Grant Process

Introduction

NIOSH utilizes the NIH model for the administration of its extramural program. This allows NIOSH to partner with other components of the U.S. Public Health Service to support occupational safety and health research. This system also ensures that high quality research is funded through the two-step peer review process. For certain types of awards, such as small grants and career development grants, there may be differences among sponsoring Institutes, so please refer to specific announcements for the requirements of each grant mechanism. Questions about NIOSH funding should be directed to the Office of Extramural Programs (OEP), or contact the program administrator whose name appears in the funding opportunity announcement. An overview of the grants process that NIOSH follows may be found at NIH.

Grants Policy and Guidance

There are several sequential steps involved in preparing and submitting a grant application, as well as receiving and completing a grant. The following NIH website contains information on policies and procedures that applicants must follow.

Forms and Applications

The required grant application forms for all NIOSH programs are the Public Health Service (PHS) Forms 424 and 398, depending on the requested form in the Funding Announcement. The following website provides access to downloadable forms and instructions for completing the forms.

Receipt Dates

There are different receipt dates for grant applications submitted under Program Announcements (PA) and under Requests for Applications (RFA). An RFA has one receipt date which is specified in the announcement. PAs typically have three standard receipt dates each year, which correspond to three review and award cycles. Information on these cycles is found here.

Occasionally, a PA will have only one specified receipt date per year. It is important for applicants to refer to the funding opportunity announcement for receipt dates.

Peer Review

Applications for support from NIOSH are initially evaluated by peer review groups composed of scientists primarily from the extramural research community. The objective of the initial peer review is to evaluate and rate the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research or research training. It takes place in Scientific Review Groups (SRGs) that are managed by Scientific Review Officers (SROs) who are located in NIOSH and in the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) of NIH, depending on where the application is assigned for review. NIOSH has a chartered SRG called the Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) Study Section that reviews applications submitted under NIOSH’s general Program Announcements. Members of the SOH Study Section are normally appointed to four-year terms. NIOSH also convenes Special Emphasis Panels (SEPs) to review applications that are submitted in response to special focused Program Announcements and Requests for Applications (RFA’s). Members of SEPs are temporary and are appointed only for the duration of a specific review activity.

Following initial peer review for scientific merit, the NIOSH Secondary Review Committee (SRC) reviews all applications for programmatic relevance and considers issues such as balance of the extramural grant portfolio and potential to contribute to NIOSH goals. The SRC advises the NIOSH and OEP Directors on the conduct and support of research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs related to worker safety and health.

Additional information on the NIH peer review process that NIOSH follows

Just-In-Time Information Submission

After the secondary or programmatic review, any applicants whose score is within the range for funding consideration will be asked to submit additional information that must be received by NIOSH prior to an award. This information is called “Just-in-Time” information. The Just-in-Time information will be solicited by the Scientific Program Official assigned to the application.

Grant Closeout

When an extramural project is completed, the principal investigator is responsible for meeting specific requirements to officially close out the project. Guidance on meeting these requirements and preparing the necessary documents are provided below:

• Award Closeout Guidance – August 2016 [PDF – 186K]
• Equipment Inventory Listing Form [PDF – 41 KB]
• Example Abstract [PDF – 9 KB]