Introduction

The NIH recognizes the value of supporting scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health. A conference/scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, scientific meeting, workshop or any other organized, formal meeting where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.

• NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13) – NIH Guide Program Announcement (Funding Opportunity Announcement) January, 2010.



• Each NIH Institute and Center (IC) has a scientific purview and different program goals and initiatives that evolve over time. Prior to preparing an application, it is critical that all applicants consult the appropriate IC representative to obtain current information about IC specific program priorities and policies. This action is of utmost importance because applications with marginal or no relevance to the participating Institutes, Centers, or Offices will not be accepted for review or possible funding.



• A conference grant application is required to contain a permission-to-submit letter from any one of the participating ICs’ conference grant contact persons listed below (Contacts List) documenting advance permission.
  
  
• Investigators are urged to initiate contact well in advance of the application receipt date and no later than 6 weeks before that date.



• Please note that agreement to accept an application does not guarantee funding.

• Any domestic organization eligible to receive grants from NIH, including a scientific or professional society, is eligible to apply for a conference grant or cooperative agreement.
  
  
• Both domestic and international conferences may be supported; however, an international conference can be supported only through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society. An individual is not eligible to receive a grant in support of a conference.

• Frequently Asked Questions - Listing of common questions regarding the preparation and submission of conference grant and cooperative agreement applications. Please check back periodically, as these will be updated as new questions are received.

• Submission Date Schedule
  
  
  • Standard application deadlines: April 12, August 12, and December 12
  • AIDS-related research deadlines: May 7, September 7, and January 7
    
    
• Electronic Submission– NIH requires electronic submission of the SF424 (R&R) form through Grants.gov to NIH for all Conference Grants and Conference Cooperative Agreement Awards (R13/U13).
  
  
• Registration - Appropriate registrations with Grants.gov and eRA Commons must be completed on or before the due date in order to successfully submit an application. Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their organization/institution is already registered with both Grants.gov and the Commons. All registrations must be complete by the submission deadline for the application to be considered “on-time”.
  
  A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
  
  Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp) and
  
  eRA Commons (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm)
  
  
• The applicant is required to include resources for child care and other types of family care at the conference site. For more information, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-071.html



• Inclusion Information (09/26/2003) - Guidelines for Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants.
  
  
• Acknowledgement/Disclaimer of NIH support Effective immediately for all R13, U13, and other NIH awards that support scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops, the grantee must acknowledge NIH grant support and provide a disclaimer on any conference materials related to the project.  

For specific questions regarding NIH Institute and Center (IC) Conference (R13 and U13) funding opportunities and questions about IC research interests,
contact the IC.

For general questions about the NIH Conference (R13 and U13) program please email the R13 mailbox: R131@mail.nih.gov

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