Questions from Potential Applicants and Responses from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

Q1: Can the center focus both on cardiovascular and cancer outcomes?
A1: Yes, a center can focus on both cardiovascular and cancer outcomes. However, please be advised that NHLBI is not interested in descriptive or mechanistic studies but requires that the entire application be focused on testing multilevel intervention(s). NCI does not have that requirement. However, applicants to NCI are required to have at least one of the three projects to focus on testing multilevel intervention(s).

Q2: Can the center concentrate on reducing obesity/improving nutrition/diet and increasing physical activity?
A2: It is well documented in the literature that obesity can result in chronic diseases and/or exacerbation of health problems. However, we are not encouraging that the work of the entire center be focused solely on nutrition and physical activity and the reduction of obesity since that is not the focus of the RFA. Lifestyle risk factors account for only a fraction of disparities in health. Factors such as diagnostic services, environmental factors, quality of care, socioeconomic factors, and health literacy account for a large proportion of the attributable risk.

Q3: If I am responding to NCI can the intervention project focus on the development of a multilevel intervention?
A3: The requirement is that the intervention be focused on testing a multilevel intervention.

Q4: Is this an open competition?
A4: Yes, this is an open competition. We are proud of the fine work produced by the currently funded CPHHD. Since they were funded, the science of disparities has progressed and the present announcement reflects this as well as new areas of emphasis recommended by NCI's Board of Scientific Advisors. Therefore, the applications from new researchers will be given the same consideration as those from the incumbents.

Q5: My Institution is composed of separate entities (schools, hospitals, etc); can each entity submit a separate application?
A5: No. An application submitted by any of the entities that are under one umbrella disqualifies applications from any other entity under the same umbrella.

Q6: Is a detailed budget required?
A6: Yes, a detailed budget and budget justification are required. Please note that the RFA emphasizes that there should not be any duplication of resources/services. For example, if there is a biostatistics core at the institution's Cancer Center, you may not propose duplicating those services. However, if the existing statistics core does not have a survey methodologist (for example) you may add that discipline/field to your staff list and the existing core and explain why you have done so, in the budget justification.

Q7: I want to focus the center on population X. We find that intervention Y has not been tested in this population before while it has been in similar populations in other regions in the US. Is this idea appropriate for the P50 application?
A7: The focus of the CPHHD is not to validate or replicate existing studies and interventions. The P50 centers will be reviewed on their ability to be innovative and develop new science to address health inequities.

Q8: May I direct my application to OBSSR?
A8: No. As a programmatic office within the Office of the Director of NIH, OBSSR neither accepts nor directly funds grant applications. However, OBSSR is providing scientific expertise and other support to this RFA.

Q9: What is the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG)?
A9: caBIG^™ stands for the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid^™. caBIG^™ is an information network enabling all constituencies in the cancer community – researchers, physicians, and patients – to share data and knowledge. The components of caBIG^™ are widely applicable beyond cancer as well. The goals of caBIG^™ are to: connect scientists and practitioners through a shareable and interoperable infrastructure; develop standard rules and a common language to more easily share information; and build or adapt tools for collecting, analyzing, integrating, and disseminating information associated with cancer research and care.

Once funded, grantees must be willing to participate in activities to harmonize data collection strategies across the various components that comprise population research. Viable approaches may include, but are not limited to: (a) selecting existing measurement definitions from an NCI-approved "common data standards repository" compliant with caBIG requirements; (b) participating in the harmonization of data elements across centers; (c) identifying minimum data set standards to enable "prospective meta analyses" in common areas of science; or (d) demonstrating psychometric equivalency for alternative measurements of the same construct.

Further information on the caBIG can be found at: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/

Q10: In the context of this RFA, are multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary are being used interchangeably.
A10: The goal of the centers is to develop transdisciplinary teams to address inequities in health. For the purpose of this RFA the following definitions are used:
Multidisciplinary - researchers from different disciplines work independently or sequentially, each from his or her own disciplinary-specific perspective, to address a common problem
Interdisciplinary - researchers from different disciplines work jointly to address a common problem and although some integration of their diverse perspectives occurs, participants remain anchored in their own fields
Transdisciplinary - researchers from different disciplines work jointly to create a shared conceptual framework that integrates and moves beyond discipline-specific theories, concepts, and approaches, to address a common problem.

For further clarification please refer to: The Science of Team Science - Assessing the Value of Transdisciplinary Research American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) Supplement on the "Science of Team Science," published August 2008 (Volume 35, issue 2). http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/scienceteam/ajpm.html.

Q11: How important is it for the principal investigator to be well-established in the field of cancer or cardiovascular disparities research?
A11: It is for the peer review to evaluate the whether the PD(s)/PI(s), Project Leaders, and other key personnel appropriately trained and well suited to the organizational and scientific responsibilities of the proposed CPHHD. The reviewers will also assess the recent publications by the investigators in the team; the background and knowledge pertinent to the themes of the proposed CPHHD; and the evidence that the investigators are committed to productive, interdisciplinary interactions.

This is a large P50 center RFA so reviewers will be looking for the ability of the team to strengthen understanding of cancer and cardiovascular risks and outcomes for the purpose of reducing the inequities in health and health outcomes. The team has to show that its combined experience will contribute substantively to the science and lessen inequities in health. In fact, health disparities is by definition an interdisciplinary field with leaders drawn from general medicine, sociology, psychology, communication, health systems, medical anthropology, public health, and other relevant disciplines.

Q12. Do one of the three projects have to use the principles of community-based participatory research?
A12. No. The entire center has to work within an environment where several disciplines and communities are involved in a social process whereby knowledge is co-constructed and communicated within particular social and physical contexts. The definition of a community can include community clinics, community based organizations etc. The use of only a community advisory board alone will not be sufficient to meet this requirement.

Q13. The RFA states that NCI and NHLBI have funds set aside in 2009 but the funding of the centers is to be in 2010. Which year is correct?
A13. The funds are expected to be available in 2010 and the funding will occur around May 2010.