Global Research Initiative Program, social science

Environmental Health Perspectives, June, 2005

As part of its global health initiative, the John E. Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the National Eye Institute (NEI), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the NIEHS, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), and the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), invites applications from current and former NIH-supported foreign research trainees to compete for funds that will support their research efforts upon return to their home countries.

As junior scientists complete training programs in the United States, many find it difficult to secure the support needed to continue their research projects and careers in their home countries. This Global Research Initiative Program (GRIP) provides the opportunity for junior foreign scientists to compete for such funds through a peer-reviewed process. This is a critical adjunct in the continuation of promising independent research careers that will be of benefit to the investigators' home countries and the world at large. Women and underrepresented minority scientists in their countries are especially encouraged to apply for these reentry grants. Project proposals should be geared toward the research interests of the applicant and focus on high-priority health and health care problems in the investigator's home country that also carry global importance, and are of interest to the collaborating institutes, centers, and offices.

In order to be eligible, foreign scientists must meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) at least two years of research training experience under an FIC-supported training grant; 2) one year of such training experience coupled with one year of significant, well-documented mentored research experience; 3) one year of the NIDA INVEST Fellowship plus at least one additional year of mentored research (http://www.drugabuse.gov/International/HH HRF.html); 4) at least two years of research training experience through the NIH intramural Visiting Fellows Program; 5) one year of training through an F05 international fellowship program and one subsequent year of mentored research; 6) be a recipient of a Long-Term Fellowship award through the Human Frontier Science Program, who comes from a low- or middle-income country, and who has spent at least two years in research training; or 7) at least one year of training in the United States and one additional year of significantly mentored research, in the United States or abroad, leading to a completed master's degree or doctoral degree, at least partially funded through an FIC research training program, with preapproval by the program director.

It is expected that research topics will be diverse. Please refer to the full program announcement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ guide/pa-files/PAR-O5-O82.html for more information on specific research topics of interest. All research must be performed in accordance with NIH and U.S. government regulations regarding the responsible conduct of research. This program precludes the support of research involving enrollment in pilot studies for clinical trials or the actual support of clinical trials since the resources and infrastructure to support and oversee such trials generally exceed the resources available under this award mechanism.

Evaluation of the program will occur on an ongoing basis. Because this is a program to move research trainees to the status of independent investigator, there are several outcomes to be measured: 1) development of laboratory capabilities or research projects; 2) training of other potential researchers; 3) publications in local as well as international peer-reviewed journals; 4) participation in workshops, seminars, and international conferences; 5) collaborations with past mentors, as well as with other researchers; and 6) attraction of funding from other sources.

This funding opportunity will use the R01 award mechanism. An applicant can request up to two modules of $25,000 each or total direct costs of $50,000 per year, plus facilities and administrative costs to a maximum of 8% for a foreign institution. Applications may have a project period of no less than three years and no more than five years. Because an investigator can receive a maximum of five years of support under the GRIP program, and this specific GRIP award is not renewable, any future application will be considered to be an unsolicited competing application based on this project and will compete with all investigator-initiated applications submitted to NIH through the Center for Scientific Review.

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms. Applications must have a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System number as the universal identifier when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. The D&B number can be obtained by calling--866-705-5711 or online at http://www.dnb.com/usl. For further assistance contact Grantslnfo by calling 301-435-0714 (telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-0088) or by e-mail: Grantslnfo@nih.gov.