Application Submission and Review Considerations
Mona R. Trempe, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Officer
NIGMS Office of Scientific Review
Application Submission is a Two System Process
Grants.gov
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Electronic application via this site using these forms is mandatory for this funding opportunity announcement (FOA).
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Hosts standardized federal forms SF424 (R&R) and agency-specific forms (PHS 398)
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Checks the application for federal-wide requirements.
eRA Commons
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Retrieves the data from Grants.gov and checks the application against NIH-specific requirements
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Allows applicants to electronically track the status of submissions and to receive/transmit application and award information
Online Resources
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Overview of Electronic Submission
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Avoiding Common Errors
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Training Resources, Videos, Quick Reference Materials era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/training.htm
Finding Help
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Grants.gov Contact Center
Toll-free: 1-800-518-4726
Hours : Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST
Email :
Support for: PureEdge Forms, PureEdge with a Mac, Grants.gov Registration
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eRA Commons Help Desk
Phone: 301-402-7469
Hours : Mon-Fri, 7a.m. to 8 p.m. EST
Online Help Ticket : ithelpdesk.nih.gov/eRA/
Support for: Commons Registration, Application Status, Post-submission questions
NIGMS
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Forms
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Revised PHS 398 (NIH Guide NOT-OD-08-028)
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11/2007 version must be used for all applications for submission/receipt dates on/after May 25, 2008.
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Format
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Supply all requested materials within page limits
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Follow general appendix guidelines (NIH Guide NOT-OD-07-018) and ones specific to the program announcement
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NO surveys, catalogs, evaluation reports, biosketches in the appendix
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Recent changes to note
NIGMS
When What Who*
0 Submission
+ 2 months Referral
+ 4 months Review
+ 5-6 months Summary Statement
+ 7 months Council
+ 8 months Funding Decisions
+ 9 months Award - or - Not
*NIH Contact: Scientific Review Officer (SRO) or Program Officer (PO)
Timeline of Application and NIH Contacts
Review of Research Training Program Applications
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Review Panel
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Organized by an SRO in the NIGMS Office of Scientific Review
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Special Emphasis Panel or Standing Committee
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Temporary committee members included for particular expertise
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Reviewer characteristics
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Experience with multiple education levels
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Involvement with research training programs
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Educators, researchers, and institutional administrators
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NIGMS
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Content
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Read and respond appropriately to the program announcement
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Successful submission through Grants.gov and eRA Commons does not mean responsiveness to the program announcement
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Context
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Present the institutional framework and environment of your program
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Be realistic in your program’s goals
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Writing Tips
NIGMS
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Comprehensive
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Address all of the requirements of the program announcement
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E.g., if you don’t have institutional baseline data, explain how you plan to obtain it
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Consistent
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Data in tables and text should match
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Match justification to budget items
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Writing Tips
NIGMS
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Clear
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Don’t bury important information in appendices or expansive prose
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Don’t expect reviewers to “read between the lines”
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Current
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E.g., make sure faculty biosketches are up to date
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E.g., provide data on current and prior students
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Writing Tips
NIGMS
Questions?