NIH Launches Feedback NIH, Requests Comments on Proposed New Institute and Center

The National Institutes of Health has launched a new web site, Feedback NIH, that will provide the most up-to-date information on various planning and development issues that arise at NIH and provide a place for NIH to receive input and insights from individuals across NIH, the biomedical research community, and the public.

NIH is currently seeking comments and questions on two initiatives:

• The proposed new Institute for Substance Use, Abuse and Addiction that would integrate the relevant research portfolios from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and other NIH Institutes and Centers.
  
  
• The proposed new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences that would generate innovative tools, technologies, and ideas that would transform translational efforts throughout the scientific community.

Reminder: Changes for NSF Proposals Submitted or Due On or After January 18

The new National Science Foundation Proposal and Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 11-1) goes into effect for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 18, 2011. The significant changes to the PAPPG include 1) a requirement that all proposals submitted to NSF contain an up to two-page Data Management Plan as a Supplementary Document and 2) implementation of the National Science Board’s recommendations regarding cost sharing. A complete list of significant changes accompanies the PAPPG.

Please note that because January 15 is a Saturday, and Monday, January 17 is a Federal holiday, per Grant Proposal Guide Chapter I.F, the due dates are extended to the following business day. Therefore, proposals submitted in response to funding opportunities whose deadline dates fall after close of business on January 14, will be due January 18, and will be subject to the requirements set forth in NSF 11-1. This includes the requirement to submit a Data Management Plan as a supplementary document.

FastLane will begin automated compliance checking for the data management plan starting January 15, 2011, and proposals (including unsolicited proposals) that do not comply with the requirement will be prevented from submission.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the new PAPP Guide, and visit the NSF Policy Office web site for additional information. NSF has developed a suite of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on topics such as general proposal preparation and award administration, Project Outcomes Reports, Responsible Conduct of Research, Data Management Plans and Cost Sharing. The Policy Office updates these FAQs as new questions are raised, to keep the community aware of emerging issues, so please visit the NSF site often to access the latest information on NSF policies and procedures.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the NSF Policy Office on (703) 292-8243 or by e-mail to policy@nsf.gov, or your SPO research administrator.

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Data Management Plan Resource:
California Digital Library Data Management Guidelines
CDL press release: Online data management planning tool tames data and meets researchers’ funding requirements

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October 7, 2010 Research Advocate article: NSF Revises Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Effective January 18

Reminder: Elimination of the NIH Two-Day Error-Correction Window

The National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will eliminate the error-correction window for grant applications with due dates on or after January 25, 2011.

The Vice Chancellor for Research issued a campus memo reminding the campus of this change through CALmessages on November 29, 2010. The text of the memo is included below.

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From: Graham Fleming, Vice Chancellor for Research
Subject: Reminder: Elimination of the NIH two-day “error correction window”

After January 25, 2011, National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will eliminate the current two-day “error correction window” from the Grants.gov application submission process.

The error correction window was instituted by these agencies as a temporary measure to facilitate the transition from paper to electronic applications. Now that it will be rescinded, PIs are encouraged to carefully review all proposal forms and attachments before submitting a final copy of a proposal to SPO. Even minor errors such as having a title that exceeds the maximum number of characters and typos such as adding an extra space between a first and last name can cause error messages to be generated by Grants.gov.

SPO realizes that PIs only have a limited time to work on a proposal and proposals sometimes must be submitted “late” in accordance with the VCR’s late proposal policy. This alert is to make the campus community mindful of the fact that when the error correction window disappears and SPO receives an error message from Grants.gov after the proposal deadline, there will be no way for SPO to correct this error and resubmit the proposal.

This is particularly important prior to standard NIH submission dates when there is heavy traffic on Grants.gov. At such times it often can take more than 24 hours to receive feedback from Grants.gov that a proposal must be corrected. So even a proposal submitted by SPO a day before the agency due date may receive an error message from Grants.gov after the agency deadline has passed.

SPO therefore reminds PIs submitting proposals to NIH, AHRQ and NIOSH after January 25, 2011 to transmit proposals to SPO five working days before the application due date in accordance with the VCRO's existing policy. PIs that receive VCRO approval to submit “late proposals” are cautioned that proposals received less than five working days before the agency deadline may not be submitted in time to make corrections in time for resubmission through Grants.gov.

If you have any questions, please contact Pamela Miller at 642-2925.

Sincerely,

Graham Fleming
Vice Chancellor for Research

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August 20, 2010 Research Advocate article: NIH, AHRQ, and NIOSH to Eliminate Error-Correction Window for Applications