Announcements
Roadmap Transformative Research Projects Program (R01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-022.html
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): December 22, 2009
Application Due Date(s): January 22, 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): September 1, 2010
*The NIH intends to issue solicitations for additional T-R01 awards in future years.
Purpose. As part of the NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research, the NIH invites transformative Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations proposing groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, high risk, original and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms or challenge existing ones. Projects must clearly demonstrate potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research. Applicants must clearly articulate (1) the fundamental issue to be addressed and its overarching importance to the scientific enterprise, (2) how the studies will either establish new paradigms or challenge existing ones, or how the research will otherwise have a transformative impact,and (3) how the proposed rationale and/or approaches significantly differ from current state of the art. Successful projects will be expected to have a major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research. Consistent with this highly transformative focus, proposals supported under the Transformative Research Projects program will reflect ideas substantially different from mainstream concepts being pursued in the investigators’ laboratory or elsewhere. Projects in any area of NIH interest that meet the transformative criteria above, including basic, clinical, translational and behavioral studies, are encouraged and will be considered responsive to this FOA. Multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teams attacking major issues or large intractable problems in any area of biomedical science are particularly encouraged to apply.
Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism. NIH intends to commit $25 million dollars in FY 2010. The number of awards will depend on the size and scope of the most meritorious applications.
Budget and Project Period. Budget requests should be commensurate with project needs for up to a five-year project period. There is no budget limit per proposal up to the budget cap for the program as a whole.
Number of Applications. Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct. No resubmissions are allowed.
Research Plan: Limited to only 8 pages and must be self-contained since appendices and updates are not allowed.
Challenge, Innovation and Impact Statement (up to 200 words): What is the paradigm or problem that will be addressed? If you are testing an unconventional, exceptionally novel hypothesis, how does it challenge the existing paradigm? What is novel or innovative about your perspective and/or approach? Why is testing the hypothesis or solving the problem important for the field and for the NIH scientific enterprise as a whole?
Rationale (immediately follows Impact Statement; limit for both sections together is one page): What led you to target the hypotheses that will be tested or overturned? What logic and/or rationale were used to develop any new hypotheses to be tested? What is the specific gap in knowledge that will be addressed and how will the outcome of this study dramatically propel the field forward? What innovations in technology or approach will be necessary to attack the problem? How broad is the potential impact in science and/or health? Will the potential impact be major?
Approach (limit, six pages): How will you attempt to test the novel paradigm or attack the problem? How does your approach significantly differ from the current state of the art in the field? If it is your methodology that is novel, what is unconventional and exceptionally innovative about your approach? How will your rationale and/or approach overcome existing challenges or barriers in the field?
Provide enough information for reviewers to determine what you are proposing to do, but do not include a detailed experimental plan.
Appropriateness for the Transformative Research Projects Program (limit, one-half page): Why is the proposed research uniquely suited to the goals of the Transformative Research Projects Program Initiative, rather than a conventional research grant application? How does the proposed research significantly differ from mainstream science being done in your laboratory or in other laboratories?
Timeline (limit, one-half page): Provide a timeline for the proposed research indicating points where intermediate objectives will be assessed, the measurable outcomes that will be used to monitor progress, and the timing and process for reaching decisions regarding the course and direction of the continuing research effort. Given the high degree of risk involved in proposals submitted under the Transformative Research Projects program, it is anticipated that investigators will need to continually reassess approaches based on experimental outcomes and potentially alter course to meet project goals. Possible alternative paths that may be followed at critical junctures in the project plan should be described and indicated on the timeline.
Posted Nov 2, 2009