*** REVISED *** FORMAT OF GRANT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO NIH Release Date: May 4, 2001 (Supercedes NOT-OD-01-012) NOTICE: NOT-OD-01-037 National Institutes of Health In January 2001, NIH published a reminder regarding the format of grant and cooperative agreement applications. In the recent receipt cycle, more than 200 applications (of approximately 14,000 processed) were identified that did not meet the format requirements and these were returned for submission in the next cycle. In an effort to continue to alert investigators and institutions to this topic, NIH is repeating this announcement and has expanded the frequently asked question section described below. The NIH will continue to screen applications for obvious problems with the required format. When applications are identified that are not in compliance, the investigators will be contacted and given four business days to correct the problem. If the application cannot be corrected in that time period, deferral to the next receipt and review cycle may be necessary. This spot-checking will not necessarily identify all applications with format compliance problems. If reviewers or other NIH staff identify noncompliant applications later in the process, applications may still be returned or deferred at that time. The main goal of the NIH is to identify and support the best possible biomedical and behavioral research in order to improve the health of all Americans. The scale of the effort (over 46,000 competing applications received in fiscal year 2000) requires standards for application submission. The specific format instructions are: PHS 398: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/instructions2/p1_general_instructions.htm PHS 416: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/SectionIab.htm#_Toc20723687 Phase I SBIR and STTR: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/instructions2/p1_preparing_SBIR_STTR_app.htm Phase II SBIR and STTR: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/instructions2/p1_preparing_SBIR_STTR_app.htm These specifications allow all applicants comparable space and provide reviewers with applications that are easy to read, thus allowing them to concentrate on the scientific evaluation of the proposed research. Most applications submitted to NIH adhere to these specifications and most principal investigators routinely use appropriate formatting and presentation to make their applications clear and easy to follow. However, there are increasing complaints from study section members about applications that do not follow these specifications. Furthermore, NIH is increasing its use of scanning applications as an intermediate step in the transition to electronic applications. For scanning to be accurate and cost-effective, it is important that applications follow the format specifications. In an effort to ensure that all applications meet the stated format requirements, NIH is undertaking the following steps: o Instituting spot-checking of competing grant applications for adherence to format requirements. When applications are identified that are not compliant, investigators will be contacted and allowed four business days to correct the problem. If investigators are not able to correct the problem in this time, the application may be delayed in the review process. If problems are identified later in the review process, applications may be deferred or withdrawn. o Establishing a dedicated email address (format@mail.nih.gov) for questions regarding the format of applications, including type size, page limits, and margins. Although each application kit clearly specifies these specifications, this will provide an additional opportunity for clarification. o Please note that the central email address for other questions on grant applications remains grantsinfo@nih.gov. o Establishing a site with frequently asked questions about application format: http://www.peacetech.com/phsforms/.
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