Research Enterprise Newsletter - March 2007: Grants & Contracts News
NIH Announces Fiscal Changes
The National Institutes of Health Office for Extramural Research made the following fiscal policy announcements on February 23.
NIH announced that "To implement the FY2007 fiscal guidance, noncompeting research awards will be awarded at 97.1% of the FY2007 committed level. Future year commitments also will be adjusted accordingly." Institutes and centers "will maintain the flexibility to supplement such non-competing awards on a case-by-case basis according to scientific and programmatic imperatives." Noncompeting awards previously issued in FY2007 at reduced levels will be revised to restore funds to the level indicated above. The policy does not apply to Career Awards, SBIR/STTRs, and Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowships & Institutional Training Grants. These mechanisms will be funded at the committed level. (source)
NIH also announced the continuation of a number of legislative mandates for recipients of NIH awards, including implementation of the legislatively mandated salary cap on NIH awards. The cap has been maintained at the Executive Level I salary level, which rose to $186,600 on January 1, 2007. (source)
NIH has released the stipend levels for fiscal year 2007 NRSAs. The stipend levels for FY2007 will remain the same as in FY2006. The announcement also summarizes the new policy and benefit levels for "Training Related Expenses" for trainees and the "Institutional Allowance" for individual fellows. NIH reminds grantees that "The maximum amount that NIH will award to support the compensation package for a graduate student research assistant remains at the zero level postdoctoral stipend, as described in NOT-OD-02-017." (source)
NIH Launches New Innovator Award
The Office of the Director, NIH, plans to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) in the spring of 2007, with review and funding expected by September 30, 2007, for NIH Director's New Innovator Awards. This new program extends the concept of the NIH Director's Pioneer Awards to support new investigators of exceptional creativity who propose innovative approaches that have the potential to produce an unusually high impact on significant problems in biomedical and behavioral research. The NIH Director's New Innovator Awards will provide grant support to highly innovative new investigators who have not yet obtained a traditional R01 grant. Applicants must hold an independent research position at a domestic institution, and be within 10 years of their terminal degree (l997 or later). The proposed research may be in any scientific area relevant to the mission of NIH. Awards will be made for up to $300K direct costs per year plus applicable Facilities and Administrative costs, for five years. It is anticipated that approximately 14-16 awards will be made. (source)
Clinical trial budget process changes
The Office of Grants and Contracts Management (GCM) is available to assist principal investigators and study personnel in obtaining the necessary approval from the Hospital Department of Finance for clinical trials. GCM will answer any questions that may arise in budget preparations and will review the budget documents. GCM will then assume responsibility for obtaining the necessary approval from the Department of Finance and will work to resolve any budgetary issues.
All CTA budget-related documents should be forwarded to the GCM Contract Analyst negotiating the contract as soon as possible in the process. These budget documents include the Project Information Sheet, the Clinical Research Budget Grid, and the Clinical Trial Registration Form. However, investigators do not need these documents for GCM to intake your contract for negotiation.
This new procedure will streamline the clinical trial process and avoid duplication of effort. Janet Fry will continue to offer Clinical Trial Budgeting classes and is available to assist with developing and negotiating a budget with the trial sponsor. The guidelines for CTA submission and budget assistance can be found on the GCM web site.
