This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites U54 applications for the implementation of partnership between Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) and other institutions with extensive alcohol research programs, including NIAAA-funded alcohol research centers and consortia (ARC). RCMI are institutions that offer doctorate degrees in the health professions or in a health-related science and have a historical and current commitment to educating underrepresented students, and for institutions that deliver health care services, providing clinical services to medically underserved communities. ARC refers to institutions with extensive alcohol research programs including, but not limited to, NIAAA-funded alcohol research centers.
This FOA is designed to facilitate planning and implementation of collaborative partnerships between RCMI and ARC to enhance diversity in the biomedical workforce, with emphasis on alcohol-related research and activities. Through productive partnership with ARC, this FOA aims to build and promote alcohol research expertise and to develop alcohol research infrastructure and capacity at RCMI. RCMI are uniquely positioned to engage in health disparity research and in the translation of research advances into culturally appropriate, measurable and sustained improvements in health outcomes.
Deadlines:
RFA-AA-20-010 Expiration Date October 8, 2020
To be eligible for this FOA, the RCMI applicant institution must be a domestic institution located in the United States and its territories which:
1. Have received an average of less than $50 million per year of NIH support for the past three fiscal years;
2. Award doctorate degrees in the health professions or the sciences related to health;
3. Have a historical and current mission to educate students from any of the populations that have been identified as underrepresented in biomedical research as defined by the National Science Foundation NSF, see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/) (i.e., African Americans or Blacks, Hispanic or Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, U.S. Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities); and
4. Have a documented track record of: (1) recruiting, training and/or educating, and graduating underrepresented students as defined by NSF (see above), which has resulted in increasing the institution's contribution to the national pool of graduates from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue biomedical research careers and, (2) for institutions that deliver health care services, providing clinical services to medically underserved communities.
Applications for the RCMI are limited to a budget of up to $700,000 in direct costs during Years 1-2. Direct costs can increase in years 3-5 to a maximum of $750,000 per year. An RCMI can partner with only one alcohol research intensive institution (ARC). The aggregate total direct costs for the partnering ARC are capped at $200,000 direct cost per year.
