Have a current NIH award? You will see a cut next year.

In case you missed it, NIH is now operating under a Continuing Resolution. What does this mean to you? If you are a current grant PI, it means that your noncompeting continuation will result in less money being awarded in the next year of your grant. The cuts will result in you receiving 90% or less of what you initially requested for the next year of your grant. Plan accordingly!

Talking to your Program Officer is not good enough - NCEs

If you are coming to the end of your funded NIH award and still have funds left to spend, you can request a no-cost extension to finish your project and spend out your remaining money. Until now, you could either request the extension in the era commons or request this through your program officer. Recently, NIH released a notice that changes the process for those of you who have been relying on program officers. Now, as of October 1, 2011, you will be required to use the era commons to request a no-cost extension. The No-Cost Extension (NCE) feature does not appear as an option in the era commons until 90 days before the end of your grant. It will disappear at midnight on the last day of your grant year. This means that you must remember to log in to the commons and submit the request, or you may lose your chance. Set yourself a reminder in Outlook or put it on your calendar, and make sure that you remember to do it. If you typically rely on a sponsored programs office to do this type of thing for you, make sure that you double check and ensure that it has been done.

ARRA Grants Can Get No-Cost Extensions Too

Did you know that your American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant may be eligible for a no-cost extension? When the original application announcements were released, some contained wording that caused many to believe that ARRA grant money had to be spent within the awarded time frame, and that no-cost extensions would not be permitted. However, this is not the case for all ARRA-funded projects. Check your notice of award to see if it is permitted for your particular project. Read more about NIH's statement here.