Grants to Support Programs for Inclusion and Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (US)

Deadline: 10-Mar-23

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched the Programs for Inclusion and Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) Activity.

Purpose

• The overarching goal of the NHLBI PRIDE program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce through Summer Institute (SI) programs.
• The major goal of the PRIDE program is to establish long-term mentoring that will enable junior faculty and transitioning postdoctoral scientists from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences to develop a research program and obtain NIH funding. The goal is that through these experiences participants will further develop their research skills and gain experiences in advanced methods and experimental approaches in basic and applied sciences that are relevant to NHLBI mission areas. These include the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) disorders. Ultimately, participants in the PRIDE programs will use these enhanced skills to apply for NIH grants in the areas relevant to the of NHLBI mission. It should be noted that the terms “participants” and “mentees” are used interchangeably in this FOA.
• The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support the creation of a Coordination Center (CC) for the Programs for Inclusion and Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) Summer Institutes (SI). The PRIDE CC will support and complement the activities of the SIs as they foster the development of a diverse workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. The SI grantees will develop their PRIDE SI programs during the last quarter of 2023 and early part of 2024, and implement them during the summers of 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 with appropriate modifications or refinements following each of the preceding years. The primary tasks of the CC will be to facilitate, coordinate and support execution of research education activities between the SI awardees and mentees, and to conduct ongoing evaluation of the program as per NIH requirements. As such, the PD(s)/PI(s) applicants of the CC team should exhibit strong expertise in both program evaluation and program coordination.
• The CC’s role is also to facilitate candidate recruitment and selection, program-wide organization, and mentor identification and orientation. Additionally, the CC will also plan, arrange, and facilitate the PRIDE annual meetings, monthly steering committee meetings, and other PD/PI meetings for the PRIDE program overall.
• Specific activities and roles of the PRIDE CC will include, but are not limited to:
  • Outreach and Recruitment
    • Develop, coordinate, and support SI program outreach efforts to recruit and select participants.
    • Facilitate mentorship and networking activities.
    • Coordinate the identification, formation and evaluation of mentees’ mentorship committees.
    • Develop, conduct and/or facilitate skills development and training programs for mentors.
    • Identify, coordinate, administrate and disseminate information on additional research training and networking opportunities for mentees throughout the academic year. For example, applicants may suggest ways that linkages can be made with existing NHLBI programs of research, such as the Jackson Heart Study, Strong Heart Study, and TOPMED program or data resources such as BioLINCC, or may propose the use of elements from existing mentoring/networking programs (e.g., the Sarnoff fellowship program, or the National Research Mentoring Network) in order to increase applicants’ long-term opportunities for learning, networking and funding success.
    • Propose a plan to work with the NHLBI program office to appoint an Advisory Committee consisting of 4-5 individuals from outside of the applicant’s institution to periodically advise the PRIDE program on issues such as outreach, recruitment and selection of mentees and faculty; curricular design and implementation; training and support of mentors; institutional engagement; and program evaluation.
  • Program-wide Communications
    • Coordinate and facilitate all conference calls, including monthly calls between SI directors/staff and NHLBI.
    • Co-plan and distribute the agenda for the monthly calls between SI directors, staff, and the NHLBI program office.
    • Develop, share, and post minutes of the conference calls and in-person meetings on the program website.
    • Create web-based resources for SI faculty, mentees, and mentors, including a program-wide website addressing such areas as: NIH policies, procedures and application information and materials (e.g., application timelines and templates), web-based courses, and email and other web-based systems for group communication.
    • Facilitate information exchange across the PRIDE Summer Institute sites and the NHLBI program office.
    • Oversee the equitable use and distribution of research education resources across PRIDE Summer Institute sites.
  • Facilitate Recruitment of Mentors
    • Facilitate and support SIs in the recruitment of research-focused mentors, including individuals from underrepresented groups. Each mentor should have research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed program and be committed to continue their involvement throughout the total period of their assigned mentees’ participation in their respective SI program.
  • Research Education Development Activities
    • Support SIs and their mentees in implementing the small research projects (SRPs) component of the PRIDE program. The CC will not be eligible for the SRP administrative supplement; however, they may provide technical assistance to the SIs and mentees to support the preparation and submission of applications. Distribution of the SRP funds, and scientific oversight of the SRP program will reside solely with the SI programs. The CC will lead the evaluation of the overall SRP component of the program.
  • Evaluation
    • Propose a plan to coordinate a unified and robust evaluation protocol across the entire PRIDE program including both accessing and assessing data from previous cohorts that are currently under evaluation. Each SI will propose an evaluation protocol and the CC will work to coordinate these protocols across the SIs to ensure common measures and reporting.

Funding Information

• Award Ceiling: $350,000

Activities

• The purpose of the CC is to provide programmatic support for the PRIDE program overall and to complement the activities of the SI programs as follows:
  • Facilitate outreach, participant recruitment, candidate screening, and program-wide organization
  • Support and assist with the identification and orientation of SI program mentors
  • Support matriculants’ research education experiences through webinar and in-person learning activities
  • Administrate and facilitate equitable distribution of research- related resources and opportunities
  • Facilitate coordination of research education and evaluation activities among the SI awardees, enrolled participants, and the NHLBI
  • Develop and facilitate orientation and other skill development activities for mentors
  • Support mentoring of program participants by assisting the SIs with the formation of participants’ mentorship committees
  • Conduct cross-site and cross-program evaluations, including use of data from previous PRIDE cohorts to document program accomplishments, trends and trajectories.
• In addition, the CC also plans, arranges, and facilitates the program-wide PRIDE annual meetings, the monthly steering committee meetings, and other PD(s)/PI(s) meetings for the program overall as needed. To be competitive for review, applicants should provide strong evidence of expertise in program administration, program coordination and program evaluation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants:
  • Special district governments
  • County governments
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Others
  • State governments
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • City or township governments
  • Independent school districts
  • For profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Small businesses
• Additional Information on Eligibility:
  • Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components are not allowed.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.