Frequently Asked Questions for RFA-AG-25-014

Q: What is the purpose of the Funding Opportunity Announcement?

A: This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) invites applications to support a Coordination Center to support activities for awards funded under RFA-AG-25-031: Small Research Grant Program for the Next Generation of Researchers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) for Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD) Research (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) and RFA-AG-25-032: Consortium for Neuroscience AD/ADRD in Low- and Middle-income Countries (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) . Specifically, the Coordination Center will achieve the following:

1. Serve as an administrative and coordinating center for the consortia.
2. Coordinate collaboration and communication efforts across the consortia, and lead outreach efforts.
3. Coordinate data sharing according to NIH data sharing policies and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles and subsequent dissemination of these resources to the wider scientific community.

This award is made to a U.S. institution.

Q: What is the U24 activity code?

A: The U24 activity code is a milestone-driven cooperative agreement project contributing to improvement of capability of resources to support biomedical research. Milestones will be negotiated with the primary investigators (PIs) prior to the award being issued and should be approved by the NIH staff.

Cooperative Agreement activity code:

• Facilitates NIA’s program staff involvement as Project Scientists
• Allows additional oversight of awarded grants (i.e., review of milestones)
• Promotes collaborative work among the awardees

Q: Who is eligible for this opportunity?

A: These awards will be made directly to the U.S. institution to support investigators in LMICs. Therefore, the U.S. project directors (PDs)/PIs should have experience conducting research and supporting research training in LMICs settings.

Q: When are the applications due?

A: Applications are due on Nov. 13, 2024. No late applications will be accepted. In general, investigators should try to submit their applications a few days prior to the deadline so that you can make changes if needed.

Q: What is the maximum budget and how many projects will be funded?

A: Application budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project and must be limited to $350,000 in direct costs for year 1, $500,000 in direct costs per year for years 2-5. The maximum project period is five years.

Q: What are some types of activities that may be included under this award and what experiences should the PIs have to demonstrate capability for accomplishing the aims of the U24?

A: The Coordination Center applicant should demonstrate expertise in coordination of large research projects in LMIC settings and is expected to include senior members who have considerable leadership skills and experience in productive collaborations with large research teams and/or multi-stakeholder groups (e.g., research or other health consortia, community-based organizations) in a wide range of settings. The Coordination Center must cover activities related to: 1) Administration and Coordination; 2) Collaboration and Communication; and 3) Data Sharing and Resource Dissemination.

The Coordination Center application must also demonstrate the following:

• Experience with data management using applicable tools.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and outreach activities, including, but not limited to, participants, researchers, federal, and community-based organizations.
• Successful partnerships with multiple study teams across LMIC and a wide range of other settings in the design, implementation, and completion of large research studies.
• Effective communications across scientific teams, community engagement stakeholders, and NIH ICs.
• Website development, file management, organization, and maintenance.
• Organization of scientific meetings.
• Meeting travel planning.
• Knowledge of NIH data sharing policies, FAIR principles, and experience with deposition of data to NIH repositories.
• Experience with data management using applicable tools.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and outreach activities, including, but not limited to, participants, researchers, federal, and community-based organizations.
• Successful partnerships with multiple study teams across LMIC and a wide range of other settings in the design, implementation, and completion of large research studies.
• Effective communications across scientific teams, community engagement stakeholders, and NIH ICs.
• Website development, file management, organization, and maintenance.
• Organization of scientific meetings.
• Meeting travel planning.
• Knowledge of NIH data sharing policies, FAIR principles, and experience with deposition of data to NIH repositories.

While not required, investigators are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of intent and/or specific aims page to Dr. Damali Martin at martinda@mail.nih.gov .

Grants-Funding