Volume 13, number 1: July 10, 2006
FEDERAL NEWS
Improved Grants.gov Website
Grants.gov has made changes to its website to better serve the grant community, including improvements in layout, content, instructions, and site map. To help you navigate the redesigned website, we recommend that you spend a few minutes getting reacquainted with Grants.gov. The following links are especially useful:
Grants.gov Applicants Page: You will find the basic functions of Grants.gov for applicants on the left side of the screen, as well as quick links on the right side of the screen to provide you with a quick way to log-in to Grants.gov.
Grants.gov Site Map: This site map is a comprehensive listing of information at Grants.gov. It is a great way to quickly find what you need at Grants.gov.
For help using Grants.gov, click here.
Changes in NIH/AHRQ Application Forms
Grants.gov, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently made changes to the standard SF424 (R&R) and agency-specific PHS 398 electronic grant application forms. The forms changes will be included in all new NIH/AHRQ Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). NIH/AHRQ also will update existing FOAs that use the older forms and are open for multiple receipt dates. Until all FOAs can be modified to use the new forms, NIH/AHRQ will maintain and support two form packages and their associated application instructions.
To learn about the forms update plan and its affect on applicants, click here.
New EPA Hazardous Waste Standards for Academic Labs
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new hazardous waste standards for academic laboratories. A recent Federal Register notice outlines flexible, performance-based standards as an alternative to the industrial production standards in current regulations. The new standards will permit university laboratories the flexibility to determine the most appropriate and effective methods of complying with established requirements and regulations. This new proposal, "Subpart K, Standards applicable to Academic Laboratories," is now open for public comments, which may be submitted electronically or by mail by August 21, 2006.NIH R18/U18, C06/UC6 and R25 Applications Must Use Grants.gov for October 1 Submissions
The National Institutes of Health reminds the research community that the following grant programs will transition to electronic submission of the SF424 (R&R) form through Grants.gov for applications intended for the October 1 submission date and beyond.
- Research demonstration and dissemination projects (R18/U18);
- Research facilities construction grants (CO6/UC6)
- Education projects (R25)
FY 2007 NOAA Funding Preview
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published its FY 2007 funding opportunities in a June 12 Federal Register http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-5225.htm preview announcement. The list includes the following research areas:
- ocean and atmospheric sciences;
- climate variability and change;
- coral reef conservation and management;
- ecosystem management;
- weather, climate and environmental forecasting; and
- science and environmental education.
SAMHSA FY 2007 Grant Overview
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released an overview of its FY 2007 grant opportunities, based on the President’s FY 2007 budget request. These programs reflect new priority areas set by SAMHSA, including suicide prevention and workforce development. READ MORE
SAMHSA Seeks Grant Reviewers
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking professionals with backgrounds in mental health services or substance abuse prevention to evaluate applications for federal grants. SAMHSA reviewers must have related program experience and education, be able to analyze grant applications effectively against specific criteria, and be able to express their evaluation clearly in writing. Serving as a grant reviewer is an excellent way to gain a better understanding of the grant-making process.
For details, including application forms, click here.
National Center for Education Research Program Changes
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Research (NCER) recently announced a major change in its grant competitions. In previous years, NCER held a larger number of formal grant competitions, each one addressing a distinct topic area and each with its own Request for Applications. NCER is now holding one formal grant competition, but addressing more topics. For the 2007 NCER general announcement outlining specific, detailed research requirements and topics, click here.
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to Set Program Priorities
The Food and Drug Administration requests comments concerning the establishment of program priorities in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) for fiscal year 2007. Comments may be submitted electronically by August 28, 2006. READ MORE
National Institute on Aging Funding for Neuroeconomics
The National Institute on Aging’s Advisory Council recently approved a plan to fund a new series of grants in neuroeconomics. The goal of these grants is to develop a better understanding of how older adults make important decisions, such as those regarding retirement and healthcare. These grants would fund research that combines fields like economics and psychology with advanced neuroscience technologies to develop a neuroeconomics of aging. If or when the plan becomes a funding announcement, it will be posted in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts. Click here (pdf) to learn more from the Director's status report from the Council's May meeting.
Change in U.S. Institute of Peace Deadlines and Programs
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) has announced a change in its deadlines. Beginning October 1, 2006, grant applications will be open on the basis of a single application deadline per year. USIP has also launched a new Solicited Grant Initiative to focus on six countries. The initiative will fund grants related to conflict prevention, conflict management, and post-conflict peace building in Colombia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sudan. Its focus for grants in Iran is on Iran’s relations with the West, its relations with the Middle East, and its role in international affairs. READ MORE
DoE Calls for Comment on Biofuels Production Incentives
The Department of Energy is seeking information from academic researchers on the most beneficial and efficient way to implement a cellulosic biofuels production incentive, as described in Section 942 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct). Comments will be used by DoE for internal planning and decision-making purposes relative to directing the DoE Biomass Program to support biofuels production incentives. For the full Request for Information and the text of Section 942, click here.