NRSA F30 applicant pool?

[Ariodant]

interesting. That is a good thought but in the case of my project I really don't think it's possible--it fits very squarely in the NINDS portfolio. I could always pick a different project in the lab and use that as my proposal but then I wouldn't get as much benefit from the feedback because it would be purely an academic exercise.

I think I'm just going to wait until it's time to write my quals and then just take your advice and try to convert that into an F31 from NINDS. It sucks that I can't use it for med school but at least, if I won, I would get some CV recognition and also a new computer and some other supplies.

Hmm...Didn't know you were doing neuro stuff, too. My project similarly doesn't fit the focus of any other participating institution, so I'm stuck with an F31. Regardless, I'll probably apply. If I need to fight for NIH funding throughout my career I better get some experience now, before I find myself responsible for feeding an entire lab + their mice.

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[Corn Dog]

First application submitted August 2006
Priority score received December 2006.
Notification that it would not be funded March 2007.
Resubmission April 2007.
Priority score received June 2007.
E-mailed the official and was told that was a likely fundable score in July 2007 (for 9/1/2007 start date)
One page of required additional paperwork sent (FedEx) beginning of August
One page of paperwork actually received beginning of September
Received preliminary funding notice in December (I think)
As of March 2008, they are still reviewing the information received last September, and have no timeline for when grant will be paid.

I'm kind of in a similar situation as you were in a couple of years ago. Just have a few questions. what was the "one page of required additional paperwork" you were referring to in 8/07? Also, you mentioned that you received a "preliminary" funding notice in 12/07. What do you mean by preliminary? I'm guessing it wasn't the notice of award?

Kindly let me know, neuronix. Thanks.

 

[Neuronix]

The paperwork required had to do with an IRB approval I forgot to submit with the proposal. IIRC, the original had expired before the resubmission. I had forgotten to renew the IRB because we already completed that experiment and the human experiment was a very small part of the grant. So I had to get them a new IRB approval.

As for the preliminary funding notice, if memory serves (and it may not!) they sent me a letter stating my score was very good and they expected it to be funded at their next committee meeting.

 

[way0112]

Hi all,

I'm currently an MS2 and submitted my F30 for the December 11th deadline. I recently checked my status on the ERA commons website and had a question about the review dates. Does anyone know the difference between "Meeting Date" and "Council Meeting Date"? Will my grant be reviewed 2/17 and will I get my score at this time? Is the "Council Meeting Date" when they decide the cutoff for funding?

Also, I know that funding tends to be ~50% for these awards and I know this is also the case for my institution (NIDDK) but how frequently are they awarded on the first attempt? Do the committees usually require multiple re-submits?

Greatly appreciate any input! Thanks.

Council Meeting Date(YYYY/MM): 2011/05
Meeting Date: 02/17/2011
Meeting Time: 08:30

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Hi all,

I'm currently an MS2 and submitted my F30 for the December 11th deadline. I recently checked my status on the ERA commons website and had a question about the review dates. Does anyone know the difference between "Meeting Date" and "Council Meeting Date"? Will my grant be reviewed 2/17 and will I get my score at this time? Is the "Council Meeting Date" when they decide the cutoff for funding?

Also, I know that funding tends to be ~50% for these awards and I know this is also the case for my institution (NIDDK) but how frequently are they awarded on the first attempt? Do the committees usually require multiple re-submits?

Greatly appreciate any input! Thanks.

Council Meeting Date(YYYY/MM): 2011/05
Meeting Date: 02/17/2011
Meeting Time: 08:30

The meeting date will be when the reviewers of your grant application come together as a group to make a short presentation of your application, what they perceived as the strengths and weaknesses of your application. At that time they will vote as a group and assign a composite score.

Sometime after this meeting date, the primary reviewers will be expected to draft a summary of the strengths and weaknesses (usually within 6-8 weeks). After this, a score along with the reviewers writeups will be posted to the NIH commons account website. With the most recent way NIH scores have been going you are wanting to shoot for mid-twenties and under.

The council meeting date is when Program Officers make budgetary decisions along with the group of applications they receive and their scores as to whom gets funded. Keep in mind that the study section you submit to may have grant applications that are going to NHLBI, NIDDK, or a number of other institutes. And when your application arrives at the Program Officer's desk for the particular institute you applied to for the NRSA, there may be other competing applications there that were reviewed in other study sections. Thus a score of mid-twenties may have been stellar in one study section, not so much in another, but just fine for the institute you applied to. It all depends on congressional budgeting and how NIH decides to parse the finances out to the various institutes. So, don't think the 50% thing is always the case.

In the mean time, try to pull some further preliminary data together that shows you are making excellent progress that you can send to the study section lead in early February before your meeting date (if that is possible).

Best of luck in the crazy rat race.

-Salty

 

[Kalevipoeg]

I have a pretty dumb question about the scale that's used for the F30 scores. This is my first experience with NIH grants, and I got my score today, which was 49. I looked at some of the earlier messages in this thread from like 5 years ago, and people are talking about scores in the range of 120-200. Now, as much as I wish it, my application surely isn't that good... A more recent post by SaltySqueegee mentions a score in the "mid-twenties", which would make more sense. Was there a change in the method of scoring at some point, or am I just missing something obvious? What is the current system, and what should I think about my score?
Thanks a lot, and sorry for the ignorant question.

 

[delirium81]

It's not an ignorant question. I have no idea if they changed the scoring system, or if F30 scoring differs from institute to institute, or if your score is just super awesome, but either way I recommend contacting the program official and asking what your score means. They'll be able to tell you if you're likely to get funded or whether or not you should consider re-submitting.

 

[solitude]

I have a pretty dumb question about the scale that's used for the F30 scores. This is my first experience with NIH grants, and I got my score today, which was 49. I looked at some of the earlier messages in this thread from like 5 years ago, and people are talking about scores in the range of 120-200. Now, as much as I wish it, my application surely isn't that good... A more recent post by SaltySqueegee mentions a score in the "mid-twenties", which would make more sense. Was there a change in the method of scoring at some point, or am I just missing something obvious? What is the current system, and what should I think about my score?
Thanks a lot, and sorry for the ignorant question.

my understanding is that grants are scored from 1-9, 1 is best, 9 worst. A 1 corresponds to a 10, a 2 is a 20, etc. Three people score, then the average of the three is your priority score. E.g., 10 + 40 + 50 = 100 / 3 = 33.3 = 33.

No idea what the payline is, because it will depend on the institute, the number of people applying that cycle, etc.

 

[mrsanator]

I have a pretty dumb question about the scale that's used for the F30 scores. This is my first experience with NIH grants, and I got my score today, which was 49. I looked at some of the earlier messages in this thread from like 5 years ago, and people are talking about scores in the range of 120-200. Now, as much as I wish it, my application surely isn't that good... A more recent post by SaltySqueegee mentions a score in the "mid-twenties", which would make more sense. Was there a change in the method of scoring at some point, or am I just missing something obvious? What is the current system, and what should I think about my score?
Thanks a lot, and sorry for the ignorant question.

The NIH details the new scoring strategy here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-09-024.html

Great site that lists most paylines: http://writedit.wordpress.com/nih-paylines-resources/.