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