Upon receipt, competing applications will be reviewed both by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for completeness and for conformance to all eligibility requirements and special provisions and requirements. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

Those applications judged to be complete and eligible will be evaluated, according to the review criteria listed in the T32 Program Announcement, by Subcommittee F convened by the Division of Extramural Activities of the NCI. Applications will receive a second level review by the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) to determine if the application meets the broad program needs and priorities of the NCI and the National Cancer Program.

Review Criteria

The following review criteria are a combination of those listed in the Program Announcement and those used by the NCI.

These review criteria enter into the priority score:

• PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS: The reviewers will evaluate the distinctive nature of the training program relative to other training programs in the institution utilizing the same mentors and serving the same organizational units (e.g., departments), the quality of the training experiences that fit the program aims, and the overall content of the program that characterizes it as a cancer training program. They will also assess the likelihood that the program will achieve its proposed training goals. For competing continuation applications, they will evaluate the track record of the training program in achieving its objectives.

  For postdoctoral trainees: The reviewers will evaluate the objectives, design and direction of the research training program; and the seminars/invited lectures providing all trainees with a perspective on the issues, approaches, concepts and opportunities in cancer basic science, patient-oriented research and in cancer prevention and control.

  For predoctoral trainees: The reviewers will evaluate the admission standards for predoctoral students and the quality of the objectives, design and direction of the research training program; formal curriculum/course work and its suitability for training pre-doctoral level candidates; and the seminars/invited lectures providing all trainees with a perspective on the issues, approaches, concepts and opportunities in cancer basic science, patient-oriented research and in cancer prevention and control.

• PROGRAM DIRECTOR: The reviewers will evaluate the qualifications of the Program Director to provide the administrative and scientific leadership of a cancer training program.

• PARTICIPATING FACULTY: The reviewers will evaluate the cancer research focus of the faculty (at least 50 percent of faculty must have independent research support directly relevant to cancer research, and the remaining faculty must have research support reasonably related to cancer, and should be reflected in the proportion of faculty identified as mentors); quality of the research experience and productivity of the faculty who will serve as mentors, and their individual success in obtaining independent research support. They will also assess the availability of each mentor to provide research training, track record of the faculty in training individuals including the research productivity of past trainees and their success in achieving independence, faculty stability and cooperation, and the appropriateness of the trainee to faculty ratio. For competing renewal applications, the reviewers will also evaluate the track record of the mentors in training appointees who have continued in successful research careers.

• TRAINEES: The reviewers will assess the quality and adequacy of the recruitment and selection process for trainees, the adequacy of the pool size of high quality trainees, and the trainees' track record of degrees attained and the current career status of past trainees (if available). For competing renewal applications, they will also assess the track record of filling awarded trainee slots with high quality trainees during the prior funding period, the evenness of distribution of trainee appointments among the training program mentors, the success in recruitment of underrepresented minorities, and the track record of the training program in supporting individuals with M.D. or other health professional degrees for at least two years.

• TRAINING RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT: The reviewers will assess the availability and adequacy of the necessary facilities, equipment, and space; the quality and cooperation of other basic and clinical departments and programs that might be available to support program goals; and the strength of the institutional support of the proposed training.

These additional criteria do not enter into the priority score:

• BUDGET: The reviewers will comment on whether the budget can accommodate the proposed number of trainees.

• RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PLAN TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY: Applicants must submit a plan for recruiting trainees from both outside and inside of their sponsoring institutions. This plan should describe any planned recruitment and outreach activities to increase the depth and diversity of the applicant pool, including those individuals underrepresented in the current scientific research workforce in the area of proposed research training. The plan must be specific to the proposed training program; reference to an institutional plan is not sufficient. Please follow the following link from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for suggested elements to be included in a plan for recruiting individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/t32/t32recruitment.htm

  Competing continuation and non-competing applications must include a detailed account of experiences in recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups during the previous funding period. Information must be included on successful and unsuccessful recruitment strategies including aggregate information on the distribution of:

  • Predoctorates or postdoctorates who applied for admission or positions within the department(s)/programs(s) relative to the training grant,
    
    
  • Predoctorates or postdoctorates who were offered admission to or a position within the department(s)/program(s),
    
    
  • Predoctorates or postdoctorates actually enrolled in the academic program relevant to the training grant,
    
    
  • Predoctorates or postdoctorates who were appointed to the research training grant.

  For those trainees who were enrolled in the academic program, information about the duration of their research training and whether they finished their training in good standing should be included.

  Peer reviewers will separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity after the overall score has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and retention of individuals from underrepresented groups. The review panel's evaluation will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement. The reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the plan, past efforts at recruitment/outreach and proposed changes or expansion of past practices. The results of this evaluation will not be factored into the application priority score. If the recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity is judged to be unacceptable, funding will be withheld until a revised plan (and report) that addresses the deficiencies is received. Staff within the NIH awarding component, with guidance from the appropriate national advisory committee or council as needed, will determine whether amended plans and reports submitted after the initial review are acceptable.

  This Program Announcement requires all applicants to submit a recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity. If an application is received without a plan, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

  The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences workforce. The NIH expects efforts to diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most talented researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the educational and training environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in setting research priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds into clinical research protocols; and to improve the nation's capacity to address and eliminate health disparities.

  Accordingly, the NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity on a national or institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the recruitment and retention of the following classes of candidates:

  A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27) In addition, it is recognized that under-representation can vary from setting to setting, so individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated as underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program.
  
  B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
  
  C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
  
  
  1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml. For individuals from low income backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such candidates have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
  
  2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career. Recruitment and retention plans related to a disadvantaged background are most applicable to high school and perhaps undergraduate candidates, but would be more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of achievement.
  
  
  

• PLAN FOR TRAINING IN THE RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH: The reviewers will evaluate the plan for the instruction in the responsible conduct of research (data management and record keeping, conflict-of-interest, responsible authorship, scientific misconduct, use of human subjects and animals in research). Institutional plans are appropriate. The rationale for the plan of instruction must be provided. The activities described for training must be required of trainees. The evaluation of the plan is not considered in determining the priority score.

• OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: The following statements regarding human subjects and animal care and use are printed in all T32 summary statements since it is undetermined as to whether trainees will use human subjects or materials from human subjects or animals in their individual projects.

  Protection of human subjects: Prior to funding, a project that involves human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the institutional review board and certification submitted to the awarding institute. The project must also conform to the NIH polices on data and safety monitoring and on the inclusion of women, minorities, and children in study populations (and a description of, and rationale for, the plans must be provided to the awarding institute). (If appropriate, the application should address the inclusion of Human Subjects, as well as the inclusion of Gender and Minorities, and the inclusion of Children as Participants. This information can be found in the Human Subjects Research section of the instructions for preparing a PHS 398 Form (Revised 9/2004) application.

  Vertebrate animals: Prior to funding, a project that utilizes laboratory animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and verification submitted to the awarding institute. (If Vertebrate Animals are going to be used in the project, the application should follow the specific instructions in the Vertebrate Animals section of the instructions for preparing a PHS 398 Form (Revised 9/2004) application.

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