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Standard Operating Procedure Table of Contents
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Purpose
To enable NIH ICs to
give investigators with stellar records of research
accomplishment a five-year award (with a possible three- to five-year extension) that does not go through initial peer review.
Procedure
Program staff nominate outstanding investigators for Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Awards (R37), which are approved
by spring Council.
Each year, NIAID issues about 15 new MERIT awards. Investigators may
not have more than one MERIT award at a time.
MERIT awardees may receive an extension of up to an additional five
years, depending on Council review and approval of an abbreviated application.
MERIT Awards
Principal Investigators
Program Staff
- Recommend R01 awardees who:
- Have demonstrated superior competence and outstanding productivity.
- Have outstanding records of scientific achievement as leaders of one or more investigator-initiated research projects.
- Work actively in a research area of special importance or promise.
- Prepare support documents for submission to Council. Check with your program division coordinator for deadlines.
- Scientific division directors prioritize their division's recommendations for spring Council.
Grants Management Specialists
MERIT Extensions
Principal Investigators
- Following your grants management specialist's instructions, submit an abbreviated application between 16 and 19 months before the project period end date of your MERIT award.
Grants Management Specialists
- Receive a list of MERIT extensions from your coordinator by the end of April, July, and November each year. The list will include extensions for awards that end in roughly 21 months.
- Send a letter to PIs informing them of the MERIT extension application
due date. See MERIT Reminder Letter.
- Send a copy of the MERIT extension application to the following:
- For more detailed instructions, see GMP'sMERIT Awards and MERIT Extensions SOP.
Program Staff
- Review MERIT extension applications to make sure nominees are in their fourth year of funding.
- With your scientific division director's approval, recommend extension of all MERIT awards for that Council round.
- For each nominee, present a MERIT extension worksheet to Council for approval.
Include the following information:
- A budget level and time period of three to five years.
- The summary
statement from the initial application.
- The first five pages
of the MERIT extension application. If the budget page is not in the
first five pages, provide all pages through the budget page
Contacts
Contact
for NIAID Staff -- GMP MERIT Coordinator
Program Division Coordinators
Contact for NIAID Staff -- DAIDS
Contact for NIAID Staff -- DAIT
Contact for NIAID Staff -- DMID
If you have knowledge to share or want more information on this topic, email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.
Links
NIAID Grant Types
Advisory Council SOP
NPARS Module -- MERIT Pay System
NPARS Module -- MERIT Extensions
Council
Guidance
NIAID
Funding Policy and Process SOP
Program
Officer Checklist SOP |