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NIAID Funding News provides funding, policy, and other information to NIAID's extramural research community and Institute staff. You can subscribe directly by entering your email address at Email Updates and then selecting your subscription topics. Visit Stay Informed About Policy Changes and News for more opportunities to connect with us.
Promptly Determine Whether You’re Eligible to Apply
While a notice of special interest (NOSI) may stipulate eligibility criteria within its Purpose section, most NOSIs defer to the instructions listed in the identified notices of funding opportunities.
Why Criterion Scores Don’t Add Up
The criterion scores reflect the views of the assigned reviewers while your overall impact score reflects the scores of all the panel members who voted.
A Summary of Outcomes from Our September Advisory Council Meeting
NIAID Acting Director Dr. Hugh Auchincloss provided remarks on the Institute’s administrative, budget, and scientific news. He was followed by guest speaker Dr. Ted Pierson, Director of NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, who discussed recent scientific advances and ongoing research priorities.
Explore NIAID Topics for Small Business Innovation Research Contract Solicitation
NIH’s Small Business Education and Entrepreneurial Development program will host an HHS SBIR Contracts Solicitation webinar to discuss the opportunity on September 27, 2023, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Inform the Center for Scientific Review of Your Assignment Preferences
By using the optional PHS Assignment Request Form, you can convey your preferences for which NIH institutes or centers and study sections are ideal to receive your next application.
How NIAID Sets a Payline—A Conservative Approach in Light of Uncertainty
We can increase a payline and then fund applications from earlier in the fiscal year that are now within the payline, but we cannot decrease a payline and pull back funding from awards already made.
Explore Our Priority Topics for Small Business Research Projects
To accompany the annual small business parent notices of funding opportunities, NIH assembles a list of scientific priorities for small business awards of interest to its institutes and centers.
Grant Coming to an End? Avoid and Survive a Funding Gap
As long as you have accomplished enough to build a strong case for renewing your grant, apply early so you have time to revise and resubmit without risking an interruption in funding.
New Form to Disclose Foreign Relationships for Small Business Concerns
NIAID will require small business innovation research and small business technology transfer applicants to provide a “Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries” form before issuing a grant award.
Highlights from June’s Advisory Council Meeting
NIAID Acting Director Dr. Hugh Auchincloss discussed administrative, budget, and legislative updates, as well as recent scientific findings. Then Dr. Steven Holland, Director of NIAID’s Division of Intramural Research, described key research accomplishments at our intramural laboratories.
Successful Sample Applications Demonstrate Good Grantsmanship
To observe how other applicants approach grantsmanship, examine the text sections of the successful example applications—particularly the Specific Aims and Research Plans.
Quiz Yourself on NIH Grant Funding Terminology
How familiar are you with NIAID’s application and grant terminology? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz and pay attention to the explanations for each answer.
There’s More to Biosafety and Biosecurity Than Select Agents
Review key terminology like dual use research of concern, enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, select agents, and recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.
Address Just-in-Time Requests and Bars to Award Quickly
While most of the just-in-time information we request is routine, be aware that certain codes and comments in your summary statement can indicate a funding restriction or bar to award.
Highlight Preliminary Data in Your Next Application
Focus on what reviewers would like to see in your application: enough information to convince them that your proposed project can be accomplished and is likely to have a high impact.
Generate Your Own Lists of Recently Funded Grants
You can create a list of recently funded NIAID grant awards to better assess the direction of preferences and priorities for NIAID peer reviewers and program staff.
Stay on Top of SAM Renewals and Organizational Registrations
NIAID cannot provide grant funds to organizations with an expired System for Award Management (SAM) registration; this includes competing and noncompeting awards.
Reviewing NIAID’s Application and Award Counts for FY 2022
We share the number of R01-equivalent and R21 applications that NIAID received in the previous fiscal year (FY) as well as how many awards NIAID made in turn.
Appreciation for 2022 NIAID Peer Review and Committee Volunteers
On behalf of NIAID and our research community, we express our deepest gratitude to fiscal year 2022 review and advisory group volunteers for donating their precious time and effort.
Top Ten Things NIH RePORT and RePORTER Can Do for You
Use custom crafted queries to learn what active research projects represent the cutting edge of your field, find potential collaborators for future projects, and much more.
Know the Basics for Facilities and Administrative Costs
Facilities and administrative costs pay for common or joint objectives that cannot be readily identified with an individual project or program. Examples include payroll, departmental administration, student services, building depreciation, and utilities.
November ACD Meeting Featured a Trio of Proposals
The NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) discussed a new framework for peer review criteria, NIH-supported postdoctoral training, and alternative methods to advance biomedical research.
Remember to Register, Review, and Update Records at ClinicalTrials.gov
Those conducting an NIH-funded clinical trial must promptly update study records, including updates in the recruitment status or study completion date(s), made no later than within 30 days of the occurrence.
Small Businesses—Set Your Sights on Phase III
Though NIAID does not fund small businesses directly for commercialization, our aim is to set up small businesses for later success during the earlier phases of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
Applicants—Understand What a Cooperative Agreement FOA Signifies
A cooperative agreement is a support mechanism that NIH frequently uses for high-priority research areas that require a level of involvement from NIH staff that is higher than for a typical research project grant.
A Summary of September’s Advisory Council Meeting
NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said, "It has been an enormous pleasure and privilege of my job to have worked with the many extraordinarily intelligent and talented individuals who have served Council over the years.”
Help Spread the Word of a New NIH Fellowship Program
The NIH Medical Scientist Partnership Program will be a trans-NIH effort to support combined degree candidates by providing them an option to conduct doctoral research in an NIH Intramural laboratory.
Understand the Fiscal Year Calendar to Sync Your Timing
Recognizing how NIH deadlines correspond to the fiscal year calendar can help you understand when and why NIAID undertakes certain actions and processes.
NIAID Prioritizes a Robust Population of Physician-Scientists
By virtue of their training, experiences, and responsibilities as clinicians, physician-scientists are uniquely positioned to identify research priorities and pursue breakthroughs inspired by patient care.
Brush Up on the Basics of a Modular Budget
The modular budget form includes prompts to attach a Personnel Justification, Consortium Justification, and Additional Narrative Justification, which collectively justify your budget to peer reviewers.
Know Your Closeout Obligations at Project’s End
Failure to submit reports when they are due may result in NIH's taking enforcement actions against your institution for not complying with grant closeout procedures. Follow our advice to complete this process on time and without issue.
Recapping June’s Advisory Council Meeting
At the 201st meeting of NIAID’s Advisory Council, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci gave remarks on NIAID’s budget, outreach activities, scientific priorities, and research outcomes.
R21 Grants Make for Slippery Stepping Stones
The exploratory/developmental grant (R21) activity code provides up to two years of funding support. Typically, direct costs for the entire project period are capped at $275,000.
Reference NIH’s Biomedical Research and Development Price Index
In general terms, the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index indicates how much money is needed to purchase the same amount of biomedical research as the year before.
Respond to Just-in-Time Requests and Any Bars to Award
Most just-in-time information requested by NIAID staff is routine, but certain codes in your summary statement can indicate an award restriction or bar to award.
A Deep Dive Into Data Management and Sharing
NIH's new policy requires both effective data management with the development of data management and sharing plans as well as maximum data sharing in a timely manner.
Find a Fiscal Year 2021 Research Overview, Related Databases
If you are keen on data, you’ll likely want to read on for funding and success rate data on fiscal year 2021 NIH and NIAID awards, as well as databases you can use to find more information.
NIH and Tribal Nations—Commitment and Collaboration
Regular, meaningful engagement with Tribal partners helps NIH ensure American Indians and Alaska Natives are well-represented in research and benefit from its outcomes.
Director of NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center Announces Retirement
Dr. John Mascola provided leadership for scientific and clinical research activities and developed vaccine research programs for priority diseases, including HIV, influenza, Ebola/Marburg, malaria, and COVID-19.
Thank You to 2021 NIAID Peer Review and Committee Volunteers
Our thanks to all who volunteer to serve on a peer review group or advisory committee; your time, effort, and contributions are critically important to help NIAID fund the best science.
A Synopsis of January’s Advisory Council Meeting
Catch up on remarks from NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and a presentation from guest speaker Dr. Lyric Jorgenson, the acting NIH associate director for science policy and acting director of NIH’s Office of Science Policy.
Know the Rules—NIH Peer Review Security and Confidentiality
Security and confidentiality in peer review are essential to safeguard the exchange of scientific opinions, protect confidential information, provide reliable input to NIH about research projects to support, and more.
Know Where To Go for Insights Into Site Visits
Staff may conduct “not-for-cause” site visits, such as those for new foreign awardees, as well as “for cause” visits when NIAID has evidence of administrative or accounting deficiencies at an institution.
NIAID Sometimes Funds Applications as the Secondary Institute
When an application spans multiple institutes' research priorities, NIH's Center for Scientific Review designates one institute as primary and the other(s) as secondary.
Don’t Be Fazed by Phased Awards
NIAID uses phased awards to provide support for high-risk projects and a rapid pathway to additional funding for those projects able to meet the high-risk goals within established timelines.
Create a Strong Multiple PI Leadership Plan
Your team agreed to work together because you assume it will go well, so it’s easy to overlook or minimize how you will handle disputes. Be sure to plan a thorough process for resolving conflicts and disputes.
For Foreign Investigators and Institutions—Know Eligibility Requirements
Applications from foreign institutions are strengthened when they include either expertise, study opportunities, or resources that are not easily available in the United States—for example, access to a unique study population or scientists with unusual skills or achievements.
For Grant Applicants—A Focus on Facilities and Equipment
When building your application, work with your department chair or colleagues to identify the resources and level of support your institution can provide and external resources you can leverage.
A Summary of September’s Advisory Council Meeting
Catch up on remarks from NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and a presentation from guest speaker Dr. Steven Holland, director of the NIAID Division of Intramural Research.
RCDC Shares Spending Estimates and Disease Burden by Category
To match projects with relevant categories, NIH's Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC) uses sophisticated text data mining (categorizing and clustering using words and multiword phrases) and NIH-wide definitions.
Know How To Demonstrate Scientific Progress in Annual Reports
You need to describe scientific progress in your annual Research Performance Progress Report to demonstrate success and merit, even if the project is still ramping up.
Recognize What You Need To Change Scope
You must obtain NIAID’s written prior approval before changing the scope of your research activities. Start by discussing with your program officer your situation and the changes you are considering.
Know the Basics of Review Criteria
Scored review criteria receive separate scores, and both scored review criteria and additional review criteria contribute to the overall impact score. Additional review considerations do not affect the overall impact score.
Learn Procedures for Extramural and Intramural Researchers To Collaborate
Because intramural researchers are government employees, additional rules and regulations apply to their involvement on research projects supported by NIH extramural grant funding.
Get To Know NIAID Small Business Programs
Our small business grant and contract funding opportunities help bridge the gap between basic science and commercialization of new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies.
How To Find the Right Mentor for Early-Career Awards
A mentor makes a long-term commitment to your career as an adviser, advocate, critic, and instructor whose guidance helps your scientific plans, professional development, and advancement.
A Refresher on Application Resubmission Strategy
Should your resubmission (A1) application go unfunded, you can submit a new application (A0), which does not need to be significantly different from the A1 so long as you remove any references to previous reviews from the A0.
Extramural Research Overview for Fiscal Year 2020
NIH’s fiscal year 2020 appropriation totaled $41.6 billion. Of that total, NIH spent $30.8 billion to award 56,169 new and renewed extramural grants to 2,650 U.S. and international organizations.
Quiz Yourself on NIH Acquisitions Terminology
How familiar are you with NIAID’s solicitation and contract vocabulary? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz, and pay attention to the explanations for each answer.
Patents Part Two—A Closer Look at Reporting
Submitting a required invention disclosure to NIH through iEdison is not considered a “public disclosure” and will not jeopardize your patent rights. In fact, if you don’t submit a required invention disclosure to NIH, your patent rights will be in jeopardy.
Know How To Answer Just-in-Time Requests, Resolve a Bar to Award
Certain codes in your summary statement can indicate an award restriction or bar to award, which can block you from funding until you resolve underlying scientific review concerns about human subjects involvement, inclusion, or animal welfare.
Insights Into Inventions—Reporting, Bayh-Dole, and More
Learn what actions you should take upon developing a unique or novel device, method, or process during the course of NIH-funded research.
Highlights From January 2021 NIAID Advisory Council Meeting
In his remarks to NIAID’s Advisory Council, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci shared key staff transitions, legislative updates, and COVID-19 news.
Writing a Winning Application—Write To Excite
Create a winning application by keeping your NIH peer reviewers in mind as you anticipate questions about your project's significance and innovation.
NIH or NIAID? Know the Difference
Familiarize yourself with the differences between NIH and its institutes and centers as related to funding and peer review.
Writing a Winning Application—Consider the Review Committee
Match your research project to a review group with appropriate expertise and create an application that appeals to the reviewers and catches their interest by proposing concepts and preliminary data they would regard as innovative.
Adjustments to NIH Policy for Subawards and Implementation
This summer, NIH announced planned changes to its policy on subawards—arrangements in which a grant recipient has another organization perform grant-supported research activities as part of the federal award.
Opportunities and Resources
In The News
Paylines—either percentiles (R01s only) or overall impact score order—are the funding cutoff points for investigator-initiated applications.
Advice Corner
Reader Questions
Contact Us
Email us at deaweb@niaid.nih.gov for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.