DEA

NIH, PCORI seek applications for falls prevention clinical trial

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is seeking applications from researchers for a clinical trial to prevent serious injuries resulting from falls in older people. The request, part of an initiative by the new Falls Injuries Prevention Partnership between NIA and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), represents a unique collaboration joining scientists with clinicians and patients in pursuit of an effective strategy. PCORI will commit up to $30 million to the effort, and NIA will administer the project, including the application process and peer review.

Should I write a cover memo with my application?

Answer:

It is a good idea to write a cover memo if your application is not responding to a Request for Applications and 1) you want to point out to the Assignment & Referral Officer particular types of expertise that would be needed for appropriate scientific review that may not be obvious from the abstract, or 2) you have discussed the application with a program officer from NIA and she or he feels it would be relevant to NIA program emphases.

What should I do if I cannot find a Funding Opportunity Announcement dealing with my topic?

Answer:

Most NIH applications are investigator-initiated, not responding to a specific, tailored FOA.  Since the grants.gov website requires every applicant to enter an FOA number, investigator-initiated applications typically cite one of the “parent” FOAs, which can be found here: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm (in the chart called Research Grants, look for the "See parent FOA" link for each grant type (e.g., R01, etc.))

When should I contact an NIA Program Officer?

Before you submit your application

After you receive your Summary Statement and Impact score

During the award:

  • When you have findings with public impact
  • Following natural disasters or other emergencies that will affect your research progress
  • When issues arise from population tracking enrollment

How can I make sure that NIA will accept my application?

While nothing can guarantee that the NIA will accept your application, a good strategy is to contact Institute staff before you submit anything. For some large applications requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for at least one year, Institute permission is required for NIH to accept the application. Although Institute permission is not required for other applications, contact NIA staff to ascertain interest in the work that you want to pursue.

Does NIA support translational research?

Yes. The NIA issues Program Announcements and Notices to indicate areas of support and award mechanisms for all kinds of research, including translational studies. For more information, please see Funding Opportunity Announcements.

Where can I find information about NIA grants and funding opportunities for research?

Information about extramural research opportunities and how to apply for NIA funds can be found at www.nia.nih.gov/research. More information on applying for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants can be found at www.grants.nih.gov.

Blog post - why does Approach matter so much in peer review?

Cartoon of four people in conversation.As most applicants for NIH grants know, reviewers assess research grant applications using five criteria. Every applicant wants great scores, and we want to help you understand how you’ll be scored, and why. Robin Barr, Director of the NIA's Division of Extramural Activities, has a new blog post discussing scores.

Subscribe to RSS - DEA