2018-07066. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office Request for Letters of Intent for Inaugural Investigator Award Program

AGENCY:

National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice; call for Letters of Intent.

SUMMARY:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) is requesting letters of intent for an inaugural Investigator Award Program. The NIH Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Investigator Award Program was developed to recognize early-stage investigators who have made substantial, outstanding research contributions in areas related to SGM health and who are poised to become future leaders or are already leading the field of SGM health research. The NIH SGMRO is currently soliciting nominations for the 2018 NIH SGM Investigator Awards.

DATES:

Notices of intent to apply due April 20, 2018 and final nominations due May 18, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Parker, Ph.D., Director, Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), 1 Center Drive, Building 1, Room 257, Bethesda, MD 20892, [e-mail], 301-451-2055.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

“Sexual and gender minority” is an umbrella term that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations as well as those whose sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, or reproductive development varies from traditional, societal, cultural, or physiological norms.

The Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) coordinates sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related research and activities by working directly with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The Office was officially established in September 2015 within the NIH Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI).

The SGMRO has the following research-related goals: (1) Expand the knowledge base of SGM health and well-being through NIH-supported research; (2) Remove barriers to planning, conducting, and reporting NIH-supported research about SGM health and well-being; (3) Strengthen the community of researchers and scholars who conduct research relevant to SGM health and well-being; and (4) Evaluate progress on advancing SGM research.

2018 Award Details

Two non-monetary awards of recognition will be offered to early stage investigators who demonstrate both contemporary achievement in and a commitment to an area of SGM-related health research. The award winners will be invited, with all travel expenses covered (limited to reimbursement based on Federal Travel Regulations and HHS and NIH guidance), to give a lecture at the NIH on September 6, 2018. This event will be webcast live and the presentations will be archived and available for future viewing.

Eligibility Criteria

The following individuals are not eligible to be nominated: Federal employees and interns; federal contractors; and members of the NIH SGM Research Working Group.

• At the time of the nomination due date, May 11, the candidate must meet the NIH's definitions of an early stage investigator (ESI) (https://grants.nih.gov/​grants/​guide/​notice-files/​NOT-OD-17-101.html).

Letters of Intent

A Letter of Intent (LOI) to submit a nomination is required (nominees may self-nominate and submit their own LOIs). The LOI should be a 1-page, single-spaced Word or PDF document and include:

1. Nominee's name, title, affiliation, and date of terminal degree.

2. eRA Commons ID.

a. Before submitting the LOI, researchers should confirm ESI status is correctly marked in their eRA Commons (https://era.nih.gov/​) profile. If the status is incorrect, please contact the NIH eRA Service Desk (https://grants.nih.gov/​support/​index.html) to resolve the issue before submitting an LOI.

3. SGM research focus of nominee's work.

Attach the LOI (as a Word or PDF document) to an email and send it to [e-mail] with the subject line “2018 SGM Investigator Award Letter of Intent” no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 20, 2018.

Nominations

Nomination packages may be submitted by the nominee or a nominee's mentor or colleague. Nomination packages must be a single PDF file that includes:

1. NIH Biosketch including a link (URL) to the nominee's My Bibliography in PubMed.

a. If you do not have a My Bibliography in PubMed, refer to these simple step-by-step instructions to save your citations in PubMed to a “My Bibliography.”

b. Use the URL that PubMed automatically generates when you change your “My Bibliography” sharing setting to public.

2. Letter of nomination (1,000 words or less) from a mentor or colleague familiar with the nominee's work, addressing the nominee's innovative contribution to the field of SGM health research, crosscutting and collaborative nature of that research, trajectory of career development, and leadership strengths. The strongest letters will demonstrate the lasting significance and impact of the nominee's work to date.

3. Two letters of endorsement from other mentors or colleagues. Letters of endorsement may be less encompassing than the letter of nomination, but should address similar themes.

4. A PDF of a key, peer-reviewed article published in the past 24-month period, which is first-authored by the nominee. If in press, please provide the accepted paper and the letter of acceptance from the journal.

After compiling all the above elements into a single PDF file, attach the PDF to an email, and send it to [e-mail] with the subject line header “2018 SGM Investigator Award Nomination” no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 18, 2018.

Review and Selection Process

• Stage 1: The SGMRO will assemble a review panel composed of NIH staff with relevant expertise. This panel will provide recommendations to the SGMRO Director and the DPCPSI Director on awardees.
• Stage 2: The SGMRO and DPCPSI Directors will review the recommendations and select the final awardees.

Dated: March 8, 2018.

Lawrence A. Tabak,

Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.