SPA - SPA Weekly

AROUND SPA

New Fringe Benefit Rate

In accordance with federal guidelines, a new fringe benefit rate of 32% has been negotiated which goes into effect September 1, 2007. Effective immediately all grant application budgets must utilize this newly approved rate.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION ITEMS OF INTEREST

Check Your Application Image in eRA Commons

Take the time to check your application image in the eRA Commons. Open it. Look it over carefully. Make sure all your attachments are present and readable. Contact your Grant Specialist in SPA for assistance if you identify any issues with your submitted application.

Make sure your application looks exactly as you intended. You have two full business days from the date your application is received and accepted by NIH to review it before it is considered final and is automatically sent to the Division of Receipt and Referral for funding consideration.

New Grants.gov 2007 Solution Coming Soon

The new Grants.gov 2007 solution that incorporates Adobe-based forms and Google search functionality will be released. This August, Grants.gov provided a webcast to update the research community on the timeline and functionality of the new Adobe-based SF424 forms.

Although originally targeting the end of FY2007 to have all agencies transitioned to the new Adobe-based forms, Grants.gov has extended the time provided to agencies to fully transition to the new format into 2008. This is great news for both agencies and applicants. The additional time allows Grants.gov to complete their development and testing of the new forms and provides agencies with greater flexibility in how they approach the transition.

NIH’s transition to the Adobe forms remains on hold while Grants.gov finalizes the SF424 (R&R) form set.

Bringing Together the Terminology: NIH and Grants.gov

Grants.gov has brought us new terminology for the Type of Application field of the SF424 (R&R) Cover Component (box #8). NIH is trying to change all of its materials to correctly reflect the new terminology, but it will take some time. Please use the handy chart below as the terminology change takes place:

New Grants.gov Term	Old NIH Term	Notes
New	New	An application that is submitted for funding for the first time. Includes multiple submission attempts within the same round. (Type 1)
Renewal	Competing Continuation	Previous years of funding for the project have elapsed. Competing for additional years of funding to continue original project. (Type 2)
Revision	Competing Supplement	Request for additional funds for a current award to expand the scope of work. Applicants should contact the awarding agency for advice on submitting any revision/supplement application. (Type 3)
Resubmission	Revision or Amended Application	Application previously reviewed. A revised or amended application addresses reviewer feedback. (A1/A2)
Continuation	Progress Report	NIH does not use the SF424 (R&R) for Continuation Applications. (Type 5; Progress Reports for Simplified Non-competing (SNAP) are submitted directly to eRA Commons for others paper is still submitted)

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NOTICES

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipend and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2007

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-052.html

NIH Announces Changes to eRA Commons, Particularly the Electronic Streamlined Non-competing Award Process (eSNAP) Function

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-064.html

Full Implementation to Shorten the Review Cycle for New Investigator R01 Applications Reviewed in Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Recurring Study Sections

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-083.html

ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

Advance Measurement of Equity and Patient-Centered Care

Deadline: September 25, 2007 (Brief Proposals)
Grant Amount: $100,000-300,000

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( http://www.rwjf.org) is seeking proposals through a special solicitation for projects that will improve the understanding of how to measure equity and patient-centered care and the role of both in promoting quality.

For the three topic areas below, approximately $3 million in total funding will be available starting in 2008. Three topics have been identified to address specific knowledge gaps needed to advance the foundation's regional quality strategy:

Topic 1 - Performance Measurement;
Topic 2 - Patients' Experience with Care and Survey Instruments; and
Topic 3 - Shared Decision-making and Diverse Populations.

Interdisciplinary research teams that include investigators focused on racial and ethnic disparities or quality are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to those applicants that may be either public entities or nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or U.S. Territories. Grants between $100,000 to $300,000 each, depending on the topic, will be available for policy relevant research grants.

RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10008514/rwjf

FOUNDATION FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Fellowship Applications for Research Focused on Immigrant Children

Deadline: November 1, 2007
Grant Amount: $150,000

The Foundation for Child Development ( http://www.fcd-us.org/ ) provides fellowship support through its Changing Faces of America's Children - Young Scholars Program for investigators to conduct research that aims to identify and understand the challenges faced by immigrant families and their children in the United States.

The goals of this competitive award program are to:

1) stimulate both basic and policy-relevant research about the early education, health, and well-being of children living in immigrant families from birth to age ten, particularly those who are living in low-income families; and

2) to support young investigators from the behavioral and social sciences or in an allied professional field (e.g., public policy, public health, education, social work, nursing, medicine) who are untenured but in tenure-track positions or who have received tenure in the last four years from a college or university in the United States. No applications from full professors will be accepted.

Eligible researchers will have earned their doctoral degrees within the last fifteen years and be full-time faculty members of a college or university in the United States. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, or those who have employment authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for the duration of the award.

Three to four fellowships of up to $150,000 each for use over one to three years (maximum) will be awarded competitively.

RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10008397/fcd-us

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR HEARING RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Deadline: October 6, 2007
Grant Amount: $20,000

The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation ( http://www.nohrfoundation.org/ ) will award grants of approximately $20,000 each, primarily in the form of seed money, for innovative biomedical research into the prevention, causes, treatment, and cure of hearing loss and deafness. NOHR encourages proposals related to biological restoration of hearing.

Clinicians and researchers qualified in the field of auditory science may apply. Applications from researchers in other disciplines who will conduct research directly relevant to auditory science are also encouraged. Grant support is generally provided for one year.

RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10008302/nohrfoundation

THE MEDICAL FOUNDATION

The Patterson Trust Fellowship Program in Brain Circuitry

Bank of America is pleased to announce the second year of the Robert Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Brain Circuitry. Awards will be made to investigators working in non-profit research institutions in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Up to 10 two-year awards will be made with at least two designated for each of the three eligible states. Two-year fellowships ranging from $44,500 - $54,000 per year will fund postdoctoral fellows whose basic research has direct relevance to the understanding of brain circuitry.

Research conducted by Patterson Trust Fellows will seek fundamental insights into the mechanisms by which neural circuits control behavior. Through these insights, it may become possible to clarify the root causes of diseases that affect millions, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, degenerative brain disorders, epilepsy, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Clinical research and trials are currently outside the scope of the Program.

The application deadline for Online Submission is Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Mailed Submission and two Recommendation Letters must be received by Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. EDT

Click here for more information.

LRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program

The Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF) is pleased to announce the 2008 cycle of the LRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program. The goal of the Program is to expand and strengthen the pool of outstanding junior investigators in the field of lymphatic research. The awards will support investigators who have recently received their doctorates, a critical point in career development when young scientists choose their lifelong research focus. LRF, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to promoting and supporting basic and translational research, and to fostering an interdisciplinary field of research that will result in improved understanding and/or advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lymphatic diseases, lymphedema and related disorders. Projects in lymphoma or leukemia research are currently outside the scope of this program.

Funding to support two-year fellowships ranging from $39,500 to $47,500 per year will begin July 1, 2008.
The application deadline is Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 1:00 p.m (EDT)

Click here for more information.