PPN Pilot and Emerging Issues Project Guidelines

Jun 1, 2023

The deadline for proposals has been extended to June 8, 2023

Goals of Program

  1. Advance the mission of the PPN: In collaboration with the Nation’s children’s hospitals and their communities, the Network will coordinate, prepare, respond, and disseminate high-quality, equitable, research-based pediatric care in future disasters, emergencies and pandemics.
  2. Respond rapidly to perform research in emerging issues in the areas of disasters, emergencies and pandemics.

Eligibility

  1. Faculty members (Instructor, Assistant, Associate or Full Professor) from any PPN- affiliated institution are eligible to submit applications as PI. They can include co- investigators from other institutions, but PI must be from an institution receiving PPN funding.
  2. The proposal should represent a line of research for the investigator that is not currently funded by other mechanisms
  3. The research should use one or more PPN service domains
  4. The research should include a community engagement lens

Priority Areas

In the 2023 year of funding there are 4 priority areas for the PPN. These will also be the priority areas for the pilot program: (1) mental and behavioral health; (2) disaster preparedness; (3) surging endemic, epidemic, pandemic, emerging, and/or vaccine-preventable infectious diseases; and (4) health equity. We recognize that there may be additional unanticipated emerging issues/crises, and these will also be considered for funding. Investigator questions about priority area eligibility may be discussed with the research domain prior to submission.

Number of proposals to be funded: up to 10 proposals over FY 2 of the PPN grant (until August 31st, 2023)

Letter of Intent (LOI) -submissions can be made at any time and decisions will be made on a rolling basis.

  1. NIH style biosketches of study PI and key co-investigators. Multiple PIs are discouraged
  2. A two-page document including:
      • Pilot study title
      • PI and co-investigator(s) name and affiliation
      • Brief proposal study background
      • Hypothesis and specific aims
      • Experimental approach
      • Future directions (description of how successful completion of the project will result in a proposal for extramural funding or will respond to an emerging crisis)
      • Relevance to PPN mission
      • Proposed use of PPN service cores
      • Community impact statement
      • Impact on diversity, inclusion and health equity
      • Plans for future external funding

Investigators will be informed if they are invited to submit a full application within 2 weeks of submission of the LOI. Full applications should be submitted within 4 weeks of approval of LOI. Applications submitted without prior approval from LOI will not be reviewed.

Full Application Requirements

  1. Use NIH PHS398 Forms
  2. Cover page – Includes Project Title
  3. Description (Summary Abstract) – 300 words or less
  4. Narrative – 5 pages
      • Specific Aim(s) – approximately 1 page
      • Background, Significance and Innovation – approximately 1 page. Includes short statement describing how pilot funding will increase competitiveness for future funding support.
      • Experimental Design – approximately 3 pages. Include brief description of PPN service core resources requested.
  5. NIH Biosketches of study PI and key co-investigator(s), including Other Support (2 page limit per biosketch)
  6. Budget – One-page detailed budget (PHS 398, Revised 1/2018) and budget justification (not to exceed one page) The budget cannot exceed $50,000/yr for 2 years, i.e., a total request of $100,000. PI salary support can be included. No indirect costs can be requested. The second year of funding is contingent on progress made during year 1, defined as a focus on activities such as conducting preliminary research to inform study design, demonstrate the feasibility of research protocol, pilot testing of novel methodologies or initiation and establishment of new interdisciplinary research.

Proposal review: The PPN Research Doman members will serve as the study section for the pilot project review with ad hoc members added as needed for subject matter expertise. Scoring will be based on the 9-point NIH scale and will evaluate the following factors: Significance, Approach, Investigators, Innovation, Feasibility, Collaboration, and Community Impact. Recommendations for funding will be made by the Research Domain to the 4 PPN PIs and HRSA PO who will serve as Council to make a final determination of funding.

Publications: It is required that each project leads to at least 1 peer reviewed publication submission within 1 year of project completion. Publications resulting from the pilot award will follow the authorship policy of the PPN (see attached) and will acknowledge funding from HRSA.

IRB review: No pilot funds will be released without complete IRB approval or exemption from the institution of the PI. QI projects may not need IRB review.

As a condition of award, a project report is expected at the end of the first year and at the end of the funding period.

Submit LOI and Full Application to april.parish@nationwidechildrens.org