posted 04/06/2009

Revised NSF Guide Posted

The National Science Foundation has posted to its website a revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (NSF 09-29 April 2009). Effective for proposals submitted on or after April 6, 2009.

Chapter II - Section C.2j, Special Information and Supplementary Documentation – has new guidance added regarding complying with the mentoring requirement of the America COMPETES Act. Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a supplementary document, a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. The mentoring plan must not exceed one page.

Cross-references to Chapter II.C.2j have been included in the Subawards (Chapter II.C.2g (vi)(e)) and Collaborative Proposals (Chapter II.D.4) sections of the GPG to address subawards and collaborative proposals that request funds to support postdoctoral researchers

Chapter III – Section A, Review Record, states that the mentoring plan will be evaluated during the merit review process, under the Broader Impacts criterion.

Chapter III – Section B, Return without Review, has been updated to reflect that proposals that do not include the mentoring plan in the Special Information and Supplementary Documentation section will be returned without review.

A Summary of the Significant Changes is posted with the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_29/gpg_sigchanges.jsp.

posted 01/05/2009

NEW NIH POLICY TO FUND MERITORIOUS SCIENCE EARLIER

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a policy on Wednesday, October 8, 2008, that will enhance success rates of new and resubmissions from two to one. This policy is a part of a continuing series of changes to the NIH peer review system following an in depth review and a year long self-assessment that concluded in June 2008. This new policy will help ensure earlier funding of high-quality applications and improve efficiencies in the peer review system.

Beginning with applications intended for the January 25, 2009 due date, all original new applications (i.e., never submitted) and competing renewal applications will be permitted only a single amendment. For this and subsequent cohorts of original new and competing renewal applications, any second amendment (A2) will be administratively withdrawn and not accepted for review.

Original new and competing renewal applications that were submitted prior to January 25, 2009 will be permitted two amendments. For these "grandfathered" applications, NIH expects that any second amendment (submission) will be submitted no later than January 7, 2011, and NIH will not accept the applications after that date. Additional information on this policy change can be located at http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/resubmission.html#data.