Online Submission Using ASSIST Now an Option for R03 and R21 Applications

January 31, 2015

If you’re applying for an NIH Small Research Grant (R03) or Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), you now have a new application submission option. You can continue using downloadable forms from Grants.gov or using one of the system-to-system submission systems used in some institutions, or you can now use ASSIST, NIH’s online system for application preparation and submission. ….

February Application Due Date Changes to Accommodate System Upgrades

January 31, 2015

Grants.gov – the portal for grants submission across all Federal agencies, including NIH – is planning an upgrade to support the use of special characters, such as Greek symbols, in free-text fields such as project titles. To make this upgrade, Grants.gov will be down over the Presidents Day weekend from Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM ET to Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 6:00 AM ET. ….

New Biosketch Format Available in SciENcv

January 31, 2015

The latest release of Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) allows you to create a biosketch in the new NIH format and has addressed some of the issues users had been reporting. The SciENcv system allows you to enter or import your biographical data once, then convert it into a format that can be used when submitting NIH or NSF grant applications. The NIH National Library of Medicine recently published a technical bulletin to help ….

Tips for Applicants From the NIH Center for Scientific Review

January 31, 2015

The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) recently posted and updated several resources to help the community understand more about the peer review process. Their CSR’s Insider’s Guide to Peer Review is now updated with new advice on how to produce a highly competitive grant application. ….

February 16 (Monday), 2015: NIH Closed for Federal Holiday

January 31, 2015

NIH (including help desks) will be closed February 16 (Monday), 2015 (Presidents’ Day). There will also be scheduled downtime for Grants.gov over this holiday weekend, so please be sure to read NIH Guide Notices NOT-OD-15-057 and NOT-OD-15-058 for more information on the system upgrade and February due date adjustments.

New Podcast on Education Requirements for Human Subjects Protection

January 31, 2015

All About Grants is back on the air with a new podcast on the education requirements for researchers working on studies that involve human subjects. Dr. Ann Hardy, the NIH Extramural Human Research Protections Officer, talks about what NIH’s education requirements are, why they exist, how you can fulfill them, and where to find related information and resources….

Make the Match with RePORTER

January 30, 2015

Since 2008, NIH’s Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools, better known as RePORT, has provided easy access to info on NIH funded research. My office continues to look at new ways to enhance your access to important information through robust search tools, data visualization dashboards, and more. I’d like to highlight one of our newer tools today: Matchmaker.

Matchmaker allows you to enter manuscript abstracts, research bios, ….

10 Years of Helping Small Businesses Make an Impact

January 12, 2015

In the rapidly evolving world of modern medicine, it is important that the transition of basic scientific discoveries into new medical treatments takes place with both precision and speed.

NIH’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs – which I’ve discussed a few times on the blog before – are a key part of NIH’s translational research portfolio. ….

Fiscal Policies for 2015

January 7, 2015

Happy 2015! Just a quick blog to let you know that last week, NIH announced policies for fiscal operations for fiscal year (FY) 2015, implementing the 2015 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed by President Obama on December 16, 2014. NIH has a budget of $30.31 billion, an increase of approximately $240 million over the FY 2014 final budget allocations of $30.07 billion. We also announced the stipend levels for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA), and salary limits ….