Update on Application and Site Visit

UM AAHRPP Reaccreditation

The University of Miami’s Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) has successfully completed Step 1 and 2 of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP’s) application review.  This is a testament to all of your valuable contributions- your hard work, your time and dedication.

AAHRPP is a visible indicator to research participants, regulators and sponsors that our institution is committed to excellence and ongoing quality improvement.  AAHRPP is an independent accrediting body that is non-profit and uses a voluntary, peer driven and educational model. They are colleagues from other institutions that assess at different intervals, how we perform as an HRPP.  

The next step is the most involved and requires that our research community come together for this important initiative.  Our site visit will be held virtually (via Zoom) on March 2- March 3, 2023.

Those individuals that are selected for interview will be notified upon receipt of draft agenda. 

We will continue to promptly communicate information as it becomes available. 

https://www.aahrpp.org

If you have any questions in regards to this process, Kenia Viamonte, Director for Human Subject Research, is our AAHRPP accreditation contact and will be able to address these accordingly.

Beginning in December

Inventory Certification

The Uniform Guidance requires assets purchased on sponsored awards to be inventoried once every two years. The University of Miami (UM) is currently in the tagging phase and the asset certification phase will begin in December. Emails will be sent to Senior Business Managers (SBM’s) with instructions and deadlines. If you do not tag and/or certify these assets, the department risks escalation and potential removal of the equipment from sponsored awards. Any questions should be directed to Property Inventory at property.accounting@miami.edu.

Message from Laura Kozma, Associate Vice President, Research Administration

Research Administration Holiday Coverage and Deadlines

In accordance with the University of Miami’s Holiday Schedule, Research Administration will be closed November 24 and 25; December 23, 26, 27, 30 and January 2. As such, the Research Administration staff will not be available during those dates. There will be staff available for urgent needs and to ensure deadlines are met on December 28 and 29. 

To ensure timely processing of proposal submissions and awards prior to the holidays, please note the following deadlines:

• PROPOSALS with Due Dates from DEC 23 - JAN 3 – Provide complete and final proposal packages to ORA Monday, DECEMBER 19.
• CONTRACTS requiring review by December 31 OR NEW ACCOUNTS to be opened in Calendar Year 2022 – Provide documents to ORA by Friday, DECEMBER 9.

Questions may be directed to your research administrator. All contact information is available at: Who is My RA Contact.

Coming Soon!

New FORMS-H Package for Grant Applications

As announced over the summer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be requiring the use of updated application forms (FORMS-H) for due dates on or after January 25, 2023. Between October 25, 2022, and November 25, 2022, FORMS-H application packages will be added to active funding opportunity announcements.  The How to Apply – Application Guide was updated on October 25 with FORMS-H application form instructions to prepare for the transition. Also see Guide Notice NOT-OD-23-012.

All form changes are listed in High-level Grant Application Form Change Summary: FORMS-H.

A key change in FORMS-H is support for the implementation of the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. A new Other Plan(s) attachment field has been added on four application forms, where applicants can attach the required Data Management and Sharing Plan if required by the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

• PHS 398 Research Plan
• PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form
• PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan
• PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form 

The intended due date for your application determines the correct form package to use.

• Application due dates on or before January 24, 2023: FORMS-G
• Application due dates on or after January 25, 2023: FORMS-H

For more information visit NIH's eRA website.

A Message from Jean Feldman, Head, Policy Office, National Science Foundation

Revised Version of NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1).

The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023. Significant changes include: 

• Revisions to incorporate Research.gov as the replacement for FastLane for proposal preparation and submission.
• Information about the use of Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) and the BAA Management System (BAAM).
• Revisions to the certification for Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) for proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023, which expands the training to faculty and other senior personnel as well as requires specific training mandated by the America COMPETES Act, as amended.
• Use of Concept Outlines as a submission type and the Program Suitability and Proposal Concept Tool (ProSPCT).
• Requirement for proposers to provide a certification regarding Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus and Off-Site Research.
• Revisions to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support formats to include certifications from the individual (as required by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act,  Section 223) regarding information being accurate, current, and complete.
• Requirement for NSF program officers to request updated Current and Pending Support information prior to making a funding recommendation, in accordance with the NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance.
• Requirements for use of SciENcv for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documents.
• Implementation of Build America, Buy America statutes.
• New sections on Research Security and Scientific Integrity.

You are encouraged to review the by-chapter summary of changes provided in the Introduction section of the PAPPG.

NSF will present information about these changes at the upcoming NSF Grants Conference as part of the Proposal and Award Policy Update session on November 17^th. Additional information and no-cost registration are available at: https://nsfpolicyoutreach.com/22-grants-conference/.

While this version of the PAPPG becomes effective on January 30, 2023, in the interim, the guidelines contained in the current PAPPG (NSF 22-1) continue to apply. 

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the DIAS/Policy Office at policy@nsf.gov.

Important NIH Notices

NIH Notices

• Forms-H Coming for January 23, 2023 Due Dates. Applicants applying to NIH funding opportunities with due dates on or after January 25, 2023 must use updated application forms and instructions identified with a Competition ID of “FORMS-H” (NOT-OD-22-195). The primary change to the updated application forms is the addition of an “Other Plan(s)” attachment on the PHS 398 Research Plan and PHS 398 Career Development Supplemental forms as part of the implementation of the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. Applicants must attach the required Data Management and Sharing Plan in this new field in FORMS-H applications (NOT-OD-22-189).

• Notice for the NIGMS Grant Writing Webinar Series for Institutions Building Research and Research Training Capacity The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will host an informational webinar series for faculty and sponsored programs/research development personnel from institutions building research and research training capacity. During the webinars, suggestions will be shared for navigating the process of seeking NIH funding. Attendees will learn considerations for determining research idea and grant writing readiness, selecting opportunities to apply for, effectively writing a grant application, and seeking appropriate feedback. Registration is required to attend.
• Do you have questions about the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Inclusion Plans?  In Part 1 of this NIH All About Grants podcast mini-series, NIH's Inclusion Policy Officer, Dawn Corbett, discusses how to consider inclusion plans when putting together your application (MP3 / Transcript). Part 2 of the podcast covers inclusion plans during peer-review and post-award (MP3 / Transcript). NIH's All About Grants episodes can also be heard on iTunes and Spotify. Read the article in the Extramural Nexus.
• Updated Requirements for NIH Notification of Removal or Disciplinary Action Involving Program Directors/Princial Investigators or other Senior/Key Personnel. Section 239 now requires that, “[t]he Director of the National Institutes of Health shall hereafter require institutions that receive funds through a grant or cooperative agreement during fiscal year 2022 and in future years to notify the Director when individuals identified as a principal investigator or as key personnel in an NIH notice of award are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions.” Therefore, effective 60 days from the publication of this Notice, NIH recipient institutions are required to notify NIH when individuals identified as PD/PI or other Senior/Key personnel in an NIH notice of award are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined by the recipient institution due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation or hostile working conditions. Notification must be provided by the Authorized Organization Representative within 30 days of the removal or disciplinary action and must be submitted to NIH through a dedicated web form.
• NIH NIAID Technology Transfer Fellowship Program. Fellows will be mentored by professionals that work side-by-side with with world-renowned NIAID and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists and will be part of the team that helps transfer innovations from the lab to commercial products (including vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics) that benefit global public health.
• NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev. Dec 2021) This update is applicable to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2021. This update supersedes, in its entirety, the NIHGPS dated April 2021. Previous versions of the NIHGPS remain applicable as standard terms and conditions of award for all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods that began prior to October 1, 2021. This update incorporates new and modified requirements, clarifies certain policies, and implements changes in statutes, regulations, and policies that have been implemented through appropriate legal and/or policy processes since the previous version of the NIHGPS dated April 2021.
• Childcare Funding Available for Pre/Post Docs Full-time appointed predoctoral  and postdoctoral NIH-NRSA supported trainees are eligible to  receive $2,500 per budget period for childcare costs provided by a  licensed childcare provider. For households where both parents are eligible full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainees, each parent is eligible to receive $2,500.
• Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements This Notice provides information regarding the salary limitation for NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards and extramural research and development contract awards. Since 1990, Congress has legislatively mandated a limitation on direct salary for individuals under NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards (referred to here as a grant). The mandate appears in the annual appropriation act that provides authority for NIH to incur obligations for a given Fiscal Year (FY). At this time, NIH has not received an FY 2022 appropriation and is operating under a Continuing Resolution, the "Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022" (Public Law 117-70), that applies the terms and conditions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.