Questions and Answers Table of Contents
Are supplements a type of grant?
No. A supplement is
funding added to an existing grant or cooperative
agreement.
What are the different types of supplements?
There are three types of supplements: administrative,
revision,
and research.
What is an administrative supplement?
An administrative supplement pays for research expenses that come up
after an application is funded. NIAID awards them under strictly defined
circumstances. Read more in the Administrative Supplements to Grants and Cooperative Agreements SOP and ask your program officer for advice.
What is a grant revision?
A grant revision (formerly called a competing supplement) provides funds to significantly expand the scope of an existing award. See Revision of a Grant SOP for more information.
For guidance on filling out an electronic application, see Frequently
Asked Questions: Resubmission, Revisions Renewal on OER's
Electronic
Submission of Grant Applications Web site.
What is a research supplement?
Research supplements support the work of investigators from population segments that are underrepresented in the field of scientific research. Read more in What Do Research Supplements Pay For?
What is a diversity supplement?
It is a type of research supplement that provides additional funds
to hire qualified scientists who are from an underrepresented
group.
Find out more at Research
Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research.
Where can I find a sample biosketch for a diversity supplement?
You can use your mentor's biosketch from his or
her grant application.
What other types of research supplements are there?
Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) are designed to support postdoctoral research scientists who are taking care of a child or sick family member. A PCTAS provides a mid-to-senior level technician to fill in when a scientist needs to be away from the lab.
In addition, reentry supplements provide funds to hire a scientist who has taken time off research work for family responsibilities. Read Reentry Supplements for more information.
Who can apply for a research supplement?
The actual beneficiary of a research supplement doesn't apply.
Instead, a research project's PI applies
on behalf of a qualified project team member. See Applying
for a Research Supplement.
Can I supplement NRSA stipends from R01 funds?
No, you cannot, even if the NIH training grant
stipends are not enough money for graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows to live on. It's against regulations to supplement
a stipend with
funds from an NIH grant.
What's the difference between a supplement and compensation?
The terms 'supplement' and 'compensate' refer to different
ways to support a graduate
student, fellow, or trainee, though
many administrators
and faculty use the term supplement nonspecifically
to refer to compensation.
Grantees can pay compensation (salary, fringe
benefits, and tuition
remission) to someone currently supported by an
NRSA fellowship or training grant from grant monies for services
such as teaching or laboratory assistance.
The support should be for limited, part-time employment apart from the normal NRSA training activities and must not detract from or prolong the NRSA training. Fellows and trainees are normally compensated with stipends, money allocated in fellowships and training grants to help defray living expenses, at levels set by NIH each year.
Compensation is not a supplement, which is a funding instrument
to add money to an existing NIH research grant.
If I'm recovering from a natural disaster, can I request supplemental funds or time for my project?
Yes. Call your program officer, who will advise you whether to proceed. We will consider issuing administrative supplements to extend time and replace equipment, supplies, and other resources.
How do I request supplemental funds or time to recover from a natural disaster?
Have your authorized organizational representative email your request to the NIAID grants staff who signed your Notice of Award. Or send NIAID your request using the PHS 398 face, budget, and budget justification pages.
If using email, put the grant number in the subject line. In the body
of the message, name the grantee and PI, and include the PI's and authorized
organizational representative's phone number, fax number, and email address.
See NIH Extramural Response to Natural Disasters and Other Emergencies for more information.
Does a research supplement include indirect costs?
Yes. Research supplements cover indirect costs. The total costs includes the direct costs of conducting research as well as indirect costs, also called facilities and administrative costs.
For more information, contact the grants administrator at your institution or Raushanah Newman at 301-451-2691 or newmanrau@niaid.nih.gov.
What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?
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