Questions and Answers for Global Infectious Disease Research Administration Development Award for Low-and Middle-Income Country Institutions (G11, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

NIH published the PAR-23-300, Global Infectious Disease Research Administration Development Award for Low-and Middle-Income Country Institutions (G11 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) on September 12, 2023.

September 14, 2023. All questions and answers below after the first one are new.

Each time we add new questions or revise, we will revise the dated note shown at the top of this page to describe the latest update.

Yes, assuming your entity meets the other criteria listed in Section III. Eligibility Information of the NOFO.

Eligible organizations/primary grant recipients must have received no more than $8 million in total NIAID grant and/or cooperative agreement support in direct awards (not including subawards) within the last five years at the time of submission, as explained in the NOFO.

No, all applicant LMIC institutions must have received no more than $8 million dollars in direct awards (not including subawards) within the last five years at the time of submission. Applications with NIH support that exceed the limit above will not be reviewed.

For lists of LMICs, check the World Bank’s Country and Lending Groups

“NIH grant and cooperative agreement support” includes all direct awards that NIH made to the foreign organization.

Biographical sketches are required for all senior/key personnel. Senior/key personnel are those who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way.

The biosketch allows the reviewers to evaluate the qualifications of your key personnel. Anyone who has a role in the project (e.g., the project director/principal investigator and administrators that are going to do the work provided in the project) can be key personnel. You can also include biosketches for contributors other than key personnel. For further clarification, contact the peer review contact listed in Section VII of the NOFO.

The consulting fee goes to the host institution and not directly to the individual consultant. Email the grants management official listed in the NOFO for more information.

Per the Subawards (Consortium Agreements) for Grants SOP, "NIH holds grantees accountable for their subawardees' research, spending, and reporting actions, which must conform to all terms and conditions of a grant award." Any subaward request for budget redirection must be negotiated and handled by the parent institution, in collaboration with the NIH grants management specialist (GMS) and program officer (PO).

You can obtain that information on NIH RePORT.

The U.S. institutional commitment letter should come from the business official that has authority to obligate the institution to the terms agreed upon.

Base the training style and number of participants on what makes sense for your institution. Be sure to propose a reasonable training plan.

Per Section III. Eligibility of the NOFO, the LMIC must be receiving NIAID grant and/or cooperative agreement funding at the time of submission.

Yes, constituent colleges or schools that are listed as recipients on the Notice of Award and administer their own NIH grants can apply separately as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria.

Yes, as long as you have an affiliation with an NIAID grant and your current NIH award activities do not overlap with the proposed activities that will be included in this application.

You do not need an infectious diseases background. As PI, you should be a senior institutional staff member who is responsible for grants administration, such as a grants administrator, business official, grants managers and researchers with institutional grants management responsibilities.

F&A costs for foreign grant recipients are limited to 8 percent as stated in the Award Budget information under Section II of the NOFO. For information on allowable and unallowable costs for foreign grant recipients, check the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 16.6.

All applicants must use the required NIH biosketch format. Learn more at NIH’s Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions, and Samples.

The 24-month timeline is adequate for investigators to both complete their training and initiate the implementation of the Long-term Plan.

The U.S. host institution must be able to provide the following:

  • One senior grants manager with NIH grants management experience to oversee the two grants management training events, and to review the recipient’s proposed local grants management/business plans.
  • Hands-on training in grants administration to two foreign senior grants administrators from the applicant institution.
  • An adequate plan for communication between the U.S. host institution and the foreign senior grants manager.
  • Appropriate grants management staff and environment to adequately train a foreign senior grants manager(s).

The U.S. host institution must clearly spell out, in the U.S. institutional commitment letter, the kind of support it will provide.

Applications that do not include all of the following 5 letters of support will be considered non-responsive and will be withdrawn before review:

  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • One Institutional Commitment Letter
  • One U.S. Institutional Commitment Letter

No, the U.S. institutional commitment letter must originate from the U.S. institution’s business office. If the U.S. institution’s authorized signing official agrees to allow the researchers/grants administrator to write the letter, it must be signed by the U.S. institution’s authorized signing official.

The awards are relatively small; therefore, NIH will cover only the host institution’s consultant fees.

No, responsive applications must have participation of a U.S. host institution.

No, all applications must come from the foreign applicant organization, which must meet the eligibility criteria at the time of application submission. Also, the PI must come from the submitting organization.

However, applications in response to this NOFO may include consortium agreements (subawards), as appropriate.

Yes, provided that the foreign subawardee or subcomponent at an eligible LMIC institution is receiving NIAID grant or cooperative agreement funding at the time of application submission.

One or two administrators are allowed travel to:

  • Training session at the U.S. host institution.
  • One of the following:
    • NIH Regional Seminar on program funding and grants administration virtually or in-person at the designated location for that year.
    • NIAID post-award grants policy and management training event.

For scientific/research and application questions, contact AITrainingHelpDesk@niaid.nih.gov. Check Section VII of the NOFO for NIH peer review and financial/grants management contacts.
Content last reviewed on