NLM FY 2009 Grants Funding Policy

NLM supports as many meritorious competing grant applications as possible across the array of grant programs it offers. General funding guidelines are established each year based on appropriated funds available. Final award decisions reflect considerations of program relevance, portfolio balance, recommendations of the NLM Board of Regents, and availability of funds. In keeping with NIH policy, budgets for awarded grants may receive programmatic or administrative adjustments. These adjustments take into consideration the overall scientific and technical merit of the grant application as well as the appropriateness of the requested budget.

Fundable Range.
NLM uses Merit Scores rather than percentiles as the basis for award decisions. For experienced investigators, applications with scores of 150 or better are the most likely to be funded. For (1) Early Stage investigators and New investigators seeking their first R01 research grant, or (2) applicants for Career Transition (K99) awards, applications with scores of 170 or better are most likely to be funded. All grant awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Non-Competing Research Grant Awards. NLM abides by NIH policy concerning reductions to pre-existing grant commitments, as outlined in NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-00-002, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-002.html. Specifically, during the FY 2009 Continuing Resolution (CR) period, NLM will issue non-competing awards at a level up to 90% of the committed level. Non-competing award reductions will not be made to Career awards (K awards), Individual Fellowships (F37 ) or Institutional Training Grants (T-15).

New and Amended Grant Applications. NLM manages its R01 research grant portfolio so that success rates are comparable for new and experienced investigators. In FY 2008, the average NLM R01 research grant award was $360,000 in total costs per year. On average, awards in FY 2009 will not exceed the FY 2008 amount. The duration of an R01 award will rarely exceed four years. Some NLM grants, such as grants in the G series, K grants and R21 grants, have published duration and budget ceilings which differ from the research grant average.

Grant Applications with budgets greater than $500K. Prior approval from NLM is required before submitting a grant application that requests $500,000 or more in direct costs in any one year. This prior approval is required in advance of an electronic submission of a new or revised application. Applicants are strongly urged to control costs in their proposals in order to keep them below this level. Consult with NLM grant program staff listed as contact for the grant program in question. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/Grants.html

Early Stage and New Investigators. NLM assists Early Stage Investigators (those within 10 years of completing their terminal degree)and New Investigators (those who have not received a substantial competing research grant from NIH) seeking to establish their research careers by giving special funding consideration to their R01 research grant applications. NLM uses NIH definitions for these groups as published in the NIH Guide at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-121.html.

Bridge Support. The goal of the NIH Director’s Bridge Award is to help investigators maintain basic resources until review of a revised application is complete. This option is available only in cases where the original competing renewal application falls near but beyond the general payline. NLM participates in the NIH Director’s Bridge Awards program and will submit a request for NIH Director’s Bridge support for applications from (1) NLM grantees who were new investigators for their active award and are seeking their first competing renewal, or (2) experienced investigators whose active NLM grant is their primary source of extramural funding.

Last reviewed: 21 October 2008
Last updated: 21 October 2008
First published: 04 March 2004
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed