NIH FURLOUGH AND BLIZZARD RECOVERY INFORMATION NIH GUIDE, Volume 25, Number 1, January 26, 1996 P.T. 34 Keywords: Biomedical Research, Multidiscipl 10104006 National Institutes of Health This issue of the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is the first since Volume 24, Number 42, December 8, 1995. The customary weekly publication schedule can be anticipated, because the Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 appropriation bill for the NIH has been passed by the Congress and signed by President Clinton, which enables the NIH to remain working, even if another partial shutdown of the Federal government occurs. The objectives of the NIH plan to reactivate the administration of the extramural research programs are: (1) to give priority to actions most needed to prevent further disruption of ongoing research and research training programs and (2) to minimize the impact on future year research administration by judicious rescheduling of initial and National Advisory Council/Board review of applications and dates of award. Information about these matters will be published in the NIH Guide and is available, with frequent updates, through the NIH website (http://www.nih.gov). Use of the NIH Guide and the NIH website, rather than telephone calls, to obtain information about changes in dates and procedures due to the furlough and blizzard is strongly encouraged. Just before the first furlough, an administrative and functional merger of the Grants Information Office, Division of Research Grants (DRG), and the Institutional Affairs Office, Office of Extramural Research (OER), was begun. The new Office of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, OER, is in housed in new office space, thus requiring an office move and new telephone and computer resources for every staff person involved. Difficult logistics at any time have been made additionally challenging by the disruptions of the unexpectedly long shutdown, but will not compromise the eventual benefits of the expanded approach to communications between the NIH and the extramural research community. The NIH has taken the following actions to adjust to the essentially month-long shutdown of its extramural program. ISSUANCE OF GRANT AWARDS NIH staff have begun processing the significant backlog of approximately 4,000 grant awards that were eligible to be paid after the October round of National Advisory Council meetings. MEETINGS OF NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS Before the next group of applications may be awarded, action by the National Advisory Councils that were scheduled to meet in January is required. NIH staff are exerting every effort to have the Council meetings go forward as scheduled; only two have been postponed: NICHD: from January 22 to a date to be announced, NEI: from January 25-26 to March 7. MEETINGS OF INITIAL REVIEW GROUPS Initial review group meetings have been most affected by the shutdowns, because the ability to receive, process, assign, print, and mail applications to reviewers in a timely manner was limited. Consequently, many review meetings have had to be postponed. Following is a list of those meetings that have been postponed. The goal is to reschedule meetings to take place by March 30 to have requisite material available for the May round of Council meetings. The postponements mean, of course, that summary statements will be received by applicants later than usual. Division of Research Grants Alcohol/Toxicology (ALTX1,2,3,4) Allergy and Immunology (ALY) Biochemical Endocrinology (BCE) Biological Sciences-2 (BIOL-2) Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry (BNP) Biophysical Chemistry (BBCB) Biopsychology (BPO) Cellular Biology and Physiology-1 (CBY-1) Cellular Biology and Physiology-2 (CBY-2) Chemical Pathology (CPA) Endocrinology (END) Epidemiology & Disease Control-1 (EDC--1) Epidemiology and Disease Control-2 (EDC-2) Experimental Immunology (EI) Experimental Therapeutics-1 (ET-1) General Medicine A-1 (GMA-1) Genetics (GEN) Hearing Research (HAR) Human Development and Aging-2 (HUD-2) Human Embryology and Development-2 (HED-2) Medicinal Chemistry (MCHA) Metabolism (MET) Molecular and Cellular Biophysics (BBCA) Molecular Cytology (CTY) Neurological Sciences-1 (NLS-1) Neurological Sciences-2 (NLS-2) Neurological Sciences-3 (NLS-3) Neurology B-1 (NEUB-1) Oral Biology and Medicine-1 (OBM-1) Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal (ORTH) Pathology A (PTHA) Pharmacology (PHRA) Radiation (RAD) Reproductive Endocrinology (REN) Sensory Disorders and Language (CMS) Social Sciences and Population (SSP) Surgery and Bioengineering (SB) Visual Sciences B (VISB) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases RFP 96-15, "Primate Models," originally scheduled for 1/30/96, has been postponed. New date to be announced. RFP 96-10, "Clinical Studies of Treatment of Viral Infections," originally scheduled for 1/30/96, has been postponed. New date to be announced. National Advisory Council Meetings: Delay in February/March mailings for two chartered committees and three SRCs. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases The only review canceled during the second furlough was a telephone conference call (AMS-AHR-12) that had been scheduled for 12/20/95. The most disruptive cancellation occurred because of the first furlough when the meeting of the AMS Special Grants Review Committee was canceled. The 28 Institutional NRSA training grants (T32s) scheduled to be reviewed at that meeting have been reassigned to the next meeting of the committee and to the 05/96 Council; the 7 Conference Grant (R13) applications were evaluated by mail ballot and will go to the 02/96 Council (though the last furlough has delayed receipt of the review material and processing of the information into summary statements); the 8 Research Career Awards (K) applications are scheduled to be reviewed by telephone conference on January 22 (the only date that would accommodate the schedules of the reviewers), and the completed summary statements must go to the NIAMS Council on February 8. National Institute of Dental Research The review of Oral Cancer Research Centers to have been conducted January 8-11 will be rescheduled for late February. The NIDR Special Grants Review Committee originally scheduled for February 20-22 must be rescheduled for late March or early April because printed copies of applications are not available. National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Psychopathology Review Committee (CPP) - new date not yet finalized Neuropharmacology and Neurochemistry Review Committee (NPNC) - new date not yet finalized Violence and Traumatic Stress Review Committee (VTS) - March 4-5, 1996 Cognitive Functional Neuroscience Review Committee (CFN) - March 28-29, 1996 Clinical Neuroscience & Biological Psychopathology Review Committee (CNBP) - March 18-19 Mental Health Small Business (MHSB) - new date not yet finalized. National Institute of Nursing Research The review of applications by the National Institute of Nursing Research Review Committee (NRRC) originally scheduled for February 15-16, 1996 has been postponed until early March. Agency for Health Care Policy Research Two AHCPR review committee meetings (HCT and HSRD) have been canceled. Applications originally assigned to these two committees have been reassigned to two other AHCPR committees, HSR and HSDG; HSR will meet on schedule in February, and HSDG will be rescheduled to meet in March. In addition to the review committees and study sections listed above, certain special review meetings (for RFAs or other purposes) will have to be rescheduled. And, in a few cases, it may be necessary to carry over some applications into the next review/Council cycle to ensure an adequate review; affected applicants will be notified of such a change. APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES Some applicants have experienced delays in receiving summary statements from the September/October review meetings or have had difficulty in reaching NIH staff prior to submitting applications. Therefore, modest adjustments have been made to certain application receipt dates FOR THIS CYCLE ONLY, as follows: Amended applications: originally March 1, this cycle March 15; Institutional NRSA: originally January 10, this cycle January 19; Extramural Associates Research Development Awards (RFA: OD-96-001): originally January 19, this cycle February 21. The February 1 receipt date for new applications is still in effect, as is the March 1 deadline for competing continuation and supplemental applications. INQUIRIES For general information about recovery plans and actions: Wendy Baldwin, Ph.D. Deputy Director for Extramural Research Email: DDER@nih.gov For information about the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Myra Brockett, Program Analyst Office of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources Telephone: (301) 435-2801 Email: q2c@cu.nih.gov For requests for application kits and publications about NIH extramural research programs: Inquiries and Requests Office of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources Telephone: (301) 710-0267 Email: girg@drgpo.drg.nih.gov .
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