NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Research Opportunity Announcement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the current Other Transaction Research Opportunity Announcement RM-17-026
We appreciate your interest in the current NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase funding opportunity. The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) are specific to RM-17-026 and will be updated periodically as NIH staff receive questions from potential applicants.
Update on Review of Letters of Intent Submitted under RM-17-026
NIH has reviewed the Letters of Intent (LOIs) received in response to the Other Transaction Research Opportunity Announcement “NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase” RM-17-026. All parties who submitted LOIs in response to RM-17-026 should have received a decision letter from NIH at this time. Please contact [email protected] if you submitted an LOI, but have not received a decision letter.
There may be additional opportunities to participate in the Data Commons Pilot as specific needs are identified. To keep informed about NIH’s Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiatives, please subscribe to the BD2K Updates Listserv. Any future opportunities to participate in the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase will be announced on the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase homepage.
There was an informational webinar for RM-17-026 on Friday, June 23, 2017. Slides from the webinar are available here. A video recording of the webinar is now available. Download the video transcript.
View and Download additional Frequently Asked Questions gathered leading up to and during the June 23 Informational Webinar.
Frequently-asked Questions for RM-17-026
1. What are Other Transactions (OTs)?
Other Transactions (OTs) are funding mechanisms, which are not grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, under section 402(b)(7) or 402(b)(12) of the Public Health Service Act. OTs are used by components within the NIH, including the Common Fund, which have been authorized by Congress to use them. They allow the NIH to:
- Seek participation by non-traditional research partners as defined in the FAQ about eligibility below.
- Foster innovation and nimbleness to quickly develop and engage in programmatic activities
- Alter the course of the project in real-time to meet the overarching goal
- Conduct Objective Review
- Expand, modify, partner, not support, or discontinue awarded activities based on performance and programmatic need
2. What is an Other Transaction (OT) Agreement?
The OT Agreement, signed by both the Government and the awardee, defines the research or tasks to be performed and all associated terms and conditions, including milestone payment schedule details. The OT Agreement is always subject to negotiation and may be re-negotiated at any stage of the award, as needed, to meet the government’s objectives.
3. What is a Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA), and how does it differ from a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)?
Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are generally used to solicit applications for grants or cooperative agreements and Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) are generally used for contract solicitations. The NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase is issuing a “Research Opportunity Announcement” or ROA to solicit applications for Other Transactions (OTs), which are not grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
Each OT ROA has specific program requirements and review criteria, so applicants are strongly encouraged to read the ROA carefully for information about the use of OTs to support the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase.
4. Who is eligible to apply for an Other Transaction (OT) award under the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase?
In principle, OT awards may be issued to organizations that are domestic, foreign, public, private, non-profit or for-profit. Eligible organizations generally include but are not limited to governments, including Federal institutions, institutions of higher education, other non-profit organizations, hospitals, large for-profit corporations, private sector companies, and individuals. The flexibility and speed of OT awards often make them more attractive for non-traditional applicants.
Eligibility criteria will be stated explicitly in each Research Opportunity Announcement issued by the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase. Potential applicants should read the announcement carefully for eligibility criteria and are encouraged to contact NIH staff with questions regarding eligibility.
5. What is the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC)?
Awards made under RM-17-026 will support the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC). In addition to awards made under this ROA, the DCPPC will include contractors engaged by the NIH, investigators from the repositories housing the Model Organism Databases (MODs), Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed), and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) test case datasets, and NIH staff. The DCPPC will work collectively toward achieving NIH’s comprehensive vision for an interoperable, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) compliant, multi-cloud NIH Data Commons founded on open source and open standards.
6. What are the test case datasets to be included in the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase?
Model Organism Databases (MODs), Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed), and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) are the test case datasets chosen for the initial efforts of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium. Test case dataset selection derives from the high value of these data to many users in the biomedical research community as well as from the diversity of the data they contain. However, it is envisioned the Data Commons will expand to include other data resources once this pilot phase has achieved its primary objectives.
7. What is the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC) Steering Committee, and who serves on it?
A Steering Committee for the DCPPC will establish Consortium goals, timelines, and milestones. The Steering Committee will include representatives from each award and from the NIH. Decisions from the Steering Committee are subject to review and approval by the NIH Program Manager, with input from External Program Consultants (EPCs).
8. What are External Program Consultants (EPCs)?
External Program Consultants for the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase will provide critical scientific and managerial insight to assist NIH staff and awardees to think broadly about and advance the goals of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium. Program Consultants are volunteers who provide individual feedback and objective advice.
9. What does it mean for the activities of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium to be implemented in multiple phases?
RM-17-026 envisions a research and development effort for the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium that unfolds over two distinct stages. In the first stage (“Stage 1”), the NIH expects to award Other Transactions (OTs) to support multiple projects that are deemed responsive to this solicitation and judged to include high impact, cutting-edge ideas for implementation of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium (DCPPC). In the second stage (“Stage 2”), the NIH expects to evaluate, negotiate, and revise terms of existing awards as appropriate or may award additional OTs to extend and fully implement the Data Commons Pilot Phase based on the design strategies and capabilities developed as part of the Stage 1. See the “Two Stage Process” section of the Research Opportunity Announcement for more information about the two stage process and Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium.
10. How long is Stage 1 of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase expected to be?
180 days. At the end of Stage 1, all developed material, including prototypes, will be evaluated. Based on this evaluation, Other Transaction Agreements for each award will be re-negotiated to detail the goals and milestones for each award and how they will contribute to the overall Consortium plan. Additional awards may be issued if limitations in the consortium are identified during the planning phase. Similarly, some awards may be discontinued if they are not deemed critical to the Consortium plans.
11. Is a Letter of Intent (LOI) required for the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Research Opportunity Announcement RM-17-026?
Yes, a Letter of Intent is required for RM-17-026, and is due June 30, 2017 (5:00 PM United States Eastern Time). LOIs will be used to select individuals or groups who will be invited to submit an application by July 12, 2017. Only those who are invited may apply. Applications submitted without an invitation from the NIH will be returned and not reviewed.
12. How should Letters of Intent (LOIs) and applications for RM-17-026 be submitted?
Letters of Intent and applications must be emailed to [email protected]. Applications must be submitted in text-recognizable PDF (Adobe) format, and file size must be no greater than 20 MB. Paper applications and late applications will not be accepted. Applications from institutions must be submitted by an Authorized Organizational Representative. The Scientific/Research Contact(s) will review your application for completeness and acknowledge receipt within 1 business day.
13. How will Letters of Intent (LOIs) be reviewed to determine who will be invited to submit a full application for RM-17-026?
A Letter of Intent is Required as it enables NIH staff to plan for Objective Review of invited applications. LOIs will be reviewed by Data Commons program staff. Meritorious LOI submitters will be invited to submit a full application.
LOIs will be evaluated on:
- Expertise of the team members and key personnel [30 points]
- Past performance relevant to the Data Commons [30 points]
- Outline of planned activities [20 points]
- The adequacy and appropriateness of available resources [20 points]
14. After the review of Letters of Intent (LOIs), when will invitations to submit applications be sent?
Review of LOIs will be completed by July 11, 2017. Applicants will be invited to submit applications July 12, 2017.
15. May I submit more than one application to the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Research Opportunity Announcement RM-17-026?
Yes, multiple applications per applicant are allowed; however, each application must be scientifically distinct.
16. What registrations are required in order to receive an award, and how long does registration generally take?
Multiple registrations including DUNS, System for Award Management (SAM) and eRA Commons, are required to receive an award. However, there is no need to be registered with these systems at the time of the Letter of Intent or application. See the “Applicants” section of the Research Opportunity Announcement under “Application Timeline” for more information about registrations. All registrations must be completed prior to award issuance. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible.
17. What is “Objective Review”?
Objective Review is the process by which Other Transaction (OT) applicants are evaluated using criteria specified in the OT ROA. For RM-17-026, applications will be evaluated for scientific merit, contribution to the requirements of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase program, and capabilities of the investigators/key personnel. Evaluation of RM-17-026 applications will be conducted by an appropriate review group convened by NIH.
18. Are appeals of the Objective Review process allowed?
No, appeals of the objective review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to Research Opportunity Announcement RM-17-026.
19. What are the evaluation criteria for Objective Review of applications submitted under RM-17-026?
The evaluation criteria for Objective Review of applications submitted under RM-17-026 are
- The potential impact of the team's vision statement if it were successfully implemented [10 points]
- The plan for developing relevant components of the Data Commons [40 points]
- Plans for engaging the community, including, where relevant, any plan for developing a demonstration project [30 points]
- Past performance and expertise of the team members and complementarity with other awardees [10 points]
- The adequacy and appropriateness of the budget, resources, and data sharing and collaboration plans [10 points]
20. What is the project period of an Other Transaction (OT) award made under RM-17-026?
The OT award mechanism allows significant ongoing involvement from NIH Program and Project Managers and provides the NIH the flexibility to alter the course of the project in real-time to meet the overarching goal. This may mean an awarded activity could be expanded, modified, partnered, not supported, or discontinued based on program needs, emerging methods or approaches, and availability of funds. Performance during the award period will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and course corrections will be made as necessary.
21. What is the likely number of awards to be made under RM-17-026?
The Other Transaction (OT) award mechanism gives NIH the flexibility to select any combination of applications, or portions thereof, that will fulfill the needs of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase. Due to this flexibility, NIH is currently unable to estimate how many awards will be necessary to achieve the goals of the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase.
22. If my application is not selected for funding after Objective Review, may I resubmit it?
No, Research Opportunity Announcement RM-17-026 expires August 1, 2017. Resubmissions are not allowed.
23. What is a Secure E-mail & File Transfer Service (SEFT) account and why may I need one?
Secure E-mail & File Transfer Service (SEFT). This service allows NIH users to send and its customers to receive emails securely on a secure socket layer (SSL)/encrypted connection with or without large documents. Applicants submitting files greater than 25 MB must first register for a SEFT account by calling the NIH IT Service Desk (+1-301-496-4357 or +1-866-319-4357 toll free or +1-301-496-8294 TTY). Once registered, notify NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase staff that you have a SEFT account by emailing [email protected]. Applicants are then able to reply and attach videos greater than 25 MB to NIH-initiated SEFT emails. Additional information and system requirements are available through the EES-Enterprise Email Service website.
24. After Objective Review, when will I hear back whether my application may receive an Other Transaction (OT) award?
Review of applications for RM-17-026 will be completed by August 23, 2017. Negotiations between the NIH and potential awardees will begin August 28, 2017. Meritorious review of an application does not necessarily mean an OT award will be made. The potential awardee and NIH staff will negotiate the OT Agreement through which terms and conditions are established. If an agreement cannot be reached, an award will not be issued.
25. What happens following selection of meritorious applicants for an Other Transaction (OT) award?
Once an application under RM-17-026 has been selected, the Program Manager and Agreements Officer will negotiate the OT Agreement through which terms and conditions for the OT award are established.
26. What are the roles and responsibilities of the NIH staff who will work on the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase?
- Agreements Officer: Individual responsible for legally committing the government to an Other Transaction (OT) award and to the agreement through which terms and conditions are established, and for the administrative and financial aspects of the award.
- Agreement Specialist: A designee of the Agreements Officer for administrative and financial aspects of the award.
- Program Manager: Individual within the NIH Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI)/Common Fund responsible for overall scientific and programmatic oversight of the consortium. The Program Manager represents the DCPPC within the NIH and reports to DPCPSI/Common Fund leadership, Institute/Center Directors, and to the NIH Director. The Program Manager seeks input from External Program Consultants to ensure consortium goals and activities are maximally aligned with community needs, requirements, etc.
- Project Officer: Individual within DPCPSI who provides day-to-day programmatic oversight of individual awards, working closely with the Agreements Officer and with the Program Manager.
- Science Officers: Individuals within Institutes and Centers who provide scientific expertise to the DCPPC and participate as part of the Steering Committee.
27. Who are the NIH Contacts for RM-17-026?
Scientific/Research Contact: Vivien Bonazzi, PhD; Office of the Director, NIH
Email: [email protected]
Financial/Agreement Officer Contact: Teresa Marquette; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Email: [email protected]
28. Are there any mandatory meetings associated with the NIH Data Commons Pilot Phase Consortium?
Awardees must attend the kickoff meeting in Bethesda, MD, scheduled for Oct. 23-25, 2017.
