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Dr. Rosenquist, vice chancellor for research, and Mark Bowen, director of government relations, presented information Wednesday about the $10.4 billion allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). More than 100 researchers attended the forum in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.
Obama signed the $787 billion Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) into law on Feb. 17. The law provides supplemental funding equal to about one-third of the annual NIH budget. It is one-time funding to be used to create jobs and boost the economy.
“This amount of money is staggering,” Dr. Rosenquist said. “UNMC can get its fair share if we’re proactive.”
Bowen explained that UNMC can submit proposals to the NIH for money set aside for research grants, new construction and shared instrumentation and equipment. All the money must be used or obligated by Sept. 30, 2010, he said.
Of the $8.2 billion allocated for research, the NIH will divide $7.4 billion among the 27 institutes and centers that make up the NIH, and $800 million is assigned to the NIH director. While no final rules have been issued, it appears this money will probably be available to UNMC researchers in three ways:
- RO1 proposals that were submitted and scored well in the previous cycle, but did not get funded. UNMC scientists with such proposals should contact their program officer and Dr. Rosenquist. Be prepared to demonstrate a two-year goal.
- Supplements to existing grants to expand or augment, not change, the original aims of research. Scientists again should contact their program officer.
- Challenge grants will be two-year, $1 million grants for projects directed toward the priorities that will be announced. The NIH indicates it may reserve up to $200 million from the NIH director’s fund for these challenge grants, but there is also discussion that some of the institutes and centers might also offer challenge grants.
“From initial information it appears funds will be targeted toward projects that are forward-looking, can be completed by September 2010, and will not be used for restoring previous budget cuts,” Bowen said. “Also, there will be unprecedented transparency in reporting how this money is used.
“We expect this money to begin flowing by early summer,” he said.
Dr. Rosenquist said the NIH has indicated there are 14,000 scored RO1 applications that were not funded from the last cycle. It will be from this pool that grants will be issued, he said.
“The peer-review process will be truncated in order to give awards quickly,” Dr. Rosenquist said.
In addition, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) will distribute through a competitive grant process $1 billion for construction, both new and renovation, and $300 million for shared instrumentation and equipment, Bowen said.
Sponsored programs and the vice chancellor for research office will assist investigators in their pursuit of these funds, Dr. Rosenquist said.
“Inform the sponsored programs office as soon as you decide to submit a proposal,” he said. “We will do what needs to be done to help you. We will keep you informed of new details as they are released.”
The slides from the presentation and a guide to implementing the stimulus can be viewed by clicking here.
UNMC researchers may view the videotape of Wednesday’s forum via Blackboard.
A Web site — www.recovery.gov — established by the federal government will track report all expenditures under the stimulus bill.