Funding Agencies
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Funding Mechanisms: http://www.nih.gov/about/director/02252009statement_arra.htm
The Recovery Act provides a total of $10.4 billion, all available for two years-through September 2010. We expect to spend as much as possible in FY 2009. Below is a summary:
$8.2 billion in support of scientific research priorities
- $7.4 billion is transferred to the Institutes and Centers and Common Fund (CF), based on a percentage-based formula
- $800 million to the Office of the Director (OD) (not including CF) (For example, support for Challenge Grants), a program designed to focus on health and science problems where progress can be expected in two years.
- To support additional scientific research-related activities that also align with the overall purposes of the Act
$1 billion to support Extramural Construction, Repairs, and Alterations
- Allocated to the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) in support of all NIH funded research institutions
$300 million Shared Instrumentation and other capital equipment
- Allocated to NCRR to support all NIH activities
$500 million for NIH buildings and facilities
- To fund high priority repair, construction and improvement projects on NIH campuses that also align with the overall purpose of the Act
$400 million for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)
Many types of funding mechanisms will be supported, but, in general, NIH will focus scientific activities in several areas:
1. We will choose among recently peer reviewed, highly meritorious R01 and similar mechanisms capable of making significant advances with a two-year grant. R01 are projects proposed directly from scientists across the country. We will also fund new R01 applications that have a reasonable expectation of making progress in a two-year grant.
2. We will accelerate the tempo of ongoing science through targeted supplements to current grants. For example, we may competitively expand the scope of current research awards or supplement an existing award with additional support for infrastructure (e.g., equipment) that will be used in the two-year availability of these funds.
3. NIH anticipates supporting new types of activities that fit into the structure of the Recovery Act. It will support a reasonable number of awards to jump start the new NIH Challenge Grant program. This program is designed to focus on health and science problems where progress can be expected in two years. The number of awards and amount of funds will be determined, based on the scientific merit and the quality of applications.
4. NIH will also use other funding mechanisms, as appropriate.
Criteria, Scoring System, and Suspension of Appeals Process:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-054.html
National Science Foundation (NSF)
The $3 billion provided to NSF will go directly into the hands of the nation's best and brightest researchers at the forefront of promising discoveries, to deserving graduate students at the start of their careers, and to developing advanced scientific tools and infrastructure that will be broadly available to the research community. With both long-term and short-term investments in basic science, the United States is poised to continue its leadership in science-based innovation.
NSF currently has many highly rated proposals that it has not been able to fund. For this reason, NSF is planning to use the majority of the $2 billion available in Research and Related Activities for proposals that are already in house and will be reviewed and/or awarded prior to September 30, 2009.
- All grants issued with Recovery Act funds will be standard grants with durations of up to 5 yrs.
- Funding of new Principal Investigators and high-risk, high-return research will be top priorities.
With the exception of the MRI, ARI and Science Masters programs, the majority of proposals eligible for Recovery Act funding include those that are already in house at NSF and will be reviewed and/or awarded prior to September 30, 2009.
NSF also will consider proposals declined on or after October 1, 2008. The reversal of the decision to decline must be based on both the high quality of the reviews received on the initial submission and the lack of available funding at the time the original decision was made. The cognizant program officer will contact the institution when a reversal is being considered by NSF.
NSF will post a solicitation this spring for the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI). The Foundation currently anticipates that no other solicitations will be posted that are solely in response to the Recovery Act.
Awardees will be informed that they are expected to expend funds in a timely manner on allowable award costs and that NSF will be monitoring awards for expenditures. If, after 12 months, no allowable expenditures have taken place, NSF may consider reducing or terminating the award and reallocating the funds.
National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides a total of $610 million in funding to NIST. The funding includes:
- $220 million for NIST laboratory research, measurements, and other services supporting economic growth and U.S. innovation through funding of such items as competitive grants; research fellowships; and advanced measurement equipment and supplies;
- $360 million to address NIST's backlog of maintenance and renovation projects and for construction of new facilities and laboratories, including $180 million for a competitive construction grant program for funding research science buildings outside of NIST;
- $20 million in funds transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services for standards-related research that supports the security and interoperability of electronic medical records to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of care; and
- $10 million in funds transferred from the Department of Energy to help develop a comprehensive framework for a nationwide, fully interoperable smart grid for the U.S. electric power system.
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