Below is the December eSubmission Items of Interest from the NIH.
Updated Resources
We’ve been hard at work updating our resources for you. Here are some recently posted items you’ll want to be aware of . . .
- Application guides (notable changes)
- Annotated form sets
- New biosketch formats and samples
The SF424 (R&R) forms page now includes both the old and new biosketch. After January 25, 2015 the old formats and samples will be removed. Until then, choose the format appropriate for your due date. Although we will be flexible in accepting either format before January 25, the new format is required on/after January 25. - Biosketch FAQs
SciENcv Takes the Guesswork Out of Biosketches
On November 26, NIH confirmed that the biosketch format that has been piloted with specific Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) over the last year will be expanded to all FOAs with due dates on/after January 25, 2015. The guide notice (NOT-OD-15-024) and Rock Talk blog post explain why the new format has been put in place so I won’t rehash that here. Instead, let’s talk logistics…
The easiest way to navigate the biosketch changes is to use the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv). SciENcv serves as an interagency system designed to create biosketches for multiple federal agencies. Support for NIH’s new biosketch format and NSF’s current format is expected later this month.
The SciENcv home page has plenty of resources to get you started, including: FAQs, YouTube tutorial and support documentation.
I realize folks are sometimes leery of using new systems, especially with something as important as a grant application. You really need not worry. There are already over 8,000 profiles in SciENcv and NIH tests submissions with applications that include biosketch PDF attachments generated through SciENcv. I’m a trust but verify person myself. I’ve personally tested a few submissions with SciENcv biosketches and can confidently say “they work great with eRA systems”!
As we transition from one biosketch format to another, it really is the perfect time to let a tool take the guesswork out of your biosketch attachment. Pull together your information centrally and let SciENcv do the formatting for you.
Need help spreading the word within your institutions? You’re welcome to use the flyer our Grants Information team has brought to recent outreach events.
Commons IDs Required for Fellowship Sponsors
Our standard Fellowship due dates are just around the corner. Don’t forget to include the eRA Commons Username for the primary Sponsor designated on your competing Fellowship grant applications. See NOT-OD-14-129 for details.
For those of you keeping score…eRA Commons IDs are now required on competing grant applications for:
- Contact Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)
- Multiple PD/PIs (must use the PD/PI role)
- Fellowship Sponsors
- Component leads on multi-project applications
For all other Sr/Key personnel, including the Commons ID in the Credential field of the R&R Sr/Key Person Profile form is optional, though encouraged if you have the information handy.
New Applications = Fresh Start!
Now that the updated Resubmission policy (NOT-OD-14-082) has been in place for a while, applicant inquiries on it have settled to a dull roar. But, there is still one area where folks are stumbling a bit. If you choose to submit a subsequent New application following an unsuccessful submission, you may not reference any previous application in any part of the New application. Not in the specific aims. Not in the research plan. Not in the project summary. Not in the narrative. Not in the cover letter. Not in a reference letter. Not in a box. Not with a fox. You get the picture.
By all means use reviewer feedback to improve your application. Just keep it to yourself where you got the ideas for improvement. A New application is a fresh start.