of research methods.

The purpose is to understand risks and conditions associated with occupational diseases and injuries, explore risk reduction methods, and translate findings into prevention practices.

While not exclusively focused on whistleblower protections, research into workplace safety, injury prevention, and hazardous conditions could encompass studies on how whistleblower protections impact these areas or how retaliation contributes to unsafe workplaces.

Expired PAR-06-551: NIOSH Small Research Grant Program (R03) This notice has expired. Check the NIH Guide for active opportunities and notices. Part I Overview Information Department of Health and Human Services Participating Organizations Institute for Occu pational Safety and Health ( NIOSH), ( http://www.

cdc. gov/niosh/oep ) Components of Participating Organizations Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH) http://www. cdc.

gov/niosh/oep Title: NIOSH Small Research Grant Program (R03) Note: The policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions stated in this announcement may differ from those used by the NIH. Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued: April 15, 2009 - This PA has been reissued as (PAR-09-138).

September 17, 2007 - Expiration Date adjusted to accommodate recent changes to standing submission deadlines, per NOT-OD-07-093. This is a conversion of PA R-06-364 , which was previously released May 3, 2006 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 SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

be read in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement in Grants. gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants. gov/Apply).

process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section Program Announcement (PA) Number: PAR-06-551 of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s) Release/Posted Date: September 19, Opening Date: September 19, 2006 (earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.

gov. Letter of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants. gov no later than 5:00 local time (of the applicant Institution/Organization.) Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.

nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule. htm for Information To Be Available Date (URL Activation Date): Not Applicable Expiration Date: March 2, 2009 (now May 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093 ) Additional Overview Content The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invite grant applications for research related to occupational safety and health.

The NIOSH research program goal is to support research that is relevant, of high quality, and demonstrates impact in reducing occupational disease and injury. Emphasis is placed on research projects that address needs in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), for which information may be found at: http://www. cdc.

gov/niosh/nora/ . To extend NORA beyond the first ten years, NIOSH has created a Program Portfolio that is organized into eight (8) NORA Sector Programs that represent industrial sectors, and fifteen (15) cross-sector programs organized around adverse health outcomes, statutory programs and global efforts.

In addition to these program areas, NIOSH has identified seven (7) Coordinated Emphasis Areas that support the Sector and Cross-Sector Programs. http://www. cdc.

gov/niosh/programs/ Below is a concise description of the funding opportunity under This FOA will utilize the Small Research Grant (R03) The R03 grant mechanism supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.

The R03 is intended to support small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. The R03 is not renewable beyond the original award . Budgets for direct costs of up to $50,000 per year and a project duration of up to two years may be requested for a maximum of $100,000 direct costs over a two-year project period.

Eligible organizations: For-profit organizations; non-profit organizations; public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories; units of State government; units of local government; eligible institutions of the Federal government; domestic institutions; faith-based or community-based organizations ; Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized); Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized); and Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Eligible Project Director/Principal I nvestigators (PD/PIs): Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their 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 NI OS H Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the a vailability of funds and the submission of relevant, meritorious See Section IV. 1 for application materials.

For general information on SF424 (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/ Telecommunications or the hearing impaired is available at: TTY 301-451-5936.

Part I Overview Information Part II Full Text of Announcement Section I. Funding Opportunity Section II. Award Information 2.

Cost Sharing or Matching 3. Other - Special Eligibility Criteria Section IV. Application and 1.

Request Application Information 2. Content and Form of Application Submission 3. Submission Dates and Times A.

Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Dates B. Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH C. Application Processing 4.

Intergovernmental Review 6. Other Submission Requirements Section V. Application Review 2.

Review and Selection Process A. Additional Review Criteria D. Sharing Research Resources 3.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates Section VI. Award Administration 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Section VII.

Agency Contact(s) 1. Scientific/Research Contact(s) 2. Peer Review Contact(s) 3.

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s) Section VIII. Other Information - Required Federal Citations Part II - Full Text of Announcement Section I. Funding Opportunity Description The CDC and NIOSH are committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010" and to measuring program performance as stipulated by the Government Performance and Review Act (GPRA).

This FOA addresses Healthy People 2010 priority area(s) of reducing injuries and disease in occupational settings and to promote a healthy work environment and is in alignment with NIOSH’s performance goal(s) to support research that is relevant, of high quality, and demonstrates impact in reducing occupational disease and injury. For more society, Americans are working more hours than ever before.

The workplace environment profoundly affects health; simply by going to work each day, we may face hazards that threaten our health and safety. Risking one's life or health should never be considered merely part of the job.

In 1970, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure Americans the right to "safe and healthful working conditions," yet workplace hazards continue to inflict a tremendous toll in both human and economic costs. In 2000, private industry employers reported 5. 3 million work injuries and 363,000 cases of occupational illness.

An average of 16 American workers die each day from injuries on the job (in 2000, there were 5915 fatal work injuries). Moreover, even the most conservative estimates find that about 137 additional workers die each day from workplace diseases. Additionally, in 1999, occupational injuries and deaths cost approximately $123 billion in wages and lost productivity, administrative expenses, health care and other costs.

This figure does not include the cost of occupational disease. These occupational injuries and diseases create needless human suffering, a tremendous burden upon health care resources, and an enormous drain on U.S. productivity. NIOSH is the lead Federal Institute responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries.

However, there are other Federal components that contribute significantly to the research base for understanding the causes of occupational illnesses and injuries, so NIOSH coordinates with those other organizations in co-sponsoring programs and funding applications. NIOSH and its partners in the public and private sectors developed the NORA to provide a framework to guide occupational safety and health research into the next decade.

Approximately 500 organizations and individuals outside NIOSH provided input into the development of NORA. The agenda identifies 21 research priorities and reflects an attempt to consider both current and emerging needs. The priority areas were not ranked; each is considered to be of equal importance.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of the "National Occupational Research Agenda" (HHS, CDC, NIOSH Publication No.96-115) from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, telephone (800) 356-4674 or on the internet at http://www. cdc.

gov/niosh/nora/ (click on About NORA and first of research supported by NIOSH include, but are not limited to: (1) identify and investigate the relationships between hazardous working conditions and associated occupational diseases and injuries; (2) develop more sensitive means of evaluating hazards at work sites, as well as methods for measuring early markers of adverse health effects and injuries; (3) develop new protective equipment, engineering control technology, and work practices to reduce the risks of occupational hazards; (4) evaluate the technical feasibility or application of a new or improved occupational safety and health procedure, method, technique, or system.

The goal of the NIOSH research program is to support research that is relevant, of high quality, and demonstrates impact in reducing occupational disease and injury. Emphasis is placed on research projects that address needs in NORA. In 2006, NIOSH is extending NORA for another ten years with a shift in organization of the research portfolio to reflect the industries in which workers are employed.

In that context, NIOSH created a Program Portfolio to broadly guide activities by categorizing programs into eight (8) NORA Sector Programs that represent groups of industrial sectors, and fifteen (15) cross-sector programs organized around adverse health outcomes, statutory programs and global efforts.

In addition to these program areas, NIOSH has identified seven (7) Coordinated Emphasis Areas that support the Sector and Cross-Sector Programs. http://www. cdc.

gov/niosh/programs/ Program Portfolio is outlined below: Recommendations Development Reproductive, Cardiovascular, Neurological & Renal Diseases & Information Dissemination Organization & Stress-Related Disorders Coordinated Emphasis Areas should provide a statement about which industry sector, cross-sector, and emphasis area (if applicable) are being addressed and a rationale for how the proposal will contribute to the specified priority area (this information should be placed in the "Background and Significance" section of the "Research Plan" of the application).

to NORA, NIOSH has initiated a Research to Practice (r2P) initiative to reduce or eliminate occupational disease and injury by increasing the use and translation of effective NIOSH-funded research findings in the workplace and through stakeholder involvement in the research process. Therefore, applications should include an explanation of how their proposed research will contribute to this initiative.

Information is available at: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/r2p/ See Section VIII, Other Information - Required Federal Citations , for policies related to this announcement.

Section II. Award Information 1. Mechanism(s) of Support This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) uses the small research projects (R03) mechanism which pertains to studies that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources.

The applicant will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular budget formats (see the Modular Applications and Awards section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement .

All applications submitted in response to this FOA must use the modular budget format. Specifically, use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5. 4, Modular Budget Component, of the Application Guide).

period of up to two years and a budget for direct costs of up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each). Commensurate Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are allowed.

by consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation, See NOT-OD-05-004 , Competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) applications will not be accepted for the R03 grant mechanism. Small grant support may not be used for thesis or dissertation research. Up to two resubmissions (formerly revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed small grant application may be submitted as defined in NIH Policy .

See NOT-OD-05-046 http://grants. nih. gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-046.

html Although the financial plans of the CDC/NIOSH provides support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of relevant, meritorious applications . Section III.

Eligibility Information application(s) if your organization has any of the following characteristics: For-profit organizations; Non-profit organizations; institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories; Units of State government; Units of local government; Eligible institutions of the Federal government; Faith-based or community-based organi zations; Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized); Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized); and Indian/Native American Tribally Designated 1.

B. Eligible Individuals Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with his/her 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 CDC/NIOSH programs.

Individuals who are junior investigators (no higher than assistant professor) have a higher priority for funding. Individuals in a training program are not eligible for this program (masters, doctoral, or postdoctoral ) . 2.

Cost Sharing or Matching This program does not require cost sharing as defined in the current NIH Grants Policy Statement . Other-Special Eligibility Criteria submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct. Small grant support may not be used for thesis or dissertation Section IV.

Application and Submission Information and Instructions for Submission via Grants. gov SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, link to http://www. grants.

gov/Apply and follow the directions provided on that Web registration is required for institutions/organizations at both: Grants. gov ( http://www. grants.

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

htm ) work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows: 1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.

gov/Get 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 Direct questions regarding Grants. gov registration Grants.

gov Customer Support 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 " List of Grantee Organizations Registered in NIH eRA Commons. Direct questions regarding the Commons registration 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 the PD/PI on the application must also be registered in the NIH eRA Commons. It is not necessary for PDs/PIs to register with Grants. gov. The PD/PI must hold a PD/PI account in the Commons and must be affiliated with the applicant organization.

This account cannot have any other role attached to it other than the PD/PI. This registration/affiliation must be done by the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) or their designee who is already registered in the Commons.

Both the PD/PI and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the application PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization.

Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants. gov and the Commons .

The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all 1. Request Application Information must download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for this FOA through Grants. gov/Apply .

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 assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 301-710-0267, Email: [email protected] . Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.

Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R &R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide ( MS (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH.

There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, 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 . The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional.

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

A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components: SF424 (R&R) (Cover component) Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations Research & Related Other Project Information Research & Related Senior/Key Person PHS398 Cover Page Supplement Research & Related Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form 3. Submission Dates and Times 3. A.

Submission, Review, and Anticipated Start Intent Receipt Date: None Date(s): http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.

htm Peer Review Date: http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.

htm Date: http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.

htm Anticipated Start Date: http://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.

htm Submitting an Application Electronically to the NIH Applications in response to this FOA may only be submitted to Grants. gov through Grants. gov/Apply .

PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 3. C.

Application Processing Applications 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 submission/receipt date(s). (See Section IV. 3.

A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the receipt date(s) and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by NIOSH Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants. gov .

The CDC will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CDC will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.

This does not preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial changes, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. Note that such an application is considered a "resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R). 4.

Intergovernmental Review This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental All NIOSH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Pre-Award Costs are allowable.

A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIOSH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or competing renewal award if such costs: are necessary to conduct the project and would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIOSH prior approval.

If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIOSH approval before incurring the cost.

NIOSH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new or competing The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIOSH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred.

NIOSH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project. Grants Policy Statement .

Other Submission Requirements For additional information, see Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission on the front page of Electronic Submission of Application Characteristics All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide ( MS Word or PDF ) are to be followed, with the following requirements for R03 applications: R03 applications will use the modular budget format and Just-in-Time concepts, with direct costs of up to two $25,000 modules, or $50,000 per year, may be requested for up to two years (i.e., a maximum of $100,000 over two years in four modules of $25,000 each).

o Items 2-5 of the PHS398 Research Plan component of the R03 application may not exceed 10 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts. The Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies, and Research Design and Methods components of the Research Plan must not exceed 10 pages. All tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must be included with the 10-page limit.

Be succinct and remember that there is no requirement to use all 10 pages allotted to the Research Plan. Please note that a Progress Report is not needed. o Introduction (required for a resubmission application) is limited to one page.

For a resubmission application, an Introduction (not to exceed one page) in addition to the Research Plan is required. This Introduction, which is not included in the ten-page limit, must include responses to the criticisms and issues raised in the summary statement. The changes in the Research Plan must be clearly marked by appropriate bracketing, indenting or changing of typography, unless the changes include most of the text.

Changes should be summarized in the Introduction. o Preliminary data are not required but may be included if available. Note: While each section of the Research Plan needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files.

This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a . pdf extension must be used.

Appendix: (New and Resubmission Applications) Follow the guidance above about PDF files. o R03 Appendix materials will not be duplicated with the application and will be sent only to certain members of the SRG who will serve as the primary reviewers of the application.

o Appendix materials may include original glossy photographs or color images of gels, micrographs, etc. provided that a copy of the image (may be reduced in size) is also contained within the 10-page limit of Items 2-5 of the Research Plan. No images may be included in the Appendix that are not also represented within the Research Plan.

No publications or other printed material, with the exception of pre-printed questionnaires or surveys, may be included in the Appendix. o Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations of the Research Plan. An application that does not observe these limitations may be delayed in the review process.

Modular Grant applications: Specific Instructions o All R03 applications must be submitted in the modular budget format. The modular budget format simplifies the preparation of the budget by limiting the level of budgetary detail. Applicants may request direct costs for two $25,000 modules, up to a total annual direct cost of $50,000 per year, for up to two years ($100,000 maximum, four modules of $25,000 each).

o The SF 424 R&R Application Guide ( http://grants1. nih. gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_General_Ver2.

doc ) includes step-by-step guidance for preparing modular budgets. Additional information on modular budgets is available at http://grants. nih.

gov/grants/funding/modular/modular. htm . Plan for Sharing Research Data Sharing Research Resources Section V.

Application Review Information 1. Criteria ( Update: Enhanced review criteria have been issued for the evaluation of research applications received for potential FY2010 funding and thereafter - see NOT-OD-09-025 ). Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

Review and Selection Process Applications submitted for this NIOSH funding opportunity will be reviewed by an appropriate scientific review group convened by NIOSH in accordance with the standard NIH peer review standards ( http://www. csr. nih.

gov/refrev. htm ) . The peer review of all applications consists of the following: Undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed and assigned a priority Receive a written critique.

Receive a second level of review by the NIOSH Secondary Review Co mmittee. Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by the initial merit review.

Relevance and importance to research objectives and program priorities in this FOA as determined by the second level review T he NIOSH R03 small grant is a mechanism for supporting discrete, well-defined projects that realistically can be completed in two years and that require limited levels of funding.

Because the research plan is restricted to 10 pages, a small grant application will not have the same level of detail or extensive discussion found in an R01 application.

Accordingly, reviewers should evaluate the conceptual framework and general approach to the problem, placing less emphasis on methodological details and certain indicators traditionally used in evaluating the scientific merit of R01 applications, including supportive preliminary data.

Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or from investigator-generated data.

Preliminary data are not required, particularly in applications proposing pilot In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.

Note that an application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score. For example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward. Significance: Does this study address an important occupational safety and health problem?

If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?

Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses of occupational safety and health adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? Innovation: Is the project original and innovative?

For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area? Investigators: Are the investigators appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this occupational safety and health work?

Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the PD/PI and other researchers? Does the investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?

Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements?

Is there evidence of institutional Relevance to occupational safety and health by contributing to achievement of the research objectives in Potential contribution to applied technical knowledge in the identification, evaluation, and/or control of occupational safety and health hazards Magnitude of the problem in terms of numbers of workers affected Severity of the disease or injury 2. A.

Additional Review Criteria: In addition to the above criteria, the following items will be considered in the determination of scientific merit and the priority Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be assessed (see item 6 of the Research Plan component of the SF 424 (R&R)).

Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research will be assessed.

Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be evaluated (see item 7 of the Research Plan component of the SF 424 Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research: If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the five items described under item 11 of the Research Plan component of the SF 424 (R&R) will be assessed.

Biohazards: If materials or procedures are proposed that are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, determine if the proposed protection is adequate. Additional Review Considerations Budget and Period of Support : The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the appropriateness of the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research may be assessed by the reviewers.

Is the effort listed for the PD/PI appropriate for the work proposed? Is each budget category realistic and justified in terms of the aims and methods? 2.

C. Sharing Research Data 2. D.

Sharing Research Resources CDC/NIOSH policy requires that grant awardee