NIH Funding Mechanisms

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NIH Funding Mechanisms

• Frank A. Hamilton, M.D., MPH
• Chief, Digestive Diseases Program , NIDDK
• National Institutes of Health
• US Department of Health and Human Services

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Transforming Health and Medicine Through
Discovery An Introduction to the National
Institutes of Health
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NIH Mission

• Uncover new knowledge that leads to better health
  for everyone by
• Supporting peer-reviewed scientific research at
  universities, medical schools, hospitals, and
  research institutions throughout United States
  and overseas
• Conducting research in its own laboratories
• Training research investigators
• Developing and disseminating credible health
  information based on scientific discovery

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NIH Goal

• Acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect,
  diagnose, and treat disease and disability.

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Early History of NIH

• 1797- Marine hospital
• 1887- Hygienic laboratory of the United States
• 1930 - National institute of health
• 1937- National institutes of health ( national
  cancer institute)
• 1944- President Roosevelt creates Federal Funding
  Law for NIH and NSF

Joseph James Kinyoun, founder Hygienic laboratory
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NIH Consists of 27 Institutes and Centers
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NIH Budget in FY 2006 is 28.6 Billion
Spending at NIH 4.8 B
Spending Outside NIH 23.8 B
83 of the total NIH budget supports about
325,000 Extramural Scientists and Research
Personnel at 3,000 Institutions Nationwide.
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Health Information
health.nih.gov
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PubMed Central/ Medline is an International
Resource

• Free full-text archive
• 160 journals
• 350,000 items
• Voluntary submissions
• May 2, 2005

MOST QUERIED FEDERAL WEBSITE BY PATIENTS !
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Evolving Public Health Challenges

• Acute to Chronic Conditions

Aging Population
Health Disparities
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases
Biodefense
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Topics

• What kind of applications
• What are their differences
• RFA vs. PA
• A couple common questions
• Funding strategies

What kind of application
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Types of support (extramural)

• Grants
• Cooperative Agreements
• Contracts
• Interagency agreements

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Grants are by far the major mechanism
used --
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Activity code groups

• F Fellowships (all levels)
• G Resource programs
• K Research Career
• M M01 GCRCs
• P Research Program Projects Centers
• R Research Projects
• S Research-related
• T Training Programs
• U Cooperative Agreements

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Transition /Jr Faculty Careers

• KO1
• KO8
• K23

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KO1 Mentored Scientist award

• U.S. Citizen or permanent resident status
• Earned PhD or doctoral level degree
• Completed 2 but not more than 5 years post
• Doctraining
• Identify mentor with extensive research
  experience
• 75 effort towards conducting research
• 3 years of support

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KO8

• Us Citizen or permanent resident status
• T transition between fellowship and independence
  for physician scientist
• 3,4, or 5 years of mentored protected time
• Identify experienced mentor
• 75 effort to conducting research

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K 23

• US citizen or permanent resident
• Transition between clinical training and
  independence for physician scientist engaged in
  patient oriented research
• 3, 4, or 5 years of support
• Identify mentor with clinical research experience
• 75 effort devoted to clinical research

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R-series awards

• R01s regular research project grant
• R21s usually only in response to PAs or RFAs
• R03s only in response to PAs or RFAs

NIH issued ?48,500 awards in FY2006
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Cooperative Agreements

• R01

U01
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Features of R01s

• Major grant mechanism
• Budget requested is up to investigator
• Must get prior approval if gt500,000 in any 1
  year
• Renewable

Remember ---
Budget awarded is up to the NIH (peer review,
Institute policy, funds available)
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Features of R21s

• Exploratory grants
• Institute-specific
• Budgets usually limited to 275,000 over 2 years
• Not renewable
• Reviewed in standard study sections in CSR

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Features of R03s

• Small grants
• Usually 50,000-100,000 per year for 2 or 3 years
• Not renewable, now being phased out by some ICs
• Reviewed in Institute study sections

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Features of U01s

• Big awards
• Only in response to RFAs
• Multiple sites
• NIH staff is involved
• Need special internal NIH clearance
• Reviewed in Institute study sections

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Request for Applications (RFA)

• One receipt date
• Money is committed AND amount is indicated in
  RFA
• Review usually organized by Institute
• Scores not percentiled
• Often
• More than one Institute involved (i.e. more
  chances)

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PAs can be either unsolicited or solicited --

• applications in response to a PA for the usual
  receipt dates are unsolicited
• applications in response to a PA with SPECIFIC
  receipt dates are solicited

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Relevant NIDDK R21 and R03 programs

• R03s for K08/K23 awardees
• R21 Health Disparities in NIDDK Diseases
  (PA-06-182)
• R21s for pilot studies in DD, DEM or KUH
  (PA-06-181). Contact program staff before
  submitting

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If you do NOTHING else ---

• Sign up for the NIH GUIDE ListServe
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/listserv.htm

once a week Table of Contents with links to
PAs, Notices, and RFAs
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Should I apply for an R01 on my own or in
response to an RFA?

• Consider..

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Receipt Dates --
3 times/year
Single receipt date
usually 3-times/year
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Funding potential --
Based on priority score/percentile program
relevance balance new investigator
(geography)
Stated in RFA both and of awards
Same as for unsolicited
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Review Committee --
CSR multiple committees review an Institutes
applications
Study section organized for just this RFA

• CSR if PA (same as for unsolicited)
• Institute organized if PAR

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Advantage --
Application can be tailored to your research
interests, and you get 3-tries
Competition depends on of applications you
know the Institute is interested
You know the Institute is interested
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Disadvantage --
LOTS of competition
Restricted areas of research must meet
additional criteria as stated in RFA sometimes
your only chance
Funding tied to usual payline
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a Common question ---

• How do I get my application
• assigned to..
• an Institute,
• a study section,
• a program person

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Application cover letter

• Request an Institute MORE THAN ONE
• Request a study section
• Indicate areas of expertise needed to review your
  application
• Indicate any individual or group with a major
  conflict of interest
• NEVER--
• Name desired reviewers

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Assignment Considerations

• Institute guidelines
• IRG guidelines and Competency roster of study
  section
• if amended application, previous assignment
  history
• conflict of interest
• workload balance in CSR
• APPLICANT REQUESTS (cover letter)
• ARAs (Awaiting Receipt of Application)

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Strategies to Obtain Funding

• apply in response to an RFA

RFA Request for Applications

• these are set-aside funds

• scores are not percentiled.

• apply for small grants (R21s)

• apply for P/F funds, if available

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Strategies to Obtain Funding (contd)

• apply as a co-PI
• apply as part of a program project
• apply for non-NIH grants (private foundations,
  professional societies, drug companies, etc.)

http//www.grantsnet.org
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Need to know whats funded ?

• Do a search via
• http//crisp.cit.nih.gov
• (Computerized Retrieval of Information on
  Scientific Projects)

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Review Criteria

• Significance Does the study address an important
  problem? How will scientific knowledge be
  advanced?
• Approach Are design and methods well-developed
  and appropriate? Are problem areas addressed?
• Innovation Are there novel concepts or
  approaches? Are the aims original and
  innovative?
• Investigator Is the investigator appropriately
  trained?
• Environment Does the scientific environment
  contribute to the probability of success? Are
  there unique features of the scientific
  environment?

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The 4 Cs- Reviewers focus on

• Clarity
• Content - Organize your aims linked to your
  hypothesis
• Coherence of concepts - Coherent set of ideas
  predicated on previous work
• Cutting edge

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Research supplements to promote diversity in
health related research

• Eligibility- HS Student, undergrad, graduate
  student, postdoc fellow,
• NIDDK Funded PI who holds RO1, PO1, or RO3 grant
• Length of award must run concurrent with length
  of parent grant

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Requirements for applicant

• Biographical sketch, cv
• Signed research plan for the individual
• Transcript of applicant
• Other assurances in the PA

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Take home messages --

• Keep your program directors phone number and
  email address handy
• Sign up for the GUIDE List Serve
• Your goal is to be FUNDED BUT
• If you dont apply, you cant BE funded

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R 25 PROGRAM

• F Hamilton, M.D.
• NMRI WORKSHOP

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R 25 Purpose

• To fund the development and evaluation of
  innovative model programs and materials for
  enhancing knowledge and understanding of
  biomedical science
• Target audience can be K-12 students, the general
  public, health care practitioners, and other
  groups.

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What the award does

• Provides support for the formation of
  partnerships between scientists and educators,
  media experts, community leaders, and other
  interested organizations
• For the development and evaluation of programs
  and materials that will enhance knowledge and
  understanding of biomedical science . The
  intended focus - topics not well addressed in
  existing efforts by educational, community, or
  media activities.

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Funding opportunities

• Check the NIH website to locate Current funding
  opportunities.

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Transforming medicine through discovery
NIH