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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