fundamentals of nlm grants national library of medicine extramural programs updated dec 2009
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Fundamentals of NLM Grants
National Library of Medicine Extramural Programs
Updated Dec 2009
Contents of this slide set
NLM grant programs overview Grant review & approval process Tips for successful applications Electronic Grants Administration Contact information
Informatics Funding at NIH
Informatics is NLM’s research domain– Computer/information sciences applied to medicine,
biology/biochemistry or public health domain– Basic & applied research– NLM grants & training $66 million in FY2005
Other NIH institutes also support biomedical informatics, e.g., NIBIB, NCRR, NIGMS, NHGRI, NIMH, NCI
Types of NLM Grant Programs
Research grants – investigator initiated research Resource grants – infrastructure & applied informatics Training support – informatics research training at
academic centers Career development support – career support and
educational loan repayment Grants for small businesses – commercialize good
ideas
Research Grants
Focus on research & development in biomedical or public health informatics, or bioinformatics– Traditional investigator-initiated research grants
(R01)– Experimental/developmental research grants (R21)– Conference Grants (R13)
Career Support Awards
Focus on building the supply of researcher investigators in biomedical/ public health informatics or bioinformatics– NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)– Loan Repayment Program (L30) (restricted to
biomedical informatics)
Resource Grants
Focus on optimizing the management & use of health-related information– Knowledge Management & Applied Informatics
Grants (G08)– Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine &
Health (G13)
Training & Fellowships
18 University-based medical Informatics research training programs
Grants for Small Businesses
SBIR phase 1 and 2 grants for companies that want to bring a product to market
Fast-track – combine phase 1 and 2 in a single application. Requires prior approval by NLM staff
Priorities are the same as for research grants in biomedical informatics
Multi-Institute Grant Programs
NLM also partners with other NIH organizations on grant programs. Examples:– Innovations in Biomedical Science & Technology
(BISTI)– Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy
See http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep Grant Programs listing
NLM Grant Deadlines
Open programs are the same as for other NIH Research Grants– see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-001.html for dates
RFA deadlines are published in the grant funding announcement, in the NIH Guide
Peer Review for NLM Grants
Center for Scientific Review (CSR) receives all applications, assigns them to a study section and a funding Institute
NLM study sections review most of NLM’s grants– Biomedical Library & Informatics Review Committee (BLIRC)– Special Emphasis Panels (SEP) for some NLM grants
Multi-Institute grants in which NLM is a participant, such as SBIR grants, are reviewed by CSR study sections
Review Steps for Grants - Example
REVIEW STEP Received at CSR 1st Review by BLIRC
2nd Review by BOR Final Decision, NLM
TIMETABLE Feb 5 June – in NIH Commons
– Priority scores @ 2 days– Summary statements @ 30 days
Sept @ Nov (Apr, Aug)
– Exact date varies
Grant Review Outcomes
PRIORITY SCORES– 10 -30 (most likely to be funded)– 30-45 (sometimes funded, esp new investigator or
early stage investigators R01, or K99 grants)– Greater than 45: rarely funded
NIH Review Criteria for Research Grants
Criterion Questions in Reviewer’s mind
Significance Does it address an important informatics problem? How will science or clinical practice be advanced?
Approach Is the conceptual or clinical framework sound? Are potential problems discussed?
Innovation Are the aims, concepts, methods, outcomes novel? Do they challenge paradigms?
Investigator Does the PI/team have appropriate training and experience?
Environment Does the study benefit from this scientific/clinical environment?
NIH Review Criteria for Resource Grants
Criterion Questions in Reviewer’s mind
Significance Is there an expressed need? Benefits for wider audience?
Approach Are the FTE/expertise sufficient to the task? Are the timeline & milestones realistic? Are the methods appropriate? Is the evaluation clear and meaningful?
Innovation Not required
Investigator Does the PI/team have appropriate training and experience?
Environment Is there a plan for future support?
Components of Good Proposals
Responsive to the program announcement and NLM stated priorities
Clearly-stated goals and methodology A detailed work plan that fits the stated project goals A timeline and milestones References to publications, placing the work in context
of other, similar work and state of the art
Components of Good Proposals
Evidence of advance planning, e.g., pilot data or user needs assessment
Key personnel with relevant expertise and adequate FTE dedicated to the work
Evidence that problems & contingencies have been considered
Letters of agreement from named collaborators & consultants
Other Helpful Hints
DO Contact program officer with
questions Name the grant program
(e.g., PAR 03-108 ) on box 2 of face page
Register with NIH Commons and grants.gov
Use most recent application form & instructions – watch for transitions to electronic application!!!
DON’T Put information in appendix
that is needed to judge merit Request more than $500K/yr
without prior written approval by NLM
Send the same application to 2 institutes
Send the same application at 2 different deadlines
Electronic Grants Administration
Register with the NIH eRA Commons for access to priority scores and summary statements
– Register at https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/ – Both PI and Institutional Official need Commons accounts– eRA Commons registration is REQUIRED for electronic
submissions through Grants.gov All NIH grant programs are moving to electronic grant
submission. Institution MUST register at Grants.gov at least 2 weeks before the grant deadline. The transition to online applications began in December 2005. Full details at http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/
Program points of contact
Dr. Valerie Florance – General overall program directions, Informatics training programs and special initiatives.
Dr. Hua-Chuan Sim – Clinical and public health informatics in research grants (R01), exploratory/developmental grants (R21), conference grants, and Pathway to Independence grants (K99). Also responsible for Knowledge Management & Applied Informatics grants, Scholarly Works grants and the Loan Repayment Program.
Dr. Jane Ye – Bioinformatics and computational biology in research grants (R01), exploratory/developmental grants (R21), conference grants, and Pathway to Independence grants (K99). Also responsible for SBIR/STTR grants.
For more information
Program: 301-594-4882 for Sim, & Ye;301-496-4621 for Florance
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep program announcements, links to application forms http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/faq.html answers many
specific questions http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/funded.html for list of funded
projects http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/ for
electronic applications information