Network of the National Library of Medicine - Region 2 Funding Opportunities

Funding

Amount: up to $2000

Number of Awards Available:  15

Additional Funding Information: Awards are cost-reimbursable and are issued to the institution, not the individual. Network member organizations in Region 2 are eligible to apply.

Current Application Deadline: January 28, 2022 or until funds are depleted

Description of Award

The mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public's health by providing U.S. researchers, health professionals, public health workforce, educators, and the public with equal access to biomedical and health information resources and data.

Background/Purpose

The purpose of the Professional Development Award is to strengthen the professional knowledge and experience of individual network members in data science or health information access/delivery and to build professional capacity in support of the goals of the NNLM.

Potential Project Ideas:

Depending on the Regional Medical Library (RML) you are applying to, professional development awards may be used to to support:

• Professional development opportunities such as classes, conferences or workshops for individual NNLM members. This can include:
  • Introduce students to the health sciences, trusted National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources, and develop their professional skills.
  • Prepare individuals for a leadership position in an academic health sciences library.
• Costs associated with arranging for an expert speaker to give a talk, workshop, class or lecture.
• Educational activities that relate to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and aim to prepare professionals to better serve underserved, minority and underrepresented communities.
  • RML staff are available for consultation and training on applicable NLM resources and potential projects. Please contact us prior to applying to discuss your professional development opportunity in advance; we want to help you succeed!

Eligibility for Individuals

• Generally members of network institutions apply for these awards but there are exceptions to this. This may include students, unemployed, or retired information professionals for instance. Consult with your RML/Office/Center for specifics.

Eligibility for Organizations

• You must be a Network Member of the NNLM. Not a member yet? Join now for free! 
• Organizations, in most cases, are only eligible to apply for awards from the Regional Medical Library that serves the state in which they operate in. Please contact the RML/Office for further clarification.

System Requirements

You will need to submit your application online. It is recommended that you use the following outline to draft your proposal, then submit online. 

Before attempting to submit your application for funding in the NNLM online application system:

1. Confirm that your institution is a NNLM Member with a NNLM Member record.
   1. Not sure if your institution is a Member or has a Member record? Search the NNLM Membership Directory or contact your Regional Medical Library
   2. If your institution is not a NNLM Member, submit an application for Membership at least 3 weeks prior to the funding deadline. Membership is not automatic. A Member record is required to successfully submit an application.
2.  Confirm that you (the applicant) have an NNLM Account.
   1. You must be logged in to your NNLM account to successfully submit an application.
   2. If you are submitting an application on behalf of the Project Lead, the Project Lead must also have an NNLM account prior to submission.
3. Confirm that your NNLM account is connected to the NNLM Member record for your institution.
   1. To connect, fill in the “Organization” field on your NNLM account using the autocomplete function. When correctly filled, you will see a 5-digit NNLM ID in parenthesis beside the institution name. Watch a brief tutorial for assistance with completing this process. 
   2. If you are submitting an application on behalf of the Project Lead, the Project Lead must also be connected to the NNLM Member record for your institution prior to submission.

Please note: you cannot successfully submit an application without these components. If you have questions about these or any other system requirements, please contact your Regional Medical Library or Office in advance of the application deadline.

Online Application Overview

• Program/Event Summary: Provide a one-paragraph description that summarizes the professional development opportunity with an external audience in mind. Funded projects are displayed on the NNLM website and are provided by NLM in response to adata calls from NIH, HHS, OMB, Congress, and the White House.

• Lead Organization: Select the institution that will lead and receive funding to conduct the proposed project.

If the drop-down list appears blank, confirm that your NNLM account is connected to the NNLM Member record for your institution. (See System Requirements above)

• Primary Contact: If you are the Primary Contact, select your own name from the drop-down list. If the name of the Primary Contact does not appear in the drop-down list, confirm that their NNLM account is connected to the NNLM Member record for the institution.

• Institution Tax ID: Enter the 9-digit tax identification number for your institution. Check with your RML/Office to see if this is a requirement. Consult with your RML to see if this is required.

• Institution DUNS Number: Please confirm your organization’s DUNS number. If you do not have a DUNS number, apply for one as soon as possible. Check with your RML/Office to see if this is a requirement.  Consult with your RML to see if this is required.

• Have you/your institution previously received NNLM funding in the current grant cycle? Select Yes, No, or I don’t know.

• Amount Requested: The amount specified should not exceed the limit established by the RML/Office. Contact your RML/Office if you have questions about the funding amount. This field will accept numbers only. Enter the amount to the nearest whole dollar.

Project Proposal

• Program/Event Name: Enter the name of the event, program, or educational activity.

• Program/Event Dates: Select the appropriate dates.

• Professional Development URL: URL for the Exhibit, Conference, or Professional Development you would like to attend or hold, if available

• Significance/Objectives: Provide a short 1-2 paragraph description that summarizes the proposed program/event. State the goal(s) of the proposed program/event or educational activity and how they align to the NNLM Goals and Objectives. Discuss why this program/event would be necessary or useful for the intended beneficiary. Detail how you plan to use what you learn, or what you hope others will learn.

• Personnel Qualifications: Submit resumes or CVs for personnel listed as attachments with your completed application.

Budget

Awards are cost-reimbursable and are generally issued to the institution, but in some cases are issued to the  individual. Please check with your RML/Office/Center. The budget needs to be filled out in the online application system. Additionally, proposals must include a budget table or spreadsheet which includes a narrative justification for budget items, explaining the purpose of each item in the project. The budget table and narrative justification is uploaded in the attachments section of the online application. Budget fields will accept numbers only. Enter each amount to the nearest whole dollar. If a budget line is not applicable for your project, you may leave it blank. The budget estimate should be categorized by the following, as they apply:

• Fees: Any fees associated with the educational activity/program or event.
• Travel: Estimates for travel. Include description and any quotes in the budget table and narrative justification attachments.
• Hotel: Costs associated with lodging.
• Per Diem: Costs associated with meals and incidental expenses.
• Other: Include description and any quotes in the attached budget or as other attachment.
• Indirect Costs (IDC) or Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs: Apply at your institution’s non-research rate (or, if your institution has no negotiated rate, a 10% Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) can be applied if you wish to claim it). Oranizations may factor Indirect Costs into their overall budget. The total budget cannot exceed the limit defined by the RML/Office you are applying to, including Indirect Costs.

• Other Funding if Applicable: Other funds that will be used to support the project should be specified. This includes matching funds, other grants, etc. 

NOTE: You will need to submit a narrative to support your budget. Please contact your RML/Office to confirm the budget justification attachments to include.

Funding restrictions: Food, promotional items and furniture are not allowable expenses. Promotional items include but are not limited to: Clothing and commemorative items such as pens, mugs/cups, folders/folios, lanyards, and conference bags that are sometimes provided to visitors, employees, grantees, or conference attendees. Refer to the policy.

Beneficiaries & Goals

• Populations Served: Select all that apply. These should be the primary populations served by the professional development. If not explicitly identified in the proposal section, please do not select it here.

• Participant’s Roles: Select all that apply. These are the primary roles of the participants of the program/event/educational activity. These should be explicitly identified in the proposal section.

Attachments

Gather all documents that will be attached to your application, including personnel CVs and resumes, budget table and narrative justification.

Acknowledgements

You are required to acknowledge the following statements before submitting an application:

• You will share the information gained with colleagues in your institution/RML/Office, as required by the Request for Proposal.
• You will submit regular, interim & final reports, as requested by the funding agency & stipulated in the Request for Proposal.
•  Any web-based resources developed for this project will ensure accessibility to the greatest possible number of people.
• Additional documentations will need to be completed should your project be awarded. Please consult with your RML/Office for details.

Proposal Submission

 You will need to submit your application online.

Application Review and Scoring Criteria

Review and selection of proposals - reviewers selected by the RML/Office. The Review Committee is made up of Network members who represent the Region, public libraries, a variety of health science libraries, and community organizations. The Review Committee will make final recommendations for funding to the Associate/Executive Director of the RML/Office. Applicants will receive a copy of reviewer comments along with a final decision regarding funding.

Scored Review Criteria: Scale: 1-100

The application will be scored in the following areas:

• Significance (15 points max): Does the proposed program make a significant contribution to the mission of NNLM. Is there information on the target population provided? Are there estimates of the potential population and the portion expected to be reached? Is the target group or population described and the actual or perceived need for the proposed program is discussed?
• Methodology/Approach (40 points max): Does the statement show the logic and feasibility of the technical approach to reaching the target group or community? Are the types of outreach services provided for the target population appropriate, creative and cost-effective? Does the project plan demonstrate sustainability or the ability to provide lessons learned for future programs? Does the proposed project add value to other initiatives? Does the project use local partners? Does the proposal include a timeline or implementation schedule for major events and activities? Does the program specify what NLM resources or NNLM national initiatives will be promoted and how they will be utilized throughout the project?
• Evaluation (15 points max): Is there an evaluation plan? Does the plan make sense given the goals and objectives? Is there a timeline and are individuals assigned responsibility for milestones or tasks? Are there other forms of evaluation that the project should consider or add? Is the plan thorough enough or feasible for the project?
• Project Staff (15 points max): Does the proposed personnel have experience in developing and conducting outreach and/or training programs in health information for patients, the public or health professionals. Do the proposed personnel have prior experience working with the target group? Is there evidence of institutional facilities and resources adequate to support the proposed programs. If applicable, do project partners bring experience to the project team?
• Budget (10 points max):  Is the proposed budget within funding limits? Is the budget justification sound? Could budget items be eliminated or reduced without jeopardizing the project? Does it include money within allowable line items? Do they have line items that account for all the requested money?
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (5 points max): Does the application identify inequities and disparities or target underserved populations? Is the organization using an inclusive, community-engaged process for planning and implementation if they are proposing community-based programming?
  • NIH-designated U.S. health disparity populations include Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, individuals with a physical or mental disability, sexual and gender minorities, individuals under 18 or over 65, and individuals with less than a high school degree.

• RML/Office staff and Network members will review and score applications using a standardized RFP scorecard. For more information, please review the RFP scorecard.
• Reviewer score sheets and comments will be shared with the applicant. If further clarification is needed, the applicant will be given 1 week to submit more information.
• The RML/Office will provide a subaward agreement for all approved projects. All sub-awards are cost reimbursement. Line item invoices must be submitted for reimbursement of expenditures. Invoices may be sent monthly.

Additional Information

Grant Writing Resources:

For support in grant writing, please see the NNLM Grants and Proposal Writing Course for tips on award applications.

508 Compliance:

Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to Web applications, Web pages and all attached files on the intranet, as well as, internet. The National Library of Medicine is a part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Recipients of National Library of Medicine funding through the NNLM must meet all requirements under Section 508. Information on 508 Compliance.

Reporting Requirements:

Reporting Requirement	Access	Timeline
Activities and Participants –Submitted through the NNLM Data Reporting System (DRS)	Subawardees must add reports on their individual project page which is accessible via the institutional record. See tutorial.	Within the first five days of the month following the activity/exhibit completion
Final Report –Submitted through the NNLM DRS	Same as above.	Within 30 days of project completion
Required if Applicable
If training is provided to librarians: NNLM Training Form Evaluation
If technology is purchased or provided: NNLM Technology Report	NNLM Technology Report	Submit before the final report
If funds are included for librarian professional development: NNLM Professional Development Report	NNLM Professional Development Award Report	Within 30 days after the last day completed
If programming is provided to patrons or community members: Project Outcome	PLA Project Outcome	Immediately following program completion- be sure to check the box to ensure NNLM has access to the data.

NIH Public Access Policy:

Recipients of NNLM funding are required to deposit any peer-reviewed manuscript upon acceptance for publication in PubMed Central in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy.

Data Sharing and Development of Training Materials:

To facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and information associated with the NNLM Cooperative Agreement Award, all subawardees are required to share any data or training material resulting from funding. This information must be submitted to the following collection sites as applicable:

• Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) website;
• Other websites specifically designated by the NLM as part of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (considering changes in the project and data repositories required to maintain sharing within the Network).

In addition, recipients of funding are expected to use or adapt existing training materials before developing new materials. Consult with your RML/Office and the NNLM Training Office (NTO) prior to developing materials.

Publication and Copyrighting:

Per Section 8.2.1. - Right in Data (Publication and Copyrighting) of the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The NIH must be given a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license for the Federal government to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use any materials developed as a result of funding and to authorize others to do so for Federal purposes, i.e. the ongoing development of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. Data developed by a subawardees/consortium participants and consultants are also subject to this policy. 

NIH Acknowledgement:

Any resources developed with project funds must include an acknowledgment of NIH grant support and a disclaimer. Please consult with your RML/Office for the specific acknowledgement statement to be used for your project award.