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 Grant Programs listinghttp://

NLM Grant Deadlines Open programs are the same as for other NIH Research Grants – see files/NOT-OD html for dateshttp://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice- files/NOT-OD html 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  1 st Review by BLIRC  2 nd Review by BOR  Final Decision, NLM  TIMETABLE Feb 5 June – in NIH Commons – Priority 2 days – Summary 30 days Nov (Apr, Aug) – Exact date varies

Grant Review Outcomes PRIORITY SCORES – (most likely to be funded) – (sometimes funded, esp new investigator or early stage investigators R01, or K99 grants) – Greater than 45: rarely funded

NIH Review Criteria for Research Grants CriterionQuestions 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 CriterionQuestions 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 ) 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 – 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 Full details at

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: for Sim, & Ye; for Florance program announcements, links to application forms answers many specific questions for list of funded projects for electronic applications information