NIH, AHRQ, HRSA Important Notices – News & Announcements

Dear Colleagues:

Below are helpful summaries of recent NIH. AHRQ and HRSA notices. Please review the notices and forward them to faculty, researchers and others, as appropriate.

Questions regarding these notices should be directed to your Contract and Grant Officer.

Nancy

NIH/AHRQ Application Submission/Resubmission Policy
(NOT-OD-18-197) Office of the Director, NIH

This notice consolidates and clarifies policy concerning submission and resubmission of applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for funding consideration. In addition, this Notice updates the few situations in which NIH and AHRQ policy allows for changes of activity codes upon resubmission or renewal. Please review the notice for additional information regarding this policy update.

NIH Synchronizes Institutional Delegations and Now Allows Decimals in Effort Reporting Field in Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR)
(NOT-OD-18-202) Office of the Director, NIH

The purpose of this notice is to inform grantees of two recent enhancements within eRA Commons to streamline and improve the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) process. First, institutional delegations for Interim-RPPRs (I-RPPR) and Final-RPPRs (F-RPPR) have been modified to align with the delegations that institutional users have specified for annual RPPRs. Second, data fields for effort reporting have been modified to enable use of decimals rather than requiring entry of a whole number. Please review the notice for additional information regarding these enhancements in eRA Commons.

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipends, Tuition/Fees and Other Budgetary Levels Effective for Fiscal Year 2018
(NOT-OD-18-175) Office of the Director, NIH

This notices establishes stipend levels for NRSA awards for fiscal year 2018. Training related expenses and the institutional allowance for post-doctoral trainees and fellows have been increased. Training related expenses and institutional allowance for pre-doctoral trainees and fellows remains unchanged. All FY 18 awards will be revised to adjust funding to the FY 18 levels. Appointments to institutional training grants that have already been awarded must be amended in xTrain once the training grant award grant award has been adjusted by NIH. The maximum amount that NIH will award to support the compensation package for a graduate student research assistant remains at the zero level postdoctoral stipend. Please review the notice for additional information.

Notice of Fiscal Policies in Effect for FY 2018
(NOT-OD-18-180) National Institutes of Health

Non-competing continuation awards that have already been made in FY 2018 that were funded at levels below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 90% of the previously committed level) will be fully restored, and non-competing continuation grants (research and non-research) including those that remain to be issued in FY 2018 will be made at the commitment level indicated on the Notice of Award. Effective January 7, 2018, the cap for salaries under grants and other extramural mechanisms increased to $189,600, the new Executive Level II. Please view the notice for additional information.

Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2018
(NOT-OD-18-181) National Institutes of Health

This Notice provides current requirements outlined in statutory provisions that limit or condition the use of funds on NIH grants, cooperative agreements, and contract awards for FY 2018. Please review the notice for additional information regarding the statutory provisions.

Career Award (K) Policy Update: Concurrent Support from a Mentored K Award and a Research Grant
(NOT-OD-18-157) Office of the Director, NIH

This notice updates NIH policy NOT-OD-08-065 concerning concurrent support from mentored career development (K) award and a research grant and specifically to: 1) expand the categories of concurrent support for which mentored K awardees may request reduction of effort to include peer-reviewed research grants of at least $100,000 in direct costs, obtained from non-Federal sources; e.g., foundations and professional societies; 2) clarify that during the period of reduced effort NIH will continue to provide full research development support costs (i.e., Other Personnel, Equipment, Travel, Participant/Trainee Support, and Other Direct Costs budget categories). This policy is effective upon release for all active and future mentored K awards, including individual mentored K awards (K01, K07-developmental, K08, K18, K22, K23, K25, K43, K76, and K99/R00), and Scholars mentored through institutional K awards (K12 and KL2). Please review the notice for additional information regarding this policy update.

Career Award (K) Policy Update: Temporary Adjustments to Percent Effort or Part-Time Institutional Appointment
(NOT-OD-18-156) Office of the Director, NIH

This notice updates NIH policy NOT-OD-09-036 concerning temporary adjustments to percent effort, and part-time institutional appointments while on career development (K) awards. The policy update clarifies that NIH will not reduce full research costs for other budget categories (i.e., Other Personnel, Equipment, Travel, Participant/Trainee Support Costs, Other Direct Costs) approved under the award during the period of reduced effort or part-time appointment, and may extend the award with appropriate justification. This policy is effective upon release for all active and future K awards, including individual mentored K programs (K01, K07, K08, K18, K22, K23, K25, and K99/R00), individual non-mentored (independent) K programs (K02, K05, K07, and K24), and institutional K programs (K12, KL2). Please review the notice for additional information regarding this policy update.

Update on Additional Awards that Permit Eligibility for K01, K08, K23, and K25 Career Development Awards
(NOT-OD-18-171) Office of the Director, NIH

The purpose of this Notice is to add the R34, U34, and X02 to the awards an individual may have received and still retain eligibility for the K01 (“Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award”), K08 (“Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award”), K23 (“Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award”), and K25 (“Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award”) career development awards.

Notice of HRSA Participation in NOT-OD-17-095 “Additional Guidance on Full-Time Training for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards
(NOT-OD-18-170) Office of the Director, NIH

The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA ) is participating, effective immediately, in the Notice NOT-OD-17-095, “Full-Time Training’ for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards.”

Nancy Lewis

Executive Director, Sponsored Projects