Worried about the effects of a government shutdown on NIH funding?

The upcoming October 1st start to the new fiscal year has many people in the grants world more than a little nervous. At this point, we just don't know how a government shutdown will impact federal grants. We already know that NIH funding has been significantly reduced in recent years. Beyond that, it is difficult to predict what will happen. Keep an eye on the NIH Sequestration Page for the latest information on policies and procedures in response to the budget shutdown, if it should happen. Let's hope that all of our Democrat and Republican legislators can come together and continue to support the advancement of science research!

Important: Changes to electronic submission of larger grant applications

Forget the TPS reports! Are you submitting a P01 program project grant application for the September deadline? How about a T32 training grant application? If you haven't read the RFA lately, you should look at it again, and more closely. You will save yourself a lot of administrative time - and a few trees- by paying attention to the change in submission requirements. No more adding headers and page numbering your application. No more last-minute trips to Fedex to get the proposal out on time. Why? These and other larger grant applications, which until recently had been held over as paper applications, have now become electronic. Instead of submitting them by mail, you will need to piece them together using ASSIST, and then submit electronically to Grants.gov. This is detailed in an NIH notice located here. Confused? Visit the NIH website for FAQs regarding electronic submission.

Doom and Gloom, but Still a Necessary Read

This article may make you want to quit your job and go work at McDonald's or Taco Bell, but it is important to read. The article provides some sobering information about the state of science funding in the U.S. Though this may be discouraging, it does underscore the importance of writing a high-quality, well-planned grant proposal.