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Tobacco - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the number of applications or awards under the International Tobacco RFA restricted to one per institution?
2. Does the applicant organization have to be an academic institution?
3. How many collaborating countries should be included in any given application?
4. How should one choose the countries with which to collaborate?
5. Would a cross-cultural study between the United States and Russia be appropriate?
6. How do I find the World Bank's listing of low-and middle-income economy countries?
7. Can an institution in a foreign developed country other than the United States apply for an award without collaborating with a U.S. institution?
8. Is a non-U.S. citizen allowed to be a PI?
9. Do trainees have to be identified at the time of submitting the application?
10. What degree of emphasis should be given to long-term training as opposed to short-term training? Is U.S. training preferable to foreign site or "in-country" training?
11. What is the expected duration of the proposed project?
12. After submission of the Letter of Intent, can one change the composition of the program?
13. Who is responsible for the initial review of the applications?
14. What role will sponsoring organizations play in the program?
15. Does the RFA solicit only epidemiological, surveillance, biobehavioral, social, intervention and policy-related research?
16. Should the application follow the PHS form 398 guidelines for a detailed single research proposal or is it the intent of the RFA to solicit several possible proposals each investigator might undertake?
17. What documentation or support letters are needed from foreign investigators?
18. Is additional guidance available on the protection of human subjects involved in research?
19. We are interested in advice about including capacity strengthening in the budget?
20. Can an investigator submit a budget that exceeds $400,000 per year?
21. Should all applications be submitted in the same way, regardless of scientific focus?
22. Is administrative salary support an allowable cost?
23. What allowances should be made for currency fluctuations in other countries?
24. Is there a possibility that more than 6 proposals will be funded?
25. Should prospective investigators develop research and training programs for the full-five year period?
26. What level of funding is expected in the following years?
27. Can the program become associated with other similar international program in a given region?
28. Should family medical insurance be available for trainees if they come to the United States?
29. What is the new NIH policy on paying indirect costs for foreign institutions?

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1. Is the number of applications or awards under the International Tobacco RFA restricted to one per institution?

No. Though virtually all FIC capacity building programs restrict the number of applications per institution because this is an R01 program, we do not restrict the number of applications. It is the intent of the International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program to improve the tobacco epidemic in low- and middle-income nations through scientific research. It is also the intent of the RFA to develop sustainable research infrastructure, capacity strengthening, and public health intervention capabilities in participating low-and middle-income nations.

2. Does the applicant organization have to be an academic institution?

No. As stated in the RFA, applicants from non-profit public or private institutions are eligible to apply. Realistically, applicants would have to include substantial involvement of an academic institution to adequately respond to the goals of the RFA.

3. How many collaborating countries should be included in any given application?

Applicants should assure that research priorities reflect those of the participating developing countries and should describe the procedures to assure this takes place. To realistically make an impact, applicants should focus their efforts on a limited number of countries.

Investigators submitting proposals with multiple developing country sites should directly address their responses to these objectives in relation to each proposed developing country site and should specify the scientific justification for the inclusion of each site.

4. How should one choose the countries with which to collaborate?

It is important to document the likelihood of success in proposed research and training with the collaborating institution. The principal investigator's institution and the major foreign collaborator must have a long-term commitment in writing to build the capacity of the foreign institution through the resources provided by the International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program. A copy of this document should be included in the application.

5. Would a cross-cultural study between the United States and Russia be appropriate?

Yes. The Russian Federation is considered a lower-middle income economy on the World Bank URL and thus would be considered eligible for such a study, provided major focus of capacity building is spent in country.

6. How do I find the World Bank's listing of low-and middle-income economy countries?

Please click on this Internet Universal Resource Locator (URL) Web site link: http://www.worldbank.org/data/databytopic/class.htm

7. Can an institution in a foreign developed country other than the United States apply for an award without collaborating with a U.S. institution?

Yes, providing that there is collaboration with investigator in low- and middle-income nations.

8. Is a non-U.S. citizen allowed to be a PI?

Yes. Foreign developed and low-and middle-income investigators are eligible for PI status. If the PI is from a low- and middle-income nation, the RFA strongly encourages that the investigator collaborate with a U.S. investigator. If the non-U.S. citizen PI resides in the United States all visa-related work requirements must be met. Further, all RFA special requirements must be addressed, e.g. the requirement for collaboration with low- and middle-income nations.

9. Do trainees have to be identified at the time of submitting the application?

Technically no, for future trainees, but the application must include a detailed plan describing the recruitment and selection procedures for trainees. Applicants should also document the career progress of former trainees who have returned home or to other positions.

10. What degree of emphasis should be given to long-term training as opposed to short-term training? Is U.S. training preferable to foreign site or "in-country" training?

As stated in the RFA, while a range of short-term (less than 3 months) and long-term (more than 9 months), training is allowable, emphasis will be on intermediate to long-term training, including mid-career training. This approach will accelerate building an enduring research and public health capability at collaborating institutions in participating low- and middle-income nations. Generally, long-term training would take place in the United States or foreign developed nation (s). Short-term training could take place in either the United States, a high-income nation or in a low-or- middle-income nation.

11. What is the expected duration of the proposed project?

The expected project period is for five years in duration. Annual continued support during this five year period depends on satisfactory performance as judged by annual progress reports, site visits, participation in annual network meetings, career progress of trainees, first author publications and presentations by current and former trainees, and development of institutional, national or regional capacity for tobacco control research and public health actions.

12. After submission of the Letter of Intent, can one change the composition of the program?

Yes, but we request that the FIC Program Officer listed in the RFA be informed as soon as possible.

13. Who is responsible for the initial review of the applications?

As noted in the RFA, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) will convene a peer review group that will evaluate the applications for scientific and technical merit.

14. What role will sponsoring organizations play in the program?

Sponsoring organizations are full collaborating partners both financially and intellectually, and they will be involved in every critical phase of the program.

15. Does the RFA solicit only epidemiological, surveillance, biobehavioral, social, intervention and policy-related research?

The RFA strongly encourages applications to undertake the above mentioned types of research. Research studies that approach tobacco control through other forms of research will be evaluated for their effectiveness and responsiveness to the RFA.

16. Should the application follow the PHS form 398 guidelines for a detailed single research proposal or is it the intent of the RFA to solicit several possible proposals each investigator might undertake?

Investigators should follow PHS Form 398 guidelines for a detailed single research proposal, which will be carried out by the identified Research Unit. Individual proposals may include several areas of research focus, but these areas of focus should form a cohesive whole clearly justified by the objectives of the research and the scientific approach.

17. What documentation or support letters are needed from foreign investigators?

The RFA states that applications must demonstrate the foreign investigator and institution's as well as government's commitment to and support for the proposed collaborative research, and the strengthening of research capacity. Recommended documentation to facilitate this demonstration of commitment is detailed in the RFA.

18. Is additional guidance available on the protection of human subjects involved in research?

All federally funded grantees must comply with requirements for the protection of humans, animals, or the environment, to the extent that they may be adversely affected by the project proposed in the application. Please refer to the Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) web site for more information. http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/index.htm

19. We are interested in advice about including capacity strengthening in the budget?

You will be using the standard application PHS Form 398 for submission of the RFA. Please note that post-doctoral and degree candidates must be listed as research associates on PHS application form 398, pg. DD. Salaries, tuition remission, and other forms of compensation paid as, or in lieu of, wages to degree candidates or post-doctoral trainees to conduct research related to the goals of the RFA are allowable. Costs and plans must be included in the text of the proposal and reflected in the proposal's budget. Detailed information regarding capacity strengthening and training should be provided in a table format.

20. Can an investigator submit a budget that exceeds $400,000 per year?

The RFA states that a R01 grant application may request a project period of up to five years and a budget of direct costs of up to $400,000 in the first year, with incremental increases not exceeding three percent in each subsequent year without exception. (Changes in future have to be accounted for in total cost limitation.) When an application is submitted in response to an RFA, NIH grants policy does not allow such applications to exceed direct cost limitations as specified in the RFA.

21. Should all applications be submitted in the same way, regardless of scientific focus?

As directed in the RFA, all applications should be submitted to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) with two copies sent to the FIC Division of International Training and Research. All applications will be peer-reviewed in a group by a single review panel.

22. Is administrative salary support an allowable cost?

Yes, up to 10% of direct costs is allowed for administrative support staff for the program. The responsibilities and time commitment for personnel receiving salary support must be justified in the application.

23. What allowances should be made for currency fluctuations in other countries?

Grant funds must be requested in U.S. dollars and no adjustments are made for currency fluctuations. In the event that there is a foreign subcontract, the budget information must be submitted on PHS Form 398, pg. DD in U.S. dollars.

24. Is there a possibility that more than 6 proposals will be funded?

At present, $3,500,000 is budgeted for this program. The number of awards will depend on the outcome of the scientific review panel and subsequent input from collaborating partners and review by the FIC Advisory Board, as well as availability of funds.

25. Should prospective investigators develop research and training programs for the full-five year period?

Yes. Prospective investigators should demonstrate research and capacity strengthening plans by providing tables, spreadsheets and charts.

26. What level of funding is expected in the following years?

For planning purposes, investigators should assume a 3% budget increase for each succeeding year, contingent upon availability of funds.

27. Can the program become associated with other similar international program in a given region?

Yes. While it is understood that support received by these other programs should not overlap with the support by this program, the International Tobacco RFA supports the establishment or strengthening of model tobacco "regional centers of training" in low- and middle-income nations.

28. Should family medical insurance be available for trainees if they come to the United States?

Yes. Institutions are allowed to provide family health insurance for research associates. FIC staff encourage grantees to request or obtain the best (all-inclusive) medical coverage available.

29. What is the new NIH policy on paying indirect costs for foreign institutions?

NIH will provide limited facilities and Administration (F&A) costs to foreign and international organizations. The provision of F&A costs to foreign and international organizations is to support the costs of compliance with DHHS and NIH requirements including but not limited to, the protection of human subjects, the welfare of animals, financial conflict of interest, and invention reporting. For more information please visit Web site link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-01-028.html

Request for Applications (TW-02-005)
Letter of Intent Deadline: September 4, 2001
Application Deadline: October 26, 2001