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Salary Cap/Limitation: A legislatively-mandated provision limiting the direct salary (also known as salary or institutional base salary, but excluding any fringe benefits and F&A costs) for individuals working on NIH grants, cooperative agreement awards, and extramural research and development contracts. Go to Salary Cap Summary.
SBIR: See Small Business Innovation Research.
Scientific Review Officer (SRO): An NIH health scientist administrator responsible for arranging, conducting, managing, and documenting the initial review process for applications and proposals. The SRA serves as an intermediary between the applicant and reviewers and prepares summary statements for all applications reviewed. Formerly Scientific Review Administrator.
Scientific Review Group (SRG): The generic functional name for any group engaged in scientific and technical peer review. SRGs are analogous to study sections used throughout the NIH peer review process. SRGs may be individually chartered. Special Emphasis Panels (SEPs) are also considered SRGs.. [See http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/Advisory/irg/sub-cmte/index.htm.]
Scientifically Acceptable or Unacceptable: A determination based on whether or not the gender or minority representation proposed in a research protocol conforms with NIH policy guidelines pertinent to the scientific purpose and type of study. A determination of unacceptable is reflected in the priority score assigned to the application. In addition, the definition of what constitutes scientifically acceptable or unacceptable changes if the research being conducted is a clinical trial, as opposed to clinical research.
Scored: In the peer review process, applications that are judged by a study section to be competitive (i.e., generally in the upper half of the applications reviewed) are scored. These applications are assigned a priority score and forwarded to the appropriate Institute/Center Advisory Board for the second level of review.
Second Level Review: Review generally conducted by institute’s Advisory Council or the National Cancer Advisory Board that results in funding recommendations to the NCI Director.
Second-level review looks at program priorities and balance and a lack of barriers to funding such as unresolved human subjects issues. It does not reassess the science.
SEP: See Special Emphasis Panel.
Select Agent: Biological agent or toxin listed in 42 CFR Part 73, 7 CFR Part 331 and 9 CFR Part 121, or the HHS and USDA Select Agents and Toxins List.
Set Aside: Money taken out of the budget for a specific purpose, for example, to fund a congressionally mandated program.
Significant Rebudgeting: A threshold reached when expenditures in a single direct cost budget category deviate (increase or decrease) from the categorical commitment level established for the budget period by more than 25 percent of the total costs awarded. Significant re-budgeting is one indicator of change in scope.
Signing Official: A Signing Official (SO) has institutional authority to legally bind the institution in grants administration matters. The individual fulfilling this role may have any number of titles in the grantee organization. The label, "Signing Official," is used in conjunction with the NIH eRA Commons.
Small Business: A business independently owned and operated; has its principal place of business in the United States and is organized for profit; is at least 51 percent owned, or in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of its voting stock is owned by U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens; has, including its affiliates, not more than 500 employees.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR): An award designed to support projects from small businesses that ultimately may have commercial viability. For the computation of success rates, SBIR awards are not included in the count of RPGs. Web address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR): A 3-year pilot program, begun in FY 1994 under the Small Business Innovation Research Program, designed to foster technological innovations through cooperative efforts between small business and research institutions. STTR grants are awarded for projects that have potential for commercial use. For the computation of success rates, STTR awards are not included in the count of RPGs. Web address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm
Streamlined Non-Competing Award Process (SNAP): Simplified process for the submission of information prior to the issuance of a non-competing award. Funds are automatically carried over and are available for expenditure during the entire project period.
Source Selection: A contracting term denoting the review process by which a contractor is selected.
SOW: See Statement of Work.
Special Emphasis Panel (SEP): An advisory group of scientific experts chartered for the specific review or collection of reviews by a blanket chartering mechanism. SEP membership is fluid, with individuals designated to serve for individual meetings rather than for fixed terms of service. SEPs are a type of IRG/SRG.
Special Government Employee: An individual on a Federal personnel appointment employed for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 days (e.g., members of the National Advisory Councils; Boards, Program Advisory Committees; and Boards of Scientific Counselors). Members of SRGs are not special Government employees.
Specific Aims: A component of an application’s Research Plan which describes concisely and realistically what the proposed research or activity intends to accomplish by the end of the grant.
SRA: See Scientific Review Officer.
SRO: See Scientific Review Officer.
Statement of Work (SOW): In a contract proposal, the document which states the technical objectives, level of effort, and requirements of the contracts.
Stimulus Plan: See American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Stipend: A payment made to an individual under a fellowship or training grant in accordance with preestablished levels to provide for the individual’s living expenses during the period of training. A stipend is not considered compensation for the services expected of an employee.
Streamlining (formerly Triage): A review committee process whereby discussions are limited to applications reviewers agree are likely to be competitive for funding (i.e., scored in the upper half of applications reviewed). Applications judged to be non-competitive (scored in the lower half) do not necessarily lack scientific merit, but, given the number of applications received and awards to be made, have no likelihood of being funded. These applications are returned to the applicant with the assigned reviewers’ written comments.
STTR: See Small Business Technology Transfer.
Study Section: A panel of experts established according to scientific disciplines or current research areas for the primary purpose of evaluating the scientific and technical merit of grant applications. Also called Scientific Review Groups (SRGs).
Subcontract Under a Grant: A written agreement between a grantee and a third party to acquire routine goods and services.
Subpopulations: Each minority group contains subpopulations delimited by geographic origins, national origins, and/or cultural differences. There are different ways of defining and reporting racial and ethnic subpopulation data. The subpopulation to which an individual is assigned depends on self-reporting of specific racial and ethnic origin. Attention to subpopulations also applies to individuals of mixed racial and/or ethnic parentage. Researchers should be cognizant of the possibility that these racial/ethnic combinations may have biomedical and/or cultural implications related to the scientific question under study.
Success Rate: Indicates the percentage of reviewed RPG applications receiving funding computed on a fiscal year basis.
Summary Statement: Composed of the reviewers’ written comments and the SRA’s summary of the review panel’s discussion, a summary statement is the official record of the evaluation and recommendations of the IRG concerning a particular application or proposal. It includes overall panel recommendations, a recommended budget, and any administrative notes.
Supplement: A request for additional funds for the current operating year or any future year recommended previously. Also known as a type 3 application/award, a supplement can be either non-competing (administrative) or competing (subject to peer review).
