A Few Tips for Navigating the National Institutes of Health

and U.S. Universities

Lynne ChronisterAssistant Vice Provost for Research

University of WashingtonMarch 30, 2009

Topics

• University of Washington• Proposal Preparation and Submission• Communication• Proposal Development• Submission• Grant/Contract Management• Compliance Requirements• Monitoring of Project and Funds• Progress Reports (eSNAP)• Close Out

National Institutes of Health

• 27 Institutes and Centers: Operate somewhat independently

• Annual Funding: $29B, (ARRA, $10.4B)

• 50,000 Grants/Contracts

• 325,000 Researchers Funded

• 18,000 Employees

University of Washington

2008 Proposals to DHHS: (includes HRSA)

• 1,907 for $835,968,844

2008 Awards

• $506,091,478

• Dept of Medicine $195M

NIH Communication

1. Study WWW.NIH.GovEstimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and

Disease Categories (RCDC)• Acute Respiratory Distress Syn. $72 $74 $48 $87 $82 - -

• Agent Orange & Dioxin $20 $17 $18 $15 $13 - -

• Aging $2,415 $2,431 $2,462 $1,879 $1,965

2. Read Notice of Grant Awards

3. Talk to the Program Officer

4. Talk to the Grants Officer

UBC Opportunities

• Direct Funding (Fogarty Center)

• Consortia

• Sub-Awards

Joint Proposals

• Based upon individual PI collaboration

• MOU agreements between institutions can be a good foundation for Consortia

• Sub-awards are probably the best mechanisms for Research Awards.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Funding for this program is provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).  The purposes of the Recovery Act are to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery in the United States….

Consistent with these goals, domestic (United States) institutions/organizations who are planning to submit applications that include foreign components…requested funding for any foreign component should not exceed 10% of the total requested direct costs or $25,000 (aggregate total for all subcontracts and subawards), whichever is less.

Budget Development

• Ask for what is Allowable (OMB-A 21)

• Ask for what is Allocable

• Ask for what is Reasonable

• Modular Budgets: Only in a sub-award- U.S. University will likely ask for a full budget.

• Certification of Effort

Grants.Gov !!!

• Central Contractor Registration

• Must have a DUNS number

• Grants.Gov registration (must be in English)

• Must have a valid email

• Submit EARLY

Award Management

Key Audit Issues:

Effort Reporting

Fiscal mismanagement

Lack of Scientific Integrity

Reporting:e-SNAP – Progress Reports

Sub-Awards and Consortia

• Consortia Arrangements require routine programmatic and fiscal monitoring

• Sub-recipient Monitoring is a U.S. and NIH specific audit requirement.

• Without monitoring –things go wrong!

Compliance Requirements

• Human and Animal Protections –stringent requirements

• Conflict of Interest-must notify NIH or Prime Awardee

• Scientific Integrity-must notify Office of Research Integrity (www.ori.nih.gov) or Prime Awardee

Fiscal Management

• Grants Officers Rule!• NIH-pays in advance by US Treasury

Checks-Universities may vary in payment on Subs

• Manage your budget monthly• Seek Budget changes or no-cost

extensions from NIH (if directly funded) from prime awardee if you are a sub-awardee)

Close-Out of Award

• Final Technical Report

• Final Financial

• Equipment Inventory

• Intellectual Property Report

• BE ON TIME AND BE SURE TO SUBMIT