National Cancer Institute Office of Grants Administration (OGA) (formerly the Grants Administration Branch)

Related Links

Grants Information:

• NCI's publication "Everything you Wanted to Know About the NCI Grants Process But Were Afraid to Ask" describes, in a general way, how a grant is awarded and administered.  Although the discussion relates to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the grants process is similar in the other National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarding components. 
• A wealth of Information for NIH's New Grantees may be found in NIH's Office of Extramural Research's (OER's) "Welcome Wagon" Letter.  The intent of this memorandum is to highlight key requirements, provide referrals to important sources of information available from NIH, and identify NIH and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) offices having responsibility for certain administrative functions.
• The National Institutes of Health Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) is intended to make available to NIH grantees, in a single document, up-to-date policy guidance that will serve as the terms and conditions of NIH awards.
• NIH's Electronic Research Administration (ERA) Commons is a virtual meeting place where NIH extramural grantee organizations, grantees, and the public can receive and transmit information about the administration of biomedical and behavioral research.  The ERA Commons is divided into both unrestricted and restricted portions that provide for public and confidential information, respectively.
• NIH Grant Funding Opportunities - NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides web accessible information about ongoing grant programs and special initiatives. OER's funding opportunities web site includes application kits, guidelines for applications for various types of grants and identification of appropriate contacts at the NIH institutes and centers that make awards.
• The NIH forms and applications for Grantees which are available online are maintained by NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER).
• The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts contains NIH notices, program announcements (PAs) and requests for applications (RFAs) and is maintained by NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER).
• DHHS's GrantsNet is a tool for finding and exchanging information about HHS and selected other Federal grant programs.  It is part of the much publicized national movement toward providing government resources to the general public in a more accessible and meaningful manner.
• NCI's Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) provides information on current NCI Requests for Applications (RFAs) and Program Announcements (PAs). Also provided,are the NCI Recently Cleared Concepts an early alert to upcoming publication of these initiatives which will later appear in final complete form in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training.  The NCI coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.
• The NCI Director's Office website gives a brief description of NCI activities.
• The NCI's Division of Extramural Research (DEA) is responsible for conducting the scientific review of applications for the support of extramural research, and for monitoring and surveillance of that research after funding. DEA provides web accessible information about NCI's ongoing grant funding opportunities and special initiatives.
• A list of websites detailing NCI's Extramural Research and Intramural Research (Research at NCI) efforts may be found on NCI's homepage.
• The Office of Budget and Finance (OBF) website provides financial and statistical information about the NCI and its funding for Cancer research.
• The Office of Management Analysis is the principal NCI staff resource for management analysis. The OMA is primarily responsible for interpretation, development and issuance of policy for NCI.
• The Office of Acquisitions participates in the planning, review, award and management of all National Cancer Institute (NCI) contracts and simplified acquisitions. In addition, OA acts as a service center for contract actions and purchasing required by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the 11 health agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Comprised of 24 separate Institutes, Centers, and Offices, NIH has 75 buildings on more than 300 acres in Bethesda, Maryland.  The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone.  NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of biomedical information.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports a Searchable Personnel Directory Index which allows users to identify addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of NCI and NIH staff.
• The NIH Director's website provides links to the latest health information; news from NIH; key meetings, reports and events; speeches and testimony; a listing of senior staff within the Office of the Director (OD); a listing of OD components.
• A list of NIH's Initial Review Groups (IRGs) with descriptions of the scientific area of each IRG and its component study sections has been made available online by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), formerly known as the Division of Research Grants (DRG).
• The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides guidance to institutes in research and training programs conducted through extramural (grant, contract, cooperative agreement) programs.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in the process of modernizing its management information systems related to extramural programs.  The new system, called IMPAC II is designed to improve the ease of use, accessibility, timeliness, accuracy, communication, analysis, and management of the extramural research projects database.
• Find your way around the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with maps and source located in the Visitor Information.
• The NIH Advanced Search Page provides the ability to search for documents of interest within the NIH website. The basic and advanced search options can be found on NIH homepage in the upper right hand corner.
• A list of NIH's online scientific resources is available on NIH's homepage
• The NIH Roadmap identifies the most compelling opportunities in three main areas: new pathways to discovery, research teams of the future, and re-engineering the clinical research enterprise. Initiatives under the NIH Roadmap will help enable the agency to sustain its historic record of making cutting-edge contributions that are central to extending the quality of healthy life for people in this country and around the world.
• The NIH Calendar of Events (Yellow Sheet) provides a centralized and easily accessible place to obtain information about meetings and events. This is a searchable index.

DHHS Sites:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.  The DHHS consists of the Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS), the Program Support Center (PSC), and 11 operating divisions which manage over 300 programs.  These operating division are:

• The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is responsible for federal programs which promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.
• The Administration on Aging (AOA) is responsible for federal programs which are for older Americans and their families as well as those concerned about providing the opportunities and services to enrich the lives of older persons and support their independence.
• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead agency charged with supporting research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to essential services.  AHRQ's broad programs of research bring practical, science-based information to medical practitioners and to consumers and other health care purchasers.
• The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the lead agency charged with providing public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the lead agency charged with promoting health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.
• The Centers for Medicare & Medical Services (CMS) administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for seeing that the food we eat is safe and wholesome, the cosmetics we use won't hurt us, the medicines and medical devices we use are safe and effective, and that radiation-emitting products such as microwave ovens won't do us harm.  Feed and drugs for pets and farm animals also come under FDA scrutiny.  The FDA also ensures that all of these products are labeled truthfully with the information that people need to use them properly.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) directs national health programs which improve the health of the Nation by assuring quality health care to underserved, vulnerable and special-need populations and by promoting appropriate health professions workforce capacity and practice, particularly in primary care and public health.
• The Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the world's foremost biomedical research centers and the Federal focal point for biomedical research in the U.S.  The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone.  The NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of biomedical information.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the lead agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

• USA.gov, the official U.S. gateway to all government information, is the catalyst for a growing electronic government. Our work transcends the traditional boundaries of government and our vision is global–connecting the world to all U.S. government information and services.
• The General Accounting Office (GAO) is the investigative arm of Congress.  Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of Government programs and activities.
• The Library of Congress website provides access to current bills under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and the catalogs of the Library of Congress and other libraries, databases on special topics, and other Library of Congress Internet resources.
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent U.S. federal government agency responsible for promoting science and engineering through programs that invest over $3.3 billion per year in almost 20,000 research and education projects in science and engineering.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) was established in 1953 as an independent agency of the U.S. federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.
• The Social Security Administration (SSA) was established in 1935 as a U.S. federal government agency responsible for providing economic protection for Americans of all ages.
• The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) prints, binds, and distributes the publications of the Congress as well as the executive departments and establishments of the Federal Government.
• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is the U.S. Department of Commerce bureau responsible for the examination and issuance of patents and the examination and registration of trademarks.
• The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate websites provide access to information about bills and resolutions being considered in the Congress, as well as current information about what's happening on the House and Senate floors.
• The White House website provides access to information about commonly requested federal services and other helpful information.

• The Cancer Information Service (CIS), a national information and education network, is a free public service of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Nation’s primary agency for cancer research.  The CIS is your source for the latest, most accurate cancer information for patients, their families, the general public, and health professionals.  The CIS responds to calls in English and Spanish at 1-800-4-CANCER.
• The NCI's Clinical Trials website serves as a cohesive information center for NCI's clinical trials. This site coordinates existing relevant resources within the NCI, from PDQ protocols to patient education materials to scientific information, while providing an overall perspective about the place of clinical trials in cancer care.
• The NCI's Website for cancer patients, the public, and the mass media contains news and information on many of its programs and resources. This site is managed by the Office of Cancer Communications.  Specific inquiries about cancer or NCI programs should be directed to the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.
• The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the Federal government.  The CFDA may also be accessed at the following website: http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html.
• The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.  The CFR may be found online at the Office of the Federal Register's website.  Links to 45 CFR Parts 16, 74, 76, 92, 93, 96 and 100 are available online via the Department of Health and Human Services' GrantsNet.
• The NCI Factbook contains information which is compiled and amended annually by the Financial Management Branch (FMB) staff of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is intended primarily for use by members of the Institute, principal advisory groups to the Institute and others involved in the administration and management of the National Cancer Program.
• The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides a useful list of policy notices, policy documents and policy.
• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has made its circulars available online.  OMB, working cooperatively with Federal agencies and non-Federal parties, establishes governmentwide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules. These policies are adopted by each grantmaking agency and inserted into their Federal regulations.
• The Public Laws database is a collection of laws enacted during the 105th Congress (1997-98) and 104th Congress (1995-96) and are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
• The White House maintains a website which provides health and other statisticial information.

• The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) is a private nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation program.
• The Association of American Universities (AAU) was founded in 1900 by a group of fourteen universities offering the Ph.D. degree.  The AAU currently consists of sixty American universities and two Canadian universities.  Approximately half are public institutions and half are private.  The association serves its members in two major ways.  First, it assists them in developing national policy positions on issues that relate to academic research and graduate and professional education.  Second, it provides them with a forum for discussing a broad range of other institutional issues, such as undergraduate education.
• The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a nonprofit association comprising the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools; the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools; more than 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 70 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; nearly 90 academic and professional societies representing 75,000 faculty members; and the nation's medical students and residents.  The Association of American Medical Colleges has as its purpose the improvement of the nation's health through the advancement of academic medicine.
• The Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) is a nationwide association of eighty-seven (87) non-profit independent research institutes.  These institutes are an integral part of the United States research community.  Their scientists, who include nine Nobel laureates, perform outstanding research as judged by peers and funding agencies, and they train both graduate and postdoctoral students.
• The Community of Science (COS) links researchers worldwide through information products available on the World Wide Web. The Company's products and services are designed to meet the information needs of the scientific R&D community. This large and active market consists primarily of researchers at big institutions such as universities, government agencies, federal laboratories, foundations, and professional societies. In support of this research, the U.S. federal government alone disburses nearly $72 billion a year in scientific research funding.  The World Wide Web serves as the common platform for COS to publish specialized information for researchers electronically in an easy-to-access format.
• The Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) is a cooperative initiative among 10 federal agencies and 98 institutional recipients of federal funds; its purpose is to reduce the administrative burdens associated with research grants and contracts.
• The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a medical research organization whose scientists across the country study the biological mysteries that underlie health and disease.  In addition, through its grants program, the Institute sponsors a private science education program and supports the research of outstanding biomedical scientists abroad.
• The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was created to advise U.S. leaders on the scientific issues that frequently pervade policy decisions.
• The National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) was created to assist individuals with professional interests in the administration of sponsored programs (research, education, and training) primarily at colleges and universities.
• The Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) is committed to the advancement of strong research programs and to the consistent application of ethical precepts in both medicine and research. Through national conferences and published reports, it has addressed a broad range of issues in research, clinical practice, ethics, and the law. Among the topics PRIM&R has addressed are the following: the ethical and procedural issues surrounding the operation of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs), the range of problems surrounding AIDS research and treatment, reproductive and other technologies and their effects on patient care, healthcare ethics committees, scientific integrity and conflict of interest, and the general questions surrounding academic/industrial relations.
• The Society of Research Administrators (SRA) International is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the profession and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of research administration.
• A list of University Departmental and Sponsored Research Offices may be found on the NCURA.