Non-Competing Continuation Grants
Consistent with NIH-wide policies for funding grants under the Congressional continuing resolution (CR) for the NIH budget appropriations, NINR will issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 80% of the previously committed level).  NINR will consider adjustments to these levels after the final appropriation is enacted.  Institutions are requested to monitor their expenditures carefully during this period.

Inflationary adjustments for existing non-competing renewal awards will not be made in FY 2007.  Non-competing awards, including modular grants, will not receive an inflationary increase in FY 2007 [see below for NIH Financial Policy for Grant Awards website].

New, Competing Renewel, Competing Supplement Grants
The success rate for NINR is estimated to be approximately 19% in FY 2007.  Council and program staff may selectively recommend the payment of grants out of priority score order based on Institute mission and priorities and to maintain a diverse and balanced portfolio.  NINR will also place special emphasis on new investigators, first competing renewals of new investigators, and competing renewals of established investigators with insufficient other support.

We realize that the increasingly high overall average cost of NINR grants is largely attributable to the high percentage of clinical studies.  NINR may make adjustments to R01 grants to maintain the average cost of competing RPGs at the FY 2006 level, as directed by NIH policy.  On average, this may result in a 10% decrease from Initial Review Group (IRG) recommended levels of requested direct costs.

Large Grants
Research applications that exceed $350,000 in direct costs and are scored at the 25^th percentile or better will be taken to the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research for special consideration of the high budget.

NIH requires pre-approval for applications requesting direct costs of $500,000 or more in any year.  The program director whose area of science incorporates the application should receive at least the following as part of the process to evaluate proposed high budget applications:

• The cover page
• Abstract of the proposal
• All of the budget pages and budget justification
• Specific aims 

Additional information on this NIH policy may be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-004.html

NIH Financial Policy for Grant Awards - FY 2007 may be found at:           http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-030.html

NIH Extramural Financial Operations Website may be found at:           http://grants.nih.gov/grants/financial/index.htm