The NIH recently unveiled the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research (RFA-OD-09-003 ), one of several funding opportunities available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Challenge Grants program invites applications from domestic institutions and organizations proposing novel research in areas that address specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. The program is designed to support research in the “Challenge area” topics identified by NIH Institutes and Centers.

Budget data, award reports, and analyses of NIH funding activities for Fiscal Year 2008 are now available through RePORT. Here you can also find detailed funding information for 215 major research areas supported by NIH during the fiscal year of 2008.

Looking for funding opportunities through the Recovery Act? NIH has created a Web site that consolidates Recovery Act-specific initiatives for your convenience. These opportunities, also published on Grants.gov and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, can be easily identified by the titles that begin with “Recovery Act.” The following initiatives have already been published. More will be coming in the near future.

NIH is quickly addressing how it will most effectively spend the $10.4 billion designated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to promote science, bolster the economy, and create or retain jobs in as transparent a manner as possible. Within the parameters of the legislation, NIH expects to allocate resources across several major activities, including the awarding of recently peer-reviewed, highly meritorious R01 applications, new R01 and other activity codes that have a reasonable expectation of making progress within two years, competitive supplements to expand the scope of current research or support additional infrastructure, non-competitve supplements to accelerate the tempo of on-going science, the new NIH Challenge Grant program, and other funding mechanisms as appropriate.

The biennial report of the director makes it easier for Congress, advocates and patient groups, and the general public to understand the many programs within the agency.

For the first time, the public can use the information provided to view the total funds spent in 215 categories for the current fiscal year and previous fiscal years based on grants, contracts, and intramural research (research conducted in the NIH’s own laboratories and clinics).

Awardees now able to reduce appointment to less than full time; “K” Awards to transition to Adobe Forms early next month.

The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) has added regulations requiring Institutional Review Boards to register with HHS.

A recent notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts describes procedures for granting an extension of the 10 year limit for ESI eligibility.

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.”