The successful receipt of 241 electronic applications for the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (NDPA) marks a major milestone in eRA/Grants.gov collaboration. After evaluating approximately 1,300 nominations for the new NDPA, NIH invited 250 nominees to apply through Grants.gov.

Although eRA has been collaborating with Grants.gov since its inception, this was eRA’s first experience with live applications from the federal site. Furthermore, the NDPA application form (SF 424), which departs significantly from the Public Health Service (PHS) 398, posed an additional challenge. As discussed below, NIH continues to work with Grants.gov to establish a single, effective electronic entry point for all applicants.

NDPA applicants used PureEdge™ software, available at Grants.gov, to download, complete and submit the required SF 424 (Application for Federal Assistance) form and attachments. The NIH then retrieved the application packages, created online grant images, and assigned reviewers. Previous NIH pilots (see article in this issue) accepted the electronic equivalent of the Public Health Service (PHS) 398 application. In accordance with federal standardization objectives, NIH is preparing to process both the 398 and an expanded version of the 424.

The NDPA application package comprises several other new components. In addition to the SF 424, applicants submitted a personal essay and a copy or description of their most significant achievement in PDF format. Applicants also had to log on to the NIH Roadmap site to enter contact information for three references.

Carol Alderson and other staff from the Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA), under the leadership of Joe Ellis, were instrumental in structuring the new application package. Scarlett Gibb, chief of eRA’s Planning, Communication and Outreach Branch, worked closely with Alderson to design the pilot process and to answer applicants’ questions prior to the receipt date.

“We did a lot of hand holding to make sure that everyone's application was submitted and accepted and that technical issues did not create barriers,” commented David Wright, chief of eRA’s Requirements Branch. 

In addition to the new application process, the NDPA introduced an entirely new grant mechanism, the DP1. Conceived by NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, the NDPA will fund exceptionally creative investigators who have an idea for achieving a major breakthrough in biomedical or behavioral research. Since the NDPA is a concept award, applicants do not have to submit detailed scientific plans. 

After reviewing the 241 NDPA applications, a panel of outside experts will interview a subset of the applicants in August-September 2004, and the Advisory Committee to the Director will provide additional input. NIH then will select 5 to 10 for award. Each 2004 grant will receive up to $500,000 per year for five years. NIH expects to name the awardees in late September. For more information on the NDPA, see the NIH Guide Notice issued on January 23, 2004.

Address questions about Pioneer Awards to pioneer@nih.gov.