Extramural Glossary

Department regulations applicable to Department of Health and Human Serrvices (DHHS) acquisition activities that implement and supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

As of July 1, 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Diminished health status associated with differences in culture, language, diet, nutrition, physical activity, socioeconomic and demographic status, gender, age and environmental pollutants and occupational hazards.

Basic, clinical, or behavioral research on a health disparity population (including individual members and communities of such populations), including the causes of health disparities and methods to prevent, diagnose, and treat such disparities.

Groups determined by the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), in consultation with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in which there is significant disparity in the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, or survival as compared to the health status of the general population. The following populations have been designated as health disparity populations: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and the medically underserved (i.e., individuals from the Appalachian region).

The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decision.

The combination of educational and environmental supports for actions and conditions of living conducive to health.

This title includes primary several job descriptions at the NIH and/or in the Public Health Service. First, an HSA can be the awarding office official who is responsible for the technical, scientific, or programmatic aspects of a grant. This official may also be referred to as the program officer or project officer. Such individuals deal with recipient organization staff to assure programmatic progress and work closely with the Grants Management Officer and the grants management staff in the overall administration of grants. Second, an HSA can be a Scientific Review Administrator who is responsible for managing the peer review of grant applications and/or contract proposals.

A formerly used term for a category of applications identified by a scientific review group as having a high degree of uncertainty in approach but also a high potential for impact. NIH no longer tracks how many of these applications are identified and funded.

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, "Spanish origin," can also be used.

An Institution determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34 CFR 608.2. Executive order 12928 of September 16, 1994 was issued to promote participation of HBCU in Federal procurements.

The relevance of HUBZone is in the domain of contract proposals and contracts.

Block to the release of award funds often implemented in response to human subjects concerns raised by the study section during peer review.

A non-profit philanthropic funding organization for biological and medical research and science education

Section 513 of the FY 1998 Appropriations Act, P.L. 105-78, signed November 13, 1997, reinstates the current ban that prohibits NIH from using appropriated funds to support human embryo research.

Human embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro — in an in vitro fertilization clinic — and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman's body. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst. The blastocyst includes three structures: the trophoblast, which is the layer of cells that surrounds the blastocyst; the blastocoel, which is the hollow cavity inside the blastocyst; and the inner cell mass, which is a group of approximately 30 cells at one end of the blastocoel. Human embryonic stem cells are isolated by transferring the inner cell mass into a laboratory culture dish that contains culture medium.

Any tissue derived from human embryos and fetuses.

Such stem cells have the ability to develop into many different cell types of the body.

Individuals whose physiologic or behavioral characteristics and responses are the object of study in a research project. A legally defined term that indicates a living person with whom an investigator directly interacts or intervenes or obtains identifiable, private information. Regulations apply to human organs, tissues, body fluids, and recorded information from identifiable people. See 45 CRF 46.

The number that a scientific review group places on a summary statement during an initial peer review that reflects the application of human subjects regulations to a project, and the inclusion of women, children, and racial and ethnic populations. Some codes indicate a human subjects concern that would result in a bar to award.

A human subjects term that indicates any actual or potential unacceptable risk or inadequate protection against risk to human subjects.

Applicants are required to address the following items in their research plan: Subjects? involvement and characteristics, sources of materials, recruitment and informed consent, potential risks, protection against risk, and benefits.