NIH and AHRQ Important Notices – News & Announcements

Dear Colleagues:

The following summaries of NIH Guide Notices may be of interest to faculty and researchers. Please review and forward to faculty, researchers and others, as appropriate.

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

Notice of Budget Change in RFA-AI-19-028 Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Centers (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
(NOT-AI-19-056) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

This Notice is to advise applicants that the NIAID is revising the award budget language in this RFA. Specifically, Section II Award Information–Award Budgetis revised from, “Applications budget are limited to up to $850,000 per year in direct costs and need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project” to “Application budgets are limited to up to $1,200,000 per year in direct costs and need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project”.

Notice of Correction to Award Information in RFA-CA-19-038 “Development of Innovative Informatics Methods and Algorithms for Cancer Research and Management (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)” (NOT-CA-19-039) National Cancer Institute

This Notice is to advise applicants that NCI is revising the Award Information in this RFA. Specifically, Section II, Award Information is revised from, “Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards: NCI intends to commit $1,2400,000 in FY 2020 to fund 6 awards” to “Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards: NCI intends to commit $1,240,000 in FY 2020 to fund 6 awards”.

Notice of Change to Provide Additional Instructions for Renewal Applications for RFA-DK-18-020, Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)
(NOT-DK-19-014) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

This Notice is to inform applicants that NIDDK is adding instructions for renewal applications within Section IV.2. Review the full notice for more details.

Notice to update link for Scope of Products in RFA-FD-19-024 Conduct Studies to Establish More Targeted Durations of Use for Certain Approved Antimicrobial New Animal Drugs in Food Animals (U01 Clinical Trial Required)”
(NOT-FD-19-010)
Food and Drug Administration

This notice provides an updated link for the scope of products included in this RFA. Review the full notice to obtain the link and the full list of approved drugs.

Notice of Change to Science Supported by PAR-17-340 “Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1) (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)”
(NOT-GM-19-032) National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The purpose of this Notice is to inform applicants of a change in the scientific scope of applications that may be submitted under this funding opportunity. See full notice for specific changes.

Notice of Change to Science Supported by PAR-17-316 “Biomedical Technology Research Resource (P41)”
(NOT-GM-19-033)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The purpose of this Notice is to inform applicants of a change in the scientific scope of applications that may be submitted under this funding opportunity. See full notice for specific changes.

Notice of Change to Science Supported by PAR-17-045 “Focused Technology Research and Development (R01)”
(NOT-GM-19-034) National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The purpose of this Notice is to inform applicants of a change in the scientific scope of applications that may be submitted under this funding opportunity. See full notice for specific changes.

Notice of Change to Science Supported by PAR-17-046 “Exploratory Research for Technology Development (R21)”
(NOT-GM-19-035) National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The purpose of this Notice is to inform applicants of a change in the scientific scope of applications that may be submitted under this funding opportunity. See full notice for specific changes.

Salary Limitation on AHRQ FY2019 Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts
(NOT-HS-19-013) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

This Notice provides information to applicants, grantees, and contractors of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) regarding the salary cap limitations imposed for Fiscal Year 2019. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, Public Law 115-245, signed into law on September 28, 2018, restricts the amount of direct salary which may be paid to an individual under an HHS grant, cooperative agreement, or applicable contract to a rate no greater than Executive Level II of the Federal Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 6, 2019, the Executive Level II salary level is $192,300. According to P.L. 115-245, Sec. 202: “None of the funds appropriated in this title shall be used to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other external mechanism, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II.”

In accordance with AHRQ policy, awarded salary levels will be determined using information provided in the application/proposal. For the purposes of salary limitation, the terms “direct salary,” “salary,” and “institutional base salary” have the same meaning and are exclusive of fringe benefits or facilities and administrative (indirect) costs. An individual’s institutional base salary is the annual compensation that the applicant organization pays for an individual’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, teaching, patient care, or other activities. Base salary excludes any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of his/her official duties to the applicant organization.

Applicants for AHRQ grants and offerors for contracts are reminded to reflect in their applications/proposals the actual institutional base salary of each individual for whom salary support is requested. In lieu of actual institutional base salary, applicants may elect to include an explanation indicating that the actual institutional base salary exceeds the current salary limitation. When such an indication is included in the application/proposal, AHRQ staff may contact the applicant to determine what the actual institutional base salary is and, if appropriate, make necessary adjustments to requested salaries prior to award. Many AHRQ awards have total cost caps; these total cost caps will not be increased to accommodate the increase in the salary cap.

For AHRQ competing grants and cooperative agreements and contracts, grant applications and contract proposals that request direct salaries for individuals in excess of the applicable RATE of $192,300 per year (or $92.45 per hour for a full-time appointment of 2080 hours per year) will be adjusted in accordance with the legislative salary limitation, and will include notification of this adjustment. Adjustments will be made in the current and all future years; no funds will be awarded, committed, or disbursed in excess of the salary cap limitation.

Committed levels of funding for grant and contract awards made in prior fiscal years that were restricted to Executive Level II will NOT be adjusted for the new salary cap rate. However, if adequate funds are available in the award, and if the FY2019 salary cap limitation is consistent with the institutional base salary, grantees may re-budget funds to accommodate the FY2019 salary cap effective January 6, 2019, and cost reimbursement contractors may invoice at the higher rate. It is expected that such re-budgeting will not negatively impact the aims of the project. No additional funds will be provided for grant awards. Total estimated costs of contracts will not be modified. See Full Notice for additional information.

Sandra M. Stevens Hunt

Associate Director, Sponsored Projects