RFA-CE-24-029 Questions and Answers_final.pdf

RFA-CE-24-029; The CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control | Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth (K01) | Questions and Answers

1. Are PD/PIs with clinical degrees considered eligible?

• Answer: Please see the NOFO Section 1. Funding Opportunity Description, 2. Approach on page 12 for more information on Contact PD/PI requirements. Applicant contact PD/PIs must have a qualifying (relevant to the field of study) research or health- professional doctoral or medical degree (specifically PhD, ScD, DO, DrPH, MD, DVMD, PharmD, DDS, DMD, PsyD, DPT) from an accredited institution of higher learning. Applicant PD/PIs must have less than five years of post-graduate research experience as a researcher in the violence prevention field, as documented on the contact PD/PI’s SF-424 Biographical Sketch.

The 5-year period will be calculated from the completion of the qualifying degree (e.g., a research or health-professional doctoral or medical degree).

2. Regarding eligibility, I received my doctorate in 2012 and have been conducting research at a non-governmental organization for the last decade plus. Would this still count as formal research experience?

• Answer: Please see the NOFO Section 1. Funding Opportunity Description, 2. Approach on page 12 for more information on contact PD/PI requirements. At the time of the NOFO application due date, applicant contact PD/PIs must have less than five years of post-graduate research experience as a researcher in the violence prevention field, as documented on the contact PD/PI’s SF-424 Biographical Sketch. The 5-year period will be calculated from the completion of the qualifying degree (e.g., a research or health-professional doctoral or medical degree [such as PhD, ScD, DO, DrPH, MD, DVM, PharmD, DDS, DMD, PsyD, DPT] from an accredited institution of higher learning). The Positions and Employment section of SF-424 Biographical Sketch must clearly document all of the contact PD/PI’s relevant research experience.

3. Where should applicants submit their letters of reference?

• Answer: The NOFO specifies that each proposed mentor must provide a distinct Letter of Support. Please review Section I. Funding Opportunity Description (2. Approach) on page 15 for more details on what is required for these letters. Please also especially review Section III. Eligibility Information (5. Responsiveness) on p. 23 as well as Section V.

Application Review Information on p 38.

4. What is allowable funding for personnel-specifically research assistants?

• Answer: As stated in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 11. Other Submission Requirements and Information on page 27, allowable costs include partial salary and tuition support for the applicant contact PD/PI; direct research project expenses such as trainee stipends, interviewer costs, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultation services, and supplies. Travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified, is allowable.

• Also stated in this section is that grant funds will not be made available for mentor or research assistance support.

5. While grant funds are available for interviewers, can existing research staff receive budget compensation to conduct interviews?

• Answer: As stated in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 11. Other

Submission Requirements and Information on page 37, allowable costs include partial salary and tuition support for the applicant contact PD/PI; direct research project expenses such as trainee stipends, interviewer costs, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultation services, and supplies. Travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified, is allowable. It is incumbent on the applicant in the budget and budget justification narrative to demonstrate that the subcontracted expenses are related to direct research project expenses, which would include data collection, processing, and statistical services.

• Additional budget preparation guidance for completing a detailed justified budget can be found on the CDC website. Following this guidance will also facilitate the review and approval of the budget request of applications selected for award.

6. The NOFO says: "Grant funds will not be made available for mentor or research assistance support. Allowable costs include partial salary and tuition support for the applicant contact PD/PI; direct research project expenses such as trainee stipends, interviewer costs, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultation services, and supplies. Travel to one scientific meeting, if adequately justified, is allowable." Our question on the call was whether you can pay someone do conduct interviews for you to gather data in your study (and whether this would be considered a research assistant)?

• Answer: The NOFO states in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 11. Other

Submission Requirements and Information beginning on page 37, that allowable costs include partial salary and tuition support for the applicant contact PD/PI; direct research project expenses such as trainee stipends, interviewer costs, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultation services, and supplies. It is incumbent on the applicant in the budget and budget justification narrative to demonstrate that the subcontracted expenses are related to direct research project expenses, this would include data collection, processing, and statistical services.

• Additional budget preparation guidance for completing a detailed justified budget can be found on the CDC website, at the following Internet address:

https://www.cdc.gov/grants/applying/application-resources.html. Following this guidance will also facilitate the review and approval of the budget request of applications selected for award.

7. Is it acceptable for the data collection to be completed by someone hired by the PD/PI and not the PD/PI themselves?

• Answer: Applicant contact PD/PIs are required to commit a minimum of 60% of full-time professional effort (i.e., a minimum of 7.3 person-months/year) to their research project https://www.cdc.gov/grants/applying/application-resources.html and career development for the entirety of the project period. The budget, budget justification, and PHS 398 Career Development Award sections of the application must clearly describe the contact PD/PI’s commitment.

• Additionally, the NOFO states in Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 11.

Other Submission Requirements and Information beginning on page 37, states that allowable costs include partial salary and tuition support for the applicant contact PD/PI;

direct research project expenses such as trainee stipends, interviewer costs, data processing, participant incentives, statistical consultation services, and supplies. It is incumbent on the applicant in the budget and budget justification narrative to demonstrate that the subcontracted expenses are related to direct research project expenses, this would include data collection, processing, and statistical services.

8. Is it allowable to have a subrecipient included in the budget?

• Answer: Please refer to the NOFO Section IV. Application and Submission information, 11.

Other Submission Requirements and information on page 37 for more information about the budget: “eligible applicants may enter into contracts, including consortia agreements, as necessary to meet the requirements of this program and strengthen the overall application.”

9. I have not been able to find specific information regarding salaries for this NOFO, and I am aware that salary caps vary throughout the NIH and participating ICs. Is there a salary cap for the RFA-CE-24-029? And if so, what is it?

• Answer: We encourage you to review the NOFO Section IV. Application and Submission

Information, 11 Other Submission Requirements and Information on page 37 for relevant information on the budget and funding restrictions associated with the NOFO.

• Additionally, the budget and the requested period of support must be fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research. You can obtain budget preparation guidance for completing a detailed justified budget on the CDC website, at the following Internet address: https://www.cdc.gov/grants/applying/application-resources.html as stated in Section V Application Review Information, 3. Additional Review Considerations on p 43.

10. Regarding page limits, the NOFO say Career Development and Research Strategy components are required, but only specifies a 12-page limit for the Research Strategy section. Can CDC clarify whether this is 12 pages for both sections combined or just for the Research Strategy section? If just for the Research Strategy, what is the page limit for the Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development?

• Answer: On page 32 of the NOFO, it states the following: For this NOFO, the page limit for

Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development component (within the PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form) is 12 pages. Also, the page limit for the Research Strategy (within the PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form) is 12 pages. So, as stated above, the Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development document is 12 pages. And, separately, the research strategy document is 12 pages.

11. Is the Protection of Human Subjects section expected to be included within the research strategy page limit?

• Answer: As stated in the Protection of Human Subjects and Personally Identifiable

Information in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description (2. Approach) of the NOFO on page 18, the Research Strategy section of the application is expected to clearly describe the type, source, access to, and protections of the data and human subjects participating in the study.

12. Are the specific aims included in the 12 pages Research Strategy?

• Answer: Please see the NOFO in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description (2. Approach) on page 16 for information on the Research Strategy requirements for guidance on what should be included in the 12-page Research Strategy. Additionally, the Section IV.

Application and Submission Information beginning on page 28 provides additional detail on how to apply including linked application guide. The guide includes detailed information on the forms to submit and what those forms should contain. The NOFO and the guide together will be able to address your questions.

13. Should the Evaluation/Performance Measurement and Translational plan be included in the 12-page Research Strategy?

• Answer: see above for response to Question #12.

14. Is the 12-page Research Strategy the only place where the data analytic plan (i.e., planned analysis, analytic approach, power analysis) is described or is there a separate Data Analysis form submitted?

• Answer: see above for response to Question #12.

15. Is the data management plan and dissemination plan expected included in the research strategy page limit?

• Answer: As stated on in Section IV. Application and Submission Information page 44 of the

NOFO, investigators responding to this Notice of Funding Opportunity should include a detailed DMP in the Resource Sharing Plan(s) section of the PHS 398 Research Plan Component of the application.

16. Is the data management form included within the application guide the same form that needs to be included?

• Answer: As stated on in Section IV. Application and Submission Information page 31 of the

NOFO, applicants that plan to collect public health data must submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) in the Resource Sharing Plan section of the PHS 398 Research Plan Component of the application. A DMP is required for each collection of public health data proposed.

Applicants who contend that the public health data they collect or create are not appropriate for release must justify that contention in the DMP submitted with their application for CDC funds. Applicants may utilize the CDC approved templates include in the NOFO; however, use of the template is not required.

17. What is the maximum amount of time for this award?

• Answer: As stated in the Executive Summary, Budget and Project Period of the NOFO on page 5, applicants may request a project period of up to three (3) years.

18. I am reaching out to you for some potential insight on the nature of my proposal and whether it is appropriate for your center and this mechanism. Would you have a few minutes to discuss by phone?

• Answer: Unfortunately, we are not able to speak to other funding opportunities or mechanisms that may be appropriate for projects like yours. Please consider reviewing opportunities on www.grants.gov to see if there are any other opportunities that align with your work. Here are some sections of the NOFO that can assist in developing your application: To get a detailed description of the intent of this NOFO, please especially review the Section I. Funding Opportunity Description, 1. Background and Purpose section on p. 8 Please also review Section III. Eligibility Information, 5. Responsiveness on p 23 for details on what constitutes a responsive application. Also, Section V. Application Review Information on p 38 is a good section to consult regarding the scientific review criteria.

http://www.grants.gov/