Renewal of the Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research (Clin-STAR) Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Renewal of the Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research (Clin-STAR) Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is sponsored by National Institute on Aging (NIA). Supports the renewal of the Clin-STAR Coordinating Center to enhance transdisciplinary aging research.

RFA-AG-27-007: Renewal of the Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research (Clin-STAR) Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) Components of Participating Organizations Office of AIDS Research ( OAR ) Note: Not all NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) participate in Announcements. Applicants should carefully note which ICOs participate in this announcement and view their respective areas of research interest at the ICO-Specific Scientific Interests website .

ICOs that do not participate in this announcement will not consider applications for funding. Funding Opportunity Title Renewal of the Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research (Clin-STAR) Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) U24 Resource-Related Research Projects – Cooperative Agreements Check for any recent Notices of NIH Policy Changes that may impact application requirements.

Funding Opportunity Number (FON) Companion Funding Opportunity See Part 2, Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s) Funding Opportunity Purpose The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support the next 5-year award period of the Clinician-Scientist Transdisciplinary Aging Research Coordinating Center (Clin-STAR CC), whose mission is to serve as a national resource for clinician-investigators across specialties and disciplines who are focusing their careers on aging research.

This NOFO intends to build upon NIA's substantial investments to foster the development of clinician-scientists across specialties and disciplines.

The specific goals of this initiative are to convey scientific and research knowledge on aging research; foster networking and collaboration between clinician-scientist leaders in aging research and clinician-investigators across specialties and disciplines who wish to focus on aging research; provide mentoring and career development support for emerging clinician-scientists committed to pursuing aging research in their clinical specialty or discipline; and advance interdisciplinary research projects in aging.

Ultimately, the Clin-STAR CC is intended to provide a multi-faceted national research platform leading to improved patient-centered care for older adults across specialties and disciplines. Funding Opportunity Goal(s) To encourage biomedical, social, and behavioral research and research training directed toward greater understanding of the aging process and the diseases, special problems, and needs of people as they age.

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. 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.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ).

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

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. There are several options available to submit your application through Grants. gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners.

You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.

gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability. Use Grants.

gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application. Part 1. Overview Information Part 2.

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

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

Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information Part 2.

Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Emerging clinicians who recognize the importance of aging within their discipline need essential guidance and resources to become competitive in aging research.

Such support can facilitate development of specific transdisciplinary research approaches that better reflect the real-world needs of complex care for older adults, including patient-centered care, coordination of prevention and treatment strategies among disciplines, and reduction of redundancy, treatment burden, and risk to patients common in a fractured health care system.

More support is needed for the growing number of aging-focused clinician-scientists at other institutions and from non-physician clinical backgrounds. Promising investigators with an interest in aging research are spread out at institutions across the U.S., and many of these investigators lack in-person access to established mentors with strong aging-research backgrounds or aging-research resources.

Moreover, as the envelope of aging research has expanded beyond traditional geriatrics and gerontology into new clinical disciplines, mentors with multidisciplinary backgrounds bridging aging and their respective clinical disciplines are even rarer.

Building bridges across clinical research disciplines encompassing nursing, physical therapy, speech language pathology, and many others has the potential to improve evidence-based transdisciplinary care of older adults. These bridges are particularly important for the care of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD).

In addition, the next 5-year funding period of the Clin-STAR CC will support expanded functions to broaden the scope and reach of its high-value activities. A key priority in this re-issuance will be an increased focus on promoting geographic representation and a breadth of clinical disciplines among early career clinician-scientists in aging research.

Proposed enhancements appropriate for the next Clin-STAR CC award period include, but are not limited to, the following: Augment the Clin-STAR CC leadership team beyond physicians to include backgrounds representing the full breadth of clinician-scientist disciplines Broaden the involvement of Clin-STAR's target audience to include additional specialties and disciplines that cannot compete for GEMSSTAR (i.e., non-physicians/dentists) Enhance the geographic representation of specialty researchers Identify and implement novel approaches to reach investigators/institutions with limited aging-research resources Increase involvement of established investigators transitioning to aging research Identify and showcase successful leaders in aging research across the breadth of specialty-based scientists to encourage/mentor early career clinical researchers Special pilot funding programs, faculty exchange programs, expanded networking and collaboration tools, and development of enhanced mentoring infrastructure This is an open competition.

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with NIH standard peer review processes, and only meritorious applications will be considered for funding . If an applicant other than the current recipient is selected for funding, the existing recipient will be expected to coordinate with the new recipient to transfer all necessary information, databases, web domain, and other resources to ensure a smooth transition.

Applications Not Responsive to this NOFO The following types of applications are not responsive to this NOFO and will not be reviewed: Applications that propose a clinical trial and only align with the mission of an IC that does not support clinical trials under this NOFO, including; Applications that do not propose a clinical trial and only align with the mission of an IC that only supports clinical trials under this NOFO, including; See Section VIII.

Other Information for award authorities and regulations. Section II. Award Information Cooperative Agreement: A financial assistance mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement.

Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities. See Section VI. 2 for additional information about the substantial involvement for this NOFO.

Application Types Allowed The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO. Not Allowed: Only accepting applications that do not propose clinical trials.

Note: Applications may propose activities involving human subjects that are not deemed clinical trials. Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial? Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards NIA intends to commit $1,500,000 total costs in FY 2027 to fund one award.

Application budgets should reflect the actual needs of the proposed project, and may not exceed $1,500,000 in total costs. The maximum project duration is 5 years. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III.

Eligibility Information Higher Education Institutions - Includes all types Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) 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 Recognized) 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 Foreign Organizations/Foreign Collaborations Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , are allowed. NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts.

All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16. 8 Collaborative International Research Awards .

Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding.

This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components , funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - 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.

Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2. 3. 9.

2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information System for Award Management (SAM) – 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. Foreign organizations must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.

gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application. eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.

gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. 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 submit an application. Grants.

gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants. gov registration. Program 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.

All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered with ORCID . The personal profile associated with the PD(s)/PI(s) eRA Commons account must be linked to a valid ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help .

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator) 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 their organization to develop an application for 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 How to Apply - Application Guide . This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1. 2 Definition of Terms.

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, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 7. 4 Submission of Resubmission Application .

This means that the NIH will not accept: A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application. 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 NIH Grants Policy Statement 2. 3. 9.

4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications ). Section IV. Application and Submission Information 1.

Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants. gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.

gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution. 2.

Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise (in this NOFO, in a policy notice , or other notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ).

Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for Application Submission The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO. All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. Use the biographical sketches to describe the achievements and expertise of the leadership of the overall Coordinating Center and the individual components/cores.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: Summarize the background of Clin-STAR CC and describe the goals to be achieved over the next 5-year funding period.

Describe the accomplishments that have laid the groundwork for this submission to date, including, but not limited to, organizational integration, research outcomes, training and career development achievements, dissemination efforts, and resource development.

For the FY 27-31 funding period, describe the organizational structure of the Clin-STAR CC, including how the different components/cores and personnel will interact and synergize with each other. Explain how the Clin-STAR CC will interact with other organizations, advisors, and resources to achieve its goals. Explain how breadth across clinical disciplines will be represented among the leadership teams and senior/key personnel.

If there will be a multi-PD/PI arrangement, explain how the investigators' expertise and skills are complementary and integrated, and describe plans for conflict resolution. Describe plans for succession of leadership at the overall and component/core levels.

Describe the range of proposed activities to be supported by the CC, including, but not limited to, both current high-value activities and proposed enhancements as described in Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description .

In particular, describe how the CC will incorporate the breadth of clinician-scientist disciplines in its leadership and program offerings, enhance geographic representation, increase reach to investigators and institutions with limited aging research resources, and other novel activities to achieve the mission of the Clin-STAR program.

Resource Sharing Plan : Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide . All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: A Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) is required for any NIH-funded or conducted research that will generate scientific data.

Applicants must submit the DMS Plan at the time of application using the NIH DMS Plan Format Page . The DMS Plan must address the elements in the structured format. Where the DMS Plan Format Page requires a "Yes or No" response, no additional narrative is allowed.

Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide . No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - Application Guide , with the following additional instructions: If you answered "Yes" to the question "Are Human Subjects Involved?"

on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. PHS Assignment Request Form All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) See Part 2. 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 Grants. gov 4. Submission Dates and Times Part I.

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 business day.

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 Grants Policy Statement Section 2.

3. 9. 2 Electronically Submitted Applications .

Applicants 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 How to Apply – Application Guide . 5.

Intergovernmental Review (E. O. 12372) This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

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 Policy Statement Section 7. 9.

1 Selected Items of Cost . 7. Other Submission Requirements and Information Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - 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 process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide . If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance.

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 form . 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 NOFO for information on registration requirements. The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization's profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - 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 and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200. 113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.

1. 36 . Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.

hhs. gov . Post Submission Materials Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy Section V.

Application Review Information Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

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 project proposed).

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 proposed Coordinating Center address the needs of the research resource that it will serve? Is the scope of activities proposed for the Coordinating Center appropriate to meet those needs? Will successful completion of the aims bring unique advantages or capabilities to the research resource?

Are the PD(s)/PI(s) and other personnel well suited to their roles in the Coordinating Center? Do they have appropriate experience and training, and have they demonstrated experience and an ongoing record of accomplishments in managing aging research? Do the investigators demonstrate significant experience with coordinating collaborative clinical research?

If the Center is multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise and skills; are their leadership approach, governance, plans for conflict resolution, and organizational structure appropriate for the Coordinating Center? Does the applicant have experience overseeing selection and management of subawards, if needed?

Does the application propose novel organizational concepts and management strategies, in coordinating the research resources the Coordinating Center will serve? Are the concepts, strategies, or instrumentation novel to one type of research program or applicable in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of organizational concepts, or management strategies proposed?

For clinical trials, innovative designs such as platform trials, adaptive, including real-time adaptive methods, seamless Phase I/II designs, and Bayesian designs are encouraged as applicable. Are the overall strategy, operational plan, and organizational structure well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the goals of the research resource the Coordinating Center will serve?

Will the investigators promote strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased scientific approach across the resources, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the resource is in the early stages of operation, does the proposed strategy adequately establish feasibility and manage the risks associated with the activities of the resource?

Are an appropriate plan for work-flow and a well-established timeline proposed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to ensure consideration of relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies of vertebrate animals or human subjects? Will the institutional environment in which the resource will operate contribute to the probability of success in facilitating the research program it serves?

Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the Coordinating Center proposed? Will the Coordinating Center benefit from unique features of the institutional environment, infrastructure, or personnel? Are resources available within the scientific environment to support electronic information handling?

Additional Review Criteria As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections for Human Subjects For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects .

This NOFO only accepts applications that do not propose clinical trials. Note: Applications may propose activities involving human subjects that are not deemed clinical trials. Inclusion of Human Subjects Policies When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion.

For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research .

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following three points: (1) a complete description of all proposed procedures including the species, strains, ages, sex, and total numbers of animals to be used; (2) justifications that the species is appropriate for the proposed research and why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative non-animal model; and (3) interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care, and humane endpoints that will be used to limit any unavoidable discomfort, distress, pain and injury in the conduct of scientifically valuable research.

Methods of euthanasia and justification for selected methods, if NOT consistent with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, is also required but is found in a separate section of the application. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals Section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animals Section.

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed. For Resubmissions (as applicable), the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

For Renewals (as applicable), the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period. For Revisions (as applicable), the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line