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Letter from Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel to Recipients of NHLBI Support
January 2006
Dear Colleague:
I am writing to provide information about policies and activities
that may be of interest to you as a recipient of support
from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Appropriations
On December 30, the President signed into law the FY 2006
appropriation for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education. Although the bill sent forward by
Congress provided the NHLBI with a 0.3 percent increase over
the FY 2005 amount, a rescission within the Department of
Defense bill reduced the NHLBI budget by 1 percent, giving
us a total allocation of $2,921,757,000 for FY 2006. That
figure was reduced further by $26,109,000 – the NHLBI
allocation toward the NIH Roadmap Initiative. Therefore,
we are left with a working budget of $2,895,648,000, which
is about $27 million less than the comparable figure for
FY 2005. Although this situation will call for some belt-tightening,
the Institute’s longstanding prudent fiscal policies
have placed us in a reasonably good position, and I am optimistic
that we will be able to weather this lean period without
invoking severely restrictive measures.
FY 2006 Funding Policies
As has been the Institute’s practice for many years,
new (type 1) research project grants (RPGs) will, as a rule,
be awarded at the full direct cost level recommended by the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. The direct
cost cap on program project grants is $1,515,000.
Also in line with previous practice, competing renewal (type
2) RPGs paid in FY 2006 will generally be limited to a 10-percent
increase over the level of the last noncompeting budget period.
Specific policies for program project grants and for grants
that are awarded in modules or that entail non-recurring
equipment costs are described in the FY
2006 Funding and Operating Guidelines.
Noncompeting renewal (type 5) RPGs, on the other hand, are
being scaled back slightly – direct costs will be awarded
at 97.65 percent of the committed level (the amount indicated
on the Notice of Grant Award for the previous budget period).
The amounts indicated for future budget periods will be adjusted
by the same factor. Grants awarded through several other
NHLBI funding mechanisms (e.g., centers, cooperative agreements)
also will be paid in this manner. This reduction in noncompeting
renewals is being implemented across all of the NIH institutes.
Caps on Competing Applications for Funding in FY 2007
Given expectations that the NHLBI will see little, if any,
budget growth in the immediate future, we find it necessary
to examine the direct cost amounts on competing grants that
applicants may request for FY 2007.
Requests for type 2 RPGs to be funded in FY 2007 and likely
thereafter will be limited to a 3-percent increase over the
level of the last noncompeting budget period. For details
specific to modular grants or non-recurring equipment costs,
please consult the FY
2007 Funding and Operating Guidelines.
In the past, the cap on type 1 program project grants was
increased annually to compensate for inflation. For FY 2007,
however, it will remain at $1,515,000. Moreover, annual increases
for recurring costs in noncompeting years may be requested
at no more than 3 percent (and, depending on the availability
of funds, may actually be awarded at a lower level). Type
2 program project grant requests may not exceed the greater
of $1,515,000 or 3 percent more than the level of the
last noncompeting budget period.
Special Approaches to Help the New Investigator
Lean fiscal times, unfortunately, have a disproportionate
impact on the motivation and ability of young investigators
to take their place in the research enterprise. Let me assure
you that the NHLBI is strongly committed to nurturing new
talent and, in particular, to facilitating the transition
from traineeship to independent investigator status. With
that in mind, we have established a separate RPG payline
for new investigators that is 5 percentile points above the
regular NHLBI payline, and we will fund their grants for
the full recommended duration. Moreover, applicants who “miss” the
new investigator payline by 5 percentile points or fewer
will be offered an opportunity to address the primary criticisms
of the initial review group and receive an expedited administrative
review. Details specific to the new investigator program
can be found in the January
2006 Statement of the NHLBI Director on Fostering the Independence
of New Investigators.
The NHLBI also plans to be an enthusiastic participant in
the new NIH Career Transition Award program, which will be
rolled out within the next few months. The program will provide
1-2 years of mentored advanced postdoctoral training support
via a K-series award and, subsequently, 1-3 years of research
support via an R-series award if the trainee has secured
an independent research position.
In Conclusion
We recognize that flat budget levels over the immediate
future present a difficult and frustrating situation for
all investigators. I encourage you to celebrate – and,
indeed, advertise – your research accomplishments and
ensure that the public is informed that such progress would
not have been possible without NHLBI support. For our part,
we at the NHLBI will do our best to minimize the impact of
these flat budgets over the short term. I believe that our
Institute is in an excellent position to meet the challenges
and capitalize on the vast opportunities before us, both
now and in the future. We are counting on you to join us
in these exciting and rewarding research endeavors.
With best wishes.
Sincerely yours,
Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.
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