NOT-OD-01-054: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FAQS ABOUT THE REVISED PHS 398 AND PHS 2590 INSTRUCTIONS AND FORMS

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FAQs ABOUT THE REVISED PHS 398 AND PHS 2590 
INSTRUCTIONS AND FORMS

Release Date:  August 9, 2001

NOTICE:  NOT-OD-01-054

National Institutes of Health

This notice is an addendum to NOT-OD-01-049, entitled  REVISED PHS 398 
AND PHS 2590 NOW AVAILABLE , which was previously published on July 10, 
2001 in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts 
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-01-049.html). 

The new (5/2001) PHS 398 and PHS 2590 application kits were developed 
in response to the mandates of Public Law 106-107, the  Federal 
Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999,   which was 
enacted on November 20, 1999 and to comply with federal guidance for 
Electronic Government.

NIH has received comments and suggestions from the research community on 
how NIH can enhance the PHS 398 and PHS 2590 to make them more user-
friendly.  By implementing the electronic versions of the PHS 398 and PHS 
2590 application kits, NIH will continue to consider and incorporate 
additional suggestions from the public prior to mandatory use 
(applications received on or after January 10, 2002) as well as after the 
mandatory implementation date. After the January 2002 implementation 
date, the PHS 398 and PHS 2590 documents will be updated, as necessary, 
to reflect changes in applicable laws, regulations, rules and policies.  

Applicants are urged to always check the PHS 398 and PHS 2590 websites to 
download the most current versions of the instructions and forms prior to 
submission of an application to NIH. NIH will continue to inform the 
public of notable changes to the documents and forms through the  NIH 
Guide  and the  NIH Forms and Applications Page  
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.)

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms_faq.pdf
 
The newly revised instructions and forms are available at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.  We have updated the PHS 398 
and 2590 lead-in pages to provide both FTP and HTTP links.  The files 
from the FTP and HTTP links are identical.  The FTP links provide a 
faster connection for downloading.  However, if your browser 
experiences problems using these links, please try the HTTP links as an 
alternative.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm

The forms available on the website have been modified to enable the 
fields to be filled in directly using Adobe Acrobat Reader Software.  
Free Adobe Software may be accessed at 
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. 

If you have any questions about using the new forms and the Adobe 
Acrobat Reader Software process see  INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING 
DOCUMENTS AND ELECTRONIC FORMS  at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/edocs.htm. 

NOTE: Other software packages for completing these applications may be 
available from other sources, however, it is essential that the type 
size and format specifications are met or the application will be 
returned without review.

DISCLAIMER: Reference to these software packages neither constitutes 
nor should be inferred to be an endorsement or recommendation of any 
product, service, or enterprise by the National Institutes of Health, 
any other agency of the United States Government, or any employee of 
the United States Government.  No warranties are stated or implied.

Applicants are encouraged to access the instructions and forms via the 
Internet because they provide valuable links to current policy 
documents and allow easy navigation of the instructions.  

NOTABLE CHANGES SINCE JULY 10, 2001:

PHS 398
     o  Forms/Format Pages have been reloaded due to necessary 
formatting adjustments. 

     o   The Continuation Page, Biographical Sketch Format Page, and 
Other Support Format Page are also provided in MICROSFT WORD Format to 
enable applicants to format text or import tables and graphics. NOTE:  
Applicants may substitute their own pages for these Format pages as 
long as the formatting and margin requirements are met. 

     o  Guidance for Preparing the Human Subjects Research Section (see 
pp. 19 and 24) Table 2. 

     o  Receipt, Review and Award Cycles: 
        -  Dates organized chronologically. 
        -  Research Career Award receipt dates have been corrected. 
(See p. 31)

o  Instructions on the Personal Data Page have been clarified.

PHS 2590
   o  Form Page 2 and NRSA Additional Budget Page 2 have been replaced.

   o  The Continuation Page and the Biographical Sketch Format Page are 
also provided in MICROSFT WORD FORMAT to enable applicants to format 
text or import tables and graphics.

For other inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact 
[email protected] or 
301-945-7573.
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