DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Recovery Act NIST Construction Grant Program 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dates: A Letter of Intent is required and must be received no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, June 25, 2009. A corresponding full proposal must be received no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, August 10, 2009. Review, selection, and grant award processing is expected to be completed in February 2010.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Research Fellowship Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology

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http://www.nist.gov/recovery/measurement_fellow_ffo.html

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is establishing a financial assistance program to award research grants and cooperative agreements to support measurement science and engineering research proposals in the following six focus areas: 

·         Energy; environment and climate change;

·         Information technology/cybersecurity; 

·         Biosciences/healthcare;

·         Manufacturing; 

·         Physical infrastructure

DATES: All proposals must be received no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time on Monday, July 13, 2009. Late proposals will not be reviewed or considered.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the following programs are soliciting applications for financial assistance for FY 2009: (1) the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (2) the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (3) the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory Grants Program; (4) the Physics Laboratory Grants Program; (5) the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory Grants Program; (6) the Building Research Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program; (7) the Fire Research Grants Program; (8) the Information Technology Laboratory Grants Program; (9) the NIST Center for Neutron Research Grants Program; and (10) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Grants Program. Full details of the 2009-MSE-01 component programs are found in the Full Announcement. The funding instruments used in these programs will be grants and cooperative agreements, as appropriate. Where cooperative agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will generally be collaboration with the recipient by working jointly with a recipient scientist in carrying out the scope of work, or specifying direction or redirection of the scope of work due to inter-relationships with other projects requiring such cooperation. When a proposal for a multi-year award is approved, funding will generally be provided for only the first year of the program. If an application is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of NIST. Funding for each subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent upon satisfactory progress, continued relevance to the mission of the individual MSE Grants Program, and the availability of funds. The multi-year awards must have scopes of work that can be easily separated into annual increments of meaningful work that represent solid accomplishments if prospective funding is not made available to the applicant, (i.e., the scopes of work for each funding period must produce identifiable and meaningful results in and of themselves.) 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For complete information about this program and instructions for applying by paper or electronically, read the Federal Funding Opportunity Notice (FFO) at http://www.grants.gov. A paper copy of the FFO may be obtained by calling (301) 975-5718. Technical questions should be addressed to Dr. Jason Boehm at the 

address listed in the Addresses section above, or at Tel: (301) 975-4455; E-mail: jason.boehm@nist.gov; Fax: (301) 216-0529. Grants Administration questions should be addressed to Grants and Agreements Management Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1650, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1650; Tel: (301) 975-5718; E-mail: grants@nist.gov; Fax: (301) 840-5976. For assistance with using Grants.gov contact support@grants.gov. 

Eligible Applicants

Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
 

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Agency Name

Headquarters

Link to Full Announcement

Click here to view the Opportunity

Error-Correction Window Extended for All Electronic Applications with Submission Deadlines through May 1, 2009

Notice Number: NOT-OD-09-087

Key Dates
Release Date: April 24, 2009

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), http://www.nih.gov
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), http://www.ahrq.gov/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (CDC/NIOSH)    http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), http://www.fda.gov
This notice supersedes NOT-OD-08-018.

NIH/AHRQ/CDC (NIOSH)/ and FDA will extend the electronic application error correction window (the time allowed after the submission deadline to correct errors/warnings identified by the eRA system) to five days for those opportunities with submission dates from April 21, 2009 through May 1, 2009. Although Grants.gov has not exceeded their 48 hour processing target for the vast majority of application submissions, we understand that many applicants will not have an opportunity to see the results of their submission in eRA Commons before the normal two-day error correction window elapses. This extension should allow applicants sufficient time to correct system identified errors or warnings following on-time submission. 

• Applicants that submit on-time (i.e., by 5:00 p.m. local time on application due date) and receive a Grants.gov tracking number can correct their system identified errors and warnings in the 5 business days following the submission deadline. Applicants must complete the submission process within this window for further consideration.
• The AOR/institution is expected to enforce that application changes made within the window are restricted to those necessary to address system-identified errors/warnings. NIH may reject any application that includes additional changes.
• Proof of “on time” submission (e.g., Grants.gov timestamp & tracking number OR help desk ticket number with information verifying system issue outside your control) and description of all changes made within the window must be documented in PHS 398 Cover Letter component of the application

Grants.gov does not guarantee that applications will be processed and made available to agencies in the order that they are submitted. Please allow in-progress submissions to complete prior to making further submissions to address eRA-identified errors/warnings to ensure your most recent submission is reflected in eRA Commons.

Remember: If you experience problems with Grants.gov that threaten the timely submission of your grant application or the ability to obtain the tracking number and timestamp necessary to verify on-time submission:

• On or before the submission deadline, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center to document and help resolve the submission issues
• On or before the submission deadline, document the issue with the eRA Help Desk and be sure to include your Grants.gov support ticket number
• Continue to work diligently and promptly to resolve your submission issues within the error correction window and document your corrective actions including support ticket numbers in the application cover letter.
  Note: Documentation is important. If the eRA Help Desk is able to verify a system issue beyond your control, you will be placed on a “Systems Issues” list that is shared with NIH’s Division of Receipt and Referral and your application will not be considered late as long as the submission process is completed within the 5 day error correction window. If the eRA Help Desk is unable to confirm that you encountered a system issue, the normal late policy will apply and application acceptance will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• You may want to take advantage of electronic channels to report/document submission issues (e.g., email or Web support). See Finding Help for details on support options.   However, since email can be unreliable, please be aware that it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on their application status in the Commons.

Please note that the five day correction window is temporary – we will return to the normal two-day window on Monday, May 4, 2009.  Grants.gov is working on performance enhancing changes that should improve their system’s ability to process applications in a timely, efficient manner.  We will continue to closely monitor the situation at Grants.gov and will make further adjustments as necessary to protect our applicants’ ability to submit on-time. 

Inquiries

Questions about this Notice should be directed to:

Grants Information
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
Phone: 301-435-0714
TTY: 301-451-5936
Email: grantsinfo@nih.gov

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-007.html

Application Due Date(s):  September 24, 2009 

This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is supported by funds provided to the NIH under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“Recovery Act” or “ARRA”), Public Law 111-5. The purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program is to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. These AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs, to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort. AREA grants are intended to support small-scale health-related research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions.

 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are continuing to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support.  Since Fiscal Year (FY) 1985, Congressional appropriations for the NIH have included funds for this initiative, which the NIH has implemented through the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program. 

As part of the Recovery Act, NIH invites through limited competition AREA grant (R15) applications to support new biomedical, behavioral or clinical research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible colleges, universities, schools, and components of domestic institutions. It is anticipated that investigators supported under the AREA program will benefit from the opportunity to conduct independent research; that the grantee institution will benefit from a research environment strengthened through AREA grants and sustained by participation in the numerous and diverse extramural programs of the NIH; and that students will benefit from exposure to and participation in scientific research in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences. As such, these grants are well suited to the goals of the NIH under the Recovery Act, which are to stimulate the economy, create or retain jobs, and have the potential for making scientific progress.

The AREA program is primarily a research grant program and not a training or fellowship program.  Active involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in the proposed research is encouraged, and reviewers will consider whether the proposed project will expose undergraduate (preferably, if available) and graduate students to meritorious research.  However, the application should not focus on training objectives and training plans should not be provided. 

Mike
___________________________
Mike Cronan
Office of Proposal Development
Division of Research & Graduate Studies
Texas A&M University

New NIH Recovery Act Opportunity Seeks to Fund High Impact, Large-Scale, Accelerated Research
Goal to Promote Growth and Investment in Biomedical R&D, Public Health and Health Care Delivery

The National Institutes of Health highlighted a new funding opportunity under the Recovery Act that will support approximately $200 million in large-scale research projects that have a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health and health care delivery. The purpose of this new program, the Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (GO), is to support high impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term funding and may lay the foundation for new fields of scientific inquiry.

"With this new program, we will support large biomedical and biobehavioral research endeavors that will benefit from a significant two-year jumpstart in funds and are ready for immediate implementation," said Acting NIH Director Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D. "The goals are to fund high impact research that will lead to growth and investment in these fields and stimulate the economy in the process."

In responding to this opportunity, grant applicants may propose to address either a specific research question or the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future. The GO grants will support large-scale research projects that accelerate critical breakthroughs, early and applied research on cutting edge technologies, and new approaches to improve the synergy and interactions among multi and interdisciplinary research teams.

Each participating NIH Institute has indicated their priorities for the GO grants. An example of the type of project that could be funded under this program is the identification and validation of biomarkers in human genetics and biology that indicate the risk for disease or that could serve as a marker of disease progression and/or responsiveness to treatment. Validation of biomarkers could dramatically improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of disease. Another priority is research on information technology that will enable physicians to share radiological images across health care institutions, which could result in reduced health care costs, as well as improved accuracy for medical decision-making.

For more information, see Recovery Act Limited Competition for NIH Grants: Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (RC2): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-004.html.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

The activities described in this release are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). More information about NIH’s ARRA grant funding opportunities can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/. To track the progress of HHS activities funded through the ARRA, visit www.hhs.gov/recovery. To track all federal funds provided through the ARRA, visit www.recovery.gov.

Dear Colleagues,

I know you may be extremely busy with deciding on and applying for NIH supplements to your currently funded research grants, but I would like to encourage you to take a few extra moments to consider providing research experiences in your laboratory this summer for a science educator or science students through an additional administrative supplement.  This will be a particularly difficult year for students and teachers to find summer employment, but the NIH has funds to support meaningful jobs for these individuals through supplements to your research grants.  Your application for these Administrative Supplements Providing Summer Research Experiences for Students and Science Educators and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), would be reviewed by NIH staff and within a matter of weeks, based on their decisions, you would know if your supplement will be funded.  The summer administrative supplement for students and teachers is described at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-060.html. Please check with your awarding Institute or Center for details and deadlines.

Please note:  1) you are under no obligation to apply for this summer supplement; 2) your applying for it does not guarantee that it will be awarded; and 3) the outcomes of any other ARRA supplement requests you may be submitting are not affected by the outcome of your summer supplement request.  

If you plan on applying for this administrative supplement for summer students, I ask that you please take a moment to register your intent at http://science.education.nih.gov/SummerScience/Register so that you may be added to a registry of potential participants.   Your name could be made available to students and teachers in your geographic area if: 1) you are awarded a summer supplement; and 2) you give us permission to make this publicly available.  This registration is not required and is a separate process from your summer supplement application.

There is always concern about the educational ‘pipeline’ delivering well-prepared, competitive research scientists for the future.  Your effort in this program would be an immediate investment in this pipeline and the future medical research enterprise.

Sincerely,

Rod Ulane, Ph.D.

NIH Research Training Officer

Office of Extramural Programs

National Institutes of Health

SummerResearch@mail.nih.gov

ARRA Administrative Supplements and Competitive Revisions: Clarifications on Programmatic Limitations and use of Modular Budgets

Notice Number: NOT-OD-09-079

Key Dates
Release Date: April 3, 2009

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

In March, 2009, the NIH announced the availability of funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for project expansions via competitive revisions (NOT-OD-09-058) and administrative supplements (NOT-OD-09-056), including administrative supplements providing summer research experiences for students and science educators (NOT-OD-09-060).

This Notice serves to clarify that requests in response to the Notices cited above may be made in excess of programmatic cost limitations or ceilings associated with a program or activity code (e.g., direct costs stipulated for Small Research Grants [R03], Exploratory/Developmental Grants [R21]). 

If a project was previously funded under a program or activity code with budget limitations or ceilings, these limitations or ceilings are not applicable to ARRA competitive revision and/or administrative supplement requests. Note: All budget requests must be commensurate with the scope of the programmatic request and will be subject to a cost analysis prior to award.  In addition, budgets submitted in competing revisions will be subject to the peer review.

Concerning modular budgets and competitive revision applications, the modular grant concept applies.  Therefore, for electronic submissions, budget requests for competitive revisions equal to or less than $250,000 direct costs per year must still use a modular budget component; requests over $250,000 direct costs per year must use the detailed budget component.  (For paper PHS 398 applications (e.g., P01), a detailed budget is always required.) Please note the flexibility to switch from a modular to a detailed budget is only available for those Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) where both the detailed budget and modular budget components are part of the application package.  (For FOAs where only the modular budget component is available (e.g., SC1, SC2, SC3) competitive revisions will be submitted using the modular format for no more than $250,000 direct costs per year.) Note that this flexibility to switch from a modular budget to a detailed budget only applies to ARRA competing revision requests and is not a change in our general practice.

Institutions and Project Directors/Principal Investigators should be aware that they will receive a validation warning when submitting a competitive revision through Grants.gov if the parent application was submitted using a modular budget and they are now submitting a detailed budget.  The warning will read:  “The parent grant for this revision uses the modular format; in most cases, this application must be submitted with a modular budget.  If the budget caps permitted by the FOA exceed the modular limit of $250k, the application must be submitted with a detailed budget”.  Please disregard this warning.  It will not affect submission of the application through Grants.gov. 

Inquiries

Questions concerning this Notice should be referred to GrantsInfo@mail.nih.gov.

Recovery Act Notice: NIH ARRA Funding Considerations for Applications with Meritorious Scores that Fall Beyond the Pay-line

Notice Number: NOT-OD-09-078

Key Dates
Release Date: April 3, 2009

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Purpose

The recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides an unprecedented level of funding ($8.2 billion in extramural funding) to the NIH to help stimulate the United States economy through the support and advancement of scientific research. While NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) have broad flexibility to invest in many types of grant programs, they will follow the spirit of the ARRA by funding projects that will stimulate the economy, create or retain jobs, and have the potential for making scientific progress in 2 years.

One of the ways NIH will implement the ARRA is to select existing peer-reviewed, meritorious grant applications, that can be accomplished in two years or less, meet the goals of the ARRA, and meet the mission priorities of an NIH IC. In general, existing applications eligible for consideration of 2-year funding under the ARRA are defined as applications submitted for funding with FY 2008 or FY 2009 funds that: (a) received meritorious priority scores from the initial peer review process; (b) received approval from an Advisory Council or Board prior to September 30, 2009; and (c) received priority scores that could not otherwise be paid in FY 2008 or 2009.

This policy includes consideration of applications in response to previously announced funding opportunities (e.g., RFAs, PAs, PARs), including those that will be peer reviewed by mid-summer and scheduled to receive Advisory Council or Board review prior to September 30, 2009.  Individual NIH ICs have more detailed information on their own Web sites regarding specific previously announced funding opportunities being considered for ARRA funding.

NIH program directors will contact applicant project directors/principal investigators (PD/PIs) about applications under consideration to discuss potential modifications of the Abstract, Specific Aims, Public Health Relevance, and budget.

 NIH Guidance on ARRA Supplements

http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/ic_supp.html
Potential applicants should review the instructions for Revision Applications issued by their funding IC (See http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/ic_supp.html) before responding

http://www.nigms.nih.gov/nigms.nih.gov/Templates/CommonPage.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bB5C93EA3-4A14-4833-812A-608DA6FDF2D0%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2frecovery%2fguidance&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#b

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-056.html

NIH Supporting New Faculty Recruitment to Enhance Research Resources through Biomedical Research Core Centers (P30)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-005.html

Letters of Intent Receipt Date: April 29, 2009

Application Receipt Date: May 29, 2009

This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), supported by funds provided to the NIH under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“Recovery Act” or “ARRA”), Public Law 111-5, invites applications from U.S academic institutions/organizations to support  the hiring of newly-recruited faculty to develop research projects within the context of Biomedical Core Centers.  For this announcement, a Biomedical Core Center is defined as a community of multidisciplinary researchers focusing on areas of biomedical research relevant to NIH, such as centers, departments, programs, and/or trans-departmental collaborations or consortia. .  These awards are designed to enhance innovative programs of excellence by providing scientific and programmatic support for promising research faculty and their areas of research. Specifically for the purposes of this announcement, Core Center Grants are institutional awards that provide funding to hire, provide appropriate start-up packages, and develop pilot research projects for newly independent investigators, with the goal of augmenting and expanding the institution’s community of multidisciplinary researchers focusing on areas of biomedical research relevant to NIH.  

Notice Number: NOT-OD-09-076

Release Date: March 27, 2009

Issued by: National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to inform the extramural research community that the recently released Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “Recovery Act Limited Competition: Biomedical Research Core Centers to Enhance Research Resources (P30)” [RFA-OD-09-005] has been removed temporarily from the NIH Guide and also from Grants.gov.

The NIH expects to revise the FOA and re-publish it during the first week of April.

Inquiries

Questions about this Notice may be directed to:

Jo Anne Goodnight
Office of Extramural Programs
Phone: 301-435-2688
Fax: 301-480-0146 Email: ARRARFAS@mail.nih.gov

RFA-OD-09-005]

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Biomedical Research Core Centers to Enhance Research Resources (P30)

NSF American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) Frequently Asked Questions

1.       What restrictions will be placed on awards made with Recovery Act funds?  Will there be any special award terms and conditions or additional reporting requirements associated with acceptance of these funds?

2.       Are there special priorities for awards that will be made via the Recovery Act?

3.       Will there be any eligibility restrictions on who may be supported using Recovery Act funds?

4.       Does NSF expect to fund any new programs in response to the Recovery Act?

5.       Will awardees have to separately account for Recovery Act funds?

6.       Does NSF expect an increase in proposal submissions from the research and education community and in requests to the community to review proposals in response to the Recovery Act?

7.       What method should awardees use to demonstrate that they have created or retained jobs as a result of Recovery Act funding received from NSF?

8.       What advice can NSF provide to proposers that did not submit earlier this fiscal year and who therefore do not have a proposal already in-house at NSF that may be considered for Recovery Act funding?

9.       Will NSF approve requests to increase the budgets on proposals that are currently in-house or were declined and are now being considered for Recovery Act funding?

10.    Are there any special considerations for proposals with an international component?

11.    Are there limits or guidelines on the timeframe for expending funds once an award is made?

12.    Will there be any restrictions on no-cost extensions for awards made with Recovery Act funds?

13.    Will any Recovery Act awards be made through use of continuing grants?

14.    How will awardees receive Recovery Act funds awarded to their organization?

15.    Will an organization have to establish a separate bank account for the Recovery Act funds?

16.    How will Recovery Act funding affect the quarterly Federal Financial Report (FFR) process?

Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09038/nsf09038.jsp?govDel=USNSF_25

Dear NIH Signing Official,

The NIH and our grantee partner institutions have a unique opportunity to support summer research experiences for high school and college students, as well as elementary, middle, and secondary school science teachers, and faculty from non-research intensive institutions in your geographic area.  Supported through American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), these administrative supplements are available, on an expedited basis, to NIH research grants of faculty at your institution (See NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-060). 

Creating the next generation of scientists is an interest shared by NIH and leaders at research institutions around the country. Through these supplements, young people interested in careers as scientists and teachers can get closely involved in top-tier research projects at your institution that we hope will inspire students to pursue careers in biomedical research. 

Time is short, so we are asking your help in this endeavor, first by reminding your NIH-funded faculty members of this funding opportunity, and secondly by encouraging a strong mentoring environment for these young students at your institution. 

1.       Please alert your NIH-funded faculty, who you think would provide a strong mentoring experience for students and science teachers, to this opportunity and encourage them to apply.

2.       Pass this information on to those responsible for existing programs for students and science teachers at your institution so that they may, in turn, also alert NIH-funded faculty of these supplements and plan for additional students should your faculty receive these awards. 

If your institution receives these supplements:

1.       Work on developing rich, meaningful research experiences for these students and teachers.  Beyond the actual research project on which the student/teacher works, consider: 

·         Alerting the directors of your graduate programs to the presence of these students and asking them to speak to them about careers in science and about the graduate programs at your institution. 

·         Inviting these students and teachers to attend institutional seminars. Some of these students would be experiencing a major scientific talk for the first time.

·         Encouraging your current graduate students to spend some time with the summer students, first by helping them in the labs they where they work, but also by giving them advice about graduate school and their experiences preparing for grad school.

2.       Please check in on participants to assess their success.

We are encouraging grantee institutions to provide us with central points of contact for summer opportunities at your institution and possibly even links to information about specific opportunities that we will post on an NIH Web site devoted to these summer experiences. We are hoping this site will serve as a central resource will help students and educators from across the country connect with your institution. You also may want to consider providing space on your Web pages identifying your institution as a participant in the NIH summer science jobs initiative. Matching students and teachers to appropriate mentors will be a key factor to a successful summer experience. 

We realize that this activity will involve effort on your part, but feel this opportunity will not only promote jobs, which is a central outcome of ARRA, but provide an integral piece of the investment in the future of science by attracting and helping to educate the next generation of researchers.

We expect to have a Web tool available at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/summer_opps_contacts/add.htm into which your organization can enter contact information for these summer opportunities by Monday afternoon. We have also requested you to provide contact information for the public information officer at your institution if you know that, to help us network with them.

If you have questions, or wish to update the information you have entered into the on-line tool, please send an e-mail to SummerResearch@mail.nih.gov. 

Sincerely,

Sally J. Rockey, Ph.D. 

Acting NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research

OMB directs agencies to review grants management systems immediately

By Gautham Nagesh 03/11/2009

The Office of Management and Budget is directing federal agencies to immediately review and upgrade computer systems related to grants management to prepare for the expected spike in applications from the stimulus.

"Recovery.gov funds must not be stuck in a bottleneck because of inadequate systems or overwhelmed network servers," OMB Director Peter Orszag said in a statement on Wednesday. The government expects a 60 percent increase in grant application volume between April and August as agencies begin to disburse the $787 billion in stimulus funds.

Agencies have until March 13 to assess their grants management systems and report back to OMB. According to OMB guidance released in February, agencies by March 15 must begin identifying computer systems collecting information related to the stimulus that are not equipped to make that data publicly available.

Orszag's March memo to agencies noted that the government's central portal for accepting grant applications -- grants.gov -- is not equipped to handle the surge in traffic that the stimulus funds will bring.

Grants.gov already has exceeded its original capacity, and could fail if technology upgrades are not made before stimulus-related applications arrive, and if other federal agencies that administer grants are not prepared to help handle the crush, Orszag said.

He directed the Health and Human Services Department, which administers grants.gov, and the General Services Administration to work together to improve the system and prepare it to handle the increased workload efficiently.

Technical problems with grants.gov date back as far as November 2008.

To locate new/modified Recovery Act funding opportunities on Grants.gov follow this link:

NIH has received new funds for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Pub. L. No. 111-5. The NIH has designated at least $200 million in FYs 2009 – 2010 for a new initiative called the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research. This new program will support research on topic areas that address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that would benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds. The NIH has identified a range of Challenge Areas that focus on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. Each NIH Institute, Center, and Office has selected specific Challenge Topics within the broad Challenge Areas related to its mission. The research in these Challenge Areas should have a high impact in biomedical or behavioral science and/or public health. The application due date is April 27, 2009.

The list below shows the broad areas and the page number in the Highest Priority Challenge Topics Document you can download here.

Broad Challenge Area

(01) Behavior, Behavioral Change, and Prevention pg. 10

(02) Bioethics pg. 12

(03) Biomarker Discovery and Validation pg.15

(04) Clinical Research pg.17

(05) Comparative Effectiveness Research pg.20

(06) Enabling Technologies pg.38

(07) Enhancing Clinical Trials pg.43

(10) Information Technology for Processing Health Care Data pg.48

(11) Regenerative Medicine pg.49

(12) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM) pg. 50

(13) Smart Biomaterials - Theranostics pg. 50

(14) Stem Cells pg. 51

(15) Translational Science pg. 53

The federal agencies charged with implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are preparing to roll out funding announcements, the vast majority of these being competitive research grants.  We have seen a small number of grant announcements already. In an effort to keep you informed as soon as possible, the UT System has created a working document which can be downloaded here (Recovery_Implementation_Mar06.doc) .The document is lengthy, but includes a link table at the top which will allow you to skip to a particular agency of interest.

Dear APS Colleague,

You've no doubt heard that science fared well in the stimulus bill Congress passed - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. We are very thankful that the President and Congress recognized the important role research plays in our nation's economy. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) received $10 billion extra, and the National Science Foundation received $3 billion extra. All funding needs to be spent quickly - within two years - and any funded researcher will be obligated to include many less common reporting requirements related to the stimulative nature of the research (e.g., job creation). Now is the time to apply for certain grants (see below), to call agency program officers about the grant you almost got, or to talk to your funding officer about the potential for a supplement if you already have an NIH or NSF grant.

Apply for an NIH grant for research that you can do in two years.
Of the NIH $10 billion, at least $200 million over the next two years is for a new initiative called NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research, to fund 200 or more grants at $1 million each. The program will support research on "Challenge Topics," and first on the list is Behavior, Behavioral Change, and Prevention. This is a unique opportunity to conduct research in a short time frame. The application deadline is April 27, 2009, and grants will begin this fall. See: https://webmail.utep.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102493254773%26e=001RV2am63Hx8h8q3BOf1q1SJ9aLyG8l2yAHzjba1nwqnBdvMtJ5EkjwwTz-1cL1ZcQ9qHkQuMZ27PPHCMGgqtDEkhhQ_u9-pBZBqHXt4j0NKn0uifnsavlobidzK3FgaA4AL4ORsdLngfLFOXwcJF0grvKpjOOQERP

If you recently applied to NIH or NSF and received good reviews but were not funded,
contact the program officer who oversaw the process.
At the end of the last federal fiscal year, about 14,000 applications were approved for funding but went unfunded. NIH is planning to review these applications to see if any would benefit from two-year funding. This will not be done in a formulaic manner; rather, grants will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. Program officers will be involved in this process, so it can only help to contact them to discuss your application.

NSF is also planning to fund recently approved but unfunded proposals. Call the NSF program officer in your area if you think your proposal might be in this category.

If you have an existing grant, you may be eligible for a supplement.
The stimulus funding may also be available to expand an existing NIH grant. Some funding will be awarded through a competitive process, while other funding will be administratively allocated. Few details are available at this time, and each Institute and agency will determine its priorities for supplemental funding. Another reason to call NIH or NSF staff.

A word of advice.
This funding is part of the Recovery Act, so it's meant to create jobs and stimulate the economy, all in a transparent and trackable way. If you do any of the above, be sure to pay particular attention to the economic impact of your grant: How many jobs will it create? How will you measure and track spending? Job creation? If you are at, or are partnering with, an institution located in an under-represented geographic area, please highlight that, since geographic location may be a criterion for grant awards. After all, the economy needs to be stimulated throughout the United States.

For more information on all of the above: https://webmail.utep.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102493254773%26e=001RV2am63Hx8ilhb2sLjG7EeJfwsIK83aDRShAEI2kdacX37awG3dcbnawPu1T2krfNEMRs9eCdUuk0piHwirupQ6hw_y09qD95Q8l8Sq2gWaI4Q5NY8cwrqiXMRJiSjOsuQwqNqfezVnaY3WunrNVm36Q0OL9_Y4mtmQC3yC5DaI= and https://webmail.utep.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102493254773%26e=001RV2am63Hx8iaLmFkHtAPBDcagLIdCztctbKJ6QFyVrBUeBpup5P2FHW7U-uk9Cw1kuVstLDfUXvWvYPM8ZVEKzAQEK7OnHqhSCBb5rfVtSbfDWXEI2FT7vvBApSvpka-UvSscq9cOezqtkycVBj4bVF2UorE9fObUu9Lu_IvVf-yQRXUcRO6I_PT8X3kY8Dp.

Dear NIGMS Grantees and Recent Applicants:

Several new announcements related to Recovery Act funding were released late yesterday. They address shared instrumentation and facilities construction, renovation, repair, and improvement. Check the announcements for due dates and other important details.

NOT-RR-09-008 - Addition of Recovery Funds to the Shared Instrumentation Grant Program

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-RR-09-008.html

PAR-09-118 - Recovery Act Limited Competition: High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-118.html

RFA-RR-09-007 - Recovery Act Limited Competition: Core Facility Renovation, Repair, and Improvement (G20)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-007.html

RFA-RR-09-008 - Recovery Act Limited Competition: Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program (C06)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-008.html

In addition, there were two inoperative links in the message I sent yesterday. The corrected message is below:

I am writing to give you an update on NIH and NIGMS activities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. While many details remain to be worked out, NIH has already announced one new funding opportunity, and NIH and its institutes and centers have created Web pages where information will be posted as it becomes available.

The NIH Recovery Act information page is at http://www.nih.gov/recovery. The NIGMS page is at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/recovery. NIH will post Recovery Act funding opportunities at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery.

Yesterday, NIH issued a funding opportunity announcement for NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research. This initiative will receive at least $200 million of Recovery Act funds to support 200 or more grants. Applications are due by April 27, 2009. The program will support research that focuses on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. The announcement describes broad challenge areas and includes links to institute and center sites that contain descriptions of additional, mission-specific topics. The NIGMS topic areas document is at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/ChallengeAreas.

NIH also issued a notice about the review criteria, scoring system, and suspension of the appeals process for Recovery Act applications. It is at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-054.html.

As you may know, the Recovery Act includes $300 million for shared instrumentation and other capital equipment, to be administered by the National Center for Research Resources. NCRR will provide information at its Recovery Act Web site, http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/the_american_recovery_and_reinvestment_act/, but you may wish to consult the current Shared Instrumentation Grant funding opportunity announcement for details about this program, which funds equipment costing between $100,000 and $500,000. The due date for applications is March 23, 2009. An announcement on high-end instrumentation is expected soon.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the many people who have taken the time to share their thoughts with me about possible Recovery Act investment strategies. I value your input and continue to welcome your feedback.

Best,

Jeremy M. Berg

Director

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

bergj@mail.nih.gov

• Recovery Act of 2009: NIH Review Criteria, Scoring System, and Suspension of Appeals Process
  (NOT-OD-09-054)
  National Institutes of Health
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-054.html
• Clarification to RFA-OD-09-003-Recovery Act Limited Competition: NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research (RC1)
  (NOT-OD-09-061)
  National Institutes of Health
  American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-061.html

From: Jeremy Berg, NIGMS, NIH [mailto:jb806n@nih.gov]

Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 12:18 PM
To: ORSP
Subject: Recovery Act Update

Dear NIGMS Grantees and Recent Applicants:

I am writing to give you an update on NIH and NIGMS activities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. While many details remain to be worked out, NIH has already announced one new funding opportunity, and NIH and its institutes and centers have created Web pages where information will be posted as it becomes available.

The NIH Recovery Act information page is at http://www.nih.gov/recovery. The NIGMS page is at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/recovery. NIH will post Recovery Act funding opportunities at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery.

Yesterday, NIH issued a funding opportunity announcement for NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research. This initiative will receive at least $200 million of Recovery Act funds to support 200 or more grants. Applications are due by April 27, 2009. The program will support research that focuses on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. The announcement describes broad challenge areas and includes links to institute and center sites that contain descriptions of additional, mission-specific topics. The NIGMS topic areas document is at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/ChallengeAreas.

NIH also issued a notice about the review criteria, scoring system, and suspension of the appeals process for Recovery Act applications. It is at http://grants.nih.gov/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-054.html.

As you may know, the Recovery Act includes $300 million for shared instrumentation and other capital equipment, to be administered by the National Center for Research Resources. NCRR will provide information at its Recovery Act Web site, http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/the_american_recovery_and_reinvestment_act/, but you may wish to consult the current Shared Instrumentation Grant funding opportunity announcement for details about this program, which funds equipment costing between $100,000 and $500,000. The due date for applications is March 23, 2009. An announcement on high-end instrumentation is expected soon.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the many people who have taken the time to share their thoughts with me about possible Recovery Act investment strategies. I value your input and continue to welcome your feedback.

Best,

Jeremy M. Berg, Ph.D.

Director

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

45 Center Drive, 2AN.12G

Bethesda, MD 20892

bergj@mail.nih.gov

(301)594-2172

www.nigms.nih.gov

The NIH Challenge Grant funding opportunity has been posted:  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/challenge_award/

This program is funded through stimulus funds.

Deadline is April 27.  $500k (total costs) /year, two years.

Challenge Areas and Challenge Topics

The NIH has identified a range of Challenge Areas that focus on specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. Within each broad Challenge Area the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices have specified particular Challenge Topics that address their missions. These broad Challenge Areas are provided below. Click on the Challenge Area for the detailed description of the specific Challenge Topics within that area that have been accorded the highest priority by the NIH Institute, Center or Office indicated.

Broad Challenge Areas - PDF (532 KB)  or  MS Word (493 KB):

Links to High Priority Topics Within Broad Challenge Areas (PDF - 556 KB):

(01)  Behavior, Behavioral Change, and Prevention
(02)  Bioethics
(03)  Biomarker Discovery and Validation
(04)  Clinical Research
(05)  Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)
(06)  Enabling Technologies
(07)  Enhancing Clinical Trials
(08)  Genomics
(09)  Health Disparities
(10)  Information Technology for Processing Health Care Data
(11)  Regenerative Medicine
(12)  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM)
(13)  Smart Biomaterials – Theranostics
(14)  Stem Cells
(15)  Translational Science

In addition, Institutes and Centers have identified additional Challenge Topics for funding under this FOA. A compilation of all Challenge Topics can be accessed in a single Omnibus by clicking on the Omnibus Topics List below:

Omnibus Topics List - PDF (1.7 MB)  or  MS Word (1.3 MB)

Challenge Award Resources

·         2009 Funding Opportunity Announcement (RFA-0D-09-003)

·         NIH Institute & Center (IC) Web Sites

·         The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) (PDF - 1 MB)

Comments or Questions?

·  Questions on NIH Challenge Grants may be directed to: OER-ARRA@mail.nih.gov

 NSF and NEA have both added a weekly report in a spreadsheet format that should give us more information on where they will be allocating their stimulus funds and their planning processes. I have attached the reports posted today, but you will be able to follow this by following the NSF and NEA links below. I believe all agencies will be posting these reports in the future as a part of the transparency requirement of the Recovery Act.

Agency-Specific Information Related to the Recovery Act

*             Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/ <http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/>

                National Institutes of Health Acting Director: NIH's Role in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act <http://www.nih.gov/about/director/02252009statement_arra.htm>

*              National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/recovery/ <http://www.nsf.gov/recovery/>

                NSF Director: Statement on the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 <http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114277&govDel=USNSF_51>

*              Department of Defense: http://www.defense.gov/recovery/ <http://www.defense.gov/recovery/>

*              Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov/recovery/ <http://www.energy.gov/recovery/>

*              Department of Interior: http://www.doi.gov/recovery/ <http://www.doi.gov/recovery/>

*              National Aeronautics and Space Administration: http://www.nasa.gov/recovery/ <http://www.nasa.gov/recovery/>

*              National Endowment for the Arts: http://www.nea.gov/recovery/ <http://www.nea.gov/recovery/>

*              National Institute of Standards and Technology: http://www.nist.gov/recovery/ <http://www.nist.gov/recovery/>

*              National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov/recovery/ <http://www.noaa.gov/recovery/>

*              American Association for the Advancement of Science: Final Stimulus Bill Provides $21.5 Billion for Federal R&D <http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/stim09c.htm>

*              American Council on Education: Economic Stimulus Resource Center <http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Government_Relations_and_Public_Policy&CONTENTID=31323&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm>

NIH

Funding Highlights

The Recovery Act provides a total of $10.4 billion, all available for two years—through September 2010. We expect to spend as much as possible in FY 2009. Below is a summary:

·         $8.2 billion in support of scientific research priorities

·         $7.4 billion is transferred to the Institutes and Centers and Common Fund (CF), based on a percentage-based formula

·         $800 million to the Office of the Director (OD) (not including CF)
(For example, support for Challenge Grants), a program designed to focus on health and science problems where progress can be expected in two years.

·         To support additional scientific research-related activities that also align with the overall purposes of the Act

·         $1 billion to support Extramural Construction, Repairs, and Alterations

·         Allocated to the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) in support of all NIH funded research institutions

·         $300 million Shared Instrumentation and other capital equipment

·         Allocated to NCRR to support all NIH activities

·         $500 million for NIH buildings and facilities

·         To fund high priority repair, construction and improvement projects on NIH campuses that also align with the overall purpose of the Act

·         $400 million for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

NSF

Breakdown of Funding

·         Research and Related Activities: $2.5B

o   Major Research Instrumentation: $300M

o   Academic Research Facilities Modernization: $200M

o   Other: $2.0B

·         Education and Human Resources: $100M

o   Robert Noyce Scholarships: $60M

o   Math and Science Partnerships (MSP): $25M

o   New Professional Master’s Science Program: $15M

·         Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC): $400M

Press  Releases

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114277&org=OLPA&from=news 

Agency Plans and Reports

Weekly Reports

(This information was last reviewed on March 3, 2009.)

EPA

Funding Highlights

The Recovery Act specifically includes $7.22 billion for projects and programs administered by EPA. These programs will protect and promote both “green” jobs and a healthier environment. These environmental areas include:

·         Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: $4 billion for assistance to help communities with water quality and wastewater infrastructure needs and $2 billion for drinking water infrastructure needs. A portion of the funding will be targeted toward green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency, and environmentally innovative projects.

·         Brownfields: $100 million for competitive grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites.

·         Diesel Emissions Reduction: $300 million for grants and loans to help regional, state and local governments, tribal agencies, and non-profit organizations with projects that reduce diesel emissions.

·         Superfund Hazardous Waste Cleanup: $600 million for the cleanup of hazardous sites.

·         Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: $200 million for cleanup of petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks.

The new law is geared for performance and unprecedented transparency. EPA plans to award both the designated funds to states and the competitive grants as quickly as possible. All funding will be monitored by the agency’s Inspector General, which will receive $20 million for oversight and review. Announcements of grants will be posted on recovery.gov to ensure

Plans and Reports

http://www.epa.gov/recovery/plans.html

Guidance for Awards

http://www.epa.gov/water/eparecovery/docs/2009-03-02_Final_ARRA_SRF_Guidance.pdf

(This information was last reviewed on March 2, 2009.)

Defense

Funding Highlights

The $7.4 billion Defense Department portion is aimed at projects that could be accelerated or started at once. The department can obligate stimulus funds for military construction projects through the end of fiscal 2013, and the rest through the end of fiscal 2010.

·         $555 million for a temporary expansion of the Homeowner’s Assistance Program benefits for private home sale losses of both military and civilian Defense Department personnel. The program reimburses those who lose money on a home sale due to a forced relocation.

·         Under the legislation, $4.2 billion is available in operations and maintenance accounts to upgrade military facilities, including energy-related improvements, officials said.

·         The act calls for $1.3 billion in military construction for hospitals, and

·         $240 million for child development centers.

·         The legislation also provides $100 million in military construction for warrior transition complexes

·          About $600 million for military housing projects for the troops and their families.

·         The department will receive $300 million to develop energy-efficient technologies

·         $120 million for the Energy Conservation Investment Program.

·         Another $15 million is marked for inspector general oversight and audit of Recovery Act spending.

Pentagon officials are working with service leaders to finalize details. The legislation calls on federal agencies to report on their use of the stimulus funds on March 3. Defense Department and service officials are working to determine which bases will receive construction projects

Agency Report

http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery/plans_reports/2009/march/recovery_Weekly_Report_2009-03-02.pdf

(This information was last reviewed on March 2, 2009.)

Energy

Funding Highlights

The Department of Energy will carry out this economic recovery plan through ten initiatives to transform the way Americans use energy

1.        Energy efficient homes and businesses: Funding provided through the states for homeowners and businesses to take immediate steps toward energy efficiency – reducing heating and air conditioning bills and creating jobs. $5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

2.        Greening federal buildings: Provide funding to improve the efficiency of federal government offices and buildings, reducing energy bills and creating jobs. $4.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

3.        Renewable energy projects: Accelerate the construction of solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy generation facilities through a combination of loans and grants, creating jobs immediately and providing the United States with a clean energy supply for the future. $2.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

4.        Smart Grid technology and transmission infrastructure: Build the transmission lines and grid technology infrastructure needed for a better, smarter grid to transport electricity – from the places renewable energy can be produced to the places it will be used. $4.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

5.       Clean fossil energy technology: Develop innovative technologies for clean coal, petroleum coke and other plants of the future, allowing our nation to safely use our abundant coal and fossil energy resources. $3.4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

6.       6. Next generation biofuels: Provide grants to accelerate the research and deployment of cellulosic biofuels technologies to provide a clean alternative to imported oil. $800 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

7.        Science and basic research in the energy technologies of the future: Investments in building and renovating laboratories and research facilities to create jobs immediately and enable the research that will sustain American industry and provide new energy and climate solutions. $1.6 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

8.        Battery research and advanced vehicle technologies: Loans and grants to support the development of advanced vehicle batteries and battery systems to reinvigorate the U.S. auto industry, reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil,

9.       Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E):  Jump start advanced energy technologies by funding high-risk, high-payoff research in collaboration with industry. $400 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

10.   Cleanup of nuclear legacy: Redouble the ongoing efforts to clean up radioactive waste from Cold War nuclear project sites, creating jobs and reclaiming lands for communities across the country. $6 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Agency Reports

http://www.energy.gov/recovery/documents/DOE_Weekly_Report_02232009.xls

(This information was last reviewed on February 23, 2009.)

NEA

Funding Highlights

The Arts Endowment is developing funding guidelines, application review procedures, and reporting requirements. Key offices involved include Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards, Guidelines and Panel Operations, Grants and Contracts, Deputy Chairman for Management and Budget, Acting Chairman, Information and Technology Management, and Communications.

Agency Reports

http://www.nea.gov/recovery/2009/03/03/weekly/index.html

(This information was last reviewed on March 3, 2009.)

Department of Education

Funding Highlights

Education will apply resources through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and the School Modernization Program (SMP)

·         State Fiscal Stabilization Fund $53.6 B

o   $48.3 B (population formula)

o   $39.5 B to education (K-12 and public colleges)

o   $8.8 B to Governors

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

Department of Commerce

Funding Highlights

The U.S. Department of Commerce will receive $7.9 billion to create and save jobs for American workers as part of the historic economic stimulus bill recently signed by President Barack Obama. ARRA investments in Commerce agencies, which will be allocated in an open, transparent and timely manner, include funding for business development, innovative research, construction projects, expanding broadband services and other programs that will create jobs in a broad range of occupations and industries.

The Department of Commerce is implementing the Recovery Act through programs within these bureaus:

·         U.S Census Bureau

·         Economic Development Administration (EDA)

·         National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) - visit the NIST Recovery Act Web page
   NIST to Receive $610 Million Through Recovery Act (03/03/09)

·         National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
   NOAA Receives $830 Million Through Recovery Act (03/03/09)

·         National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Agency Plans and Reports

Plans and reports will be published as they become available.

(This information was last reviewed on March 3, 2009.)

EDA

Economic Development Administration

The Recovery Act includes $150 million for EDA to provide grants to economically distressed areas across the Nation to generate private sector jobs. Priority consideration will be given to those areas that have experienced sudden and severe economic dislocation and job loss due to corporate restructuring. Funds will be disbursed through the agency’s traditional grant making process and will support efforts to create higher-skill, higher-wage jobs by promoting innovation and entrepreneurship and connecting regional economies with the worldwide marketplace.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Funding Highlights:

The Recovery Act funding for NOAA is $830 million including:

·         $230 million slated for habitat restoration, navigation projects and vessel maintenance;

·         $430 million for construction and repair of NOAA facilities, ships and equipment, improvements for weather forecasting and satellite development;

·         $170 million to be used for climate modeling activities, including supercomputing procurement, and research into climate change.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

Census

Bureau of the Census

To ensure a successful 2010 Decennial Census, the Recovery Act includes $1 billion to hire new personnel for partnership and outreach efforts to minority communities and hard-to-reach populations, increase targeted media purchases, and ensure proper management of other operational and programmatic risks.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

NIST

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Funding Highlights:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides a total of $610 million in funding to NIST. The funding includes:

·         $220 million for NIST laboratory research, measurements, and other services supporting economic growth and U.S. innovation through funding of such items as competitive grants; research fellowships; and advanced measurement equipment and supplies;

·         $360 million to address NIST’s backlog of maintenance and renovation projects and for construction of new facilities and laboratories, including $180 million for a competitive construction grant program for funding research science buildings outside of NIST;

·         $20 million in funds transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services for standards-related research that supports the security and interoperability of electronic medical records to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of care; and

·         $10 million in funds transferred from the Department of Energy to help develop a comprehensive framework for a nationwide, fully interoperable smart grid for the U.S. electric power system.

For further information see: questions and answers.

Agency Plans and Reports

A NIST spending plan describing in more detail how the Recovery Act funds described above will be allocated and other relevant plans and reports will be linked here as they become available.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

NTIA

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

The Recovery Act provides critical funding for programs at NTIA including:

·         $4.7 billion to establish a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program for awards to eligible entities to develop and expand broadband services to rural and underserved areas and improve access to broadband by public safety agencies.

·         Of these funds, $250 million will be available for innovative programs that encourage sustainable adoption of broadband services;

·         At least $200 million will be available to upgrade technology and capacity at public computing centers, including community colleges and public libraries;

·         $10 million will be a transfer to the Office of Inspector General for the purposes of BTOP audits and oversight.

·         Up to $350 million of the BTOP funding is designated for the development and maintenance of statewide broadband inventory maps.

$650 million for the TV Converter Box Coupon Program to allow NTIA to issue coupons to all households currently on the waiting list, to start mailing coupons via first class mail and to ensure vulnerable populations are prepared for the transition from analog-to-digital television transmission.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)

OIG

Office of Inspector General

The Recovery Act includes $6 million for the OIG to conduct audits and oversight of the programs and activities funded by the ARRA in addition to the $10 million provided to the OIG for oversight of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. With such a large infusion of cash expected to be obligated within a short time frame, this oversight will be important in evaluating the effectiveness of these programs and detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse.

(This information was last reviewed on February 27, 2009.)