Encouraging Participation in Upcoming NIH Surveys to Identify Impacts of COVID-19 on Extramural Research

NIH has been working diligently to support the extramural research community since the pandemic began in March. We are now preparing to reach out with surveys to gather data on how COVID-19 is impacting our extramural researchers and their institutions. If you receive such a survey, we hope that you will take the time to provide us with your perspective. The results of the surveys  will be extremely valuable to inform policy and program decisions as NIH seeks to identify ways to continue to support the biomedical research enterprise as we move forward.

Temporary Extension of Eligibility for the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award During COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH will be providing up to a two-receipt cycle extension (roughly eight additional months) of eligibility for prospective applicants meeting the requirements for submission of a K99/R00 application from the June/July 2020 due dates through the February/March 2021 due dates. For more details, see the full Guide … Continue reading “Temporary Extension of Eligibility for the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award During COVID-19 Pandemic”

Roundup of New COVID-19 Resources for NIH Applicants and Recipients: Part 3

We continue to add new resources to our COVID-19: Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding webpage. We hope they are helpful in navigating this unprecedented situation. Here is a summary of what’s new since the last Nexus.

Useful Flexibilities for Animal Care and Use Programs to Comply with the PHS Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As we continue to address the effects of COVID-19 and as some states and institutions are considering reopening, we would like to share some administrative flexibilities that NIH is providing to research institutions with laboratory animal programs. These flexibilities are meant to assure personnel safety and animal welfare while enabling research personnel to prioritize and preserve research efforts. Some of these can be useful in reducing administrative burden, too.

NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Research Now Available

The NIH-Wide COVID-19 Strategic Plan, released on July 13, 2020, provides a framework describing how NIH is accelerating the development of therapeutic interventions, vaccines, and diagnostics in response to the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic. It describes how NIH is rapidly mobilizing the biomedical research community, such as through establishing new programs that leverage existing resources, to lead a swift, coordinated research response.

Accepting Preliminary Data as Post-Submission Material and Other COVID-19-Related Application Flexibilities

As our nation looks to begin reopening, NIH continues to track how well our policies are meeting the evolving needs of the research community. In this post we would like to highlight allowance of preliminary data as a new special exception to our post submission materials policy and our guidance for reviewers.

Temporary, Emergency Situations Due to COVID-19 and Application Scores Received During Peer Review

As we continue to address the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency on NIH-supported research, we are aware of applicant concerns about the potential impact of this temporary emergency situation on the outcome of peer review. We want to reassure applicants that we released guidance for reviewers that makes it clear that, when reviewing applications during the coronavirus pandemic national emergency, reviewers should assume that issues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, such as the following, should not affect scores.

What happens if an institution has already submitted an application, and due to effects of COVID-19, some of the information needs to be revised?

Institutions affected by COVID-19 will be allowed to submit post-submission grant application materials to revise information that was submitted in an application as long as the materials are received at least fourteen days before the start of the review meeting. The post-submission grant application materials policy remains in effect. Only the types of materials allowed under the policy can be accepted. A letter of explanation (one page max.) is required.