Questions and Answers Table of Contents
Where can I find information
about Council?
Find basic information about Council and its functions on the Advisory Council portal, including
meeting dates, Biographical Sketches of NIAID Council Members,
Concepts: Potential Opportunities, Council
Operating Procedures, NIAID's Council -- Our Chief Advisory Committee, Advisory Council SOP,
and the Concept
Development SOP.
What is Council?
Council is a chartered advisory committee that provides a diverse perspective
on science, health, and the human impact of disease. Council has four
key roles: performing second-level review, advising NIAID on policy, reviewing programs, and
developing and clearing concepts for
funding future science directions. See NIAID's Council -- Our Chief Advisory Committee for more information.
Do all NIH institutes have an advisory Council?
Yes. By law, each institute at NIH must have an advisory Council. At
NIAID, we have the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Council; NAAIDC for short. To read the law, go to the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1992 (P.L. 92-463) link
from How Laws and Regulations Affect NIH's Programs.
Who is on NIAID's Council?
NAAIDC has 18 voting members, including 12 health or science experts
and six lay members, all of whom usually serve four-year terms. Council also includes six nonvoting ex officio members who provide liaison with higher level organizations.
Find more information on Council membership at NIAID's Council -- Our Chief Advisory Committee. To see who is currently serving on NAAIDC,
go to Biographical Sketches of NIAID Council Members.
When does Council meet?
Council usually meets in January, May, and September
for a one-day meeting. For meeting dates, go to Learn About Council Meetings on
the Advisory Council portal of the NIAID
Research Funding Web site.
What takes place during a Council meeting?
We post the agenda before each meeting. Meetings consist of open and closed subcommittee sessions, full
Council review of applications and subcommittee actions, special presentations,
and remarks by NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci. For details on Council
meetings, see What happens
at Council meetings at NIAID's
Council -- Our Chief Advisory Committee.
What does Council look at during second-level
review?
During second-level review,
Council looks at barriers to funding such as human
subjects and animal concerns,
which must be resolved before it will approve an
application for funding. Council does not look at the scientific
merit of an application and does not repeat the initial
peer review.
Go to Part 9. Second-Level Review in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal, NIAID
Council Operating Procedures, and Advisory
Council SOP.
Do all applications need Council's recommendation before funding?
Yes. Go to Do all competing grant applications
need Council's recommendation before funding? on
the After
Peer Review questions and answers page.
What is expedited Council review?
Council uses expedited review to
make awards several months earlier than would otherwise be possible. Qualifying applications must
have received an
initial
peer review, rank within the payline,
and have no human
subjects or animal concerns.
For
more information, go to Second-Level Review Is Faster for Some Applications in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal, and see the Expedited
Council Review and Award SOP.
What special issues does Council review?
Funding issues or concerns coming out of initial
peer review are called "special
issues," which NIAID resolves after obtaining Council's recommendations.
They include foreign applications, biohazards, and deferred applications.
For a complete list, see Special
Issues Requiring Council Review SOP and Definitions
of Special Issues Presented to Council.
What is concept clearance and
Council's role in it?
Concept
clearance is a review of each initiative
-- request
for applications, request
for proposals, or program
announcement -- usually performed by Council. Concept
clearance is a mandatory step before NIAID can publish an initiative.
Go to NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID for active initiatives.
Does Council play a role in appeals?
Yes, but only as a last resort. When an investigator disputes the results
of an initial
peer review, he or she works with the program
officer and, if necessary,
the scientific
review officer to resolve the issues. If this is unsuccessful,
the NIAID appeals officer determines whether the matter requires Council
resolution.
Before you consider an appeal, see Should You Appeal? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal. For more information, read Appeals
of Scientific Review of Grant Applications SOP.
Does Council recommend applications
before human, animal, and other issues are resolved?
Generally, Council will not recommend your application for funding until you resolve the study section's concerns. If your summary statement has a code for a bar to award, NIAID can't give you an award until the issues are resolved.
Can Council recommend an
application beyond the payline?
Yes. Go to Does Council
recommend some applications beyond the payline? on
the After
Peer Review questions and answers page.
What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?
Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. We answer questions by email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base. |
