Clarification on the Extended Error Correction Window and Format of the Research Strategy Section for Restructured Applications Intended for Due Dates on or After January 25, 2010

Notice Number: NOT-OD-10-050

Key Dates
Release Date: January 21, 2010

Related Notices
  • May 3, 2010 - See Notice NOT-OD-10-088 Reminder: NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH/FDA Return to a Two-day Error Correction Window for Grant Applications Effective May 8, 2010.
  • NOT-OD-10-042 - Error-Correction Window Extended for Electronic Applications Intended for Submission Deadlines On and Between January 25 and May 7, 2010 (January 8, 2010)
  • NOT-OD-10-031 - Availability of Reissued Parent Announcements for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2010 (December 17, 2009)
  • NOT-OD-10-016 Now Available: Restructured Application Forms and Instructions for Application Due Dates on or after January 25, 2010 (November 24, 2009)
  • NOT-OD-10-002 Clarification on Timing and Page Limits for Restructured Application Forms and Instructions that are required for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2010 (October 8, 2009)
  • NOT-OD-09-149 Restructured Application Forms and Instructions for Submissions for FY2011 Funding (September 16, 2009)

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Error Correction Window

As stated in NOT-OD-10-042, the error correction window (the time allowed after the initial successful submission to Grants.gov by the due date to correct errors/warnings subsequently identified by the eRA system) has been TEMPORARILY extended to five business days for all electronic competing applications intended for due dates on and between January 25 and May 7, 2010.

This notice clarifies that applicants submitting competing paper-based PHS 398 applications will also receive a five business day correction window for the inadvertent use of inappropriate forms or page limits on applications intended for due dates on and between January 25 and May 7, 2010. The correction window will begin when NIH staff contacts the PD/PI via email (whether or not the PD/PI acknowledges receipt of the email).

The institution is expected to enforce that application changes made within the window are restricted to those necessary to address errors or warnings. NIH may reject any application that includes additional changes.

Format of the Research Strategy

NOT-OD-09-149 stated that The Approach sub-section will include both Preliminary Studies for New Applications and Progress Report for Renewal/Revision Applications. However, in the SF 424 (R&R) and PHS 398 application instructions, the section on Preliminary Studies for New Applications and Progress Report for Renewal/Revision Applications is prefaced with the following statement: As applicable, also include the following information as part of the Research Strategy, keeping within the three sections listed above: Significance, Innovation, and Approach.

This notice clarifies that applicants should use their discretion to place the Preliminary Studies or the Progress Report anywhere within the Research Strategy (and within specified specified page limits). As a reminder, for the Progress Report for Renewal/Revision Applications, the list of publications, patents, and other printed materials should be included in the Progress Report Publication List and not as part of the Progress Report within the Research Strategy.

Inquiries

Questions should be directed to grantsinfo@od.nih.gov.

For more information on NIH’s Enhancing Peer Review effort, visit http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/.