Recovery Plans at NIH

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is having a major impact on the scientific enterprise.

New monies are creating jobs for scientists and keeping funds flowing to those whose jobs are endangered. This funding influx also gave rise to research opportunities, as we describe below.

Please keep in mind that these are two-year funds that do not add to NIH's funding base. We must spend the money within two years. In FY 2011, stimulus funding ends, and we will return to a budget level that has no additional stimulus funds.

Following the requirements specified in the law, here is how NIH allocated the stimulus money:

• $10.4 billion for NIH. NIAID is not participating in all of NIH's opportunities, most of which have expired -- see NIAID Participation in NIH ARRA Opportunities for details.
  • $7.4 billion to the institutes and centers and Common Fund to support all NIH research, divided as follows:
    • $1 billion to the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) for grants to renovate and repair facilities in research institutions.
  • $300 million to NCRR for shared instrumentation grants.
  • $800 million to the NIH Office of the Director, e.g., at least $200 million for NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research -- read more at Opportunities for NIAID Applicants.
  • For more information, see Opportunities for NIAID Applicants.
  • $500 million for buildings and facilities at NIH.
  • $400 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that will pass through to NIH for comparative effectiveness research.

NIH set policy centered on the tenets spelled out by the President and Congress: the importance of transparency and accountability, and the need to spend the money quickly. Within those parameters, NIH made the following policy decisions:

• Fund new and competing research grants that were scored but not funded in FY 2008 and FY 2009.
• Ensure that administrative and competing supplements are not used to restore lost purchasing power.
• Spend the money within a wide geographic distribution, so it has the greatest impact across the country.
• Leave open the possibility of awarding grants with two-year stimulus funds followed by funding with appropriated monies.

For a list of NIH Guide notices for ARRA related to NIAID, go to NIAID Participation in NIH ARRA Opportunities and Special Announcements.

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