Volume 11, number 3: September 2, 2004

FEDERAL NEWS

NSF Competitive Grant Proposal Success Rates Down

Success rates for competitive grant proposals at the National Science Foundation (NSF) fell to the lowest point in a decade, according to a recent report issued by the NSF. Funding rates declined to 27 percent overall from a high of 33 percent in 2000. This decrease is due in large part to increased competition, the report said, as the number of competitively reviewed proposals increased by a record of 14 percent in 2003.

Success rates vary significantly across NSF directorates. Programs in the education and computer science reported a 22 percent funding success rate, while mathematical and physical sciences reported success rates of 34 percent. Rates for new investigators and female investigators are around 29 percent

To see the full “Report to the National Science Board on the National Science Foundation’s Merit Review Process Fiscal Year 2003,” click here.

Federal R&D Project Summaries Database

Researchers interested in learning about awards given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DoE) should check out the new Federal R&D Project Summaries Database. This database includes more than 240,000 research summaries and awards reported by these three major federal agency sponsors of research and development. The federal databases available via this tool are the DoE R&D Project Summaries, the NIH Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) Current Awards, and the NSF Award Data. To visit this new database, click here.

USDA Proposed Rulemaking on Rats, Mice, and Birds Not Bred Specifically for Research

The National Association for Biomedical Research is soliciting researcher input on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rulemaking on rats, mice, and birds not bred specifically for research. If this issue is of concern to you, please respond to the short survey at this link short survey at this link by November 1, 2004.

Contact: David Talbot
Phone: 202-857-0540

New NIH Program for Combating Childhood Obesity

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a new grant initiative to encourage collaboration between universities and K-12 schools to combat childhood obesity. Participating NIH agencies include the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The goal is to encourage the formation of partnerships between academic institutions and school systems in order to develop and implement controlled, school-based intervention strategies designed to reduce the prevalence of obesity in childhood. READ MORE

NIGMS Changes Glue Grant Solicitation Guidelines

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has made changes to its large-scale collaborative project awards (also known as glue grants). To give investigators more time to develop their ideas and research teams, the award has been reissued as a three year program-announcement instead of a one-time call for applications. These awards are intended to solve critically important and complex biological problems within the NIGMS mission by supporting a team of independently funded investigators to synergize and integrate their efforts. READ MORE

AHRQ Announces New Budget Limitations on Large Research and Conference Grant Applications

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has announced new budget limits for grant applications beginning October 1, 2004. Large R01 and R18 research grant applications will be limited to $300,000 per year, and large R13 conference grant applications will be restricted to $100,000. AHRQ will also no longer accept applications that request more than $300,000 in direct costs per year. READ MORE

HUD Application Deadlines

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has relaxed its mail submission deadlines. Applications mailed on time will now be accepted as valid up to 15 days after the deadline, rather than five days. For more information, visit the HUD web page for SuperNOFA.

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