I. OVERVIEW INFORMATION Participating Organizations: - The Morgan State University ASCEND project. - Fusion Partnerships, Inc. Announcement Number: Funding Opportunity Purpose (in brief): RFP-ASCEND-2016-1 To fund small health-related community-based participatory research projects, led collaboratively by Morgan State University faculty, post-doctoral fellows or doctoral students in partnership with a community-based group. II. KEY DATES RFP Released February 15, 2016 and Open: Letter of Intent March 4, 2016, 5 PM; Letters of intent are required. Due Date: Proposal Due April 4, 2016, 5 PM Date: Review: April and May 2016 Earliest Start Date: Award Project Period: July 1, 2016 The project may not exceed one year, between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. III. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION Purpose/ ASCEND s undergraduate research training has the ultimate goal of increasing Objectives: diversity among biomedical researchers to address health disparities. Creating opportunities for students and faculty to design and participate in CBPR projects is an important strategic objective of the ASCEND initiative. Students and researchers will be empowered to work in equal partnership directly with the communities they intend to serve. However, successful CBPR projects rely on having community partners with a track record of success and strong ties and relationship with the community organizations and stakeholders. The CBPR project can be led by an MSU: - Faculty member - Post-doctoral fellow - Doctoral student (for their dissertation) The types of small CBPR projects can include (but are not limited to): participatory needs assessment and asset mapping; evaluation of novel pilot community-based projects; small epidemiological participatory studies; designing collaborative interventions to mobilize community; and health education and promotion projects. 1
Background: ASCEND is "A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development Training Model to Increase Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce." The purpose of this 5-year (2014-2019) award from the National Institutes of Health to Morgan State University (MSU) is to strengthen MSU s biomedical training and research infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of training undergraduate students to become outstanding biomedical researchers. ASCEND will create a new cadre of biomedical researchers who are both familiar with the root causes of health and health disparity problems and highly competent to address them. Fusion Partnerships, Inc., has served for over 18 years as an incubator and fiscal sponsor for grassroots community-based programs and projects. They currently support over 70 community-based projects. Fusion Partnerships facilitates CBPR projects through creating, enhancing, and maintaining partnerships among a diverse group of community-based projects. Fusion Partnerships serves as the fiscal agent for the ASCEND CBPR projects, and will support their design, implementation, and evaluation. Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a partnership approach in which university researchers and the community team up to design, implement, evaluate and disseminate research studies. CBPR improves understanding and addressing issues with regards to health disparities in a more efficient and sustainable way. Technical Assistance Opportunities: Participation is not required. Thursday, February 25, 2016, 2-3 pm: Virtual workshop. Email ascend@morgan.edu to register. Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 2-3 pm: In-person workshop @ Morgan State University Portage Building. Email ascend@morgan.edu to register. IV. AWARD INFORMATION Funds Available Total funding available this round is $120,000. We intend to fund approximately and Anticipated six projects. Number of Awards: Award Budget: Each project can request up to $20,000. 2
V. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION Eligible Entities: Primary applicants must be Morgan State University faculty, post-doctoral fellows, or doctoral students for their dissertation research (after having completed their coursework). Applicants must work in close partnership with an initiative of the community. This community-based initiative can be from one organization, or from a coalition representing multiple community stakeholders (residents, activists, communitybased organizations, faith-based organizations, health centers, schools, businesses, etc.). While preference will be given to projects within the Morgan Community Mile (communities located within a mile of Morgan State University), any community within Baltimore City is eligible. Projects outside of Baltimore City but within Maryland will be considered on a case-by-case basis, based on accessibility for MSU undergraduate students and on MSU faculty participation. Cost Sharing: Number of Applications: This RFP does not require cost sharing. Each investigator may only submit one application. VI. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Letter of Intent: A letter of intent is required, in order to allow staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. By the date listed above, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: - Descriptive title of proposed activity - Briefly note the type of project and explain the project s purpose. - Name(s), address(es), email addresses and telephone number(s) of the project director(s)/principal investigator(s) - Names of other key personnel - Participating institution(s) The letter of intent should be emailed to ascend@morgan.edu. Application submission: Community- University Advisory Board (CUAB): Email applications by the date above to ascend@morgan.edu. A Community-University Advisory Board (CUAB) has been established to oversee this initiative. The CUAB will oversee the review of all applications and monitor project progress. The CUAB will comprise nine members from Fusion Partnerships, Inc. (one), Morgan State University (four), and community partners (four). 3
Forms, Components, Attachments, and Page Limitations: Required Inclusion of Morgan State University Undergraduate Student(s): - Face Page - Co-Investigators/Other Significant Contributors - Project Summary, Relevance Statement, Performance Sites - Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period - Budget Justification (up to 3 pages) - Resources - Specific Aims (1 page) - Research Strategy (4 pages): address components and review criteria mentioned below - Plan for involvement of undergraduate students (1 page) - Human Subjects - Planned Enrollment Report - References Cited (up to 2 pages) - Other Support - Biographical Sketch(es) - Documentation of completed training in the responsible conduct of research - Application(s) for MSU (and any other required) IRB approval. - Letters of Commitment (required from community partners) - Letters of Support (optional) At least one (but preferably more than one) undergraduate student must be involved in a meaningful way in the CBPR project. For example, the undergraduate student could be a paid intern or research assistant. The(se) undergraduate student(s) will be required to participate in an ASCENDorganized service-learning course and/or workshop(s), through which the students will receive a basic orientation about responsibilities, appropriate conduct of research, and ethics; a primer on CBPR concepts; and opportunities for reflection/discussion. The undergraduate students also will have the opportunity to present at/participate in MSU s annual undergraduate research symposium held each spring. Budget: - Each project can request a total budget of up to $20,000. - The proposal must include a narrative for the budget justification (up to 3 pages) itemizing and explaining in detail the requested cost items. - Examples of what the funds can be used for include (but are not limited to): MSU faculty summer salary, personnel salaries/wages, doctoral students /post-doctoral fellows hourly wages; local travel/transportation, supplies, small equipment ($500 to $5,000 each), training, food/refreshments (directly related to the scope of work), incentives, printing and reproduction, postage/courier services. - Funds cannot be used for association (or other related) memberships, nor facilities & administration/indirect costs. - Please note that we have allocated separate funding for grantees to travel to scientific conferences in order to present their findings/results. Therefore, 4
while you can budget for local travel, please do not include out-of-state or conference-related expenses in your budget. - No fundraising is permitted. - If awarded, we reserve the right to modify budget as we sit fit. VII. APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Background and - State the issue or need to be addressed. Significance: - Describe the size and/or severity of the issue or need, and explain the evidence regarding this issue or need. - Provide demographic and geographic information regarding the community or population benefiting from or served by the proposed project. - If the project s aims are achieved, how will the community s health be improved? - How will successful completion of the aims help the community address the health problems, develop infrastructure for CBPR, or be used to inform future efforts? - Is the project likely to substantially enhance the engagement of undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, in health research training, sustain their interest, and prepare them to successfully pursue research careers? - Will students be reached who would otherwise be unlikely to pursue health research as a career choice? Innovation: - Does the application utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? - Does the application seek to address long-standing/otherwise ignored health issues in a community? - Does the application bring together entities from the community who may not have worked together before, but who are uniquely positioned to address the health issue? - Are the approaches to be used innovative in the ways in which students from diverse backgrounds are engaged and trained? Approach: - Describe the program design and research methodology. - Discuss the anticipated results (outputs and/or outcomes). - Explain how the activities directly and/or indirectly address this issue or need and support achievement of these results. - Provide a project implementation timeline. - Is the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis plan well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? - Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? - Is an appropriate rationale for the selection and inclusion of partner organizations provided? - Will each of the partner organizations make substantial and meaningful contributions to the goals of the project? 5
Investigator(s): - Are the Principal Investigator(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? - Do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise? - Is their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project? - Do the key personnel have sufficient experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds? Environment: - Is the collaborative s ability to implement the project described? - Are current programs and activities, track record, related program or organizational accomplishments, or other strengths described? - Are links with other entities doing similar work in the geographic area or on the same issue indicated/identified? - Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? - Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? - Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Protection for Human Subjects: For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt (under 45 CFR Part 46), the review committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following four review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, and 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained. For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt (under 45 CFR Part 46), the review committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the NIH Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects. Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children: When the proposed project involves human subjects, the review committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the NIH Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research. 6
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research: IRB: Budget and Period of Support: Evaluation: Review Process All Morgan State faculty and students involved in the project need to submit with their grant application documentation that they have completed training in the responsible conduct of research, and that it is valid through the entire proposed project period. Applicants must receive approval from all appropriate institutional review boards (IRBs), such as the Morgan State University IRB, before funding will be released. Please submit a copy of completed IRB/ human subjects approval request forms with your grant application. Forms can be found online at: http://www.morgan.edu/research_and_economic_development/human_subjects _research.html Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research. Indicate what process and/or impact information will be collected to measure and demonstrate success, appropriate to the type and nature of the proposed project. The proposals will be reviewed by the Community-University Advisory Board, and subsequently by NIH project officers and grants management specialists. VIII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION Just-In-Time If the application is under consideration for funding, we will request "just-in-time" Information: information from the applicant, such as any necessary university and/or community Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, or updated Other Support information. Reporting Requirements: Contact Information: Funded awards will be required to submit a final report of findings within four weeks of the conclusion of the project, as well as respond to any additional requests for information from Fusion Partnerships and Morgan State University for preparation of programmatic materials or reports to NIH. Ms. Gillian Silver Program Manager ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research Morgan State University Portage Building, Room 110 1700 E Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 21251 443-885-3541 gillian.silver@morgan.edu www.morgan.edu/ascend 7