Over 4,400 of the best and brightest scientists, clinicians, policy, and advocacy leaders in the field of health disparities attended the 4-day NIH Summit entitled “The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities.”

NIH has extended the electronic application error correction window to 5 days for all opportunities with receipt dates in February 2009 to alleviate stress caused by Grants.gov performance issues.

Transition to Adobe officially began on December 5, 2008, when NIH updated more than 500 active Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) with Adobe-based application packages and closed their PureEdge predecessors. The new Adobe forms are required for submission for most receipt dates in January and beyond.

The NIH will begin implementing changes in the Fiscal Year 2010 funding cycle.  Investigators submitting applications in January 2009 and later should be aware of these new policies.

CSR changed the chartered study section descriptions to make them more transparent and reflective of the types of applications actually reviewed by CSR study sections.

December 3, Acting Director, NIH Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., announced the appointment of Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S., as Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

A new timeline details key dates and policies associated with NIH Peer Review Policy changes. Included in the timeline is the expectation that shorter applications are coming in January, 2010.

This New Year ushers in new Adobe-based application forms for NIH. There are only 3 weeks until the first Adobe-based application packages will become available. Applicants should prepare now by ensuring they have the correct software installed.

In FY 2009, NIH expects to support New Investigators at the same rates as established investigators submitting new applications. We strongly recommend that New Investigators keep their profile information in the eRA Commons current so that NIH is able to give their applications special consideration. (more…)

At the request of the Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of Representatives, NIH Acting Director Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., testified at a hearing entitled “Treatments for an Ailing Economy:Protecting Health Care Coverage and Investing in Biomedical Research,” held on November 13, 2008. (more…)