[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16681-16682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08065]


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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 and Nominations for SGM 
Investigator Awards 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 
the second annual Investigator Awards Program. The NIH Sexual and 
Gender Minority (SGM) Investigator Awards 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 2019 NIH SGM Investigator Awards. The NIH SGMRO 
will make two non-monetary awards this year.

DATES: Letters of intent to apply due May 20, 2019 and final nomination 
submissions due June 10, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Parker, Ph.D., MSW, Director, 
Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO), 6011 Executive 
Boulevard, Suite 206, Rockville, MD 20852, [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) in the Office of the Director.
    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.

2019 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 
awardees 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 in September 2019. 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/fellows; federal contractors; members of the NIH 
SGM Research Working Group, and previous NIH SGM Investigator awardees.
     At the time of the nomination due date, June 10, the 
candidate must meet the NIH's definitions of an early stage 
investigator (ESI) (https://

[[Page 16682]]

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 ``2019 SGM 
Investigator Award Letter of Intent'' no later than 11:59 p.m. local 
time on May 20, 2019.

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. CV and 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 ``2019 NIH SGM Investigator Award 
Nomination'' no later than 11:59 p.m. local time on June 10, 2019.

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 for two awardees to the SGMRO Director and the DPCPSI 
Director.
     Stage 2: The SGMRO and DPCPSI Directors will review the 
recommendations and select the final two awardees.

    Dated: April 16, 2019.
Lawrence A. Tabak,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2019-08065 Filed 4-19-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P