Volume 11, number 5: November 1, 2004
FEDERAL NEWS
Grants.gov reaches 1,000 Applications Mark
Grants.gov, the portal to federal funding managed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS), received its one-thousandth electronic grant application in September. The website was created in response to a congressional initiative that mandates all federal grant-making agencies to post their funding opportunities on Grants.gov. However, only around sixty percent of the agencies with posted funding notices have implemented an electronic application system for their grants, despite the success of programs such as the National Science Foundation’s FastLane. DHHS states that the remaining agencies have plans to add online application capabilities by the end of the year and that Grants.gov will be launching an integrated marketing campaign to increase visibility and usage. READ MORE.
Health Resources and Services Administration Issues 2005 Grant Preview
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released its FY 2005 Grant Preview, which includes demonstration, education, and training programs addressing public health needs. HRSA’s key program areas are HIV/AIDS services, primary health care, maternal and child health, health professions, and rural health policy. The Preview provides summaries, application deadlines, and links to guidance for all HRSA programs expected to hold competitions in FY05, including topics such as biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental and occupational medicine, planning and evaluation of health services, management of health care organizations, research into causes of disease and injury in population groups, and the practice of prevention in clinical medicine. READ MORE
NIH Announces Updated Criteria for Evaluating Research Grant Applications
Beginning on January 10, 2005, the National Institutes of Health will implement new criteria to evaluate research grant applications. A single, global score will be assigned to each application to summarize the overall impact that the project could have on the advancement of science. The emphasis on each criterion may vary from one application to another. An application need not be strong in all categories to be judged to have a major scientific impact. The new criteria follow:
- Significance
- Approach
- Innovation
- Investigators
- Environment
- Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risk
- Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children in Research
- Care and Use of Vertebrate Animals in Research
More information about the above topics is provided in the notice of the new criteria.
Health Resources and Services Administration Call for Grant Reviewers
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is soliciting applications for grant reviewers with expertise in health professions training, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, organ transplantation, primary care for underserved people, and rural health. Applicants are chosen for specific grant programs based on their knowledge, education, and experience.
This is an opportunity for researchers to gain understanding of the grant-making process while enjoying the opportunity to network with colleagues. HRSA grant reviews are usually held in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and last three to five days. Some reviews are conducted by teleconference or across the internet. For more information and details on how to apply, click here.
National Science Foundation Removes Cost Sharing Requirement
The National Science Board recently approved revisions to the National Science Foundation's cost-sharing policy. The new policy eliminates program-specific cost-sharing and requires only the existing 1 percent statutory requirement for unsolicited research proposals. This includes all proposals submitted in response to NSF program announcements and those submitted in response to the NSF Grant Proposal Guide. The revised policy is effective for all new NSF program solicitations issued after October 14th. READ MORE.