Support and Resources

Agency Newsletters, Policies and Policy Manuals

Newsletters and Other Periodicals

  • NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts.

  • NIH Extramural Programs. Compendium of extramural programs; includes staff and contact information.

  • NIH Research Training and Career Development Opportunities. Contains links to award descriptions for all individual awards, such as the "K" awards and individual NRSAs.

  • NIH Peer Review Notes. Published by the NIH Division of Research Grants (DRG) three times per year to keep the NIH and scientific communities informed of developments in grant application policies and procedures.

  • The Scientist. We now link directly (courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania) to the electronic version of The Scientist: A Newspaper for the Life Sciences Professional. This periodical contains articles which principal investigators might find useful in preparing proposals, such as advice from NIH study section members on preparing proposals for NIH review. Current and back issues are available.

Policies

NSF Cost Sharing Policy. NSF recently announced a new policy on cost sharing. To provide more details on how the policy will work in practice, NSF has posted FAQs to its web site at http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dga/policy/start.htm.

The FAQs clarify how the new policy will be implemented in program announcements, solicitations, and unsolicited proposals. NSF also explains that since cost sharing is an eligibility rather than a review criterion, cost sharing in excess of the required amount must not be a factor in the review of proposals. NSF Program Officers must instruct reviewers not to use cost sharing as a factor in their evaluation.

The FAQ also explain in more detail how NSF Program Officers may reduce or eliminate costs for specific budget items, and that they may discuss with PI's "bottom line" funding amounts, but that a reduction of 10% or more requires a revised budget and reduction in the scope of the research project.

The FAQ provides an email address to report apparent noncompliance with this policy.

Policy Manuals

August 8, 2003
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