More tales of the NSF OIG

An investigator who received four NSF grants totaling more than $2.3 million submitted false IRB approvals for the projects. Read how the case was settled in the OIG's Semiannual Report to Congress for March 2018.

NSF heads to Coyote State

 The National Science Foundation will present NSF Day March 29 at South Dakota State University. Details are available here.

NSF seeks harassment-free workplace

The National Science Foundation states it won't tolerate harassment, sexual or otherwise, at the agency or among awardee organizations. It has developed a new award requirement addressing the matter. Read about it here.

Finding the right fit

The best project idea in the world won't be funded if you apply to the wrong program. The National Institutes of Health offers advice on selecting the right funding opportunity announcement for your work.

NIH: Use it or lose it

In a November 30 announcement about its closeout policies, NIH urges grantees to spend their awards in a timely fashion:

"NIH will strictly enforce its closeout policies. When recipients fail to submit timely reports, NIH will initiate unilateral closeout. It is important to note that for financial closeout, if a recipient fails to submit a final expenditure FFR, HHS policy directs NIH to close the grant using the last accepted Federal Cash Transaction Report’s cash drawdown amount. This could be considered a debt or result in disallowed costs.  In addition, failure to correct recurring reporting problems may cause NIH to take one or more actions that may include, but are not limited to, corrective actions, withholding of further awards, suspension or termination."

NSF award rates and more

The National Science Foundation has released its annual report on merit review, which includes award rates by program, by investigator characteristics and other information. You can get a copy of the document, "Report to the National Science Board on the National Science Foundation's Merit Review Process Fiscal Year 2016" here.

Want your NIH funds promptly? Do your public access diligence

The National Institutes of Health has guidelines for making grantee publications publicly accessible. If you don't meet those guidelines, future funding can be delayed. Read a summary of the guidelines here.

NSF report: Quotation marks & plagiarism

Some faculty, including full professors, don't understand how to provide proper attribution to others in their writing.

That was one of the findings of a report on training in the responsible conduct of research on campuses across the nation conducted by the National Science Foundation's Inspector General. Responsible conduct of research, or RCR, as it's known in the field, is the ethical practice of science. It covers all aspects of scientific inquiry, including publication

The report, "OIG Review of Institutions' Implementation of NSF's Responsible Conduct of Research Requirements," states that faculty, rather than students, were the subjects of 96 percent of the plagiarism cases in which NSF made a finding of research misconduct from FY2012-2016. Most of them stated they "were unaware that using someone else's words verbatim required quotation marks."

NSF in the Valley of the Sun in November

The National Science Foundation will present its Fall Grants Conference Nov. 13-14 in Phoenix, AZ. Details are available  here. If you can't make the trip, you can watch a live webcast of the event from your rain-surrounded office.

NIH clinical trials policy changes

Check out the National Institutes of Health's policy changes changes regarding human subjects research and clinical trials. The definition of clinical trials is broader, new forms will be rolled out and policies regarding clinical trials are being modified.

NEH funding database

Want to know what projects the National Endowment for the Humanities has funded? Search its database.

New NIH videos on how to apply

The National Institutes of Health website has four new video tutorials on how to apply for a grant. They cover registering with its online submission system, writing a proposal and submitting your application. Check them out here.

More tales of the NSF OIG

Research misconduct -- primarily plagiarism and data falsification -- figure prominently in the latest Semiannual Report to Congress by the National Science Foundation's Office of the Inspector General. Those investigated included a full professor, assistant professors and graduate students. The full report is available here.

Federal agency public access plans

All federal agencies must have a public access plan that sets out requirements for the sharing of data collected from and scholarly articles generated by funded research. However, the details vary from agency to agency. Click here for a list of current agency public access plans.

NIH Confidential

The entire proposal review process at the National Institutes of Health should be confidential, yet breaches sometimes occur. This NIH blog post discusses situations to avoid, which include the exchange of even seemingly trivial information.

NIH grant seminar October in Baltimore

The National Institutes of Health plans a seminar on program funding and grant administration for Oct. 25-27 in Baltimore. Click here for details.

NSF Day in Wyoming

Grab your ten-gallon hat and head to the Cowboy State for NSF Day May 3 at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. Details are available here.

The skinny on NSF's public access policy

Not sure what you need to do with those journal articles that result from your National Science Foundation grants? What about the data you collected. The agency has posted FAQs to address most every matter.

NSF Day in Chapel Hill

Spring is beautiful in Chapel Hill -- what a great time for NSF Day in the Tar Heel State! Get the details here.

Animal, vegetable, mineral: Scientific collections

We have all heard about management plans for electronic data gathered in scientific research. Efforts are under way to make physical objects available for scientific study as well. The Registry of U.S. Federal Scientific Collections has details.

PDF attachments for NIH: Color me informed

The National Institutes of Health issued a new policy for text in PDF attachments. The Arial, Georgia Helvetica and Palatino Linotype fonts acceptable; applicants are no longer restricted to black text. Check out the policy for details.

NSF: The rules they are a-changin'

Sign up for a webinar that will review significant changes to the National Science Foundation's Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The event is scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. Learn about updates to requirements for letters of intent, collaborators, cover sheets and other matters that will affect proposals submitted Jan. 30, 2017 and thereafter.

NIH data management: Sharing is caring

The National Institutes of Health wants to hear what you have to say about data management and sharing. Learn here how to submit comments.

Sharing is caring

More tales of the NSF OIG

The National Science Foundation's Office of the Inspector General cites encouraging the ethical conduct of research as a challenge for the agency in fall 2016. The report lists a number of investigations into allegations of research misconduct. Incidents involved faculty as well as graduate students, and allegations included falsification of data and plagiarism of text. The report is available  here.

NIH workshops in the Big Easy and Charm City

The National Institutes of Health plans regional grant seminars for May in New Orleans and October in Baltimore. They are an opportunity to learn about the agency's grant processes and talk with program officials

PCORI grantwriting workshop

Want to learn how to prepare a competitive proposal for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute? A workshop will be offered Jan. 22 and 23 in Georgetown. A block of rooms has been reserved at a special rate, so no need to compete with Inauguration party stragglers for hotel space. Learn more about what this independent organization funds here.

Hold your horses! Next NSF grants conference slated for May 2017 in Louisville

Horse races are unpredictable, but you can count on getting useful proposal preparation information at NSF's Grants Conferences. Sign up here to receive registration information for the May 2017 conference.

Tips on preparing an NIH proposal

The Center for Scientific Review offers an "Insider's Guide to Peer Review for Applicants." The site includes plenty of tips for preparing a proposal, plus a video on peer review.

NIH grant renewal rates

A recent analysis by NIH on grant renewal success rates showed that competing renewals had a greater success rate than new applications. Click the link for details.

The NIH FOA -- annotated

Perplexed by all the information presented in an NIH funding opportunity announcement? The agency has provided an annotated version of an FOA  and explains its components.

That toddlin' town will host October NIH regional seminar

NIH will offer a regional seminar filled with grant advice this fall in Chicago. Registration is currently open.

More tales of the NSF OIG

The National Science Foundation's latest report from the Office of the Inspector General notes that the agency has taken steps to prevent investigators with past due annual reports from receiving additional funding. The report also includes new cases of plagiarism and data fabrication by applicants.

New biosketch format at NIH

Grants submitted to NIH on or after May 26 must use a new biosketch format. Samples are available here.

Bison & budgets: NSF Day at N.D. State

Learn about budgets, funding priorities, merit review and more when North Dakota State hosts its first NSF Day May 18 in Fargo.

Soft-shell crabs and R01s: May NIH workshop in Baltimore

 NIH will offer a two-day Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration May 12-13 in Baltimore. Details are available here.

Earlier NIH grant submissions linked to better outcomes

Think that taking those last hours to put the finishing touches on your grant proposal will pay off in an award? NIH analyzed how proposals submitted at the last minute fared during the review process, and the picture for procrastinators wasn't good. Read the details here.

More tales of the NSF OIG

In this semiannual report, the National Science Foundation's Office of the Inspector General discusses plagiarism in a proposal for an undergraduate textbook. Copied text came from college mission statements and college job advertisements. Read all about this, as well as prison sentences, audits and fraud, here.

Go granny go: NSF Day at Pasadena City College

Climb into your souped-up red Dodge Jan. 22 and head to NSF Day at Pasadena City College
for grant advice aimed at early-career faculty at two- and four-year institutions. Details are available here.
 

NIH plans regional seminar for May 11-13 in Baltimore

The National Institutes of Health are planning two regional grants seminars for 2016. The first is scheduled for May 11-13 in Baltimore. That's soft-shell crab season, and the Orioles will be in town. Registration details are available here.

Leap into NSF grant success Feb. 29-March 1 in Portland, OR

Put that extra day to good use at the National Science Foundation's regional conference. Registration details are available here.

NIH is changing application forms

Proposals submitted in 2016 must use new application forms. Read all about it at NIH's website.

NSF grants conference Nov. 2-3 in Arlington, VA

Learn about new program initiatives, the merit review process, policies and more at the National Science Foundation's grants conference scheduled for Nov. 2-3 in Arlington, VA. Details are available here.

NIH with sea lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

The National Institutes of Health will offer a regional seminar Oct. 14-16 in San Diego, home of Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Details are available here.

Education grant webinar for new investigators

The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Educational Sciences will offer webinars June 8 and 15 on how to write proposals for its education research and special education research grant programs. Details on registering are available here. These programs support work on literacy outcomes for students, including English language learners, students with disabilities and students at risk for academic failure.

NSF Day at Texas Tech May 20

Texas Tech in Lubbock will host an NSF Day May 20. It's an opportunity to learn what the agency wants to fund, how to write a competitive proposal and learn budgeting basics. Registration information is available here.

NIH Grant Seminar May 6-8 in Baltimore

NIH's next Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration will take place May 6-8 in Baltimore. The Orioles' schedule indicates that, alas, they will be out of town, playing the dreaded Yankees. However, faculty who have attended the seminar say it is quite helpful, with or without baseball.

Federal award database

It's getting easier to find information on federal grant awards. The Star Metrics website contains information on awards by NIH, NSF, USDA and EPA.

Weird Al on grammar

Weird Al has released a music video on grammar. Just a reminder that basics like good grammar are important when writing proposals.

NSF grants conference Oct. 6-7 in VA

The National Science Foundation will present a grants conference Oct. 6-7 in Arlington, VA, sponsored by George Washington University. Watch the website for registration details.

Cartoon on NIH public access policy

 Grants Maven goes animated. Watch this Wideo about NIH's public access policy.

More tales of the NSF OIG

A former professor in Indiana was sentenced to probation and home confinement after pleading guilty to criminal conversion, according to NSF's latest  Semiannual Report to Congress. According to the report, he had used NSF funds to purchase items for personal use. The report also discusses nine allegations of plagiarism and two of data fabrication.

NIH wants to know who you really are

Enough with the standard bioskecth. NIH is preparing a new biosketch format that will allow you to discuss your accomplishments, not just list your publication. NIH will conduct pilot test and expects to roll out the new biosketch in 2016.

NSF award rates for 2013

The success rate for research proposals to the National Science Foundation in 2013 was 19 percent, according to a newly released report from the National Science Board. Check out the full report for details.

NSF Day June 4 on Long Island, NY

The National Science Foundation will present a one-day proposal workshop for researchers June 4 at
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, NY. Registration is required.

This year's one and only NIH grant seminar

The National Institutes of Health will present a grant seminar June 25-27 in Baltimore. The session will cover the application and review process as well as federal policies. It's the only seminar NIH will give all year.

COFAR: It will affect you

The Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR) is a federal task force that has combined more than a dozen sets of grant rules into a single document called Uniform Guidance. Some provisions will make the life of grant writers easier. For example, funding announcement will have to be released 60 days before the deadline in most cases. The grant administration community is less pleased with some other provisions, though.

No surprises: NIH award rates down

The National Institutes of Health has released  award data for 2013. It won't come as a surprise to investigators that the success rate for proposals inched down from 17.6 percent in 2012 to 16.8 percent in 2013. The size of awards also decreased.

NSF plans June grants conference in Mile High City

Colorado State University will host the NSF Grants Conference scheduled for June 23-24. Visit the site to sign up to receive email when registration opens.

NIH regional seminar possible in spring 2014

The National Institutes of Health says it will have just one regional seminar on grants next year. It is scheduled for spring 2014 in a location to be announced -- possibly Baltimore. Stay tuned.

More tales of the NSF OIG

 The latest Semiannual Report to Congress from the Office of the Inspector General at the National Science Foundation contains discussion of a variety of research misconduct investigations. They include falsification of data and instances of plagiarism. In two instances, investigators allowed their collaborators to prepare the bulk of the proposal and didn't review it before submission. Moral of the story: Be sure to carefully review anything that's got your name on it.

Feds reopen; what's next

The National Institutes of Health has posted guidance for grantees and grant seekers now that the federal government has reopened. New deadlines have been established.

The National Science Foundation also has posted some brief information on what to expect now that it is once again open for business.

Stay tuned for details.

Shutdown central

The Office of Management and Budget has posted federal agency contingency plans for the shutdown in a single list.

Specific information for grantees of the National Institutes of Health.  It states, "The safest course is to wait to submit any application to NIH until after operations resume and a Notice in the NIH Guide concerning adjusted submission dates is posted."

The National Science Foundation says FastLane will be unavailable, and proposals submitted through Grants.gov will not be downloaded. "Awardees may continue performance under their NSF awards during the shutdown, to the extent funds are available, and the term of the grant or cooperative agreement has not expired," the agency states on this website.

New forms this fall at NIH

 Proposals submitted to the National Institutes of Health on or after Sept. 25, 2013, will need to use new forms, called FORMS-C. Read the full announcement for details. Or check out  FORMS-C for a summary.

NSF's success rates

 The National Science Foundation's 2012 report on its  Merit Review Process, which includes proposal  success rates, has been released. Award rates vary by directorate. Plenty of other interesting details, too.

More tales from the NSF OIG

Office of the Inspector General of the National Science Foundation has released its Semiannual Report to Congress, and include several cases of data falsification. One faculty member was accused of falsifying data for more than a decade. Two other cases involved graduate students.

Good morning Baltimore: NIH grant seminar

An NIH regional grants seminar  take place June 26-28 in Baltimore, and it has the potential to open doors for you. It's the only one this year, so sign up soon!

NIH award rates for 2012

The overall award rate for NIH proposals in 2012 was 18 percent, the same as last year. NIH also has posted statistics about the number of applications it received, the number of grants made, and other matters on its website.

NSF application changes

The National Science Foundation has made changes to its Proposal Policy & Award Procedures Guide (PPAG) that will become effective Jan. 14. See a presentation on the changes at NSF's website. There are changes in the project summary, biosketch and facilities and equipment forms. There's also more guidance on the broader impacts criterion.

NSF OIG probes more than a dozen plagiarism cases

Read all about it in the September 2012 issue of the NSF/OIG Semiannual Report to Congress.

Provide your papers to PubMed or no cash

NIH is getting serious about compliance with its public access policy. If you don't provide your journal manuscripts as required, your non-competing continuation funds will be withheld until you do.

It's not your imagination: NIH has more applicants

If getting an NIH grant seems more competitive than ever to you, perhaps it's because the agency has more applicants than ever. Read the details at the NIH website. (Click the headline.)

NIH FCOI central

NIH has created a treasure trove of materials related to financial conflict of interest, more commonly known as FCOI. Here you'll find training modules, checklists, FAQs and more.

NSF releases state R&D expenditures

NSF has released its report on research and development spending by states. See where yours ranks.

NIH podcast on fellowship applications

NIH has created a podcast on how to write a fellowship application. Download it and make your time on the treadmill more productive!

More tales of the NSF OIG

The latest NSF OIG semiannual report lists more than a half dozen cases involving plagiarism in proposals.Click here to view the report.

Samples of funded NIH grants posted

 NIH has posted samples of funded proposals for prospective applicants to read. They include an R01 and and R21.

NIH regional seminar in DC

NIH is giving a regional seminar June 21-22 in DC. Learn the ropes for preparing a grant application. Details available here.

NIH success rates for 2011

Overall success rates for research grants were down. Read all about it at the NIH website.

NIH Regional Seminar April 16-18 in Indianapolis

Click the headline for details.

NSF Day Feb. 28 at NC State

The Wolfpack will host NSF Day in Raleigh, NC. Preregistration is required. Click the headline for details.

GRANT Act of 2011

A bill introduced in the U.S. House (H.R. 3433) calls for the posting of all funded proposals to the Web, as well as the publication of name of peer reviewers for grant programs, among other provisions. The bill is sponsored by Darrell Issa (R-CA) and James Lankford (R-OK). Some university associations have voiced concerns about the legislation. Click the headline to see the legislation. Visit the website of the Council on Government Relations to read the joint letter is has submitted with AAU and APLU outlining these concerns.

More tales of the NSF OIG

The OIG investigated several cases of plagiarized text in NSF proposals. Read about it in the OIG's annual report.

NIH FCOI webinar

Lots of changes. Hear all about it.

NIH FAQ COI

Frequently asked questions about the National Institutes of Health's conflict of interest policy.

Reviewers contradict each other?

It's frustrating: Two grant reviewers contradict each other. What to do? NIH offers some advice.

NSF Day @ Indiana U. of Pennsylvania

It's scheduled for Sept. 21. Registration deadline is Sept. 13.

NIH proposes new human subjects rules

HHS says the proposed changes are "the most extensive since the Department of Health, Education and Welfare proposed publishing rules for the protection of human subjects involved in research on August 14, 1979." Public comments are welcomed through Sept. 26.

NSF regional grants conference in Longhorn country

NSF's next regional grants conference is scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18 at the University of Texas-Austin, home of the Longhorns.

NIH: Peer review revealed!

New videos show what really goes on at those review meetings.

NIH goes family-friendly

Taking time off for family needs? See how NIH may accommodate you.

NSF award rates

The overall award rate for proposals at NSF in FY 2010 was 23 percent. However, rates vary by directorate, from 18 percent in Engineering to 38 percent in the Office of International Science & Engineering. See the full report, National Science Foundation's Merit Review 2010, NSB 11-41, for details.

Faculty blame students for their plagiarism

In the latest installment of Tales of the NSF OIG, formally known as its Semiannual Report to Congress, the agency reports that PIs accused of plagiarism often blame their students. Read all about it on p. 25 of the full report.

Multitask: Podcast on NIH budget development

Download this podcast on developing an NIH budget and make the most of your time on the treadmill!

How many NIH grants does a PI have?

Usually just one or two. See NIH's "myth-busting" post on the topic.

NIH's shorter review cycle for newbies

NIH has posted a new timetable for its resubmission program for new investigators. The program allows these investigators to get quicker peer review feedback.

How to read an NIH funding announcement

Funding announcements contain lots of important information but can be difficult to navigate. NIH has a new podcast that walks you through the process.

Understanding NIH impact scores

Proposal reviews now include a paragraph discussing the factors that led to the overall impact score assigned to the grant. Also available is a report on the first round of surveys about the peer review process.

Reduced productivity? Discuss in NIH biosketch

PIs can now discuss issues such as family care responsibilities, illness, disability and active duty military service that may have affected their productivity.

NIH proposal just miss the payline? There's hope

A new program, Health Research Funding, attempts to connect worthwhile but unfunded projects with patient advocacy organizations and other possible sources of support.

FFATA, DUNS & FAIN revealed by NIH

Check out these FAQs for answers to your acronym questions.