Funding

NIAMS Building Interdisciplinary Research Teams (BIRT) Program
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

RFA-AR-10-001

October 29, 2009

Q: What is the BIRT award?

A: The NIAMS issues the BIRT award to promote interdisciplinary research by supplementing new collaborations with high innovation and potentially high impact to the NIAMS mission. It provides one year of funding for up to $100,000 direct cost to active NIAMS R01 grants (the parent grants) that do not end earlier than January 31, 2012.

Q: How closely should my BIRT application be relevant to the parent grant?

A: The BIRT award is intended to develop new interdisciplinary collaborations with independent investigators from other disciplines supported by the NIAMS or elsewhere, or to significantly expand the scope of their ongoing NIAMS funded research by adding expertise and approaches from another discipline. The expectation of the BIRT award is to generate significant advances beyond the progress expected from the individual research grant. The scope of the revision should be relevant to and beyond that of the NIAMS grant. The goals should represent a significant addition to the specific aims by leading to new directions or should add to the parent grant a new dimension or significant expertise from different disciplines.

Q: What are the page limits on the BIRT application?

A: In a BIRT application, the Research Plan is limited to 5 pages maximum.

Q: Can I send in a BIRT application to collaborate with other investigators on the parent grant or any of my other grants?

A: No. A BIRT application cannot be requested to support on-going, formal collaborations among the proposed BIRT investigators. The collaborator from another discipline should not be listed as an investigator/consultant on the parent grant or any of your other grants.

Q: Do I need preliminary data to apply?

A: No. Preliminary data are not required. However, a feasible research plan with potential alternative(s) to address possible pitfalls should be provided. A BIRT application will primarily be evaluated by its significance, potential impact and innovation. Preliminary data, if included, will be evaluated.

Q: What are the previously funded BIRT awards?

A: Funded NIH grants including BIRT awards can be searched at the NIH RePORTER Tool. (Search for RFA/PA: "RFA-AR-09-001", or "RFA-AR-09-002", or "RFA-AR-08-001") http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm

Q: Do I have to submit an introduction page?

A: No. However, you should submit a blank PDF document in place of an introduction page to avoid error messages during submission.

This information expires after November 30, 2009.

Please send any questions, suggestions and recommendations about this FAQ to Elijah Weisberg at weisberge@mail.nih.gov.