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FAQs 12–14 added October 20, 2022 FAQ 15 added October 27, 2022

1. How many awards will NIH make for the ECHO Coordinating Center?

NIH intends to fund one award.

2. Are multiple PDs/PIs allowed for the Coordinating Center?

Yes, multi-PD/PI (MPI) applications may be used for this award. Please refer to the NIH website for more information on applying with MPIs.

3. Can an ECHO Coordinating Center PI serve as a PI on any of the ECHO Cohort Study Sites?

No.

4. Can an applicant apply to the CC FOA and another FOA?

Yes. Applicants for the Coordinating Center may also apply to another ECHO Cohort Core or Center FOA. Each application to a FOA should be self-contained and not overlap in science or budget. Applicants to an ECHO Core or Center, including the Coordinating Center, cannot also apply to an ECHO Cohort Study Site FOA.

5. What are the responsibilities of the Coordinating Center?

The ECHO Coordinating Center will provide comprehensive operational leadership and an organizational infrastructure to manage and coordinate all ECHO Cohort activities.

The Coordinating Center’s main roles are to:

1. Provide oversight and effective project management for all aspects of the ECHO Cohort consortium
2. Support multiple ECHO Cohort committees and serve as the centralized ECHO Cohort communications center
3. Administer the Opportunities and Innovation Fund

6. What is the purpose of the Opportunities and Innovation Fund?

The Opportunities and Innovation Fund promotes the development of early career scientists, supports innovative projects that introduce new research, tools, and technologies in the ECHO Cohort consortium, and promotes collaborations that support the scientific goals of the ECHO Cohort consortium.

7. What are the required components of the Coordinating Center?

The ECHO Coordinating Center will consist of the following components:

1. Overall Component
2. Coordinating Center Administrative Core
3. Oversight and Project Management Component
4. Committee Support and Communications Component
5. Opportunities and Innovation Fund Component

8. What are the page limits for each Coordinating Center Component?

• The page limit is 6 for the each of the Overall Component the Administrative Core.
• The page limit is 12 for each of the 3 Coordinating Center Components: Oversight and Project Management; Committee Support and Communications; and Opportunities and Innovation Fund.

9. What is the yearly budget for the Coordinating Center?

NIH intends to commit up to $14,000,000 Total Costs in FY 2023 to fund one award. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations. Application budgets should reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

10. What is the budget for the Opportunities and Innovation Fund awards?

The proposed Coordinating Center budget should include $2,400,000 in direct costs per year for years 2 - 6 for ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund studies.

11. How many in-person meetings should applicants include in the Administrative Core budget?

Applicants should provide support for key staff to attend ECHO Cohort Consortium Science Meetings in the Bethesda, MD area at least twice a year throughout the project period, including the launch meeting anticipated in the Fall 2023.

New FAQs as of October 20, 2022

12. The FOA mentions the Coordinating Center should ‘maintain capability to administer capitation funds to study sites for enrollment, retention, and data and biospecimen collection for study participants.’ Does this mean that applicants to the Coordinating Center FOA should budget for capitation?

Yes. Applicants should describe administrative capabilities for capitation and budget for administration of approximately 5 Cohort Study Sites starting in the UH3 phase (Years 3-7).

13. Is there a budget cap in years 2-7? The FOA mentions a total cost cap of $14 million only in year 1.

Yes. Assume a total annual cost of $14 million for all budget years.

14. Can anyone applying as a Principal Investigator for the ECHO Coordinating Center also apply to a Cohort Study Site FOA as a Principal Investigator?

No. Persons applying as a Principal Investigator for the Coordinating Center can apply to an ECHO Cohort Study Site FOA as a Co-Investigator but not as Principal Investigator. Likewise, persons applying as a Principal Investigator for an ECHO Cohort Study Site can apply to the ECHO Coordinating Center FOA as a Co-Investigator but not as Principal Investigator.

New FAQ as of October 27, 2022

15. Has the application due date changed for RFA-OD-22-021?

No. Due to an initial system error that NIH has now resolved, the NIH changed the application due date only for RFA-OD-22-017.

The application due date is still November 21, 2022, for RFA-OD-22-016, RFA-OD-22-018, RFA-OD-22-019, RFA-OD-22-020, RFA-OD-22-021, and RFA-OD-22-022.