How Grant Success Rates Do (Or Do Not) Track With the NIH Budget: A Model of Funding Dynamics
From 2014 to 2018, the NIH budget increased every year, and yet, the Research Project Grant (RPG) success rate remained relatively constant at ~20%. From 2003 to 2006 the NIH budget remained relatively flat, yet the success rate decreased dramatically from 30% to 20%. Why don’t success rates neatly track the NIH budget? While inflation plays a role, there are more fundamental forces at play. Here I present a series of budget and success rate scenarios that are largely based on a Service Science publication by Larson, Ghaffarzadegan, and Diaz. The bottom-line up front: NIH funding dynamics are strongly affected by obli...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 25, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike Budget Funding data Source Type: funding

Webinar – NIH Simplified Review Framework for Research Project Grants (RPGs): Implementation and Impact on Funding Opportunities 
You may have heard that NIH is simplifying the framework for the peer review of most Research Project Grant (RPG) applications, effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. Make plans to hear the latest updates, timelines, and how these changes will impact existing and new funding opportunities at the April 17 webinar on the simplified review framework for RPGs.   This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and prepare for the upcoming changes! A Q&A with NIH experts will follow the presentation to address additional questions.  (Source: NIH Extramural Nexus)
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 22, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: Calendar Top Stories Source Type: funding

New Location for NIH Public Access Policy Content & Resources
As of March 12, 2024, the NIH Public Access Policy content and resources have been consolidated into the NIH Sharing Site. Information about the NIH Public Access Policy now appears in a new tab on the NIH Scientific Data Sharing website: There are no policy changes associated with this migration. In addition, resources for each sharing policy have been consolidated within the tab for that individual policy: We have implemented redirects from the previous Public Access website to the new Public Access Policy tab of the Scientific Data Sharing website. The redirects will be in place for one year....
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 13, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: New Resources applications Grants policy Source Type: funding

How Implementing a 2022 Law is Helping Us Ensure Safe and Respectful Workplaces
Nearly two years ago, we implemented a provision in a law (Section 239 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022). The law requires NIH grant recipients to notify us when their senior key personnel on awards are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions. This step represented an important milestone to help ensure safe and respectful workplaces, free from harassment and discrimination. Here we provide an update on the implementation of Section 239. Table 1 shows how many harassment self-disclosures we received in ca...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 13, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike Compliance harassment Source Type: funding

End of an Era: CD/DVD Format No Longer Allowed for Videos Submitted as Application Materials
Are you planning to submit a video as post-submission material for your NIH grant application? Make sure the video is a digital file! Due to the now limited use of CD/DVD as an electronic format for sharing materials, effective immediately this format is no longer allowed as an option for submitting video materials. Videos will now only be accepted as digital files submitted via email to the scientific review officer. Note that the same instructions apply to the submission of audio files. For more guidance on video submission, see the full Guide Notice. (Source: NIH Extramural Nexus)
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 13, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: Top Stories applications Grants policy Source Type: funding

How Many Researchers: The FY 2023 Cumulative Investigator Rate  
We are pleased to share our annual snapshot of how many researchers NIH supports. These fiscal year (FY) 2023 data are also available in the NIH Data Book (see report #303) and represent awards made with traditional and supplemental coronavirus appropriations. Please keep in mind that these data are distinct from success rates, however, which are application-based metrics (see this recent post). Our cumulative investigator rate is an NIH-wide person-based metric. The metric is calculated as the number of unique principal investigators who were designated on an NIH research project g...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - March 6, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike cumulative investigator rate Funding data funding rate Source Type: funding

Seeking Ideas on Using Common Data Elements for NIH-Supported Clinical Research
Do you have thoughts on how common data elements (CDEs) may be used in NIH-supported clinical research? If so, please share them in response to this recently released Request for Information. CDEs allow for easier exchange of data across different research areas because they are standardized, consistent, interoperable, and defined. They represent one way that NIH implements FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles. In addition, as we mentioned in this post from 2021, CDEs help us implement one aim of the NIH Data Science Strategic plan, which is having data resources that maximize th...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 28, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike common data elements data management Data sharing Request For Information (RFI) Source Type: funding

How to Handle Changes in Resubmission Applications
When resubmitting your application, any changes made should only be outlined in the Introduction attachment. The Introduction must include a summary of substantial additions, deletions, and changes to the application. It must also include a response to weaknesses raised in the Summary Statement. NIH recently released a guide notice to clarify that any type of markups should not be used to identify changes.  Removing the use of markups will help to ensure that applications are reviewed on the merit of their entire contents, without an overt, distracting focus on the sections changed from a previous version. For more...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 27, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: Tips Before You Submit Grants policy resubmission Source Type: funding

NIH All About Grants Podcast: Ins and Outs of Training Grants (miniseries)
Dr. Maria Carranza, Senior Training Officer with the National Institute on Aging Dr. Kenneth Gibbs, Chief of the Undergraduate and Predoctoral Cross-Disciplinary Training Branch at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Institutional training grants help prepare undergraduates, predoctoral students and postdoctoral scholars for careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Part 1 of this NIH All About Grants podcast miniseries dives into considerations for developing training grant applications and the review process, and part 2 focuses on post-award monitoring, mentorship, and provides insights for traine...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 26, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: New Resources mentorship trainees training grants workforce Source Type: funding

FY 2023 By the Numbers: Extramural Grant Investments in Research
We are back again to share our annual update on NIH application, award, and success rate data. Here we present our most recent information for fiscal year (FY) 2023 enacted appropriations. As a note, the NIH Data Book has other historical grants data and is being updated with more FY 2023 grants and application data. Similar to our FYs 2020, 2021, and 2022 posts, spending related to special appropriations for coronavirus are excluded here, but may be found using RePORTER’s advanced search capabilities. We spent $34.9 billion of our total $47.7 billion appropriation in FY 2023 for competing and noncompeting grant a...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 21, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike awards grants Success Rate Source Type: funding

Unmasking Potential: Introducing New Beta Version Tool for Biomedical Dataset Discovery
Guest post by Dianne Babski, Director of the NLM User Services and Collections Division (USCD), and Peter Seibert, USCD Librarian. Originally posted on the NLM Musings from the Mezzanine blog. Peter Seibert, Librarian, User Services and Collections Division, NLM Dianne Babski, Director, User Services and Collections Division, NLM In a world of rapidly changing digital expectations, new formats to access and store information, and a dynamic biomedical landscape, users want to connect to data across an abundant, widely available, and growing ecosystem of biomedical research with one click. That is the future we are w...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 16, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: blog Open Mike Data sharing Funding data Source Type: funding

You ’ll Love These Grants Policy Updates
In our 2024 NIH Grants Policy Updates webinar, compliance and system policy experts from the NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA) shared the latest policy updates and how your institutions may be impacted. Some highlights include a simplified peer review framework, updated guidance for subaward agreements, and common forms for biosketch and other support. Learn more about what’s coming up in the next year in these areas: Budget Policy System Process Compliance Updates Policy Reminders (Source: NIH Extramural Nexus)
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 14, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: New Resources Grants policy Source Type: funding

Salary Cap Guidance
While operating under a continuing resolution, all legislative mandates that were in effect in FY 2023 for NIH grant, cooperative agreements, and research and development contract awards remain in effect. This includes restricting direct salary support to the salary limitation set at Executive Level II of the federal pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 1, 2024, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $221,900. For active awards, including awards that have been issued in FY 2024 (continuation and new) that were restricted...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 12, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: Top Stories Budget Grants policy Source Type: funding

Search for Cooperative Agreements Now Available in RePORTER
Looking for information on cooperative agreements? RePORTER now offers this information through its advanced search. Cooperative agreements differ from grants in that they involve substantial staff involvement from the federal awarding agency (indicated by a ‘U’ in the activity code or mechanism as in U01, U54). STEPS Click on the Advanced Search button on the RePORTER home screen. On the Advanced Projects Search screen, go to the Project Details section. Click on the grey bar below Cooperative Agreements to see the activity codes displayed in the dropdown menu. You can select individual Cooperative Agr...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 9, 2024 Category: Research Authors: NIH Staff Tags: New Resources eRA Commons RePORTER Source Type: funding

NIH Director Statement on Catalyzing the Development of Novel Alternative Methods
This report, which the ACD enthusiastically endorsed and conveyed to the agency, recommended that NIH work with the community to: Prioritize the development and use of combinatorial NAMs Establish resources, infrastructure, and collaborations to promote the use of interoperable, reliable, and well curated/high quality datasets produced from research using NAMs Promote effective dissemination and interconnection of NAM technologies Invest in comprehensive training to bolster continuous advances in development and use of NAMs Facilitate multidisciplinary teams with expertise across technologies and the lifecy...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - February 9, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Mike Lauer Tags: blog Open Mike Alternatives to Animals Animal Welfare rigor Source Type: funding