Frequently Asked Questions
See list of FAQs below or Download FAQs as a PDF
Questions
Q: What are the GRA-affiliated research institutions?
Q: If I received a pediatric research center pilot in the past, am I eligible to receive another pilot in 2016?
Q: What happens if I receive a pilot but do not apply for extramural funding within one year of the end date of the pilot project?
Q: How can I be sure I am meeting all the eligibility requirements in terms of engaging a researcher from the Emory Department of Pediatrics and/or Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta?
Q: How many faculty level investigators must be engaged in the research project proposed?
Q. Aside from budget dollars available and project period defined in the RFA, how do the Research Center (HeRO, CF-AIR, JFF) and the Fusion Awards differ?
Q: Can a post-doc be a PI on a pilot?
Q: Where can I find more details regarding new investigator status?
Answers
Q: What are the GRA-affiliated research institutions?
A: Emory University, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, University of Georgia, Medical College of Georgia, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mercer University, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Q: If I received a pediatric research center pilot in the past, am I eligible to receive another pilot in 2016?
A: Yes, if you are in compliance with the requirements of your past pilot award. All center pilots awarded in 2011 or later required the PI to submit a proposal for extramural funding within one year of the end date of the pilot project. Unless no cost extensions (NCEs) were granted, pilots awarded between 2011 and 2014 should have concluded by 2015 and led to submission of an extramural research proposal by 2016. If you received a pilot between 2011 and 2014 and would like to apply for a 2017 pilot but are not sure if you are in compliance, please contact the program coordinator of the center who awarded your earlier pilot(s) to confirm your eligibility. To request a waiver of this extramural funding application requirement, please click here.
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Q: What happens if I receive a pilot but do not apply for extramural funding within one year of the end date of the pilot project?
A: Failure to apply for extramural funding within one year of the end date of your pilot project will make you ineligible to receive any additional pilot funding from any Emory- or Georgia Tech-based pediatric research center and may make you ineligible to receive core subsidies. Center Directors and the Research Operations Council (ROC) will consider requests for a waiver or extension of this requirement on a case-by-case basis. To request a waiver of this extramural funding application requirement, please click here.
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Q: How can I be sure I am meeting all the eligibility requirements in terms of engaging a researcher from the Emory Department of Pediatrics and/or Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta?
A: All applications must include measurable effort from at least one researcher and/or clinician team member who is on the professional staff at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta or who is a primary faculty member in the Emory Department of Pediatrics. Adjunct appointments, secondary appointments and non-paid appointments at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta or in the Department of Pediatrics do not meet this criterion. For questions and clarifications, please contact Stacy Heilman.
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Q: How many faculty level investigators must be engaged in the research project proposed?
A: All pilot applications (Research Center and Fusion Awards) must involve at least two faculty level investigators, each with measurable effort and a meaningful contribution on the research project. This may be accomplished through a PI and Co-investigator(s) arrangement or Multiple PI arrangement, whichever makes the most sense for the project proposed.
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Q. Aside from budget dollars available and project period defined in the RFA, how do the Research Center (HeRO, CF-AIR, JFF) and the Fusion Awards differ?
A. Research Center proposals must respond to the individual stated priority of the sponsoring program (HeRO, CF-AIR or JFF) while Fusion Awards must address areas of interest relevant to two or more centers including HeRO, and CF-AIR, and also Aflac, CCIV, CCTR, CTID, CCNR and MAC.
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Q: Can a post-doc be a PI on a pilot?
A: A post-doc cannot be a PI on a pilot because a post-doc cannot fulfill the requirement to submit an extramural research proposal within one year of the end date of the pilot.
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Q: Where can I find more details regarding new investigator status?
A: Please visit the NIH New and Early Stage Investigator Frequently Asked Questions page.
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Questions
Q: What is the time frame for these grants?
Q: Are no cost extensions (NCEs) allowed?
Q: What format should I use for my budget request?
Q: What information do I need to provide for each consortium?
Q: Is there a minimum required effort for PIs?
Q: What is Georgia Tech’s Minimum Effort Policy?
Q: Are there any restrictions on salary requests for pilots?
Q: When effort is stated with no compensation, must effort be cost shared?
Q: Can budgets be used to support staff such as outreach workers and post-doctoral fellows?
Q: Should the NIH cap be used for salary?
Q: How do I find out and confirm the cost for services through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta?
Q: Are indirect costs (overhead) allowed to be budgeted?
Q: For Emory-based center awards, is Emory School of Medicine G&A assessed on these pilots?
Q: If I have a graduate student working on the project, do I have to pay for the tuition?
Q: What fringe rate should be used?
Q: Are there any other restrictions on the use of funds?
Q: Do I have to route through OSP before submitting my application?
Q: How do I submit the required letters?
Q. For Emory-based center awards to GA Tech, what does the PI need to do?
Answers
Q: What is the time frame for these grants?
A: The project period for HeRO, JFF and one-year CF-AIR grants will be 12 months (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018). The project period for CF-AIR CF@LANTA two-year grants and Pediatric Research Fusion Pilot Awards will be 24 months (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2019). Funds not spent by the end of the project period will be returned to the Pediatric Research Alliance. If a pilot grant recipient discontinues his/her faculty appointment during the funded period, any unspent funds will be returned to the Pediatric Research Alliance.
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Q: Are no cost extensions (NCEs) allowed?
A: Yes, NCEs are allowed, but must be requested with written justification at least 60 days before the project end date. NCEs will be reviewed and approved at the discretion of the center director and research financial manager on a case by case basis. Only one NCE (maximum of 12 months) may be requested.
Q: What format should I use for my budget request?
A: You may use the provided Alliance Pilot 2017 Budget Templates that include separate budget tabs for each institution/consortium. If you opt to use a different budget format, please include the same level of detail that is reflected on the provided template including a breakdown of the funds allocated to each institution involved.
Q: What information do I need to provide for each consortium?
A: If your project includes costs at more than one institution, the costs for each institution must be reflected in a separate budget. In addition, a separate statement of work for each consortium site must be included with the application. It is the PI’s responsibility to ensure that costs for each consortium are captured accurately and that all calculations, including fringe, are correct. Please note that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta costs are separate from Emory University costs and should be reflected in a separate consortium budget and statement of work.
Q: Is there a minimum required effort for PIs?
This answer is institution specific:
A: Emory applicants have no minimum effort requirement, but individual centers may have more strict requirements. For example, CF-AIR has a 2% paid effort requirement in this 2017 call. See below.
A: GA Tech applicants must request at least 1% effort in accordance with GA Tech’s Minimum Effort Policy.
A: Applicants to the CF-AIR call must budget a minimum of 2% paid PI effort. Please note: PI salary/fringe costs may not exceed 25% of the total budget.
Q: What is Georgia Tech’s Minimum Effort Policy?
A: Georgia Tech policy is that a Principal Investigator (PI) or other senior researcher must devote at least 1% effort – or a level of effort as required by sponsor – on an ongoing basis over the term of a sponsored project award. After the award is granted and accepted, the PI and key personnel are committed to provide that proposed level of effort over the budget period unless the sponsor permits otherwise. The committed effort, whether mandatory or voluntary, will be separately budgeted and accounted for by way of either the sponsored project or a companion cost sharing account. The full policy is available here.
Q: Are there any restrictions on salary requests for pilots?
A: Yes, the maximum amount that can be applied toward PI salary plus fringe is 25% of the total budget. For example, with a $50,000 budget, only $12,500 may be allocated to PI salary/fringe.
Q: Can effort be cost shared?
A: Yes, effort can be cost shared or donated from another source as long as your department/institution allows it.
Q: When effort is stated with no compensation, must effort be cost shared?
This answer is institution specific:
A: Emory applicants do not need to cost share if Emory is prime on the application but must cost share if Emory is the subcontract institution.
A: GA Tech applicants must cost share regardless if they are prime or the subcontract institution.
Q: Can budgets be used to support staff such as outreach workers and post-doctoral fellows?
A: Yes, funds can be used to support any personnel deemed necessary to carry out the specific aims of the project, including the PI. Salary and fringe for the PI may not exceed 25% of the total budget.
Q: Should the NIH cap be used for salary?
A: Yes, if faculty salaries exceed the current NIH cap, then the NIH cap should be used in the budget.
Q: How do I find out and confirm the cost for services through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta?
A: To request help with your Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta budget and associated costs, contact GrantsAdmin@choa.org.
Q: Are indirect costs (overhead) allowed to be budgeted?
A: No, indirect costs are not allowed on these budgets. The Letter of Support & Approval (required for all Emory-based Center applications) states your institution’s understanding of this limitation.
Q: For Emory-based center awards, is Emory School of Medicine G&A assessed on these pilots?
A: No, Emory SOM G&A is not to be assessed on these pilots and should not be included in the budget request. Because these grants are funded with internal Emory funds, no SOM G&A will be assessed.
Q: If I have a graduate student working on the project, do I have to pay for the tuition?
A: Yes. For both Emory and Georgia Tech graduate students, you must budget for tuition, stipend, fringe and fees in direct proportion to the student’s effort on the pilot grant. To find out a specific Emory graduate student stipend and fees amounts, contact Margie Varnado.
Q: What fringe rate should be used?
A: Proper fringe rates for the home institution of each person proposed on your budget must be used. Please consult with your department business representative to ensure correct fringe rates are used. The signature on the Letter of Support & Approval (required for all Emory-based center applications) confirms that correct salary information and fringe rates have been used for all budgets associated with a proposal.
Q: Are there any other restrictions on the use of funds?
A: Yes. Funds may not be used for:
- Computers
- General electronics including smartphones and tables
- Software
- Equipment
- Service Contracts
- Food
In addition to the above list of prohibited budget items:
- A maximum of $1,500 may be applied to travel, including registration fees, airfare, hotels and printing.
- Funds may not be used to build infrastructure, including to build or purchase databases unless the application specifically states that the project will be collecting preliminary data for a subsequent extramural grant application.
Re-budgeting of any category by 25% or more will need approval from the center director or program officer.
Q: Do I have to route through OSP before submitting my application?
A: No, routing is not required at the application submission stage. Once a proposal is selected for award, then routing may be necessary.
Q: What centers require the Letter of Support & Approval and who should sign the Letter of Support & Approval?
A: All centers and programs require this letter. An optional template is available in the RFA. Typically, your division chief or department head will sign this letter, but an authorized departmental business representative may also sign the letter.
Q: How do I submit the required letters?
A: Signed and scanned versions of the required letters should be uploaded to your Wizehive application in the designated spaces.
Q. For Emory-based center awards to GA Tech, what does the PI need to do?
A. Per GT’s OSP, the PI must submit the proposal through the OSP database, and complete and submit the internal routing sheet with department approval, signatures, statement of work, detailed budget and budget justification.
Questions
Q: Is institutional signoff required?
Q: Are proposals to be done in paper format or electronic?
Q: Should the proposal include page numbers and a table of contents?
Q: When is my application due?
Q: Are letters of support allowed?
Q: Can my application include multiple PIs?
Q: What format should I use for my biosketch?
Answers
Q: Is institutional signoff required?
A: No, institutional signoff is not required. The only signature required is on the Letter of Support & Approval required for all Emory-based center and program applications as described above.
Q: Are proposals to be done in paper format or electronic?
A: All Pediatric Research Alliance pilot applications must be submitted electronically through the Wizehive web-based application portal. Each center has a different URL. All URLs are available in the RFA.
Q: Should the proposal include page numbers and a table of contents?
A: The research plan, which is uploaded as a PDF, must include page numbers. A table of contents is optional.
Q: When is my application due?
A: Applications are due Monday, April 3, 2017 before 6pm EST and must be submitted via that center or program’s specific application link in the Wizehive application portal.
Q: What is the difference between “Research Support” in section D of the biosketch and the separate “Other Support” document I am being asked to provide separately?
A: “Research Support” is the standard section D of NIH biosketches. The “Research Support” section includes all ongoing/current grant funding and past research funding that completed during the last 3 years. Person months effort and direct costs are not included in this section. “Other Support”, on the other hand, is a list of all ongoing/current grant funding and grant funding that is pending review. This section should include person months effort for each section and annual direct costs for each study listed.
Both sections should include both federal and non-federal support highlighting all Children’s funded pilots, including past, present and pending pilots.
Q: Are letters of support allowed?
A: Yes, letters of support are allowed.
Q: Are appendices allowed?
A: No, appendices are not allowed.
Q: Can my application include multiple PIs?
A: Yes, multiple PIs are allowed. The application must include a written MPI plan and one PI must be named as the Administrative PI.
Q: Must partnerships across institutions reflect multiple PI arrangements with equal effort by faculty investigators at each institution (i.e. 50/50 partnerships)?
A: No, when reflecting effort from multiple institutions, applications may, but do not need to be submitted via the multiple PI arrangement and collaborations may, but do not need to reflect equal effort and 50/50 partnerships by the faculty and their participating institutions.
Q: What format should I use for my biosketch?
A: You must use the current NIH biosketch format. An MS Word template and instructions are available here. Please note that NIH updated the biosketch format in 2015; for more information, view this announcement. Section D of the biosketch must include past and currently funded intramural/seed/pilot funding.
Questions
Q: Can I submit more than one application?
Q: Can I submit the same application to different centers?
Q: Can more than one of my own applications be funded?
Answers
Q: Can I submit more than one application?
A: Yes, you may submit more than one application as long as the aims of each application are scientifically distinct. However, each PI may only be awarded one pilot per cycle (see below). Applications with the same or overlapping aims may not be submitted. If you submit more than one application with the same or overlapping aims, none of your applications will be reviewed or considered for funding.
Q: Can I submit the same application to different centers?
A: No. Per the above Q/A, you may not submit the same application, or applications with overlapping aims, more than once per cycle. If you submit more than one application and the aims of the applications overlap, none of the applications will be reviewed or considered for funding.
Q: Can more than one of my own applications be funded?
A: Although per the Q/A above, you may submit more than one application as PI provided they are scientifically distinct, if both are reviewed favorably and selected for award, you may only accept funding for one of them and will be required to decline the other.