Notice Number: NOT-GM-20-026
Key Dates
Release Date: April 9, 2020
PAR-16-437 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Continuance Award (SC3)"
PAR-16-438 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Pilot Project Award (SC2)"
PAR-16-439 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Advancement Award (SC1)"
PAR-20-039 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Advancement Award (SC1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)"
PAR-20-040 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Pilot Project Award (SC2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)"
PAR-20-041 "Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Continuance Award (SC3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)"
Issued by
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Purpose
NIGMS recognizes the significant effects of the declared public health emergency on research undertaken by investigators receiving Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) awards, and wants to ensure the research continues during this critical time.
The purpose of this Notice is to provide guidance on the temporary arrangements available to recipients of SCORE awards during the declared public health emergency for COVID-19. Affected institutions will be required to provide documentation to NIGMS outlining the use of these expanded authorizations.
The following requirements detail cost-related flexibilities that NIGMS is offering during this public health emergency:
Support for Postdoctoral Associates and Graduate Students
The SCORE program offers opportunities for faculty research career enhancement to increase their research competitiveness and productivity and enable their transition to non-SCORE support. During the public health emergency, NIGMS will temporarily allow postdoctoral associates and graduate students to receive support for their research activities under the SCORE award to allow for continuity of work related to the research project.
Notification for Postdoctoral Associates and Student Support
If postdoctoral associates or graduate students are supported on a SCORE award due to the affectss of COVID-19, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) should notify the NIGMS Grants Management Specialist and Program Official named on the most recent Notice of Award (NoA) via email. The notification should provide the name of the individual(s) supported and a brief rationale for their support.
Allowable Costs
Graduate students and/or postdoctoral associates may receive compensation for their participation in the research activities of the NIH-funded project. Compensation costs are allowable to the extent that they conform to the established policy of the organization consistently applied to regardless of the source of funds, and reflect the percentage of time devoted to the NIH-funded project.
Tuition remission is allowable if the conditions outlined in Section 7.9.1: Fringe Benefits/IHE Tuition/Tuition Remission of the NIH Grants Policy Statement are met.
Unallowable Costs
Stipends are not allowable on NIH awards other than Kirschstein-NRSA individual fellowships and institutional research training grants.
Reporting
A brief description of the research activities performed by postdoctoral associates or graduate students supported due to COVID-19 related institutional affects must be provided in the RPPR in Section B.4. Postdoctoral associates or graduate students who work at least one-person month on the project during the reporting period (approximately 160 hours of 8.3% of annualized effort) must be included in Section D. Participants in the RPPR.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Irina Krasnova, PhD
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: Irina.krasnova@nih.gov
Federico Bernal, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: federico.bernal@nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
