Many thanks to all who participated in the DOD and NPC conference calls regarding the DOD TBI/PTSD funding opportunities. A special thanks to the DOD personnel who responded to so many questions, and to those NPC personnel who shared their prior experience with federal grants management as well as current expertise gained from submitting multiple proposals for the TBI/PTSD funds.

1. The next call for personnel of NPCs submitting proposals is scheduled for Monday, August 20, at 2:30 p.m. East Coast time.

Dial up: 273-935-2013
Passcode: 586-668 followed by the # sign

2. If a representative from your NPC would like to be included in a NAVREF email group for further notices from NAVREF about administration of the TBI/PTSD funds only, please send an email to bwest@navref.org. To get on an email list for timely updates and notices from DOD, please send an email to: prequest@constellagroup.com

3. Brian Martin has already responded to inquiries that came up during the later NPC call. Responses to some questions from PIs are at the end of this email.

• Brian confirmed that the email sent last Friday accurately states the DOD position on NPC administration of Intramural Program awards even when the NPC is not administering the ongoing program that will be accelerated.

8/15 Email from Brian: I stand by my previous message on this. We had hoped that other Government agencies would be funding internal core VA requirements via agreements with the NPCs. It does not appear that this is the case in many instances, if at all. Therefore, if the VA has an internal core requirement that is funded with internal VA $ and is not being administered by an NPC, the NPC can still submit a proposal to accelerate that on-going research and if recommended for funding, we would make the award to the NPC.

Previous message: VA PIs at VAMCs with current VA, DOD or other funding for TBI or PTSD research may submit through NPCs proposals responding to the CDMRP TBI/PTSD Intramural Program Announcements in order to accelerate, continue or extend ongoing research programs/projects in TBI and PTSD. NPCs may submit the proposals and administer the awards even if the NPC is not administering the ongoing program/project.

• Regarding Federal Entity Financial Plan: Question: Thanks for clarifying that NPCs do not need to submit a Federal Entity Financial Plan. However, it seems that the online submission process requires that field to be completed. Would it be acceptable for NPCs to fulfill that technical requirement by providing the following statement? “The submitting organization, (name of NPC), is a VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education corporation and is exempt from the requirement to submit a Federal Entity Financial Plan.”

8/15 Email from Brian: I have asked Barbara Terry Koroma to look into the requirement to submit a Federal Entity Financial plan. If the proposal is submitted by an NPC, the plan is not necessary. Barbara will hopefully have the requirement to submit the plan removed from the electronic submission system. In the event that it is not removed, please use the statement above. This applies to NPC's only.

4. From Nancy Watterson-Diorio in response to an email question from another NPC ED:

Make sure after you submit Project Period 1, you upload a justification for entire budget and then hit next project period and it will automatically skip to project period 2 and then you will get a cumulative of the two project periods. Brian mentioned in the teleconference that the 18 month project period should go on one sheet. I suggest that alternatively this could be done per the regulations in the SF424/NIH.

Additionally, I withdraw one of the statements I made during the call: I highly recommend putting the PT number on the face page (where you see the columns for mandatory documents as the “APPLICATION FILING NAME”). This application name is then is referenced on the submission receipt that comes back from http://www.grants.gov.

5. Q&A from Joy Mitchell:l:

Barbara,
Lori at DOD called re my email to help desk re IDC. She confirmed that I could use the rate I proposed - 67%.

6. Any NPCs submitting proposals for the TBI/PTSD funds must ensure that they have staff with the expertise necessary to administer federal grants. Hiring experienced grants management personnel is highly recommended. Additionally, NPC staff should avail themselves of training. At this time, NAVREF is not planning to sponsor training in this area so it is incumbent on NPC personnel to take advantage of non-NAVREF training opportunities of which there are many. Recommended - but by no means the only - training is offered by:

• Management Concepts: http://www.managementconcepts.com

• Research Associates: http://www.grantexperts.com

• Thompson Interactive: http://www.thompsoninteractive.com - See August 22 training on Fundamentals of Cost Allowability for Federal Grants and Subgrants

Resource for assistance negotiating a federal indirect cost rate: David Vedder - dpvedder@comcast.net.netttett Phone: 425-788-1922

• Response: Regarding whether funding will be provided for incentives of research-related subject costs:

The concept program announcement contains the following language: Because these awards are designed for preliminary investigations, projects involving human subjects or human biological substances will not be supported through this mechanism unless they are exempt under Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 219, Section 101(b) (32 CFR 219.101(b)). Studies that do not qualify for exempt status will be administratively withdrawn and will not be funded. For studies using only commercially available unidentified specimens, a Claim of Exemption Form will be requested.

Based on this statement, we will not be providing funding for incentives of Research Related Subject Costs.

• Response: Regarding question on references, the following statement is in the Program Announcement:

a. References Cited: One-page limit. List 5 relevant references using a standard reference format that includes the full citation (i.e., author(s), year published, title of reference, source of reference, volume, chapter, page numbers, and publisher, as appropriate). The inclusion of Internet URLs to references is encouraged.

You should list no more than 5 references or exceed a one page limit. Any references over and above 5 or in excess of 1 page will be removed from review.

• Question: We intend to submit a few proposals that have not been funded yet. Could these projects qualify for the Concept Award?

Response: In response to question number one, if the projects are to accelerate an on-going funded program then they would qualify for the internal Program Announcement. If they are not on-going or funded programs and they address a research gap, they may fit the external announcement Concept award. I do not have enough information, nor can I guide you as to which mechanism to submit to.

To clarify, if the project involves any intervention with the subjects, even if the data is de-identified, will this award mechanism be adequate? If not, are there any suggestions to other mechanisms available?

Response: As for #2, if you are referring to the Concept award, these awards are designed for preliminary investigations. Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances will not be supported through this mechanism unless they are exempt under Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 219, Section 101(b) (32 CFR 219.101(b)). Studies that do not qualify for exempt status will be administratively withdrawn and will not be funded. For studies using only commercially available unidentified specimens, a Claim of Exemption Form will be requested.