NIH Announces the Availability of Adobe-Based Grant Application Forms
Adobe-based application forms are now available in Grants.gov for most National Institutes of Health funding opportunities; others will have the new forms added by early next week (December 8-12, 2008). NIH is making the transition to Adobe-based grant application forms from PureEdge-based forms.
Applicants should return to the NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement for which they are applying and download the new forms. Applicants can confirm that they are downloading the new Adobe forms by verifying that the Competition ID on the Download Application page of the Grants.gov website is “ADOBE-FORMS-A.”
NIH reminds investigators that a Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader is required to prepare and submit an Adobe-based application. Grants.gov currently recommends Adobe Reader versions 8.1.3 or higher; compatible versions are listed on the Grants.gov Download Software page. The Grants.gov compatible version of Adobe Reader must be installed before downloading the new application forms.
NIH provides more information on the Resources for Adobe Transition page of the Electronic Submission web site.
Enhancing Peer Review at NIH:
Updated Implementation Timeline
New Scoring Procedures for Evaluation of Research Applications Received for Potential FY2010 Funding
Enhanced Review Criteria for Evaluation of Research Applications Received for Potential FY2010 Funding
In June 2007, the NIH initiated a formal, agency-wide effort to review the NIH peer review system (http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/). After careful deliberation and consideration of the recommendations resulting from the year-long effort, NIH is making a number of changes to the peer review system.
On December 2, 2008, NIH issued three NIH Guide notices related to enhancing peer review: an updated timeline for implementing key actions, a new scoring system for reviewers, and enhanced review criteria.
The first standing due date for fiscal year 2010 is January 25, 2009; the new scoring system and enhanced criteria will be used for applications submitted in response to NIH Parent Announcements and Program Announcements, including PARs and PASs published before or after these notices. Some RFAs and PARs for funding consideration in FY 2010 have due dates before January 25, 2009, and responses to those will be evaluated using the new scoring system and enhanced criteria. Likewise some RFAs and PARs for FY 2009 have due dates after January 25, 2009, and responses to those will be evaluated using the present scoring system and criteria.
