[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14870-14871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07066]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Sexual & Gender Minority 
Research Office Request for Letters of Intent for Inaugural 
Investigator Award Program

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice; call for Letters of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Sexual & Gender 
Minority Research Office (SGMRO) is requesting letters of intent for an 
inaugural Investigator Award Program. The NIH Sexual and Gender 
Minority (SGM) Investigator Award Program was developed to recognize 
early-stage investigators who have made substantial, outstanding 
research contributions in areas related to SGM health and who are 
poised to become future leaders or are already leading the field of SGM 
health research. The NIH SGMRO is currently soliciting nominations for 
the 2018 NIH SGM Investigator Awards.

DATES: Notices of intent to apply due April 20, 2018 and final 
nominations due May 18, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Parker, Ph.D., Director, Sexual 
& Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), 1 Center Drive, Building 1, 
Room 257, Bethesda, MD 20892, [email protected], 301-451-2055.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ``Sexual and gender minority'' is an 
umbrella term that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
populations as well as those whose sexual orientation, gender identity 
and expressions, or reproductive development varies from traditional, 
societal, cultural, or physiological norms.
    The Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) coordinates 
sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related research and activities by 
working directly with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The 
Office was officially established in September 2015 within the NIH 
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives 
(DPCPSI).
    The SGMRO has the following research-related goals: (1) Expand the 
knowledge base of SGM health and well-being through NIH-supported 
research; (2) Remove barriers to planning, conducting, and reporting 
NIH-supported research about SGM health and well-being; (3) Strengthen 
the community of researchers and scholars who conduct research relevant 
to SGM health and well-being; and (4) Evaluate progress on advancing 
SGM research.

2018 Award Details

    Two non-monetary awards of recognition will be offered to early 
stage investigators who demonstrate both contemporary achievement in 
and a commitment to an area of SGM-related health research. The award 
winners will be invited, with all travel expenses covered (limited to 
reimbursement based on Federal Travel Regulations and HHS and NIH 
guidance), to give a lecture at the NIH on September 6, 2018. This 
event will be webcast live and the presentations will be archived and 
available for future viewing.

Eligibility Criteria

    The following individuals are not eligible to be nominated: Federal 
employees and interns; federal contractors; and members of the NIH SGM 
Research Working Group.
     At the time of the nomination due date, May 11, the 
candidate must meet the NIH's definitions of an early stage 
investigator (ESI) (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-101.html).

Letters of Intent

    A Letter of Intent (LOI) to submit a nomination is required 
(nominees may self-nominate and submit their own LOIs). The LOI should 
be a 1-page, single-spaced Word or PDF document and include:
    1. Nominee's name, title, affiliation, and date of terminal degree.
    2. eRA Commons ID.
    a. Before submitting the LOI, researchers should confirm ESI status 
is correctly marked in their eRA Commons (https://era.nih.gov/) 
profile. If the status is incorrect, please contact the NIH eRA Service 
Desk (https://grants.nih.gov/support/index.html) to resolve the issue 
before submitting an LOI.
    3. SGM research focus of nominee's work.
    Attach the LOI (as a Word or PDF document) to an email and send it 
to [email protected] with the subject line ``2018 SGM 
Investigator

[[Page 14871]]

Award Letter of Intent'' no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 20, 2018.

Nominations

    Nomination packages may be submitted by the nominee or a nominee's 
mentor or colleague. Nomination packages must be a single PDF file that 
includes:
    1. NIH Biosketch including a link (URL) to the nominee's My 
Bibliography in PubMed.
    a. If you do not have a My Bibliography in PubMed, refer to these 
simple step-by-step instructions to save your citations in PubMed to a 
``My Bibliography.''
    b. Use the URL that PubMed automatically generates when you change 
your ``My Bibliography'' sharing setting to public.
    2. Letter of nomination (1,000 words or less) from a mentor or 
colleague familiar with the nominee's work, addressing the nominee's 
innovative contribution to the field of SGM health research, 
crosscutting and collaborative nature of that research, trajectory of 
career development, and leadership strengths. The strongest letters 
will demonstrate the lasting significance and impact of the nominee's 
work to date.
    3. Two letters of endorsement from other mentors or colleagues. 
Letters of endorsement may be less encompassing than the letter of 
nomination, but should address similar themes.
    4. A PDF of a key, peer-reviewed article published in the past 24-
month period, which is first-authored by the nominee. If in press, 
please provide the accepted paper and the letter of acceptance from the 
journal.
    After compiling all the above elements into a single PDF file, 
attach the PDF to an email, and send it to [email protected] 
with the subject line header ``2018 SGM Investigator Award Nomination'' 
no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 18, 2018.

Review and Selection Process

     Stage 1: The SGMRO will assemble a review panel composed 
of NIH staff with relevant expertise. This panel will provide 
recommendations to the SGMRO Director and the DPCPSI Director on 
awardees.
     Stage 2: The SGMRO and DPCPSI Directors will review the 
recommendations and select the final awardees.

    Dated: March 8, 2018.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-07066 Filed 4-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P