IMPORTANT UPDATES from NIH
NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution
Notice Number: NOT-OD-22-045
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-045.html
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including National Institutes of Health (NIH), operates under the Further Extending Government Funding Act (Public Law 117-70) signed by President Biden on December 3, 2021. This Act (CR) continues government operations through February 18, 2022 at the FY 2021 enacted level, with no reduction.
Continuing the procedures identified under NOT-OD-21-058 and consistent with NIH practices during the CRs of FYs 2006 - 2021, NIH Institutes and/or Centers may, at their discretion, issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award. Upward adjustments to awarded levels will be considered after FY 2022 appropriations are enacted, but NIH expects institutions to monitor their expenditures carefully during this period. All legislative mandates that were in effect in FY 2021 (see NOT-OD-21-056) remain in effect under this CR, as well as the salary limitation set at Executive Level II of the Federal Pay Scale (see NOT-OD-21-057) and the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award predoctoral and postdoctoral stipend levels and tuition/fees as described in NOT-OD-21-049.
Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) for FY 2022
https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2022/01/11/revised-nih-grants-policy-statement-for-fy-2022/
The revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) has been published, replacing the April 2021 version as standard terms and conditions of award. This revision applies to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2021.
Extending Existing Guidance for Preparing Applications During COVID-19
For Spring 2022 due dates, NIH recently extended the guidance that while grant applications should not include contingency or recovery plans for problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, investigators may address effects due to the pandemic on productivity or other scoreable issues in the personal statement of the biosketch. Reviewers will be instructed to take these pandemic-related circumstances into account when assessing applicants’ productivity and other score-driving factors. If needed, NIH staff will request and assess plans to resolve specific problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic prior to funding.
NIH also extended the special exception for post-submission material to applications submitted for the August/October 2022 Council rounds. For applications submitted for the August/October 2022 Council rounds (beginning with applications submitted for the January 25, 2022 due date), the NIH, AHRQ, and NIOSH will accept a one-page update with preliminary data as post-submission materials for applications submitted under all activity codes, ONLY if the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) used for submission allowed preliminary data in the application. One page of preliminary data will be accepted for single component applications or for each component of a multi-component application.
The deadline for submitting all post-submission materials, including preliminary data, will be 30 days before the study section meeting, unless specified otherwise in the FOA. Because applications for emergency competitive revisions and urgent competitive revisions undergo expedited review, post-submission materials will not be accepted for those applications.
NIH Pre- and Post-Award Disclosures
https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2022/01/11/nih-pre-and-post-award-disclosures/
Not sure whether a particular activity should be reported in the biosketch, other support, or annual project reports? Check out this new resource – NIH Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support.
Link here is to the consolidated table.
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/NIH-Disclosures-Table.pdf
REPOST and REMINDER:
Expanding Requirement for eRA Commons IDs to All Senior/Key Personnel
Notice Number: NOT-OD-21-109
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-21-109.html
Targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2022, NIH, AHRQ, FDA, and ORD/VA will require all individuals listed on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form to have an eRA Commons username (Commons ID). Extension of the existing eRA Commons ID requirement to include all senior/key personnel will facilitate better data collection for individuals contributing to federally funded research as well as assist in disambiguating data on applications and facilitating the identification of conflicts of interest in peer review.
Clarification and Guidance for Applicants Preparing Applications for the Spring 2022 Due Dates During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Notice Number: NOT-OD-22-046
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-046.html
The purpose of this Notice is to extend the guidance provided earlier (NOT-OD-21-180) for applicants preparing applications for the August/October 2022 Council round, beginning with the January 25, 2022 due date.
Reviewers will continue to receive instructions to assume that constraints arising from the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., lab occupancy restrictions, declines in patient accrual, etc.) will be resolved during the project period and thus should not affect their scores.
Therefore, NIH grant applications should NOT include contingency or recovery plans for problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, applicants may address effects due to the pandemic on productivity or other scoreable issues in their Personal Statement in the NIH Biosketch. Reviewers will be instructed to take these pandemic-related circumstances into account when assessing applicants' productivity and other score-driving factors.
As with previous instructions, if needed, NIH staff will request and assess plans to resolve specific problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic prior to funding.
Please refer the full notice(s) for further details.
Should you have any questions, please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Posted: January 14, 2022, 6:19 PM