Notice Number: NOT-OD-12-036

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

• May 8, 2013 - See Notice NOT-OD-13-064. NIH Fiscal Policy for Grant Awards FY 2013.

Key Dates
Release Date: January 20, 2012

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

This Notice provides guidance about the NIH Fiscal Operations Plan for FY 2012 and implements the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-74), signed by President Obama on December 23, 2011. The Act provides NIH with $30.7 billion, an increase of less than one percent over FY 2011 (after transfers). The NIH will continue to manage its portfolio in biomedical research investments in a manner that includes addressing the need for a highly productive pool of researchers by providing support for new investigators.

The following NIH fiscal policies are instituted in FY 2012:

FY2012 Funding Levels: Non-competing awards will be issued without cost of living/inflationary adjustments in FY 2012; however adjustments for special needs (such as equipment and added personnel) will continue to be accommodated. This policy applies to all grants (research and non-research) when applicable.

The NIH will make efforts to keep the average size of awards constant at FY 2011 levels or lower. For new and competing grants, NIH awarding Institutes/Centers (IC) will develop funding principles consistent with overall NIH goals, considering the funds provided to their IC this fiscal year.

Inflationary Increases for Future Years: Inflationary increases for future year commitments will be discontinued for all competing and non-competing research grant awards issued in FY 2012, however adjustments for special needs (such as equipment and added personnel) will continue to be accommodated.

FY 2012 awards that have already been issued will be revised to adjust the award level and future year commitments in accordance with these principles.

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA): The NIH will implement a two percent increase at all stipend levels. Further information about NRSA stipends in FY 2012 will be published in the NIH Guide in the near future.

New Investigators: NIH will continue to support new investigators on R01 equivalent awards at success rates equivalent to that of established investigators submitting new (Type 1) R01 equivalent applications. Achievement of comparable success rates should permit the NIH to support new investigators in accordance with the policies established in FY 2009 and subsequent years and described at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-013.html and at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm.

Salary Limits: Section 203 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act prohibits payments for salaries under grants and other extramural mechanisms to rates in excess of Executive Level II. Guidance related to Section 203 will be published in the NIH Guide in the near future.

Additional Information: Additional details on Fiscal Operations, including specific funding strategies for ICs will be posted at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/financial/index.htm.

Inquiries

Questions about specific awards may be directed to the Grants Management Specialist identified in the Notice of Award.