Learn about new NIH grant opportunities before they hit the street

Learn about new NIH grant opportunities before they hit the street

Long before an NIH institute or center can release a new funding opportunity announcement, the concept must be reviewed and approved by the cognizant Advisory Council. Thus, the term 'concept' in NIH parlance has special meaning.
A concept represents the planning stage of an initiative, regardless of whether the solicitation emerges as a Program Announcement, Request for Applications, Request for Proposals, or Broad Agency Announcement. Many institutes post their concepts on their web sites, for example, in the minutes of their Advisory Council meetings. Even if every concept discussed does not evolve into a new funding opportunity announcement, it can reveal strategic priorities under consideration and target areas where an institute or center would like to receive applications.

Knowing about a concept can give an investigator valuable lead time to generate preliminary data, do hypothesis testing, or explore experimental avenues with collaborators. In some circumstances, an investigator might develop a proposal and submit it as an investigator-initiated application. Applications in high priority areas may qualify for special funding consideration even if it does not score within the payline.
The NIH institutes vary in their handling of concepts. Although concepts must be formally approved in an advisory council’s open session, some institutes still guard the details. Specific examples of web sites where such information is easily accessible include:
? National Institutes of Mental Health – http://www.nimh.nih.gov/council/clearedconcepts.cfm
? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/nhlbac/index.htm
? National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/budget/in-main.htm

Source: Federal Grants and Contracts Weekly, April 13, 2006