'M' Terms

Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI  
A procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue. MRI makes better images of organs and soft tissue than other scanning techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) or x-ray. MRI is especially useful for imaging the brain, the spine, the soft tissue of joints, and the inside of bones. Also called magnetic resonance imaging, NMRI, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Mail Reviewer or Mail-In Reviewer
In the first level of review, a mail reviewer is a peer reviewer who, when the SRO determines that additional expertise is needed to
  • submits written critiques and may submit preliminary criterion and/or impact scores of assigned applications
  • but, does not attend the review meeting and does not provide final scoring of applications.
Mail Reviewers only have access to their assigned applications in IAR.

For additional information, visit the NIH OER Attendees Roles and the NIH OER Know Assignment Role webpages.

See Also: Chair Discussant First Level of Review Peer Review Group Primary Peer Reviewer Secondary and Tertiary Peer Reviewer
Mainstream Medicine
A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, orthodox medicine, and Western medicine.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Major A&R
An Alteration and Renovation (A&R) project under a grant whose primary purpose is other than construction or modernization, including a project involving modernization, improvement or remodeling, exceeding $500,000 in direct costs awarded for the project. Major A&R may include improvement, conversion, rearrangement, rehabilitation or remodeling. Major A&R does not apply to minor alterations, renovations or repairs funded under a research project grant or alterations or renovations funded under an NIH center grant. Major A&R is an unallowable activity or cost under foreign grants and foreign components in domestic grants.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

See: Alteration and Renovation
Majority Group
The group in a society with the most power and control. The majority group may not be the group with a numerical majority.
Malignancy
A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Malignant cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of malignancy. Carcinoma is a malignancy that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Sarcoma is a malignancy that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue. Leukemia is a malignancy that starts in blood-forming tissue, such as the bone marrow, and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are malignancies that begin in the cells of the immune system. Central nervous system cancers are malignancies that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Also called cancer.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Mandatory Criteria
In some Request for Proposals (RFPs), the Project Officer (PO) identifies the basic requirements that proposals must meet to execute the contract properly. These criteria are usually specific to a particular RFP and are generally outside the scope of the Technical Evaluation Criteria in each RFP.
See: Technical Proposal Instructions
Mandatory Grant
A grant (or cooperative agreement) awarded under a program where the authorizing statute requires the head of the agency or designee to make an award to each eligible entity under the conditions and in the amount (or based on the formula) specified in the statute.

Quoted from Grants.Gov Grant Terminology.

Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center
One of the two main facilities of the NIH Clinical Center. The 870,000-square-foot Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center has 200 inpatient beds and 93 day-hospital stations. Groundbreaking was in November 1997. Dedication ceremonies were Sept. 22, 2004.

For additional information, visit the NIH Clinical Center website.

Master Agreement MA  
A mechanism used to enhance competition among prospective offerors by establishing pools of qualified sources in a particular research and development, evaluation or area of study. The intent is to establish qualified pools of sources (known as Master Agreement holders) who can respond to competitive solicitations in a short time frame.

See Also: Basic Agreement Basic Ordering Agreement Blanket Purchase Agreement
Master Agreement Order
A binding contract issued to the successful Master Agreement (MA) holder as a result of a competitive process held among all eligible MA holders.
Master Solicitation
"Master solicitation" means a document containing special clauses and provisions that have been identified as essential for the acquisition of a specific type of supply or service that is acquired repetitively.

Quoted from §2.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Matching or Cost Sharing
The portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute). This may include the value of allowable third party in-kind contributions, as well as expenditures by the recipient.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Material Transfer Agreement MTA  
A legal document defining the conditions under which research or other materials can be transferred and used among research laboratories.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate - Student Training in Academic Research MARC USTAR T34  
The Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) program is designed to provide structured training programs to prepare high-achieving, underrepresented students for doctoral programs in biomedical research fields. Programmatic activities should include authentic research experiences, academic enhancements, skills development, and mentoring. The long-term goal of the program is to enhance the pool of underrepresented students earning baccalaureate and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical research fields and ultimately to contribute to the diversification of the nation's scientific workforce.
Meals and Incidental Expenses M&IE  
Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) is one of the elements that make up standard per diem rates for official travel.
See: Per Diem Allowance
Mechanism
Extramural research awards are divided into three main funding mechanisms: grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. A funding mechanism is the type of funded application or transaction used at the NIH. Within each funding mechanism NIH includes programs. Programs can be further refined by specific activity codes.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Medical Scientist Training Program MSTP  
This program encourages and supports the training of students with outstanding credentials and potential who are motivated to undertake careers in biomedical research and academic medicine. MSTP students participate in an integrated program of graduate training in the biomedical sciences and clinical training offered through medical schools. Graduates receive the combined M.D. - Ph.D. degree, and the majority of them pursue careers in basic biomedical or clinical research.

For additional information, visit the NIH NIGMS Medical Scientist Training Program webpage.

Medically Underserved Areas and Populations MUA/Ps  
Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) identify geographic areas and populations with a lack of access to primary care services.

MUAs have a shortage of primary care health services for residents within a geographic area such as:

  • a whole county;
  • a group of neighboring counties;
  • a group of urban census tracts; or
  • a group of county or civil divisions.
MUPs are specific sub-groups of people living in a defined geographic area with a shortage of primary care health services. These groups may face economic, cultural, or linguistic barriers to health care. Examples include, but are not limited to, those who are:
  • homeless;
  • low-income;
  • Medicaid-eligible;
  • Native American; or
  • migrant farmworkers.
MUA/P designations are based on the Index of Medical Underservice (IMU). IMU is calculated based on four criteria:
  • the population to provider ratio;
  • the percent of the population below the federal poverty level;
  • the percent of the population over age 65; and
  • the infant mortality rate.

IMU can range from 0 to 100, where zero represents the completely underserved. Areas or populations with IMUs of 62.0 or less qualify for designation as an MUA/P.

Quoted from the Health Resources & Services Administration's (HRSA's) Medically Underserved Areas and Populations (MUA/Ps) webpage.

MEDLINE
"MEDLINE" is the "U.S. National Library of Medicine® (NLM)" premier bibliographic database that contains more than 23 million references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine. A distinctive feature of MEDLINE is that the records are indexed with "NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®)". MEDLINE is the online counterpart to MEDLARS® (MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System) that originated in 1964.

Quoted from the "NIH NLM MEDLINE®:Description of the Database".

Meeting Roster ROS  
The Meeting Roster lists the attendees at an Advisory Committee meeting.
Memorandum of Understanding MOU  
A written agreement between/among two or more NIH ICs, between NIH and another NIH component, or between an NIH IC and another agency.

Quoted from §D.7 of the NIH Policy Manual Chapter 55010.

Mentor
Historically, the origin of the word "mentor" can be traced back to Homer's epic poem Odyssey thought to date back at least 3,000 years. The Odyssey tells the story of King Odysseus' lengthy return from the Trojan War. During his absence, he had entrusted the care of his kingdom, Ithaca, and of his then infant son, Telemachus, to an old friend, named Mentor. The Greek mythology character "Mentor" is referred in contemporary literature as a wise and kindly elder, a surrogate parent, a trusted adviser, an educator and guide. His role is described variously as nurturing, supporting, protecting, role modeling, and possessing a visionary perception of his ward's true potential (Journal of Education for Teaching, 28, 3, Pg.247-263).

Like the original Greek Mentor, anyone who serves another as a counselor, guide, tutor or coach is a modern-day mentor. Mentoring relationships are seen in various aspects of our society, i.e., learning institutions, organizations, and local state and/or religious programs.

Quoted from the HHS Mentoring Program webpage.

Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award K08  
To provide the opportunity for promising medical scientists with demonstrated aptitude to develop into independent investigators, or for faculty members to pursue research aspects of categorical areas applicable to the awarding unit, and aid in filling the academic faculty gap in these shortage areas within health profession's institutions of the country.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity K08  
The purpose of the NCI Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award (K08) program is to prepare individuals for careers that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation. This program represents the continuation of a long-standing NIH program that provides support and protected time to individuals with a clinical doctoral degree for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research, including translational research. The NCI-sponsored K08 award is specifically designed to promote career development of clinical scientists from backgrounds that have been shown to be nationally underrepresented in health-related science and for those who are committed to a career in basic biomedical, behavioral or translational cancer research, including research on cancer health disparities. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will develop enhanced research capabilities for cancer research careers and be better prepared to compete for research project grants (e.g. R03, R21, or R01) funding.

For additional information, visit the Current and Recent NCI and Trans-NIH Initiatives (K08) webpage.

Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award K23  
To provide support for the career development of investigators who have made a commitment of focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. This mechanism provides support for a 3 year minimum up to 5 year period of supervised study and research for clinically trained professionals who have the potential to develop into productive, clinical investigators.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award K25  
To engender and foster such activities by supporting the career development of investigators with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on behavioral and biomedical research (basic or clinical). This mechanism is aimed at research-oriented scientists with experience at the level of junior faculty (e.g., early to mid-levels of assistant professor or research assistant professor ranks). This award provides support for a period of mentored study and research for professionals with such backgrounds who have the potential to integrate their expertise with biomedicine and develop into productive investigators. Examples of quantitative scientific and technical backgrounds outside of biology or medicine considered appropriate for this award include, but are not limited to: mathematics, statistics, computer science, informatics, physics, chemistry, and engineering.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

MERIT Award R37  
See: Method to Extend Research in Time Award
Merit Descriptor
In accordance with the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the reviewers, after evaluating scientific and technical merit, may be tasked with assigning an adjectival merit descriptor rather than a numeric score to certain components of an application.

Two examples of adjectival merit descriptors are:

  1. outstanding, acceptable, unacceptable,
  2. highly synergistic, synergistic, not synergistic.
Method to Extend Research in Time Award R37 or MERIT Award  
To provide long-term grant support to investigators whose research competence and productivity are distinctly superior and who are highly likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner. Investigators may not apply for a MERIT award. Program staff and/or members of the cognizant National Advisory Council/Board will identify candidates for the MERIT award during the course of review of competing research grant applications prepared and submitted in accordance with regular PHS requirements.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research K24  
To provide support for the clinicians to allow them protected time to devote to patient-oriented research and to act as mentors for beginning clinical investigators.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

Mileage Reimbursement Rate
The reimbursement rate for the authorized use of your own vehicle while on official government travel.

Visit the GSA Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates webpage for current rates.

Minimal Risk
The HHS regulations contain two definitions for minimal risk, as follows:

  1. A general definition found in Subpart A (46.102) — the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests

  2. A specific definition for research involving prisoners found in Subpart C (46.303) — the probability and magnitude of physical or psychological harm that is normally encountered in the daily lives, or in the routine medical, dental, or psychological examination of healthy persons

Quoted from the NIH Research Involving Human Subjects NIH Research Involving Human Subjects Glossary.

Minor A&R
An Alteration and Renovation (A&R) project under a grant whose primary purpose is other than construction or modernization, including a project involving improvement or remodeling, which does not exceed $500,000 in direct costs. Minor A&R is not an allowable activity or cost under grants to individuals or grants for limited purposes, such as grants in support of scientific meetings (conference grants). Routine maintenance and repair of the organization's physical plant or its equipment is not considered A&R; these types of costs are typically treated as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

See: Alteration and Renovation
Minority Access to Research Careers MARC  
The meaning of the MARC acronym is now defined as Maximizing Access to Research Careers to better reflect the intent of the MARC Program.

Quoted from NIH Guide Notice NOT-GM-14-116.

See: Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate - Student Training in Academic Research
Minority Biomedical Research Support Program MBRS  
To increase the numbers of ethnic minority faculty, students, and investigators engaged in biomedical research, and to broaden the opportunities for participation in biomedical research of ethnic minority faculty, students, and investigators, by providing general support for biomedical research programs at eligible institutions..

Quoted from 42 CFR §52c.1.

NIH's Minority Biomedical Research Support Program has three components:

Minority Graduate Research Assistants MGRA  
See: Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Minority Group
See: Racial and Ethnic Minority or Minority Group
See Also: Underrepresented Group
Minority High School Student MHS  
See: Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Minority Individuals in Postdoctoral Training MIPT  
See: Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Minority Institution MI  
The term "minority institution" means an institution of higher education whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities (as defined in paragraph (2)) exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment. The Secretary shall verify this information from the data on enrollments in the higher education general information surveys (HEGIS) furnished by the institution to the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education.

The term "minority institutions" (MIs) is defined by § 365(3) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) (20 U.S.C. §1067k.(3)). This definition of "minority institutions" applies only to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) and other programs whose statutes or regulations reference the same MI definition. A list of minority institutions compiled for the purposes of the MSEIP can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list.html.

(Reference: United States Department of Education Lists of Postsecondary Institutions Enrolling Populations with Significant Percentages of Undergraduate Minority Students Overview)

Minority Institution/Cancer Center Collaboration, Planning Grant P20  
See: Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity
Minority Investigator Supplement MIS  
See: Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Minority Report
In cases when two or more member(s) of a review committee hold(s) a strong opinion dissenting from that of the majority (e.g., when the majority recommends that an application be not recommended for further consideration), a minority report should be prepared by the dissenting member(s).
Minority Supplements
See: Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp)
Minority Undergraduate Student MUS  
See: Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program MBCCOP  
See: NCI Community Oncology Research Program
Minority-Serving Institution MSI  
Under part F of the HEA, 20 U.S. Code § 1067q — "Investment in historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions," the following institutions are eligible to receive funds under that section: (Reference: United States Department of Education Lists of Postsecondary Institutions Enrolling Populations with Significant Percentages of Undergraduate Minority Students Overview)
Misconduct in Science
See: Research Misconduct
Misconduct Policy
See: Research Misconduct
Model Organism
Animal, plant, or other organism used to study basic biologic processes to provide insight into other organisms.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List

See: Model Organism Sharing
Model Organism Sharing
As a public sponsor of biomedical research, NIH is committed to supporting national and international efforts that encourage the sharing and dissemination of important research resources. NIH is also cognizant of the need to support reasonable incentive structures that facilitate commercial development or translation of basic research findings. Restricted availability of unique research resources, upon which further studies are dependent, can impede the advancement of research. Conversely, sharing biomaterials, reagents and data in a timely manner has been an essential element in the rapid progress that has been made in research on many model organisms for biomedical research. The NIH is interested in continuing to ensure that the research resources developed with NIH funding are made readily available in a timely fashion to the research community for further research, development, and application, in the expectation that this will further the research enterprise and accelerate the development of products and knowledge of benefit to the public. At the same time, NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with federal funding pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act.

Quoted from the NIH Model Organism Sharing Policy webpage.

Modification, Contract
See: Contract Modification
Modular Application
A type of grant application in which support is requested in specified increments without the need for detailed supporting information related to separate budget categories. When modular procedures apply, they affect not only application preparation but also review, award, and post-award administration.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

For additional information, visit the NIH OER Modular Grant Applications' Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Modular Research Grant Application R01  
See: Modular Application
Module
A $25,000 unit of a modular grant award.
See: Modular Application
Molecular Targets Program MTP  
The Molecular Targets Program (MTP) is an organization within the Center for Cancer Research(CCR) at NCI. The MTP provides the focus and infrastructure to enable CCR tenured and tenure-track Principal Investigators to initiate and pursue interdisciplinary, applied, collaborative, molecularly targeted drug discovery research within a matrix organizational format that is both supportive of and complementary to the traditional NCI/NIH intramural Lab/Branch organization. The MTP mission statement further defines the new organizational model. The initial goal of the MTP is to facilitate the discovery of compounds that may serve as bioprobes for functional genomics, proteomics and molecular target validation research, as well as leads or candidates for drug development. Compounds of interest include not only classical, "drug-like" organic small-molecules, but also peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates and other bioactive chemical classes. Future implementation phases of the MTP concept may support preclinical and clinical development of promising new molecularly targeted investigational drugs.
Monitoring
A process whereby the programmatic and business management performance aspects of a grant are reviewed by assessing information gathered from various required reports, audits, site visits and other sources.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List

Morbidity
Refers to having a disease or a symptom of disease, or to the amount of disease within a population. Morbidity also refers to medical problems caused by a treatment.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Mortality
Refers to the state of being mortal (destined to die). In medicine, a term also used for death rate, or the number of deaths in a certain group of people in a certain period of time. Mortality may be reported for people who have a certain disease, live in one area of the country, or who are of a certain gender, age, or ethnic group.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Most Efficient Organization MEO  
This process involves identifying functions would be considered commercial and under going a process in which the government structures an in-house workforce and then compares it with any qualified commercial providers through a contract bid process.
Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium MMHCC  
This program ended in 2014.
See: electronic Models Information, Communication, and Education (eMice)
Multi-Project Grant Application
A multi-project application is a single grant application submission with multiple, interrelated components with defined work, personnel, sites and budgets that share a common focus or objective.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List

See Also: Component Component Type
Multi-Year Funding
Multi-year funded (MYF) awards are where the project period and budget period are the same and are longer than one year. A no-cost extension of an existing grant does not constitute Multi-Year Funding.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Multicomponent Application MCA  
For the support of a broadly based, multidisciplinary, often long-term research program which has a specific major objective or a basic theme. A program project generally involves the organized efforts of relatively large groups, members of which are conducting research projects designed to elucidate the various aspects or components of this objective.
See: Multi-Project Grant Application
Multicultural
Designed for, or pertaining to, two or more distinctive cultures.
Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator
Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator (multiple PD/PI) awards are an opportunity for multidisciplinary efforts and collaboration through a team of scientists under a single grant award. All PD/PIs share equally the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is responsible and accountable to the applicant organization, or as appropriate to a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of all required reports. The presence of more than one PD/PI on an application or award diminishes neither the responsibility nor the accountability of any individual PD/PI. Go to Multiple Principal Investigators

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.