Applicant Resource for Short Courses on Utilizing the NIH Stage Model to Develop Behavioral Interventions to Promote Healthy Aging (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Q: Is this to be interpreted to also mean that the short-course curriculum should be a minimum of 8 weeks, and maximum of 14 weeks long?

A: Since the RFA does not specify how this may be interpreted, and because curriculum length is not considered when determining non-responsiveness, this may be liberally interpreted. Please note that the RFA also states, “As long as the curriculum addresses the required topics, short courses may be in any of a variety of formats, delivery modalities, length, and expected time to complete.” The important thing to remember is that the course length and delivery should be structured to ensure all required topics are covered, to maximize the quality of the learning experience, and to be practical for the targeted audience. Applications should make it clear why the proposed length and structure was chosen.

Please also note that while the Non-Responsiveness Criteria do not include any reference to the length of the course, they do state that the following types of applications will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:

• Applications that do not develop an NIH Stage Model training curriculum that explicitly addresses the six required topics (described in RFA-AG-25-029), and as defined by the NIH Stage Model.
• Applications that do not include an evaluation plan for evaluating the activities supported by the award.
• Applications that do not include a dissemination plan describing how course materials will be made available nationally.

Q: Should we broadly interpret “research experience” to be synonymous with “short course curriculum”?

A: The RFA states the application should clearly describe, “The goals and objectives of the proposed research experience program and how they address the NIA mission with respect to using the NIH Stage Model to develop principle-based behavioral interventions.” Within this context, yes, “research experience” refers to the R25 short course curriculum.

Q: Is an entirely virtual format acceptable? We plan to have a mix of asynchronous and synchronous small group learning activities integrated into the courses.

A: The RFA states, “As long as the curriculum addresses the required topics, short courses may be in any of a variety of formats, delivery modalities,” so a virtual-only format is acceptable. Regarding instruction in the responsible conduct of research, although the RFA states that online only instruction is not acceptable, it is important to note that within this context, online instruction refers to purely non-interactive online instructions (e.g., online video, online text, etc.); virtual instruction with the ability to ask questions and receive feedback in real time is acceptable. Again, all formats proposed must include a compelling rationale.