Program Officer Checklist

This SOP has internal roles only.

Purpose

To document a program officer's approval to fund a competing application, identify factors that may affect funding, and note special terms and conditions to include on the Notice of Award.

Procedure

Program officers must use the NIH-wide "universal" Program Officer Checklist, which is located in eRA's Program Module.

When the NIAID Budget and Financial Management Branch issues a release list, program officers should check immediately for their grants and start filling out a Program Officer Checklist in eRA's Program Module. This way, they can get a jump on resolving potential problems and avoid any delays in funding.

For some questions, program officers will need to get information from their grants management specialist (e.g., updated other support, information to address a human subjects concern).

Grants staff fill out a GM Checklist in eRA'sGrants Management Module to document their review of applications for administrative issues.

Program and grants management staff have up to three weeks from the date on the release list to complete their checklists.

Renewals (type 2) and MERIT extensions are top priority, as GMP staff work to ensure there are no breaks in support, while other competing awards are GMP's next highest priority.

Program Officers

• Use the Program Officer Checklist in eRA's Program Module to document your evaluation of the following:
  • Issues affecting human or animal research.
  • Other support that might indicate possible overlap.
  • Additional factors that may affect the budget recommendation and funding level.
  • Special terms and conditions to include on the Notice of Award, e.g., human subjects, select agents, highly pathogenic agents, or restrictions.
• To electronically sign off on the Program Officer Checklist and indicate your approval for funding, you must click the "Checklist Complete?" button. The "Save" button only saves the information you have entered on the checklist.
• Complete your review within three weeks of the date on the release list, or inform the specialist of pending issues.

Grants Management Specialists

• When a competing application is identified for potential funding, review it to identify administrative concerns and required documentation.
• Fill out a GM Checklist in eRA's Grants Management Module.
• Do not issue awards without a completed and electronically signed Program Officer Checklist.

Contacts

See GMP Assignments by Geographic Region and Program Code for the appropriate GMP specialist.

If you have knowledge to share or want more information on this topic, email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.

Links

Clinical Terms of Award SOP

Renewal Funding SOP

Grants Negotiation SOP

MERIT Awards and Extensions SOP

NIH Policy Manual 54519 - Scientific, Budgetary, and Commitment Overlap

Office for Human Research Protections Web site

Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare Web site

Preparing Program Officer Checklists for Competing Applications

Select Agent Awards SOP