RFA-CE-24-011 Questions and Answers_final.pdf

RFA-CE-24-011; The CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control | Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Understanding Drug Use and Overdose Risk and

Protective Factors (K01) | Questions and Answers

Are there any specific formatting requirements for the project narrative or research strategy?

o Answer: Please see Section Iv. Application and Submission Information, 5. PHS 398 Research Plan components for an explicit formatting guide and links to assist in formatting and developing a responsive application. Applications should include bold headers in each section and should address activities conducted over course of entire project period.

Letters of Intent (LOI) are due between November 1st-December 1st. Are all names or institutions included in a letter of intent binding?

o Answer: LOIs are not binding, nor are they required and does not enter the review of a subsequent application. The information included assists NCIPC staff in planning for scientific and technical merit peer review. They are not impacted if someone withdraws support. Please review page 33, Section IV. Application and Submission Information, Letters of Intent, for more information.

In terms of differences between research projects and career development, how does CDC’s K01 differ from NIH’s K01?

o Answer: While CDC is unable to speak to NIH’s work specifically, CDC’s K01 works to provide support for an intensive, supervised/mentored career development experience in substance use and/or overdose prevention research leading to research independence. NCIPC supports K01 grants to help ensure the availability of an adequate number of trained scientists to address critical public health research questions to prevent polydrug use and overdose. Please refer to page 1, the NOFO Purpose, for more information.

The NOFO discusses mentors, co-mentors and a mentoring team for the principal investigator. Can you clarify applicant requirement and expectations for mentors?

o Answer: No, however, mentors must be an active investigator in substance use or overdose prevention research proposed in the research strategy. Mentors must be able to demonstrate appropriate expertise, experience and ability to guide the contact PD/PI in the organization, management and implementation ofc proposed research. Please refer to Section 1. Approach, Mentor Requirements on page 17 of the NOFO for more information on mentorship requirements.

The NOFOF discusses both mentors, co-mentors and a mentoring team for the principal investigator.

Can you clarify mentor expectations?

• Answer: Principal investigators are encouraged to identify more than one mentor such as a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research career development program and research proposal. However, only one individual can be named as the primary mentor who will coordinate the contact PD/PIs research. The contact PD/PI must work with the selected mentor(s) in preparing the application. The primary mentor and all members of the mentoring team should have a successful track record of mentoring individuals at the contact PD/PI’s career stage. The mentor(s) must demonstrate appropriate expertise, experience, and ability to guide the contact PD/PI in the organization, management and implementation of the proposed research. The application must also include evidence that each member of the mentoring team has the commitment, experience and institutional support to provide both career development and research support to the candidate. The primary mentor and each co-mentor must be clearly identified in the Mentor project role category in the SF-424 Senior/Key Personnel section of the application.

• The Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-Mentor section of the application will allow the applicant to provide detailed information on each mentor’s research qualifications, a monitoring plan of the contact PD/PI’s research, plan to provide annual evaluations of PD/PI and a plan that outlines nature of supervision and mentoring expected to occur within project period. Please refer to page 17 of the NOFO for more information of Mentor Requirements.

Regarding the mentor requirements for this K01, does the primary mentor need to have a history of CDC funded research?

• Answer: Applicants are required to identify a primary mentor who will supervise the proposed career development and research experienced as stated in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description, 2. Approach, Mentor Requirements on page 17. The primary mentor must be an active investigator in the area of the substance use or overdose prevention research proposed in the research strategy of the application and must be committed both to the career development of the contact PD/PI and to the direct supervision of the contact PD/PI’s research throughout the entirety of the project period.

The mentor should clearly document the availability of sufficient research support and facilities for high-quality research.

Regarding the eligibility criteria for candidates, are foreign organizations eligible to submit an application?

• Answer: Per the Notice of Funding Opportunity Section III. Eligibility Information, 1. Eligible Applicants & 2. Foreign Organizations, Foreign Organization and foreign components of U.S.

Organization on page 27 are not eligible to apply.

When I try to access the application, I get the message below. I was wondering if there was contact information available for my organization administrator; I'm not sure who to reach out to.

• Answer: Please see the information below to help troubleshoot difficulties with the grants applications. Applicants who encounter problems when submitting their applications must attempt to resolve them by contacting the NIH eRA Service desk at: Toll-free: 1-866-504-9552;

Phone: 301-402-7469 http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html

• Hours: Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time (closed on Federal holidays) Problems with Grants.gov can be resolved by contacting the Grants.gov Contact Center at: Toll-free: 1-800-518- 4726 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

• support@grants.gov

• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on Federal holidays

Who is the primary contact for this NOFO?

• Joyce Dieterly is the Scientific Program Official for this funding opportunity and any questions for her can be directed to the ERPO mailbox.

http://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:NCIPC_ERPO@CDC.GOV