March 1, 2007
News Articles
Opportunities and Resources
Advice Corner
New Funding Opportunities
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News Articles |
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New R01 Paylines and Financial Management Plan
As we hoped, we are able to set a 12.0 percentile R01 payline for existing investigators and 14.0 for new investigators. We've also updated NIAID's Paylines and Budget with FY 2007 financial management plan information.
Although the NIH appropriation, H. J. Res. 20, was signed on February 15, it will take a few weeks for NIAID's budget office to finalize our other paylines. If you want to be notified by email,  Subscribe to Email Alerts for the NIAID Paylines and Budget interest category.
Here are the highlights of our new financial management plan.
Competing Awards
- NIAID is fully funding competing awards and their future years. You can request up to a 3 percent escalation
factor for nonmodular grants.
- Renewal grant budgets are capped
at 20 percent over the last noncompeting award, not including equipment and any alterations and renovations costs.
See What
is the funding cap for renewals?
Here's an example of how the cap works:
- Suppose the last year's budget was $200,000. The renewal requests $325,000, including $40,000 for equipment.
- Assuming the equipment was approved by the study section, the cap for that application would be $280,000: 20 percent over the last year is $240,000, plus $40,000 for equipment.
Noncompeting Awards
One of the strategies of the plan is to free up some money from noncompeting awards, so we can still fund a healthy number of new grants and new investigators.
Stipends and Salary
FY 2006 legislative mandates continue through FY 2007. See the February 22, 2007, Guide notice for details.
New Receipt Dates for AIDS Applications
Starting May 7, 2007, receipt dates for paper and electronic AIDS and AIDS-related applications will be May 7, September 7, and January 7.
NIH has added the new dates to the Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications page. For more information, read the February 22, 2007, Guide notice.
NIH Reauthorization -- What Does It Mean for You?
NIH received its latest authorization, the National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006, which enables us to continue our mission of supporting biomedical research to improve public health. The bill marks NIH's first reauthorization since 1993.
In addition to affecting our internal structure and operations, the act also has an impact on investigators and grantees. For instance:
- Advisory Councils must review all research grant applications, including those under $50,000.
- A new common fund promotes trans-NIH research.
- Institutions must submit annual reports to the NIH director on training graduate students for doctoral degrees.
For other provisions, go to NIH Reauthorization.
Although it's not part of the NIH reauthorization or this year's budget, the recently signed Biodefense Medical Countermeasure Development Fund moves funds NIAID had managed for advanced project development to the Department of Health and Human Services level. The newly created Biodefense Advanced Research and Development Authority will be managed by HHS.
New Extensions for Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials
If you can't finish within the expected award period or budget, NIAID may consider extending your clinical trial grant. Only NIAID grantees with investigator-initiated clinical trials can qualify for an administrative extension.
To find out if you are eligible, discuss the circumstances with the program officer listed in the January 30, 2007, Guide notice at least 18 months before the end of your trial's performance period.
You will need to explain that the reasons for the delay were beyond your control and confirm that the problems have been fixed. If NIAID determines that completion of the trial is a top priority, we may invite you to submit an application for an administrative extension.
R01 Electronic Submission: A Smooth Debut
You were ready and it shows -- the transition to electronic R01 applications went well.
A record number of R01 applications came in before the deadline. About 70 percent of applicants submitted an error-free application on the first try, and 94 percent submitted an error-free application within two attempts.
Read more in NIH's R01 Update.
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Opportunities and Resources |
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Supplements for U.S.-India Collaborative Research to Prevent HIV/AIDS
We are seeking one-year administrative supplement applications for collaborations between current NIH grantees and Indian investigators on HIV/AIDS prevention research and research training. See the February 8, 2007, Guide notice.
We summarized this opportunity in last issue's article, "Supplemental Funding for U.S.-India Collaborations to Prevent HIV/AIDS."
Videocast Meeting on Post-Award Forms
Here's your chance to view and comment on six proposed federalwide forms used to manage your grant:
- Federal Financial Report
- Performance Progress Report
- Performance Progress Report for Research Programs
- Tangible Personal Property
- Real Property Status
- Inventions Report
View the videocast meeting on Thursday, March 8, 2007, 1:30 to 3:00 EST. Get more details from the February 14, 2007, Federal Register notice.
To learn more about how these forms are used, see Part 11a. Managing Your Grant in NIH
Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
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Advice Corner |
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Expired Animal Certification? Don't Spend NIH Funds
If you're working with animals on a grant or cooperative agreement, remember to keep your animal research documentation up to date. You must send in your institutional animal care and use committee reapproval to NIAID's Grants
Management Program at least every three years. Otherwise, you may find yourself cut off from using NIH funds.
In a January 26, 2007, Guide notice, NIH clarified that you can’t use award funds on activities with live vertebrate animals if your animal welfare assurance and IACUC certification aren’t valid. If you have a consortium agreement (subaward), the consortium participants must also meet these requirements.
Even if you can't spend NIH funds on animal work, you still need to maintain and care for the animals. We may allow you to spend NIH funds on this. Contact your grants management specialist to see if this is possible.
Otherwise, you'll have to care for the animals using your own money until you restore your assurance or IACUC certification -- another incentive to live up to the terms and conditions in your Notice of Grant Award.
Read more about approvals and documentation in our Animals in Research SOP.
Reader Questions
Chanda Hill, institutional animal care and use committee administrator, Eastern Virginia Medical School, asks:
“Is an IACUC certification from a non-AAALAC-accredited institution acceptable?”
Yes. NIH will accept an IACUC certification from an institution not accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International.
Your facility must be in one of the categories described in the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Remember that you need an Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare assurance to conduct work under an NIH grant.
Carolyn Strahan, division administrator, developmental and clinical immunology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, asks:
“Is there a limit to the amount of travel you can request for a trainee?”
No. There is no limit on the amount, but most applications don’t request more than $1,000 for each person on a training award. If you request more, the review committee will probably reduce the amount.
Once we issue an award, you do not have to spend the exact amount budgeted for each trainee. One trainee may need more, while another requires less.
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New Funding Opportunities |
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