Are there any changes to the STAR funding opportunity from the last issue (PA-18-914)?
The STAR funding opportunity was previously issued as a Program Announcement but is now issued as a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI). You should submit your application using PA-20-272 (or subsequent re-issues of that PA) and include this NOSI (NOT-AR-22-003) in the Agency Routing Identifier Field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. If applicants do not include this NOSI identifier number, the application will not be considered for a STAR award.
I received my first R01, am I eligible for the STAR award?
No, an eligible PI should successfully renew their first R01 as a Type 2 and currently be in the 2nd or 3rd year of the Type 2 R01 award. The PI must also have Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status (as defined here) at the time of the first R01 award.
What if I was a New Investigator (NI) when I received my first R01? Am I eligible for the STAR?
No, an eligible PI must have an ESI status at the time of his/her first R01 award.
If I have more than 2 R01s (or R01-equivalent) grants, can I be eligible?
No, PI should not have a history of receiving more than two R01-equivalent grants (e.g. if you received one R01, one R56, and one U01, you would be ineligible).
What is considered an R01-equivalent grant?
As defined in the NIH Glossary, R01-Equivalent Grants are defined as activity codes: DP1, DP2, DP5, R01, R23, R29, R37, R56, RF1, RL1, U01 and R35.
If my first R01 was awarded from a different NIH institute, am I eligible for the STAR award?
No, your first R01 must have been awarded by NIAMS.
My first R01 and/or Type 2 R01 awards are multi-PI (MPI) awards. Is that allowed?
Multiple PD/PI awards are not eligible for consideration for STAR award.
I received my first R01 as an ESI under a funding opportunity that does not allow renewals (e.g. PAR-21-053: Clinical Observational (CO) Studies in Musculoskeletal, Rheumatic, and Skin Diseases). What are my options if I want to be considered for the STAR Award?
If the funding opportunity from your first R01 does not allow renewals, you may submit your Type 2 R01 proposal to a different funding opportunity, as long as your proposal is in line with, or a continuation of, the first R01.
My project has vertebrate animal subjects and/or human subjects, do I still need to provide documentations with approvals?
Yes, although this is a supplement, the PI still needs to provide standard documents as if it were a regular grant. For instance, the STAR application should provide a Vertebrate Animal Section and an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval for projects with animal subjects. For projects with human subjects, a Human Subjects section, an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and verification of human subjects education requirements should be provided.
Please contact the STAR coordinator at niamsstar@mail.nih.gov with any additional questions.