The National Institutes of Health NIH: Inside and Out Presented by NSUs Office of Grants and Contrac

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Inside
and OutPresented by NSUs Office of Grants and
Contracts on November 7, 2003
Note This information was received at the NIH
Seminar in Louisville, Kentucky (June 2002),
unless otherwise indicated.
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A Brief Background

• NIH is the primary funding source for scientific
  research in the U.S.
• The NIH campus is located in Bethesda, Maryland
  just outside of Washington, DC.
• In 1901, NIH had one building called the Lab of
  Hygiene. Today, it is comprised of more than 25
  Institutes and Centers for research, as well as
  the National Library of Medicine.
• The extramural research program constitutes about
  85 of NIHs annual budget.
• NIHs mission is to acquire new knowledge to
  help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease
  and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder
  to the common cold.

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NIHs Research Programs

• Intramural Program
• Extramural Program

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The NIH Intramural Program

• Allows researchers an opportunity to become
  visiting scientists on the NIH campus.
• Provides an opportunity for visiting scientists
  to collaborate on projects across Institutes.
• There are more than 2,000 projects conducted on
  NIHs campus at any given time.
• The program is open to all from pre-doctoral
  students to the most seasoned researchers.

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The NIH Extramural Program

• Perhaps the most well-known of NIHs research
  programs.
• Provides funding for research and training
  through grants, cooperative agreements, and
  contracts.
• Founded on investigator-initiated research.
• Currently funding over 50,000 principal
  investigators.
• For more information, view the NIH Office of
  Extramural Researchs website at
  http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm.

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Types of NIH Awards

• Researcher Investigations (R01, R03, R21)
• Research Training (T32, T34, T35)
• Student Fellowships (F31, F32, F33)
• Career Development (K01, K02, K05, K07)
• Institutional (R15, U24)
• Conference Support (R13, U13)
• Small Business (SBIR, STTR)
• For more information on types of awards
  http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_prog
  ram.htm

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The PHS 398 Application Packet

• Forms are now available online in PDF and Word
  formats.
• Instructions are also available online and should
  be followed to the letter.
• OGC can provide assistance with institutional
  information as well as budget development and
  justification.
• Modular vs. Non-modular budget formats.

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Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific
Projects (CRISP)

• CRISP is a database maintained by NIH and
  chronicles past and current federally funded
  research that is being conducted in a variety of
  settings.
• Projects include those funded by the National
  Institutes of Health (NIH), Substance Abuse and
  Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Health Resources
  and Services Administration (HRSA), Food and Drug
  Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control
  and Prevention (CDCP), Agency for Health Care
  Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Office of the
  Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH).
• This is a great way to keep up with the latest
  federally-funded scientific research and also
  take note of what types of projects are typically
  getting funded by NIH and other agencies.

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Peer Review at NIH

• CSR
• Study Sections
• Institute Advisory Councils

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The Center for Scientific Review

• Proposals are sent to the CSR and are processed
  upon arrival.
• Referral officers coordinate which Study Sections
  and Institutes will receive which proposals.
• Applicants will receive a letter within 4-6 weeks
  stating the assigned Study Section and Institute
  for the proposals review.
• At this time, applicants can reply and request
  re-assignments for the proposal review.

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The Study Section

• Assigned proposals based on type of funding,
  scientific area, revision versus new application.
• Each section has a Scientific Research
  Administrator (SRA) and a Grant Technical
  Assistant to oversee the review process and
  support reviewers during the process.
• The SRA is an important contact.
• Study Sections members are listed on NIHs
  website http//www.csr.nih.gov/studysec.htm

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The SRAs Responsibilities

• Selects reviewers for the Study Sections.
• Distributes proposals to reviewers.
• Coordinates reviewers meetings.
• Oversees and ensures fairness of review process.

• Drafts summary statements of the review.
• Considers applicants Study Sections requests.
• Has overall responsibility of Study Sections
  function.
• Serves as liaison for applicants if any
  last-minute materials need to be added.

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The Institute Advisory Council

• Proposals scoring high enough move on to the
  Councils for review at the Institute-level.
• Councils ensure that the Study Sections reviews
  were fair and unbiased.
• Councils review how the proposals fit into the
  Institute's mission and priorities.
• Councils decide on which proposals to fund and
  the amount of the award.

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3 Ways Institute Advisory Councils Can Respond

• The Council agrees with Study Sections review.
• The Council requests modifications of the Study
  Sections comments, though the score remains
  unchanged.
• The Council requests a deferral to review the
  same application at a later date.

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STUDY SECTIONS DO NOT FUND, INSTITUTES FUND!
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Notes About The Peer Review Process

• The review process is not a passive process
  getting involved and staying informed are to the
  applicants benefit.
• Reviewers are an eclectic mix of researchers, not
  just those in your field.
• While reviewers are accomplished and respected
  scientists, they are also busy people.
• Ensure proper attention to your proposal by
  following directions and being careful about its
  presentation.

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First Impressions Last What The Reviewers Notice

• The proposals aesthetic - Is the proposal easy
  to read and well-organized? Does the project
  title sound interesting?
• The nuts and bolts of the proposal - Does the
  project seem significant and have a solid
  methodology that is carefully and clearly
  explained? Does the applicant institution have
  the necessary resources to carry out the
  projects goals? Are the budget estimates
  realistic and well-justified?
• How is the proposal special or unique? Is it
  innovative? Can the results of this study project
  contribute to greater knowledge or further
  inquiry about the field of study?

Based on presentation by David Morrison of Grant
Writers Seminars and Workshops, LLC April 2003.
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10 Reasons an Application is not Funded by NIH

• Lack of new or original ideas
• Absence of acceptable scientific rationale
• Lack of experience in essential methodology
• Questionable reasoning in experimental approach
• Uncritical approach
• Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused research plan
• Lack of sufficient experimental detail
• Lack of knowledge of published relevant work
• Unrealistically large amount of work
• Uncertainty concerning future directions

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NIH Regional Seminars

• May 6-7, 2004 in Miami and June 24-25, 2004 in
  Seattle, WA
• For general or program related information on the
  NIH Regional Seminars, please contact Megan
  Columbus at megan.columbus_at_nih.gov or
  301-435-0937.
• On the web at http//grants2.nih.gov/grants/semina
  rs.htm

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Useful Websites Regarding NIH Applications

• www.nih.gov The National Institutes of Health
• http//crisp.cit.nih.gov/ The CRISP Database
• http//grants1.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm PHS 398
  among other NIH applications
• http//deainfo.nci.nih.gov/EXTRA/EXTDOCS/gntapp.ht
  m Quick Guide for Grant Applications courtesy of
  the National Cancer Institute
• http//www.csr.nih.gov/REVIEW/streamln.htm The
  NIH Streamlining Process

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NIH links continued

• http//www.csr.nih.gov/ Center for Scientific
  Review website
• http//www.csr.nih.gov/review/terms.htm Glossary
  of Terms for Peer Review
• http//www.csr.nih.gov/REVIEW/policy.asp Peer
  Review Policy and Procedures
• http//www.csr.nih.gov/REVIEW/Peerrev.htm
  Narrative of Peer Review Process
• http//www.nigms.nih.gov/funding/tips.html Tips
  for new NIH applicants
•