Forecast to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for EmbraceHealth Clinical Research Network to Reduce Health Disparities – Coordinating Center

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the Coordinating Center for the EmbraceHealth Clinical Research Network. The overarching goals of the EmbraceHealth Network are to establish and maintain an efficient and nimble infrastructure to conduct research to address emerging, urgent, or chronic health needs among populations that experience health disparities. Each site within the Network will conduct research to develop, test, and implement clinical and behavioral interventions and services that address key public health needs and diseases with evidence of health disparities. Interventions will be designed and evaluated using robust scientific methods and must demonstrate feasibility, scalability, and reproducibility. The EmbraceHealth Network will serve the purpose of improving routine healthcare services as well as linking clinical practice and science within lower resourced healthcare settings. The Coordinating Center will support the Clinical Research Network sites by: • Coordinating research activities, including the Steering Committee and workgroups. • Identifying network personnel and clinicians for study teams. • Developing operational manuals and standardized protocols for multi-site studies, including consent and IRB processes. • Assisting CRN sites in implementing projects with technical and quality control support. • Maintaining a data management system for study data, including guidance from NIMHD. • Standardizing protocols for common data elements, including biospecimen and electronic health record (EHR) data collection. • Providing biostatistical support for study design, implementation, and analyses. • Advising on infrastructure development, including electronic data harmonization and data science expertise. • Coordinating data-sharing plans among CRN sites. • Ensuring secure storage and access to study-related materials. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in multiple scientific and clinical disciplines will be encouraged. Activity Code: This NOFO will utilize the U24 (Research Program Grant Cooperative...

The major elements in evaluating all new grant and renewal grant applications include assessments of the scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; and the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project and the relevance and importance to the announced program objectives. SBIR and STTR grants: For Phase I grant applications, the criteria used are the soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; the technological innovation of the proposed research; the potential of the proposed suitability of the facilities and research environment; and where applicable, the adequacy of assurances detailing the proposed means for safeguarding human or animal subjects and/or protecting against or minimizing any adverse effect on the environment. For Phase II grant applications, the criteria used are the degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; the scientific and technical merit of the proposed approach for achieving the Phase II objectives; the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff and consultants; the technological...