Early Notice: Rebalancing Success Rates in FY 2010 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Institutes of Health March 23, 2009

  The NHLBI has observed a marked decline in the funding success rate of original, unamended versions of new and competing renewal grant applications, both of which are denoted with the grant number suffix A0.  The NHLBI has also observed a corresponding increase in the number of grant applications that are funded after being amended and resubmitted once (denoted A1) or twice (denoted A2).  An analysis of applications from established investigators submitted between fiscal years 2004-2007 revealed that resubmissions typically benefit by receiving marked improvements in percentile scores.  The analysis indicated that a minimum of 70 percent of A0 applications receiving percentile rankings of 25 or better were eventually funded, either in their original (A0) or amended (A1 or A2) forms.  Data from the NHLBI are consistent with those of other Institutes.

Our analysis suggested the following strategy that will enable the NHLBI to identify regular research project grant (R01) applications at the A0 review with a high probability of ultimately achieving a fundable score and fund them promptly:

• Calculate separate percentile rankings according to amendment status, i.e., A0 applications will be ranked against other A0 applications, A1 applications will be ranked against other A1 applications, and A2 applications will be ranked against other A2 applications (Please note, however, that A2 applications are being phased out, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-003.html)
• Select applications for funding so that success rates for A0, A1, and A2 applications are equal.

This change in funding policy should enable the Institute to make >60% of its grant awards to A0 submissions.

It will also enhance the Institute’s ability to:

• fund meritorious science earlier
• decrease the administrative burden of revising and resubmitting applications on applicants, reviewers, and NIH staff
• encourage investigators to pursue scientific careers.

At its October 2008 meeting, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council unanimously endorsed this change in the Institute’s funding policy for implementation beginning in fiscal year 2010.