December 17, 2008
The December 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

December 2, 2008
NIH is in the process of reposting approximately 100 opportunities in Grants.gov that require paper application submission. This action may result in receipt of automated e-mail notification of a change from Grants.gov. Please note that there are no changes to the content of these funding opportunities. The FOAs are still active. See NOT-OD-09-022.

November 26, 2008
The November 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

November 3, 2008
New Investigator policies, stemming from the NIH Enhancing Peer Review Initiative (see http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/index.html), can be found in this Revised New and Early Stage Investigator Policy Announcement.   Under this new policy, the NIH intends to support New Investigators at success rates comparable to those for established investigators submitting new applications.  Early Stage Investigators (ESIs), as previously described on September 26, 2008 at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-121.html should comprise a majority of the New Investigators supported.   In addition, New Investigator applications will be clustered during review whenever possible.  This notice also advises New Investigators and ESIs that these NIH New Investigator Policies are limited to applications for traditional research project grant (R01) support.  For more information, such as the following definitions, see this Guide Notice and the related links: 

New Investigator: In general, a Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is considered a New Investigator if he/she has not previously competed successfully as PD/PI for a significant NIH independent research award.  For example, a PD/PI who has previously received a competing NIH R01 research grant is no longer considered a New Investigator.  A complete definition of a New Investigator along with a list of NIH grants that do not disqualify a PD/PI from being considered a New Investigator can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/resources.htm. 

Early Stage Investigator (ESI): An individual who is classified as a New or First-Time Investigator and is within 10 years of completing his/her terminal research degree or is within 10 years of completing medical residency (or the equivalent) is considered an Early Stage Investigator (ESI).  More information on ESIs is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-121.html.

October 31, 2008
The October 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

October 3, 2008
NIH Announces a New Business Process for Reporting an Identified Financial Conflict of Interest for Grants and/or Cooperative Agreements beginning October 10, 2008.  The NIH invites all Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP ) members to participate in a pilot of a Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Module, a new feature of the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons.  The FCOI Module provides institutional users the ability to electronically prepare and submit FCOI reports and other required documents through the Commons.  Further information can be found is available in the NIH Guide Notice, dated October 1, 2008. A link to this notice and associated resources are available on the Conflict of Interest Web page.

September 30, 2008
The September 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

September 10, 2008
The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) has posted a new Web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/natural_disasters.htm) detailing its responses to natural disasters and other emergencies impacting the biomedical community.  Look here for NIH Guide Notices and other information of particular relevance to investigators and their institutions, links to web pages listing NIH’s response to certain major events (past and present); and look here also for related information, such as links to other Federal sites and links to professional societies that are facilitating interactions between affected investigators.

August 29, 2008
The August 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

August 15, 2008
The NIH recently announced the availability of a Web-based tutorial related to the Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which PHS Funding is Sought as described in Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Subpart F (for grants and cooperative agreements) and Responsible Prospective Contractors as described in Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 94 (for contracts). The tutorial, along with other vital compliance information, may be accessed on the Office of Extramural (OER) Conflict of Interest (COI) Web Page.  Further information regarding this update is available in the NIH Guide Notice (NOT-OD-08-106), dated 8/15/2008.

July 31, 2008
The July 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

July 8, 2008
On July 2, the NIH posted a general NIH Guide Notice and five associated Program Announcements regarding the continued availability of the extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRP). The overall purpose of these programs is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals as research investigators. With a commitment of at least 50 percent of an individual’s work schedule (no less than 20 hours per week) for a period of two years, the NIH will repay up to $35,000 of educational loan debt each year. Applications should be submitted in response to a specific Program Announcement between September 1 and December 1, 2008. General eligibility requirements, important dates, and links to related Program Announcements can be found in the NIH Guide (NOT-OD-08-083) and the NIH Loan Repayment Program Web site.

July 8, 2008
In order to provide more consistency in the administration and management of Federal research and research-related awards subject to OMB Circular 110, all research agencies will be utilizing a standard core set of administrative terms and conditions. These Research Terms and Conditions are primarily based on those originally utilized by institutions participating in the Federal Demonstration Project (FDP) and termed “expanded authorities”. Since NIH previously implemented Expanded Authorities as the standard terms and conditions for all its awards (with the exception of automatic carryover of unobligated balances), NIH‘s implementation of these Federal terms has “no significant change in the requirements or terms and conditions for NIH awardees. Participants in the FDP will notice that the specific FDP award footnote has been changed to remove reference to FDP Terms but still references FDP participation.”

More information and related links to these changes can be found in the NIH Guide (NOT-OD-08-091).

June 27, 2008
The June 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

May 29, 2008
The May 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

April 30, 2008
The April 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

April 28, 2008

The NIH is requesting ideas from the scientific community, health professionals, patient advocates, and the general public on ways to:  1) address specific barriers to basic, translational or clinical research through development of novel tools, technologies, services, etc., and 2) fill specific knowledge gaps that impede research across a broad spectrum of health science.  Innovative and cross-cutting initiatives, relative to multiple diseases, will be considered for funding through the NIH Common Fund.  The collection of these ideas is the initial step in the process of identifying a new cohort of Common Fund/Roadmap programs for Fiscal Year 2011.

The Request for Information (RFI), announced April 22, 2008 in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, provides criteria for new trans-NIH strategic initiatives and elements of the response, such as project title, approach and length.  Responses will be accepted through Friday, June 2, 2008 at roadmap_ideas@nih.gov.

For descriptive information on the Roadmap initiatives go to: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/initiatives.asp and for Roadmap funded research please visit: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/grants/fundedresearch.asp. Additional information on this RFI may be found in the corresponding NIH Guide Notice.

April 14, 2008

As a result of the recent theft of an NIH employee’s laptop which included storage of patient data, the NIH has refocused its efforts on the protection of all information systems (electronic and hard copy) which contain sensitive personal information. Steps are currently underway at NIH to ensure that all computers, laptops and portable electronic devices are encrypted and that NIH employees are educated in the proper handling of sensitive data.

In addition, the NIH encourages grantee institutions and individuals not to use portable electronic devices to store identifiable, sensitive, and confidential information about NIH-supported research or research participants. If they must be used, they should be encrypted to safeguard data and information. These devices include laptops, CDs, disc drives, flash drives, etc. Researchers and institutions should limit access to personally identifiable information through a means of access controls such as password protection.

For more information, see NIH Guide Notice, dated 4/11/2008.

April 14, 2008
The NIH recently announced that it has updated and expanded its compilation of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding the implementation of the following regulations:   Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which PHS Funding is Sought as described in Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Subpart F (for grants and cooperative agreements) and Responsible Prospective Contractors as described in Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 94 (for contracts).  The most current version of the FCOI FAQs, along with other vital compliance information may be accessed on the Office of Extramural (OER) Conflict of Interest (COI) Web Page.  Further information regarding this update is available in the NIH Guide Notice, dated 4/10/2008.

April 3, 2008
The March 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

March 31, 2008
From March 31 st to May 31 st , 2008, NIH seeks information from the public, including all stakeholders, about the NIH Public Access Policy.  Among other issues, the NIH is particularly interested in the following:

1. Do you have recommendations for alternative implementation approaches to those already reflected in the NIH Public Access Policy?
   
   
2. In light of the change in law that makes NIH's public access policy mandatory, do you have recommendations for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy?
   
   
3. In addition to the information previously posted at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/communications.htm, what additional information, training, or communications related to the NIH Public Access Policy would be helpful to you?

Comments may be submitted and viewed at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/comments.htm. 

March 21, 2008
As part of NIH’s continuing educational efforts to improve and enhance compliance with FCOI requirements, we have compiled answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding the implementation of the regulations related to the responsibility of applicants for promoting objectivity in NIH-sponsored research (42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F, grants and 45 CFR Part 94, contracts). These have now been posted on the NIH Office of Extramural Research Conflict of Interest Web site.

March 18, 2008
The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) has posted its new Web site and on-line reporting tool, RePORT.  This is a must-see Web site, offering a valuable tool for those searching for data and analyses of NIH research programs and activities, as well as links to CRISP, a glossary of reporting terminology, FAQs, and so much more.  This new site will soon replace the current OER Award Information and Data Web site with a new look, more links to commonly searched information, and a variety of data searching tools.

March 10, 2008
On Thursday, March 20, 2008, the NIH will hold a public meeting regarding implementation of the NIH Revised Policy on Enhancing Public Access to Archived Publications Resulting from NIH-Funded Research.

Public Meeting Time and Date: 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 20, 2008
Location : Main Auditorium, NIH Natcher Conference Center, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 45, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Important Deadlines and Links:

• Registration required: Please register in advance at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/comments/registration.htm no later than 5pm on March 17, 2008.
• Comments may be submitted in advance: Comments may be provided to NIH Public Access staff in advance of the meeting at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/comments/comments.htm. All comments for consideration at the meeting must be received on or before March 17, 2008. 
• Policy and supporting materials: http://publicaccess.nih.gov.

Later in March 2008, a separate Request for Information (RFI) asking for comments about the Public Access Policy (Policy) and the effectiveness of the Policy's implementation will be announced via the Federal Register.

For more information, see NIH Guide Notice: NOT-OD-08-057, March 7, 2008.

March 5, 2008
The March 5, 2008 Special Edition Issue on Peer Review of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

January 31, 2008
The January 2008 Issue of the NIH Extramural Nexus, with the latest news, tips and important information for our research community, is now available. In addition, all issues may be viewed from the NIH Extramural Nexus web page.

January 23, 2008
The Office of Extramural Research (OER) seeks senior scientific leaders who want to make an impact on NIH grants process and policy. OER is responsible for the establishment, direction, and implementation of standards for the program management of all NIH extramural activities. For more information, visit the OER Web page of Senior Level Vacancies.

January 11, 2008
NIH announces a policy (NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-08-033) implementing Division G, Title II, Section 218 of PL 110-161 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 ). See http://PublicAccess.NIH.gov/ for more information.

January 7, 2008
NIH recently issued the following important changes to grant application guides and the application for appointment of study section members:

• NOT-OD-08-026 - Modified Application Submission, Referral and Review for Appointed NIH Study Section Members
• NOT-OD-08-027 - NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications
• NOT-OD-08-028 - Revised PHS 398 (DHHS Public Health Service Grant Application) Now Available
• NOT-OD-08-029 - Revised PHS 2271, PHS 3734, and HHS 568 Forms Now Available
• NOT-OD-08-030 - Revised PHS 2590 (DHHS Public Health Service Noncompeting Continuation Progress Report) Now Available
• NOT-OD-08-031 - Appendices to Paper PHS 398 (DHHS Public Health Service Grant Application) to be Submitted on CD

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