AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)/ National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

PROGRAM: Predoctoral Training at the Interface of the Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences (T32)

OBJECTIVES: This program provides funding to support predoctoral research trainees at the behavioral sciences-biomedical sciences interface.  The goal of the program is to develop basic behavioral scientists with rigorous broad-based training in biology and biomedical science who are available to assume leadership roles related to the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs.  The training programs must include equal participation of both biomedical and behavioral faculty and leadership, and must provide an interdisciplinary research training experience and curriculum for predoctoral trainees that integrates both behavioral and biomedical perspectives, approaches and methodologies. These training programs must include coursework, laboratory rotations and programmatic activities that reinforce training at this interface.  Significant participation by faculty and leadership from both behavioral and biomedical science departments is required, as is co-mentoring of trainees by faculty from both components. 

The program should be a joint effort between the faculty and leadership of departments from both sides of this interface which could include, but is not limited to, departments of psychology, anthropology, behavior, demography, and economics on the behavioral side, and departments of biology, physiology, cellular and/or molecular biology, pharmacology, neuroscience, biochemistry, biophysics, immunology, genetics, and biomedical engineering on the biomedical side.  One of the main challenges in this training program is to bridge scientific cultural differences between disciplines.  The requirements of this solicitation are intended to be sufficiently flexible to allow applicant institutions to tailor their proposed training program to take advantage of the resources available to them and the areas of strength at their institutions.

The primary focus is on providing this training to students with previous behavioral science training, and/or who are enrolled in behavioral sciences graduate departments. However, programs can be enriched by including some students with basic biomedical backgrounds and providing cross-training in the behavioral sciences.  Trainees appointed to the research training program must have the opportunity to carry out supervised biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research with the primary objective of developing or enhancing their research skills and knowledge in preparation for a health-related research career at the behavior-biomedical research interface. 

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS: An institution may submit only a single application in response to this solicitation.  For the purposes of this program, the medical school, engineering school, dental school, etc., of a university, even if on different campuses, constitute a single institution.

Program Directors should have a strong and active track record in research, training, and administration. Successful programs should provide co-mentoring of trainees by faculty from both the behavioral and biomedical sciences. Applicant institutions should show commitment to the program’s goals and provide assurances that the institution intends the program to be an integral part of its research and research training endeavors.  The institution should provide evidence that it is committed to integrating this training program into the academic programs of the institution.  The application must include statements from the appropriate administrators and/or deans outlining how the proposed training program contributes to the broader vision of the institution with respect to faculty recruitment, curriculum development, and other relevant existing NIH training grants.
 
Trainees must be able to commit full-time effort, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies, to the program and its related research activities, consonant with NRSA guidelines. Predoctoral trainees must have received a baccalaureate degree by the beginning date of their NRSA appointment, and must be training at the postbaccalaureate level and be enrolled in a program leading to a Ph.D. in science or in an equivalent research doctoral degree program. Trainee positions on NRSA institutional grants may not be used for study leading to the M.D., D.D.S., or other clinical, health-professional training except when those studies are part of a formal combined research degree program, such as the M.D./Ph.D. 

Individuals appointed to NRSA institutional training grants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence.

DEADLINES:
BU Internal Deadline: July 7, 2008
Letter of Intent (optional): August 25, 2008
Application Deadline: September 25, 2008

FUNDING INFORMATION: This program is supported by the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) T32 award mechanism.  Predoctoral institutional training grant funds are intended to support trainee stipends; partially cover tuition, fees, and health insurance; and provide modest sums for equipment, supplies, and travel to scientific meetings.  Predoctoral trainees may receive up to five years of support under the NRSA provisions. However, the normal period of support for trainees on NIGMS institutional predoctoral training grants is between one and three years, and is typically offered in the early years of training to provide students with flexibility to select courses, laboratory rotations, and mentors.

Awards may be made for periods up to 5 years and are renewable. Support will be for early-year support, typically for 1-3 years, generally during the pre-dissertation stage.
It is anticipated that 5 to 10 awards will be made. A facilities and administrative allowance based on 8% of modified total direct costs (exclusive of tuition and fees, health insurance, and expenditures for equipment) may be requested. While the NIH does not require cost-sharing under this program, some institutional cost sharing is mandated by program limitations on the recovery of indirect costs and on the allowance for tuition.

AGENCY CONTACT:
Alison E. Cole, Ph.D.
Deputy Assistant Director for Research Training
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2AS.49K
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-3827
FAX: (301) 480-2802
Email: colea@nigms.nih.gov
Web: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-503.html

INTERNAL REVIEW PROCESS: To screen potential proposals for this competition and coordinate institutional cost-sharing commitments, an internal deadline has been established. Principal Investigators (PIs) interested in submitting an application should provide the following proposal information to their Associate Dean by Monday, July 7, 2008 for internal review purposes:>

1.  Project description (maximum length 5 pages) should include items a – e:

(a) describe the mission and objectives of the proposed program, including the
    relationship of the proposed program to existing graduate training programs;
(b) describe the collaborative and interdisciplinary features of the proposed program;
(c) outline plans to ensure that students have appropriate quantitative graduate
    training;
(d) describe plans for the organization and management of the program;
(e) address plans for recruitment, retention and mentoring of graduate students.

2. Budget, budget justification and matriculation plan (3 pages). Itemize all cost-sharing commitments being requested from the University and provide a matriculation plan documenting the sources of support for cohorts of students moving through the program. PIs are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for assistance with the development of the matriculation plan.

3. Biographical sketches: include NIH format biographical sketch for the PI and senior/key personnel.

4. Review comments from any previous T32 submission.

Following the Dean’s assessment of the internal application, it will be forwarded to Associate Provost Joan Kirkendall for review and then to the Office of the VP for Research for final selection.  PIs will be informed if their proposal is selected for submission and advised of institutional cost-sharing commitments in time to complete and process their proposal for final review.

REMARKS: Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: (1) Descriptive title of proposed research; (2) Name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator; (3) Names of other key personnel; (4)Participating institutions; and (5) Number and title of this funding opportunity. The letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application; however, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. The letter of intent should be sent to Alison Cole, Ph.D., using the contact information included above.

Complete program guidelines and application material (PAR-06-503 and PHS 398) may be obtained from the web site listed above or from the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). Please distribute this notice to any faculty or staff members who might be interested in the information. For more information, please contact the OSP at X3-4365 or ospinfo@bu.edu, or visit the OSP web site at http://www.bu.edu/osp.