Changes to Forms and Instructions for Applications

Type of Application

Changes

Institutional Research Training or Institutional Career Development

• The Program Plan section of the application will be expected to include a description of how the program and faculty will provide training in rigorous research design and relevant data science and quantitative approaches.
• Applicants will be required to include a new attachment, describing a plan for instruction in research methods to enhance reproducibility.
• The Progress Report for renewal applications will be limited to five pages for the program and one page for each appointee to the grant; applications that exceed the specified page limits will be withdrawn.
• The My Bibliography report of publications arising from work conducted by appointees while supported by the grant will no longer be requested Just-in-time but will be collected in the Interim Final Research Performance Progress Report.
• Minor modifications to the data elements collected in the research training data tables.

Fellowship

• In describing their training goals and objectives, fellowship candidates will be expected to address, as applicable, any new research skills they expect to acquire in the areas of rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation.
• In the Research Strategy section, fellowship candidates will be expected to describe (a) the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project, (b) plans to address any weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research, (c) how the experimental objectives proposed will achieve robust and unbiased results, and (d) how relevant biological variables are factored into research designs and analyses.
• If applicable, fellowship candidates will be required to include an attachment describing how they will authenticate key biological and/or chemical resources.
• Applicants to diversity-related FOAs (e.g., diversity-related F31) will be required to include an attachment describing how the candidate’s participation would further the goals of the program.

Individual Career Development

• In describing their career development plans, candidates for career development awards will be expected to address, as applicable, any new research skills they expect to acquire in the areas of rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation.
• Applicants to diversity-related FOAs (e.g., diversity-related K01) will be required to include an attachment describing how the candidate’s participation would further the goals of the program.