• A description of the award (abstract) and NIH funding for each project;
• Publications and patents that have resulted from NIH-funded research;
• Links to PubMed Central, PubMed, and the US Patent & Trademark Office Patent Full Text and Image Database for more detailed information on research results.

For many years, CRISP was one of the most common ways for the public to find information on NIH research programs, returning extensive results on scientific topics. CRISP played an important role in its lifetime and won several awards.

Major changes are happening to NIH applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2010 (Oct 13, 2009): Due to changes resulting from the Enhancing Peer Review initiative, applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2010 require:

• Restructured application forms, and follow
• New instructions including shorter page limits.

These changes affect all new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications. [R01, R21, and R34 AIDS applicants who are appointed members of NIH Advisory Groups whose applications normally would have been due on January 7, 2010 may continue to use current forms and instructions through February 7, 2010.] Applications that use incorrect forms or following old instructions will be delayed and may not be reviewed! Please take the time to learn about the upcoming changes.

Steps for Success:

1. Read now about the changes in order to write the revised Research Strategy section of the application.
2. In December, go back to the updated FOA or reissued Parent Announcement and download the new application package and instructions (both electronic SF 424 R&R and paper PHS 398). Make sure to choose the correct application package: for SF 424 R&R: ADOBE_FORMS_B and for PHS 398: Revision date “June 2009”
3. Read the new application instructions carefully.
4. For due dates on or after January 25, submit applications using the new forms and instructions.

Get Informed!
To better understand the new requirements, the Enhancing Peer Review Website has a page dedicated to the application changes and has made available a number of resources, continually updated, including:

• A flyer
• A one page update
• PowerPoint presentations describing the changes
• FAQs
• List of policy notices
• Timeline of changes
• A video overview of the changes available mid-November on the web site under Training and Communication Resources
• Ability to sign up on the Enhancing Peer Review LISTSERV (or look out for an announcement in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Restructured paper PHS398 and electronic SF424 applications announced by NIH (Sept 16, 2009):
The new versions of the PHS398 and electronic SF424 (R&R) application packages and instructions will be available by December 2009. Applicants must download and use the new application packages for submissions targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2010 (funding for FY 2011 and beyond). Applications that mix old and new paper application forms will be delayed and may not be reviewed. Please closely follow the instructions detailed in the application package. Contact OSP-MED if you have any questions about this announcement, NOT-OD-09-149. NIH guidance on the application changes and the new forms.

ARRA quarterly reporting requirements (July 31, 2009): Recovery Act of 2009: Information on Quarterly Reporting Requirements for NIH Award Recipients

F-series (fellowship) applications have moved to electronic submission and some reminders have been posted (Aug 2009). The deadline shifts to Monday, August 10, 2009 for NIH’s Individual National Research Award as the first time that NIH requires electronic submission for these awards through Grants.gov. Please note:

• Grants.gov downtime Saturday, August 8 to Sunday, August 9 to make system enhancements. Applicants will not be able to search for funding opportunity announcements; download grant application packages; submit applications; or track Grants.gov application status. However, Grants.gov will continue to process applications already in the queue prior to the downtime.
• Corrections to instructions in SF424 Individual Fellowship Application Guide for NIH and AHRQ.
• Diversity Fellowship Application Requirement for Eligibility Certification Letter.
• Reference Letter resources are posted online regarding reference letter submission. Instructions must be followed and are available in the SF424 Individual Fellowship Application Guide (Part 1, Section 5.4).
• Fellowship applications submitted without cover letters are currently receiving the following error: “A cover letter must be attached for this application on the PHS Cover Letter File.” The error must be corrected in order to complete the submission process and allow the application to move on for further consideration. Since the current Fellowship application guide and announcements do not address the requirement for a cover letter, a temporary fix in eRA Commons now is in place to change the existing error to a warning with the following text: “A cover letter was not included with this application. If submitting after the deadline for any reason, a Cover Letter must be attached in the PHS Cover Letter form. Although not required prior to the deadline, applicants are encouraged to include a cover letter with any submission. See application guide for details.” Following the deadline, NIH staff will follow-up with any necessary system changes.
• Reminder to check application image in Commons. If you are not able to view your assembled application image, NIH will not be able to move it forward.

Questions? eRA Helpdesk: 301-402-7469; eRA Helpdesk.

Don’t have duplicate applications in eRA Commons! read more on deleting unwanted submissions.

NIH Alert! (5/1/09): Under NOT-OD-09-091 the error-correction window has been extended to May 8 for RC1 applications and any application with a deadline Apr 27 through May 1, 2009. Despite the extension, please complete the submission process as soon as possible, since it is much preferred to have applications in processing than not having started them in the process at all; not only will you be relieved but eRA Commons will be able to assign it more rapidly and you will gain time over the next cycle. (The additional time to correct errors does not apply to Competitive Revision applications (NOT-OD-09-058), see below.)

Competitive Revisions: If you were affected by a system issue (as outlined in April 21 Items of Interest) and followed the correct ticketing process to document your inability to meet the deadline due to that issue, then Commons assures us that it is tracking those tickets and continues to investigate each ticket individually. Continue to respond quickly to help desk contacts and complete your submissions within two business days from receiving help desk guidance, and your application will not be considered late. Applicants who have already documented their issues should expect to hear back by close of business on Tuesday, May 5.

Calls to the eRA Commons Help Desk and backlog of Help Desk Tickets: Email, web and call volume is almost five times the normal. Not to worry if you have not heard from the Help Desk. They have a record of your contact and there is no need to submit a duplicate request. The backlog is expected to clear over the next week.

Tips from recent experience on use of Adobe-based forms for NIH submissions (Feb 2009)

• Fatal error messages ensue if applicants use PureEdge forms for grant mechanisms that already have transitioned to Adobe. As long as the closing date has not occurred, applicants should re-enter their application onto the proper Adobe-based forms; this includes those applicants who have served on Study Section, who have an extended period to submit, who may receive a fatal error message stating that their funding opportunity closing date has expired although it has not.
• During the transition time, Grants.gov is sorting through system issues (stalled applications, erroneous rejections). Especially now it is important to view your applications in eRA Commons once they have been submitted to ensure that the assembled application is the way it should be. NIH warns that tracking them all the way through to Commons is really the only way to know if they have reached NIH and can go on to peer review. Further, if you can’t identify a legitimate reason for an error, call the Grants.gov Contact Center for advice and to document your issue. And, notify the eRA Commons Help Desk if your issues threaten on-time submission. Application help. Help Desk Contact Information. Avoiding Common Errors.
• As long as all of their versions of Adobe are compatible with the Grants.gov versions, applicants may use any of their Adobe versions, even though there may be several versions located on different computers. For purposes of Grants.gov submissions, Adobe compatibility is a must.
• Most grant application mechanisms now have transitioned to the Adobe forms. See exceptions.
• Adobe transition notices: Availability of forms (Dec 2008); Transition clarification (Nov 2008); and Transition schedule (Sept 2008).

Salary Limitation on Grants, Cooperative Agreements and Contracts Under the Current Continuing Resolution (Salary Cap, Jan 2009)

NIH Announces New Scoring Procedures for Evaluation of Research Applications Received for Potential FY2010 Funding (Dec 2008)

Enhanced Review Criteria for Evaluation of Research Applications Received for Potential FY2010 Funding (Dec 2008)

NIH is focussing ever more strongly on its policy to encourage independent research careers (Oct 2008). Investigators within 10 years of their terminal degree may classify themselves not only as new investigators not having received primary research funding but as Early Stage Investigators whose grant applications will be clustered among other like applications and whose classification will be taken into account during peer review. NIH aims to establish parity between the success fate of research funding to new investigators as to established ones.

eRA Alert: E-mail addresses not appearing on NIH Notices of Award (Oct 2008). eRA Commons announced a bug on the NIH Notice of Award that doesn’t print the institutional email address associated with the application and consequently, prevents the award announcement from going out to that address. Not to worry: investigators still receive an email announcement of their award. All emails are still being sent on the Issue Date to the investigator’s email as well as to the institution’s policy email. And, NoAs continue to be posted on the eRA Commons. A query is available in the Commons that will retrieve a list of Notices of Award by institution. The Commons expects to have the bug fixed by January 16, 2009. For further information, the best way to contact the Commons is by email to helpdesk@od.nih.gov, or call eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469.

The NIH Loan Repayment Program application cycle opened Sept 1, 2008 for extramural (due Dec 3) and intramural (due May 1, 2009) for new repayment applications. These awards can have a positive impact on the careers of biomedical and behavioral researchers, often making the difference in pursuing a research career. BENEFITS: New extramural LRP contracts for Clinical Research, Pediatric Research, Health Disparities Research, Contraception and Infertility Research, and Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds are awarded for two-year periods and repay up to $35,000 of qualified educational debt annually. An NIH grant or other NIH funding is not required to apply for or participate in the LRP. ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must possess a doctoral-level degree (except for the Contraception and Infertility Research LRP); be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident; devote 20 hours or more per week to conducting qualified research funded by a university, domestic nonprofit organization, or federal, state, or local government entity; and have qualified educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of their institutional base salary.

Revised NIH Policy on Resubmissions (Oct 2008)….Attempts to resubmit a grant application that has been unsuccessful on its first try and first resubmission will no longer be allowed, according to new policy.

As NIH gears up to convert all electronic applications to Adobe format, it has provided a test page where investigators may check whether their current versions of Adobe meet the requirements. Note that it is NOT recommended to obtain Adobe from the Adobe website in the usual way. Go to Grants.gov Adobe version test to check your file formats and to download the proper Adobe version configured for NIH purposes.

DHHS continues to operate on a continuing resolution (Oct 2008) [Public Law 110-329 Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009] that extends through March 6, 2009. The CR applies the terms of the FY 2008 appropriations for the period covered by the CR. Until the final FY 2009 appropriation is enacted, NIH will issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 90% of the previously committed level). This is consistent with previous three years’ practice. Resources for FY 2009.

Exceptionally innovative, high risk, original and/or unconventional (Sept 2008) research projects that have the potential to profoundly impact a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research are supported under the Transformative R01 Program, a new program of the NIH Roadmap. According to the funding announcement, the broad topics to be highlighted include: Understanding and Incenting Behavior Change; 3-D Tissue Models; Functional Variation in Mitochondria;Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain; Formulation of Novel Protein Capture Reagents; and Evidence for Pharmacogenomics Clinical Studies.

Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2008 (Feb 2008)

Salary Limitation on Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts (Jan 2008)

NIH Public Access Policy and related clarifications of policy (Jan, Sept 2008)

Revised PHS 2590 (DHHS Public Health Service Noncompeting Continuation Progress Report) Now Available (Jan 2008)

Revised PHS 2271, PHS 3734, and HHS 568 Forms Now Available (Jan 2008)

Revised PHS 398 (DHHS Public Health Service Grant Application) Now Available (Jan 2008)

Modified Application Submission, Referral and Review for Appointed NIH Study Section Members (Jan 2008)

NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications (Jan 2008)

NIH Reduces Temporary “Error Correction Window” for Electronic Grant Applications from Five Business Days to Two (Nov 2007)

Full Implementation to Shorten the Review Cycle for New Investigator R01 Applications Reviewed in Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Recurring Study Sections (Aug 2007)

Extended Comment Period for the Request for Information on the NIH System to Support Biomedical and Behavioral Research and Peer Review (Aug 2007)

Revision: Streamlined Review Process to be used for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications (F32) (Aug 2007)

Major changes in application forms! (Oct 13, 2009)

ARRA reporting requirements (Sept 16, 2009): To date, Boston University Medical Campus has received 44 awards totaling more than $15.2 million funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. As outlined in the notice of award, all ARRA funded projects are subject to special quarterly reporting requirements.

To ensure consistency in reporting and minimize the additional administrative burden on award recipients, all ARRA related quarterly reporting will be handled centrally by OSP-MED with PIs and/or departmental administrators being asked to verify limited information (including an estimate of the number of jobs created and/or retained, and the completion status of the project or activity). Each quarter, OSP plans to be in touch with the PI to update information on these items.

OSP-MED will be holding a training/information session soon to discuss reporting process responsibilities and answer any questions related to this topic. At least one person associated with each award (PI and/or departmental administrator) is requested to attend this session. In some cases, one departmental administrator or PI may represent multiple awards. ARRA FAQ.

Restructured paper PHS398 and electronic SF424 applications announced by NIH (Sept 16, 2009):
The new versions of the PHS398 and electronic SF424 (R&R) application packages and instructions will be available by December 2009. Applicants must download and use the new application packages for submissions targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2010 (funding for FY 2011 and beyond). Applications that mix old and new paper application forms will be delayed and may not be reviewed. Please closely follow the instructions detailed in the application package. Contact OSP-MED if you have any questions about this announcement, NOT-OD-09-149. NIH guidance on the changes.

Key changes include:

1. Shortened page limits, 6 or 12 pages, for the newly-retitled Research Strategy section, depending on the FOA. One additional page will be allowed for Specific Aims. As always, if the FOA requires page limits that differ from the application instructions, the FOA page limits should be followed. For resubmission and revision applications for most programs, the Introduction will be limited to one page. For individual Career Development (K) applications, the Research Strategy includes Candidate Information, and will be limited to 12 pages.
2. Alignment of application with enhanced peer review criteria. To coordinate with enhanced peer review criteria, changes will be made to the Research Plan, Resources, and Biographical Sketch sections of the application forms and instructions, as follows:
   • Research Plan. Three sections of the current Research Plan (Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies/Progress Report, and Research Design and Methods) will be consolidated into a new single section entitled ‘Research Strategy.’ The new Research Strategy section (a single PDF upload in the PHS 398 Research Plan Component of the SF 424 (R&R)), will be sub-divided into three parts: Significance, Innovation, and Approach. The Approach sub-section will include both Preliminary Studies for New Applications and Progress Report for Renewal/Revision Applications.
   • Resources. The Facilities and Other Resources section will be changed to require a description of how the scientific environment will contribute to the probability of success of the project, unique features of the environment, and for Early Stage Investigators, the institutional investment in the success of the investigator (e.g. resources, classes, etc.). The Facilities and Other Resources section is part of the R&R Other Project Information in the SF 424 (R&R) application, and part of the Resources Format Page in the paper PHS 398 application.
   • Biographical Sketch. A new Personal Statement will be incorporated as Part A, changing the parts formerly called A, B, and C to Parts B, C, and D. Applicants will limit the list of selected peer-reviewed publications to no more than 15, chosen on the basis of recency, importance to the field, and relevance to the proposed research.

Manuscript number no longer to be used as proof of compliance with NIH Public Access Policy (8/17/09): Effective August 21, 2009, NIH will not allow an NIH Manuscript Submission Reference Number (NIHMSID) to be used as proof of compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy three months after paper is published. This number is used as a temporary substitute for the Pub Med Central reference number and is intended to be used only in cases where an awardee needs to cite a paper soon after its acceptance by a journal, when there is not enough time to complete every step of the NIH manuscript submission process. At issue is the fact that many months after publication of the paper, the temporary number still is being used, an unacceptable use of the NIHMSID.

Delayed electronic submission (6/26/09): The following mechanisms, originally scheduled to transition to electronic submission for applications due on/after September 25, 2009, have been rescheduled to electronic transition beginning with submissions on/after January 25, 2010:
• Institutional National Research Service Awards (T32, T34, T35, T36, T90, TU2)
• Other institutional training grants (T&D Series, D43, D71, T14, T15, T37, U2R and K30)
• Institutional career development programs (K12)

Please continue to submit these applications using the paper PHS398 application forms until then. NOT-OD-09-113

Cannot charge admin support under ARRA…(5/15/09): OMB considered a request to allow charging administrative salary costs directly to research grants funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and determined that no, ARRA’s reporting requirements are not sufficiently burdensome to justify this departure from usual policy.

ARRA Update…(5/13/09): BUMC submitted 366 applications in response to funding opportunity announcements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 102 of those for the Research Challenge Grant (RC1) deadline alone. In just a few weeks NIH received roughly the total number of applications it receives in a four-month submission round. Regarding RC1 only, NIH received approximately 20,000 applications. Those applications are now working their way through submission to assignment, and with such volume, eRA Commons reminds the research community that it may take staff longer to respond to support and status inquiries.

Currently, NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) is making logical groupings for the review process. While these efforts are underway, investigators may receive multiple automated emails alerting them to check eRA Commons when changes are made to an application assignment. CSR expects that most assignment changes will be final by May 21.

All RC1 applications will be reviewed in Special Emphasis Panels. Special efforts are being made to convene Special Emphasis Panels of reviewers with appropriate expertise. Investigators may find that the panels are being coordinated by Initial Review Groups (IRG) with which they are not familiar. CSR will not consider requests to move applications between panels.

Automated notifications also are being generated for Institute/Center (IC) assignment changes. Although these messages give contact information, questions about IC assignments are best directed to the assigned primary IC or the IC that the investigator feels is more appropriate. IC contacts can be found on the IC-specific Challenge Grant Web sites.

BUMC’s new DHHS rate agreement (FY2010)… BU letter annoucing fringe benefit rate and DHHS rate agreement, Feb 10, 2009

Recent NIH-approved, unfunded applications may be funded!…(4/6/09): Under ARRA’s unprecedented $8.2 billion bolus of extramural grant funds, NIH will make grant awards from existing peer-reviewed, meritorious grant applications that can be accomplished in two years or less, meet the goals of the ARRA, and meet the mission priorities of NIH Institutes/Centers (I/C). If your application was submitted for FY2008/2009 funding and you received:

• a meritorious priority score from the initial peer review process;
• Advisory Council or Board approval prior to 9/30/2009; and
• a score that could not otherwise be paid in FY 2008 or 2009

then consider contacting your program director. Program directors now are contacting applicant PD/PIs to discuss potential modifications of the Abstract, Specific Aims, Public Health Relevance, and budget. Individual NIH ICs have more detailed information on their websites regarding this and other specific ARRA funding opportunities. Find the NOT-OD-09-078 announcement.

RC1 deadline (Memo to the Research Community from Jane F. Kinsel, ORA Director)… (4/2/09): The BUMC Office of Research Administration (ORA) is trying to staff appropriately to meet the needs of BUMC researchers who are preparing applications related to the Recovery Act (Stimulus) funds. Thanks to those of you who have already completed the on-line survey regarding your upcoming planned submissions. If you haven’t had an opportunity to respond yet to the survey or if you plan to submit additional applications based on the funding opportunities posted recently, we encourage you to provide this information. By April 6th, please ensure that you have completed the survey form for applications, including supplements, that you plan to submit over the next four months.

Because grants.gov (the federal centralized submission portal for applications) might not be capable of handling the number of applications being submitted at the next deadline(s), we are requesting the deadline date of no later than close of business, April 15th, 2009, for the RC-1 applications in order to ensure they will process through the pipeline. Any applications received by ORA after that date will require ORA to obtain approval from the Provost for submission and may jeopardize error-free acceptance through grants.gov.

Find guidance and information about funding opportunities on: Recovery Act 2009.

NIH Revision Applications and Challenge Grants, new from the Recovery Act… (2/25/09): NIH has announced solicitations for new funds received for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, or the Stimulus Package). NIH has designated $1 billion for supplements and $200 million for a new initiative called the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research (RC1). See ORA guidance on supplements and the RC1 expedited process. The Challenge Grants use the RC1 mechanism, and will support research on topic areas which address specific scientific and health research challenges that would benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds and for which NIH Institutes and Centers have selected specific Challenge Topics within each Challenge Area. Research in Challenge Areas should have a high impact in biomedical or behavioral science and/or public health. See RFA-0D-09-003 for the complete announcement.

A communication from Provost and Dean Karen H. Antman, M.D. on the Stimulus Package, NIH FY2009 appropriation, and whom to contact… (2/25/09): First, regarding NIH Appropriations, FY2009, $30.32 billion is budgeted, an increase of $937.5 million (3.2%) over FY2008. This is separate from the stimulus package.
In the Stimulus Package, NIH will fund:

• $300 million to NCRR for shared instrumentation, either SIGs or S10 shared instrumentation grants. The deadline is March 23rd. Contact David C. Seldin, M.D., Ph.D., 617-638-7027
• $1 billion to NCRR for renovation, improvement and construction of extramural research facilities. Several BUMC construction grants are planned.
• R01 and related mechanisms: in FY2008 approximately 14,000 applications were approved for funding but unfunded. These will be reviewed to see if two years of funding would be productive. If you just missed the funding range last year, call your program director to inquire about funding.
• Supplements to existing grants: some competitive, some administrative, and some theme oriented—e.g. training and equipment. Call your program director to inquire about a supplement for trainees, post-docs, equipment, and/or for funding an additional research aim.
• NIH Challenge Grants: $100-200 million available, based on quality of the responses, for two-year awards in priority research, public health, or cross-cutting initiatives. Guidance forthcoming on how to apply for awards (reportedly $500K/year, new RFA, short application form, expedited peer review).
• $400 million, transferred from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Technology (AHRQ) for comparative effectiveness research.

Key principles are: money must be obligated within two years; none of the funds (yet) have been added to the base; NIH will not restore prior cuts or under-funding; concern for new investigators integrated into all mechanisms.
Upcoming NIH deadlines (see NIH site for comprehensive list): March 16, R03, R21 (renewal, resubmission); March 23, S10 Shared instrumentation grants; April 8, all Fs; April 12, R13 (conference); April 13, F 31 (diversity); May 7, AIDS and related; June 16, R03, R21 (new).

H.R. 1 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka Stimulus Package)…How will it affect BUMC? A communication from Provost and Dean Karen H. Antman, M.D. (2/15/09): The new Stimulus Package provides a major opportunity for BUMC to obtain funding for outstanding research and to obtain signficant levels of funding for grants already scored and reviewed. BUMC will be implementing several strategies aligned with the package. Please keep the following in mind as you contemplate your next application cycles:

• Construction grants for animal facilities, energy savings upgrades, and the K research building;
• Shared Instrumentation Grants for campus-wide core facilities;
• Hiring of grants administration personnel;
• Facilitation of grant applications.

The relevant biomedical funding in the final conference agreement on the H.R.1 Act, synthesized from a number of sources, provides:

$10 billion to NIH,over and above the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs’ set-aside requirements.

• $8.2 billion is appropriated to the Office of the Director (OD) to be transferred mostly to the Institutes, Centers, and the Common Fund with $800 million retained in the OD to “be used for purposes that can be completed within two years, with priority placed on short-term grants that focus on specific scientific challenges, new research that expands the scope of ongoing projects, and research on public and international health priorities.”
• $1.3 billion to NCRR, $1 billion for “competitive awards for the construction and renovation of extramural research facilities.” The conference agreement waives non-Federal match requirements for extramural facilities. NCRR will give priority to those applications that are expected to generate demonstrable energy-saving or beneficial environmental effects. An additional $300 million goes to “shared instrumentation and other capital equipment.”
• $0.5 billion for the NIH Buildings and Facilities account to be used for construction and renovation of NIH intramural buildings.

$3 billion to NSFfor basic research in science and engineering:

• $2.5 billion for research and related activities;
• $300 million for the major research instrumentation program;
• $200 million for academic research facilities’ modernization.

$1.6 to 2 billion for the Department of Energy for science and research programs.
$0.8 billion to AHRQ, $400 million to be transferred to the NIH Institutes, Centers, and the Common Fund, for comparative effectiveness research, with up to an additional $400 million to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for comparative effectiveness research.
$0.5 billion to HRSA for health professions workforce development (scholarships, loan repayment, and equipment grants to training programs).
$0.3 billion to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), 20% of NHSC funds for field operations, $75 million to remain available through 9/30/2011 for extension of service contracts, and the remainder for “all the disciplines trained through the primary care medicine and dentistry program, the public health and preventive medicine program, the scholarship and loan repayment program, the scholarship and loan repayment programs authorized in Title VII (Health Professions) and Title VIII (Nurse Training) of the PHS Act, and grants to training programs for equipment.” The NHSC funds may be used to coordinate cross-state telemedicine activities.
Regarding student loans, $30 billion in new funds would flow to students and their families in 2009 and 2010:

• $17 billion in the form of increased Pell Grants;
• $13 billion in expanded higher education tax credits (now available to students from lower-income families that do not pay taxes);
• Dropped from the compromise legislation were increased limits for federal student loans and funds for Perkins Loans.

Criteria for Clinical Trial Registration with NIH…
When Must I Register My Trial? (12/11/08):

1. Trials initiated after 9/27/2007 must be registered in full not later than 21 days after the first patient is enrolled, or by 12/26/2007, whichever is later.
2. Trials that were initiated on or before 9/27/2007 and “ongoing” as of 12/26/2007 and do involve a “serious or life threatening disease or condition” must be registered in full by 12/26/2007.
3. Trials that were “ongoing” as of 9/27/2007 and do not involve a “serious or life threatening disease or condition” must be registered in full by 9/27/2008.
4. Trials that were “ongoing” as of 9/27/2007, do involve a “serious or life threatening disease or condition,” and are completed (meaning, not “ongoing”) by 12/26/2007 are not subject to these requirements, though they may be subject to pre-existing registration requirements. (“Ongoing” in this context means a trial had one or more patients enrolled, but had not examined the final subject or provided the final subject an intervention for the purposes of final collection of data for the primary outcome.)

Three NIH notices have been published on this topic, all at this link.

K-series Now Electronic… (Dec 2008): NIH has announced new business process for individual career development applications (K-series, except K12) for the February 12, 2009 submission date and beyond (NOT-OD-09-029).

• Applications must be submitted electronically; and
• Applicants will be required to provide additional information.

Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for individual K programs have been updated and will also be announced in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. The SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide for NIH and Other PHS Agencies, now includes Part 1.7 Supplemental Instructions to the SF 424 (R&R) for Preparing an Application for the K series, and should be used with all Adobe application packages.

Grant Writing Workshops… Thursday, December 18, 2008
WRITING SUCCESSFUL GRANTS, 9 am to 4:30 pm.
FINDING FUNDING, 1:30-4:30 pm.
Location: Pending (Medical Campus)
GrantWinners Seminars, led by Dr Robert Porter, is returning to present its popular workshops, each lasting about three hours, sponsored by BUMC’s Office of Research Administration and BMC’s Grant Administration Office.
Writing Successful Grants covers the basic principles of good grant writing for researchers in all disciplines, starting with the phrasing of a compelling research theme to the actual construction of the proposal itself. Major differences between acceptable “academic prose” and persuasive grant writing are highlighted. Common pitfalls that can lead to early rejection of good ideas are reviewed and matched with practical strategies for better writing.

• Ten killer mistakes in grant writing and how to avoid them;
• Two critical steps that will double your chances for success;
• How to win over the grant reviewer;
• Simple keys to a more powerful writing style;
• Visualization: Using illustrations to “sell” your project.

Finding Funding addresses the search for funding, which can be both time consuming and frustrating. Online databases are becoming increasingly important in helping scholars to quickly identify potential sponsors for their research. This “hands on” workshop will focus on the use of powerful tools such as Community of Science, the Foundation Center, and Grants.gov. Search techniques for web sites of federal agencies will also be covered, with plenty of time for participants to practice their skills. (Note: This workshop requires a laptop computer with wireless capability.)
Robert Porter, PhD, has more than thirty years’ experience as a tenured professor, healthcare consultant and research administrator. His proposals have won more than $5 million in awards from government agencies and private foundations. He has presented papers and workshops on grant writing at national conferences and has published award-winning articles on this subject in the Journal of Research Administration. Now working with the Faculty Development Institute at Virginia Tech, he has taught at Swarthmore College, Susquehanna University, and Eastern Washington University and holds graduate degrees in Speech Communications from the University of Michigan.
To register: complete the Registration Form 2009 and fax it to 617-414-2834 or e-mail Ellen Jamieson at BMC Grants Administration by Dec 4, 2008. Seating is limited; registration is on a “first come, first served” basis. Once registered, additional information regarding the location of the seminars will be sent. If you are unable to attend, please contact Ellen Jamieson to release your spot to a stand-by registrant.

Summer 2008: As NIH gears up to convert all electronic applications to Adobe format, it has provided a test page where investigators may check whether their current versions of Adobe meet the requirements. Note that it is NOT recommended to obtain Adobe from the Adobe website in the usual way. NIH and Adobe, as partners in this electronic applications initiative, recommend that all members of the research community go to Grants.gov Adobe version test to check their file formats and download the proper Adobe version configured for NIH purposes.

June 2008: ORA’s new application review policy was piloted during the recent March cycle and took effect June 1, 2008, giving investigators the option of taking extra time to devote to the science writing of their applications. ORA announced that investigators may choose between two options for review of grant applications: prepare and submit the budget, assurances and research components in one package five business days ahead of the grant deadline, or submit these components separately. Under the second option, budgets, assurances, and a draft abstract must arrive at ORA’s doorstep eight business days prior to the deadline but investigators have an added week to devote to writing the research plan. The finished science must be uploaded into the electronic application three days prior to the deadline, with ORA submitting the entire package without further review. Go to institutional forms for the application forms. See the Application Submission Planner.

The The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenge Exploration Grants, due May 28, 2009 (4/7/09): Round 3.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Five-year, $100 million initiative to encourage bold and unconventional research on new global health solutions. Initial grants will be $100,000 each. Projects showing success will have the opportunity to receive additional funding up to $1 million. The Explorations initiative focuses on research areas where creative, unorthodox thinking is most urgently needed. The topic areas for which proposals will be accepted in Round 3 are:

• Creating Low-Cost Diagnostics for Priority Global Health Conditions
• Creating New Tools to Accelerate the Eradication of Malaria
• Creating New Vaccines for Diarrhea, HIV, Malaria, Pneumonia and Tuberculosis
• Creating New Ways to Induce Mucosal Immunity

Many of the projects that received grants from the first round of Grand Challenges Explorations pursued approaches that challenge conventional wisdom, such as using engineering techniques to enhance the natural human immune system. The grants from Round 2 will be announced by May 2009.

ELIGIBILITY: Grand Challenges Explorations is open to both foreign and domestic non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies and academic institutions. Grants will not be provided to individuals.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Online. Two-page applications; preliminary data are not required.
Full descriptions, topic areas, and application instructions are available at the Grand Challenges Explorations web site. The Foundation and an independent group of reviewers will select the most innovative proposals, and grants will be awarded within approximately three months from the proposal submission deadline.

The American Heart Association’s new on-line application system, Grants@Heart began accepting new applications Jan 22, 2009. Applicants may submit one application only to the affiliate and one application to the National Center (if appropriate); if both are funded, he or she may accept one award only. New AHA practice is the requirement that institutional Grants Officers now submit applications to the AHA whereas in the past, investigators submitted their own applications. Questions about use of the system: Lora Wong, Manager, Applicant and Awardee Services, (410) 637-4539, or your ORA research administrator.