Data on compact disks sent to peer reviewers prior to study section meetings are being password protected as of May 15, 2008 to enhance the confidentiality of the peer review process.

NIH plans to transition from PureEdge to Adobe version of the SF424 (R&R) in December 2008 and schedules transition of many remaining mechanisms.

NIH updated the Public Access FAQ this month to provide procedural changes and clarifications. Also, the NIH Public Access Request for Information ends May 31.

Costs for activities with live vertebrate animals may not be charged to NIH unless the institution holds a valid Animal Welfare Assurance and the proposed animal study has been reviewed and approved by the institution’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

As part of the ongoing efforts to provide guidance to the community on how to manage to Financial Conflicts of Interest, new FAQs provide information regarding questions such as: Who is required to disclose their financial interests (i.e., who is defined as an “investigator” under the regulation) to their institution?

The President’s budget request totals $29.465 billion, funding essentially the same level of competing RPGs in 2009 as estimated in 2008.

The new public face of CRISP may be accessed by going to http://report.nih.gov/ and clicking on “Search Funded Scientific Projects”, or by going directly to http://report.nih.gov/crisp.aspx. Bookmarking this site will provide you access to the enhanced features as they come on-line.

The NIH held a public meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2008, to hear comments on its Public Access Policy. The policy ensures that the public, health care providers, educators and scientists have access to published NIH-funded research. It was made mandatory by the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, and takes effect April 7.

The January 2008 Nexus highlighted how essential it is that the NIH–in collaboration with grantee institutions and, most importantly, with you–works to maintain the highest standard of objectivity in all our research endeavors. To this end, the NIH is engaged in a system-wide review of policies, procedures and guidance on financial conflicts of interests (FCOI) and is also reexamining guidance provided to staff in their oversight efforts.

On March 24, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the appointments to the NIH Council of Councils. The NIH Reform Act of 2006 authorized the Council of Councils and the Common Fund to support trans-NIH initiatives.