The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to invite applications from research institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to provide senior administrators from these institutions with advanced training in the management of NIH grants. The goal is to improve oversight of NIAID grant awards and compliance with NIH funding policies and Federal research funding requirements for NIAID-supported foreign institutions in LMICs. Background
Since 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has dramatically increased its funding of research and research capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To help NIAID foreign research partners successfully manage grants and cooperative agreements, regional post-award grants policy and management training workshops are held annually. The National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases (NIAID) hosts three-day, regional post-award grants management training workshops in countries where institutions receive NIAID research funding. The objective is to help senior administrators better understand NIAID/NIH funding policies and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regulations.

While these regional post-award grants policy and management training workshops have helped many attendees, they are brief, and often the cost of travel prohibits some institutions from participating. This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) will enable senior administrators from LMICs to receive advanced training in NIH grants policy and financial management of grants, including compliance with NIH scientific reporting requirements. For this NOFO a senior administrator is defined as institutional staff with responsibility for grants administration, including business officials, grants managers and researchers with administrative responsibilities.

Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this NOFO is to encourage submission of applications from research institutions in World Bank designated LMICs, to provide senior administrators with advanced training in the management of NIAID/NIH grants with the goal of improving oversight of NIAID awards and compliance with NIH funding policies and federal research requirements. The overall intent of the initiative is to support the training of senior administrators and empower them to serve as institutional grants management leaders; provide them with access to best practices for managing awards; assist administrative staff in developing, enhancing, and/or implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for tracking grant expenditures and complying with NIH funding and compliance policies; and assist or train other administrators within the region. Along with senior foreign business officials receiving hands-on training from more experienced U.S. partnering institutions, applicant institutions are expected to provide “train-the-trainer” types of opportunities for institutional business officials and senior foreign business officials throughout the region.

An additional goal of the NOFO is to support a long-term plan that will result in organizational change to improve grants administration at the recipient institution. NIAID expects the applicant institution to initiate new or revised grants administration processes and collect relevant data to demonstrate the importance of developing or strengthening grants management activities that can help to maintain institutional competitiveness and/or the efficiency and productivity of research administration operations. The applicant institution is expected to initiate research grants administration enhancements and/or innovations during the grant funding period with the potential to continue after the funding has ended that will enhance faculty effectiveness in competing for NIAID research funding, address key barriers to faculty participation in research, and promote the development of an enabling research environment. Examples include, but are not limited to, development of SOPs that include specific steps for effectively managing sponsored research funds within the local institution; the development of a new in-house, grants management career track for business management trainees or college students; the development of processes and/or work tools and systems that need to be developed, facilitated, and/or acquired to address gaps in existing pre- and/or post-award processes; and identification and development of services that support faculty members with an interest in developing externally sponsored research programs.

This NOFO will provide support for travel of at least two senior administrator(s) from the LMIC institution to a more experienced partnering U.S. host institution where they will receive hands-on training in grants administration. At least two senior administrators from the applicant institution are expected to attend a NIAID post-award grants policy and management training event or other NIH Regional Seminar virtually or in-person during the lifetime of the award. This training will allow NIAID/NIH staff to provide customized information about managing NIAID awards, as well as tailored hands-on training based on the needs of participating institutions.

Training models appropriate for the context of the LMIC institution are highly encouraged. Training should take place at the most appropriate site. The training site may be virtual and/or may include institutions other than the applicant institution or LMIC institution(s) named in the application, including sites within high-income countries.

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

Research Grants Administration/Financial Management Plan
Staff Training Plan
Long-term Plan
3 Letters of Recommendation
One Institutional Commitment Letter
One U.S. Institutional Commitment Letter