| Research Advocate PDF Version December 2005/January 2006 |
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Contents...
Funding Program Announcements |
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| Grants.gov Updates: NIH and NSF Grants.gov is a major federal initiative for electronic submission of proposals. Federal agencies are making the transition to using Grants.gov in phases. Each agency has its own specific procedures and requirements. Each funding program using Grants.gov has its own separate application package. Investigators planning to apply for federal funding are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the Grants.gov process and stay informed of ongoing changes. The Grants.gov web site is http://www.grants.gov/. The Sponsored Projects Office also has a web page with Grants.gov information at http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Procedures/grantsgov.html. National Institutes of Health NIH (and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) has begun the process to require Grants.gov for all applications by June 2007 and has issued a timeline for transition of different grant mechanisms and procedures for using Grants.gov to submit NIH grants. This change will have a major impact on the research community.
NIH is using a two-step process. Applications must first be submitted through Grants.gov. The application must be validated by the electronic Grants.gov system before being sent to the NIH eRA Commons. Investigators are cautioned to read all instructions carefully. The electronic process enforces rules much more stringently than previous methods. If errors are found in the application, it must be corrected and submitted again through Grants.gov. Applications will be considered late by NIH if not successfully submitted and validated by Grants.gov without errors by 5:00 p.m. (Pacific time) on the deadline date. Grants.gov validation may take from one to two hours to two days. Once validated by Grants.gov, the application is transferred to the NIH eRA Commons where it is validated against the NIH business rules. This may take from one or two hours to two days. PIs must use the eRA Commons to check the status of the application. Once the application (image) is available in the eRA Commons, the application must be confirmed to be correct and verified by both the principal investigator and by SPO within two business days. If the application is not verified within two business days, it is considered a late application by NIH. Upcoming transition dates for NIH grant mechanisms (NOTE: These dates reflect the timeline revision made by NIH on 2/7/2006.)
National Science Foundation NSF has published procedures for transition to Grants.gov, along with a list of approximately 100 programs that will either require Grants.gov or will have Grants.gov submission as an option. NSF information is available at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/ in the middle of the page.
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R&D in the FY 2006 Federal Budget As usual, Congress was still working away at the federal budget appropriations well into December last year, even though the federal fiscal year begins October 1. Congress cleared the final bill on December 22, and President Bush signed the last two FY 2006 appropriations bills into law on December 30. The Defense bill included emergency supplemental appropriations for the Gulf Coast, avian flu preparedness, and Iraq and Afghanistan military operations, as well as a one percent across-the-board cut for all discretionary programs, even those whose budgets had already been signed into law. Among other things, this affected agency budgets for research and development. The American Association for the Advancement of Science Budget and Policy Program summarizes key points and provides detailed analysis of research and development (R&D) in the fiscal year 2006 budget on their web site: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/. Highlights follow. AAAS estimates that the federal R&D portfolio totals $134.8 billion in 2006, a $2.2 billion or 1.7 percent increase. However, 97 percent of the increase goes to two areas: defense weapons development and human space exploration technologies. The total federal funding for basic research decreases 0.5 percent to $26.7 billion. Over 90 percent of the federal basic research investment comes from five areas: the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense "6.1" programs, National Science Foundation "Research and Related Activities," the Department of Energy Office of Science, and NASA's Science programs. Of these five areas, only NSF receives a small increase. NASA's support for basic research falls the most, by more than 8 percent to $2.2 billion. NSF's total budget, after being cut in 2005, is up 2 percent to $5.6 billion in 2006. In the final budget modified by the across-the-board, one-percent cut, NSF R&D funding ends up at the 2004 funding level of $4.1 billion. In FY 2006, the NIH budget decreases for the first time in 36 years. The final NIH appropriation for 2006 was close to the request, but the across-the-board cut left NIH with a budget of $28.6 billion, down 0.1 percent. Along with AAAS, other sources for information on the federal budget include: American Association of Universities (http://www.aau.edu/budget/budapp.cfm) and the federal Office of Management and Budget (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/). |
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| Are You On SPO's Email List?
The Sponsored Projects Office has a mailing list for campus announcements of limited submission funding programs and for important policy and procedure changes. If you aren't already on the list, you may sign up by sending email to Nancy Han at nthan@berkeley.edu. |
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NIH Salary Limitation Increased
The FY 2004 federal budget included an increase in the National Institutes of Health salary cap on awards because the Executive Level I salary rate was raised. The Executive Level I annual salary rate was $180,100 for the period January 1 through December 31, 2005. Effective January 1, 2006, the Executive Level I salary level increased to $183,500. More information, including guidance on allowable re-budgeting and examples for calculating allowable salary charges, is available in the NIH Guide announcement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-031.html. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Across-the-Board Reduction for FY 2006 NIH RPG Awards
The National Institutes of Health financial policy for grant awards was published in the January 13 NIH Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-025.html). The NIH appropriation for FY 2006 includes an across-the-board reduction to non-emergency, discretionary programs, which has a direct impact on NIH's budget. The NIH share of this adjustment is approximately $286 million. NIH has established the following financial polices consistent with this appropriation. Research Project Grants (RPGs) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm) Non-competing awards for every RPG will be awarded at a level of 97.65% of the amount indicated for the FY 2006 budget period in the Notice of Grant Award for the previous budget year. The amounts indicated for future budget periods will also be adjusted by the same factor. Non-competing awards previously issued in FY 2006 at reduced levels up to 80% of the amount previously indicated (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-014.html) will be revised to provide a restoration of funds to the 97.65% level. Amounts indicated for future budget periods will be adjusted as well. The amounts provided for competing RPGs will be managed to an average award amount equal to FY 2005 levels. FY 2006 policy includes the provision of a 3% escalation factor in the amounts indicated for future years on competing RPG awards which are not based on modular applications. Other Grant Programs Other grant programs will be managed in accordance with the policies to be established by each Institute and Center. Questions regarding adjustments applied on individual grant awards may be directed to the Grants Management Specialist identified on the Notice of Award. National Research Service Awards (Fellowships and Training Grants) This policy is published in a separate notice: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-026.html. |
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| NIH Web Site on Select Agents
The National Institutes of Health has a new web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/select_agent/index.htm) that provides information on the NIH awards process for research involving infectious agents and select agents, including submissions, awards, monitoring and oversight. The page also clarifies the processes and responsibilities for investigations of laboratory accidents, research-related illnesses and potential biosafety violations. |
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| New Law Increases State of California Data Protection Requirements for Research Involving Human Subjects
The State of Calfornia signed a new privacy measure into law, Senate Bill 13, which amends the Information Practices Act, effective January 1, 2006. SB 13 is intended to ensure that State agency data is not disclosed to researchers at the University of California or another nonprofit educational institution in a manner that would create a risk for privacy breaches and identity theft. SB 13 requires that before State agencies release personal information for research projects, the requests for data must be reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects in the State of California Health and Human Services Agency using new data protection requirements. The researcher has to provide a plan to protect the personal information with sufficient administrative, physical, and technical safeguards from reasonable anticipated threats to the security or confidentiality of the information, and must provide a plan to destroy or return all personal information as soon as it is no longer needed, along with sufficient written assurances that the researcher will not reuse or disclose the personal information to any other person or entity except as approved in the research protocol, authorized by law, or for oversight of the research. In addition, the State agency must assign a unique subject code in lieu of the SSN, if the research can be conducted without SSNs, and conduct a portion of the data processing "if feasible and if cost, time and technical expertise permit," with reasonable costs to be billed to the researcher. The State announcement is available at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/privacyoffice/LegUpdate/default.htm. Senate Bill 13 is available at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sb_13_bill_20050922_chaptered.pdf. |
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| New UC Guidelines on Seeking and Accepting Non-Competitive Funding
The University of California Office of the President has issued new University Guidelines on Seeking and Accepting Non-Competitive Funding. The guidelines were developed to outline a process for evaluating the rare circumstances that may justify an exception to the University's general position not to pursue or accept earmarked federal funds. Under the new guidelines, campuses have primary responsibility for evaluating whether a request for an exception meets the criteria, and the Chancellors are granted authority to approve campus requests that do not involve the action of a U.S. Senator. The University is expected to prioritize on a systemwide basis any requests that involve Senatorial action. The guidelines, dated December 12, 2005, are available at http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/policy/. |
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| Human Subjects Research News
New Forms and Guidance All investigators planning to engage in human subjects research, whether new or continuing projects, are reminded to use the current forms and submission guidance, available online at the Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) web site http://cphs.berkeley.edu/. All forms are also available outside our office at 101 Wheeler Hall. These updated forms and guidelines went into effect September 2005. If you need assistance in filling them out, please don't hesitate to contact the Office for the Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) staff at 642-7461 or ophs@berkeley.edu. New Education Requirement: CITI (Collaborative IRB Training Initiative) Training Faculty investigators and advisors should remind any student planning to engage in human subjects research as a Lead Investigator or Key Personnel that there is a UCB CPHS Policy regarding mandatory education in the conduct of human subjects research. As of September 1, 2005, before a protocol can be approved, all such undergraduate and graduate students must take and pass an online educational program found at: https://www.citiprogram.org/default.asp. This educational program, CITI Training, is widely utilized at over 400 academic institutions and many collaborative international research sites. Students should take either the Biomedical Training or Social-Behavioral Training Modules as is appropriate to the research they are engaged in. At the end of the program the user should print off a completion certificate which is submitted with the CPHS application. Graduate students engaged in human subjects research for their thesis or dissertation must also complete CITI training to advance to candidacy if they have not already completed the training in association with an approved protocol. News From OPHS OPHS has been very busy in 2005—adding new staff, instituting outreach and consulting services, revising processes, developing new forms and guidance for investigators—with the goal of offering better service and support to UCB investigators. We have made great progress in increasing our efficiency and we appreciate your patience as we strive to further improve our protocol review turn-around time. OPHS office hours are: Monday and Thursday 1:00-4:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday 9:00 a.m.-noon; and Wednesday noon-1:00 p.m. Staff are available by phone at other times or consulting appointments can be arranged. Please contact us at OPHS@berkeley.edu or 510/642-7461. |
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| NIH Announces FY 2006 NRSA Training Grant Stipends
The National Institutes of Health has announced the stipend levels for fiscal year 2006 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) awards for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral trainees and fellows. The stipend levels also apply to awards from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Health Resources Services Administration. The announcement is published in the January 13 NIH Guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-026.html. The stipend levels apply only to Kirschstein-NRSA awards made with FY 2006 funds on or after October 1, 2005. They will be administratively applied to all applications currently in the review process. Any FY 2006 awards issued using previously approved levels will be revised. The stipend levels are to be used in the preparation of future competing and non-competing NRSA institutional training grant and individual fellowship applications.
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| NIH Revises NRSA Forms
The National Institutes of Health has revised forms associates with the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards. Summaries of the changes and the revised PHS 416 and 6031 forms are available on the NIH Forms and Applications page at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. |
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| NIH Pilot to Speed Up R01 Review for New Investigators
In February, the National Institutes of Health will begin a pilot program in 40 scientific review panels that will offer quicker reviews to new investigators who need to resubmit revised applications for their first R01 grant. This shortened process and delayed resubmission deadlines will allow researchers to revise and resubmit their applications for the very next review cycle, more than four months earlier than before. The pilot incorporates a number of features, including a shorter time for reviewers to consider applications, earlier study section meetings, accelerated production of Summary Statements, and a delayed submission date for amended applications. NIH will analyze the results of the pilot and determine if the program should be expanded to all R01 applications submitted by new investigators. Further analysis will be done by NIH to determine if this should be expanded to all R01 applications and also to consider if other grant mechanisms should be included. Significant expansion of the pilot will depend on the full implementation of the NIH electronic submission process. For more information, see the details published in the December 2 NIH Guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-013.html. |
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| Campus Training Resources
SPO and the Vice Chancellor for Research Office will be offering the following NCURA live satellite workshops during the coming year. DVDs will also be available for departments to borrow.
SPO has DVDs of the following past workshops available. To borrow a DVD, contact Betty Roberts (2-8112, bkrobert@berkeley.edu).
Other suggested training:
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