NLM FY 2013 Grants Funding Plan
Introduction
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), in Bethesda, Maryland, is a part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since its founding in 1836, NLM has played a pivotal role in translating biomedical research into practice. It is the world's largest biomedical library and the developer of electronic information services that deliver trillions of bytes of data to millions of users every day. For more about the library’s mission and organization, see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/nlm.html.
NLM’s Extramural Programs Division provides grants to support basic and applied research in biomedical informatics, health information sciences, bioinformatics and public health informatics, as well as for research training in these areas. Applied Informatics resource grants assist in improving information access and services for health professionals and the public. Support is also available for scholarly works on biomedical topics.
Budget Data FY 2013
Current Appropriation: FY2013 appropriations were enacted in “The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013”, signed by President Obama on March 26, 2013, and the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. See NIH Guide NOT-OD-13-064 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-13-064.html for additional details on the NIH financial plan, which guides NLM financial operations for grants as described below.
Under the FY2013 appropriation language, which includes sequestration, NLM will issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 92% of the previously committed level). NLM’s pay plan for non-competing awards takes into account the needs of new investigators and career transitions, but all awards will be made at less than the full amount. Partial restoration will be made to awards previously made at 90% of commitment, based on the funding plan. Commitments for FY2014 and future years will remain unchanged. All legislative mandates that were in effect in FY2012 remain in effect under the CR, including the salary limitation set at Executive Level II of the Federal Pay Scale ($179,700), which was effective with grant awards with an initial Issue Date on or after December 23, 2011 (see NOT-OD-12-034 and NOT-OD-12-035). Questions regarding adjustments applied to individual grant awards may be directed to the Grants Management Specialist identified on the Notice of Award.
Funding Strategy: In FY2013, NLM will support as many meritorious competing grant applications as possible, across the array of grant programs it offers, but may reduce the size of new competing research awards in order to do so Final award decisions reflect staff considerations of program relevance, portfolio balance, recommendations of the Initial Scientific Review group, the NLM Board of Regents, and the availability of funds. Grantees may be asked submit budget reductions of up to 25%, and/or to eliminate some aims in peer-reviewed applications. Stipend levels for NLM’s university-based predoctoral trainees are frozen at 2012 rates and travel budgets for all trainees will be reduced. Postdoctoral stipends will match levels of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) as published in NOT-OD-12-033. The Short-Term Trainee Position (STTP) program is suspended effective July 1, 2013.
Fundable Range: NLM uses the overall Impact Score as the primary basis for award decisions on all grant types, along with innovation and potential impact. For experienced investigators, applications with Impact scores 30 or better are the most likely to be funded. For Early Stage Investigators and New Investigators seeking their first R01 research grant, and for K award applicants, applications with Impact scores of 35 or better will be considered in the fundable range. All grant awards are subject to the availability of funds. NLM aims to support new investigators on R01 equivalent grants at rates equal to those of established investigators submitting new applications, per NIH policies outlined at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-013.html and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm.
