Technical Assistance Webinar:NLM Institutional Training Grants for

Research Training in Biomedical InformaticsRFA-LM-11-001

Q & A Only

NLM Extramural ProgramsNational Institutes of Health

Updated 4-09-2011 adding Q.33-37

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Q&A

• Q1: I don’t see any information about consortium applications – are you accepting them?

• A1: No consortium applications will be accepted. A lead applicant may work with other organizations through subcontracts & multiple Project Director/Principal Investigator arrangements

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Q&A

• Q2: In reading the RFA, it seems that bioinformatics focused on biological functions (but not on patients or disease processes) is not a priority area. Is this correct?

• A2: Yes, the emphasis in bioinformatics training for this announcement is on health-related or translational bioinformatics, relating to processes involved in health and disease.

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Q&A

• Q3: Can an institution submit more than one application?

• A3: Any institution with a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number is allowed to submit one application. For a university system with five campuses, if each campus has a unique DUNS or NIH IPF number, then each campus can apply. However, those applications compete against one another in review.

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Q&A

• Q4: Do the required tables count against the 25-page limit?

• A4: No, they do not.

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Q&A

• Q5: Would a program that offers an MS in clinical research rather than biomedical informatics be in scope?

• A5: NLM’s predoctoral training is meant to support PhD research. For postdoctoral trainees, such as MDs who want to enter the field of biomedical informatics, the MS degree would need to be in biomedical informatics, computer science or a related field with emphasis in informatics.

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Q&A

• Q6: Could a program apply that does not have any association with a medical school?

• A6: Biomedical informatics training needs to have a link to human health. It is difficult to imagine that appropriate foundational training could be offered without ties to a medical school or healthcare organization.

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Q&A

• Q7: What are NLM’s expectations for multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator applications regarding qualifications?

• A7: Each program director/principal investigator in a multi-PD/PI application should have comparable qualifications – that is, she/he should be a senior-level (at the rank of associate professor or higher) full-time faculty member at the applicant or participating institution, capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership for the program.

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Q&A

• Q8: Are any form of subawards/consortium agreements allowed with this funding mechanism?  If yes, what are the specific guidelines?– A8: Consortium applications are not being accepted.

Collaborations with other training programs are possible using sub-contract arrangements if funds will be transferred from the awardee to a partner organization.

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Q&A

• Q9: The four basic informatics training areas do not include bioinformatics or computational biology. Does "translational bioinformatics" include traditional bioinformatics methods (e.g., analyzing regulatory networks)?– A9: The emphasis in bioinformatics training for this

announcement is on health-related or translational bioinformatics, relating to processes involved in health and disease. Traditional bioinformatics topics such as systems biology or computational biology or network analysis are not supported unless there is a clear linkage to health.

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Q&A

• Q10: Is there a limit to the number of core faculty? Previously (2006) the number of biosketches was limited to 12.– A10: There is no limit on the number of core faculty,

but the biosketches must be attached as a single document. These biosketches do not require a personal statement. See Instructions from p. I-186 of the SF424 RR Application Guide (Q&A document has the text) 

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Q&A

• Q11: For tables 8AB, do we include all applicants or just a selection?– A11: For applicants you accepted, list all that

would have been eligible for your proposed program had it been in place. For applicants not accepted, list 20% of them and provide a footnote explaining what you did.

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Q&A

• Q12: What is the difference between core faculty, additional faculty and participating faculty?– A12: Core faculty are responsible for

administering the program, developing curriculum and primary mentoring of your trainees. Additional (aka participating) faculty teach or provide research advice.

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Q&A

• Q13: Can we include faculty from other universities in our list of participating faculty?– A13: Yes, if they will be teaching or providing

research advice to your trainees. You would want to include letters from those organizations agreeing to participate.

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Q&A

• Q14: Our PhD program will begin after the application is submitted. Should we leave table 9A blank?– A14: Yes, unless your department offers other

PhD programs that are very similar in scope or nature to the one you are proposing.

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Q&A

• Q15: Please define participating department, (Table 1).– A15: Participating departments are (1) the department

planning to offer the NLM supported training plus (2) any other departments who are collaborating in the training program by providing instructors, research advice or other opportunities for proposed NLM trainees. Respectively, they are home to core faculty and to additional/participating faculty.

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Q&A

• Q16: Will there be information posted on your web site for people who could not attend today?– A16: Yes, we will post a transcript of the

session and also update the Q&A slides if necessary

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Q&A

• Q17: Will there be site visits done as part of the award process?– A17: Site visits will not be routinely done as

part of the award process. However, a site visit could be scheduled if NLM felt that additional information about a proposal was needed before an award decision could be made.

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Q&A

• Q18: You are not accepting consortium applications. Should organizations who were part of a consortium in the previous round apply as new or renewal applicants?– A18: Only the awardee organization should

apply as a renewal applicant. Other components of the consortium may apply as new applicants.

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Q&A

• Q19: Do MD postdoctoral trainees need to pursue a degree during their training period?– A19: Yes, they would need to pursue either a

research-oriented MS in biomedical informatics or related field, or a PhD in biomedical informatics or a related field.

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Q&A

• Q20: What is the rational for requesting a balanced mix of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, and must it be a 60 predoc:40 postdoc ratio?– A20: NLM wishes to increase the number of

postdoctoral trainees in its programs so that the numbers of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees are relatively equal. An applicant may present a rationale for a different ratio.

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Q&A

• Q21: For existing NLM programs, should the Short Term trainees be recorded in the tables or just in the progress report?– A21: List Short Term trainees both places. In

the tables, list them with other predoctoral or postdoctoral trainees as appropriate, indicating that they are STTP.

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Q&A

• Q22: What is meant by ‘practicum experiences’ for trainees?– A22: NLM expects that trainees will have a

number of experiences which might be called ‘hands on’ or ‘in context’ that will further their understanding of biomedical informatics and its applications in health domains.

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Q&A

• Q23: If the postdoctoral trainee is pursuing a PhD, is funding limited to only 3 years?– A24: Yes that is correct.

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Q&A

• Q24: For a new application, how should subcontracts be structured when the number of trainees is not yet known?– A24: Applicants should describe the intended

arrangement for a multi-institutional program in terms of trainee selection, location, mentorship and cohort experiences. The details of budget distribution are worked out by the awardee and subcontractors.

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Q&A

• Q25: Does the PI need to be heavily published in biomedical informatics or will related experience suffice?– A25: The PI needs to be a senior faculty

member with research and publishing background appropriate for that level. Additionally, a PI should have experience with administering training. The review criterion list provide additional guidance about qualifications of PIs.

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Q&A

• Q26: Can an MD/PhD student be supported with NLM predoctoral training funds?– A26: Yes, the PhD portion of the student’s

training can be supported by NLM training funds provided that the degree is awarded in biomedical informatics or a related field.

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Q&A

• Q27: How important is the plan for Training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)?– A27: Although RCR is not a scoring factor per

se, if reviewers rate an application’s RCR plan as unacceptable, it cannot be funded until an acceptable revised plan has been received by NLM.

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Q&A

• Q28: Does the project Summary/Abstract count against the 25-page limit?– A28: No, it does not.

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Q&A

• Q29: How should the non-stipend costs be handled across the 5 years. Should we include an increase each year?– A29: Only the stipend should show an

increase each year, based on the stipend tables. All other budget factors such as Travel, Tuition, Health Insurance, Training Related Expenses should be estimated at the published rates.

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Q&A

• Q30: If an MD is getting a PhD, are they considered a predoctoral or postdoctoral trainee and how many years of support may they have?– A: Typically, an MD is considered a postdoctoral

trainee and can receive 3 years of NLM postdoctoral report. If an MD were treated as a predoctoral trainee, up to 5 years of support could be provided, but only using the predoctoral stipend table.

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Q&A

• Q31: The tables don’t fit our structure, they seem to be oriented toward departments, but we have an institute. Can we use that structure for reporting?– A31: Yes, simply explain this in the text and/or

footnote the affected tables as necessary to explain who has been included or excluded.

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Q&A

• Q32: Should all Core Faculty be listed as Key Personnel?– A32: Key personnel are those who provide

administrative and academic oversight for the program. Depending on the size of your program, some but not all of the Core Faculty might also be key personnel.

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Q&A

• Q33: Should an existing NLM training program budget its actual projected costs for trainees who would be continuing in a new award, or use the “TBN” numbers listed in the RFA?– A33: For predocs and postdocs who would be

continuing if a new award is made to you in 2012, use the stipend amounts that would be awarded normally.

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Q&A

• Q34: Are MDs and RNs eligible to participate in the STTP short term training program?– A34: Yes, a short-term trainee may be a

graduate, undergraduate, MD or other clinician, or a PhD interested in an informatics research career, provided they also meet the diversity guidelines for those slots.

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Q&A

• Q35: Should full biosketches be used for all participating faculty?– A35: Use a full biosketch, including personal

statement, for key personnel and, if you wish, for core faculty. For other participating faculty, use the limited biosketch described in the instructions.

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Q&A

• Q36: We have a program that awards MS degrees. Could we offer this to undergraduate physicians currently in medical school? • A36: NLM supports research-oriented MS degrees for

postdoctoral trainees (such as PhD, MD, etc.) who want to enter a research career in biomedical informatics, but not for predoctoral trainees or undergraduates.

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Q&A

• Q37: In Table 1, should we list only the department that would be issuing the degree?

• A37: Participating departments are (1) the department that is home to the program and (2) departments whose faculty will provide research advice to trainees or participate in teaching courses. You should list both types.

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Further Questions

Program contact: Dr. Valerie Florance, Director, NLM Extramural Programs, florancev@mail.nih.gov

or

Send questions to mailbox NLMEPWebinar@mail.nih.gov with Subject line: T-15 question

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