e-ASIA Joint Research Program (JRP) 2018 Health Research Call for Proposals FAQs

for U.S. Applicants Only

BUDGET/FUNDING INFORMATION

  • What funding is available?
  • $100,000 total cost for 3-years per award for the U.S. budget (Infectious Diseases).
  • How will the U.S. funding be awarded?
  • Utilizing funds from NIAID, the U.S. institution will receive a fixed obligation award from CRDF Global, pending the submission and acceptance of all necessary approvals and documentation (e.g., IRB approval, award agreement, animal subject review, etc…).
  • Can the U.S. portion of the budget be shared with the non-U.S. collaborating institutions?
  • Yes, if well justified, the U.S. P.I. may include in the U.S. portion of the budget, funds for the non-U.S. P.I.s. This needs to be clearly specified in the application budget. CRDF Global may directly award this portion of the U.S. budget directly to the specified non-U.S. P.I.
  • Are there any restrictions on allowable expenses (e.g., staff, equipment, consumables and travel)?
  • There is a clear cap on the amount of funding the U.S. applicants can request. Within that cap, items that are scientifically justified may be funded. The reviewers will look for strong evidence that every budget item is linked to the scientific objectives of the project and the collaborative intent of the e-ASIA program. The reviewers also will consider what resource contribution the applicant and the applicant's institution will make to the success of the project.
  • Can the funds be used for salary?
  • Funds can be used for salary/labor costs. Within the maximum allowable U.S. budget, items that are scientifically justified may be funded.
  • Are indirect costs allowed?
  • Indirect costs are allowed to be included within the allowed U.S. portion of the project budget, i.e. not to exceed in total cost $100,000 per year. With the total award amount specified and limited, it is hoped that applicants will maximize the funding dedicated to research that will help achieve the project’s scientific objectives.
  • Do the funds for the proposed work, from the various countries, come together under a single source to be distributed? Or do they remain assigned to each local PI by their country's funding agency?
  • The funding is not allocated from a single entity. Based on the approved budget, each PI is funded (or authorized to reprogram existing funds or use in-kind support) by the e-ASIA Member Organization from that PI’s country. If well justified scientifically, the U.S. P.I. may include in the U.S. portion of the budget, funds that will be provided to a non-U.S. collaborating P.I. This needs to be clearly specified in the application budget and the allowed budget ceiling must remain in compliance with the Call for Applications.

COLLABORATORS

  • How to find collaborators?
  • Read literature and contact the Point(s) of Contact identified for each of the participating organizations.
  • The foreign collaborators must be from those countries with participating funding organizations as identified in the FOA and they must and eligible to receive funding from the participating funding organization in their home country.
  • The potential partners from other participating countries would have access to resources as made availableby their respective biomedical research funding agencies.

INTRAMURAL

  • Is the call open to NIH intramural scientists?
  • Yes, intramural scientists can participate but they cannot receive new funding under this program. In some cases, what is allowed for intramural PIs is the reprogramming of funds (e.g., use existing or planned lab resources) they already have or in-kind support, as specified in the call for proposals.

P.I. ELIGIBILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

  • Have prior successful e-ASIA JRP proposals focused on research activities in only one of the at least three collaborating countries? Or would it be preferable to ask a research question that can be addressed in 2-3 countries simultaneously?
  • There have been successful e-ASIA JRP proposals that focused on research activities in one country. However, it is encouraged that the proposal should clearly demonstrate that the activities are mutually beneficial to all the collaborators and their institutions, and that the project could not be as effectively or efficiently achieved withoutregional cooperation.
  • Is the e-ASIA JRP supportive of capacity building activities, provided that impactful research questions are also being addressed?
  • Capacity building activities, particularly for early career and female researchers, are strongly encouraged when linked to clear and relevant research objectives. The application should clearly describe how capacity enhancement and the scientific objectives of the project are linked and key elements of the collaborative intent of the e-ASIA program. See page 8 of the Call Guidelines
  • What are some considerations with U.S. government employees as part of the U.S. team, who are working/based in other countries?
  • Individuals who are U.S. government (USG) employees, regardless of their citizenship, would be considered part of the U.S. team and USG institutions may not receive new funding under this initiative. Non-USG entities in participating countries may receive funding from the appropriate funding organization. Non-USG foreign entities that are part of US institutions may receive U.S. funding. USG entities may participate in the program but they cannot receive new funding under this program. Since the e-ASIA JRP requires scientists from at least three participating countries’ research entities, it would be required to find a partner from other in-country universities or government institutions.
  • Are there any examples of successful e-ASIA JRP proposals to be reviewed to better understand the structure and division of activities between the three countries / PIs?
  • Though previously submitted e-ASIA JRP proposals cannot be shared due to proprietary considerations, a listing of previously awarded e-ASIA Health Research projects can be found at down to “Projects”).
  • Are small businesses eligible to apply?
  • In the e-ASIA call guideline: "researchers from industry are encouraged to participate in the joint collaboration in accordance with national eligibility rules." A U.S. small business would be eligible to apply to be part of an e-ASIA JRP proposal. However, please note that the U.S. PI/team from for-profit companies are not permitted to receive funding under this program. As part of the e-ASIA guideline, proposals cannot be accepted if all the PIs intend to participate by "in-kind" basis. At least one of the PIs has to be supported with “new” or “rebudget” funding. One option is to find a potential PI in the U.S. or in other countries who are eligible to get "new" funding from e-ASIA Member Organizations.

REVIEW PROCESS

  • What is the review process?
  • Each potential funding agency will review all the applications seeking their funding. All eligible applications that include a U.S. component will be reviewed by an expert peer review panel following NIH and NSF standard practices and using the evaluation criteria listed in the announcement. A second level review will be executed by the e-ASIA Board and its decisions on which applications will be awarded are final.