Grant Application and Submission Deadlines Policy
Background:
All VMRF projects are subject to review and approval by VA Research Administration and the Research and Development (R&D) Committee. All proposals require ACOS R&D or designee review and approval prior to submission to a funding agency. In addition, all funded proposals must have R&D approval prior to activation of a resulting award and must maintain continuous R&D committee approval throughout the performance of the study.
The VMRF Department of Contracts & Grants is available to assist Principal Investigators and their staff with the process of submitting grant proposals. Proposals with 50% or more of the research being conducted in VA/VMRF space must be submitted through VMRF. In order for applications to be completed and reviewed in a timely manner, it is essential to adhere to VMRF's policy regarding application submission deadlines.
Overview:
It is the goal of VMRF to submit proposals that have been thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and compliance with agency and local requirements. (For purpose of reference, the following refers to NIH grants. However, the grant timeline is the same for all grants and subcontracts submitted through VMRF.)
Application:
Every NIH grant must be in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), and be submitted according the instructions for that FOA. For most NIH grants, the latest version of the SF424 electronic application must be used. For P series and U series proposals, and some other specific Funding Opportunities, the latest version of PHS398 forms and templates (Revised 06/2009) must be used to submit paper applications. These forms are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html. If requesting up to $250,000/year in direct costs, the NIH modular grant format is usually used. Per NIH requirements, VMRF must obtain detailed budgets for modular and non-modular grants. Specific Agency instructions for every proposal must be available to VMRF Contracts and Grants in order to assure compliance with agency requirements. When the proposed NIH annual budget will exceed $500,000 in direct costs (excludes consortium F&A costs) in any one year, prior approval must be obtained from the Institute/Center staff at least six weeks prior to the submission date and documentation of that approval must be provided to Contracts and Grants by the Principal Investigator for inclusion in the proposal.
VMRF will prepare the following:
1. Combined VA R&D and VMRF Research Grant Pre-submission Review Form
2. Face page for agency application
3. Budget page (utilizing information provided by the Principal Investigator (PI) regarding grant personnel/positions and percentage of Effort, as well as other projected costs)
4. Budget for Entire Proposed Period 5. NIH Checklist
6. Letter of consortium/intent (for subcontracts only)
In the case of subcontracts, the prime recipient institution of the grant award (i.e. the institution which will receive and administer the funds should an award be made) sets the due date for subcontract documents. The "due date" that the VMRF investigator should then adhere to is the one set by the prime institution, not the date set by the agency.
If there will be any subawards to other institutions, VMRF will request signed application documents from those institutions three weeks prior to submission deadline to the funding agency. This will include a face page, Letter of Commitment, detailed budget and justification, biographical sketches, Resources, Indirect Cost Rate Agreements and other documents as required for completion of the proposal.
The combined VASDHS/VMRF Research Grant Pre-Submission Review Form, Conflict of Interest forms, and VA ACOS R&D - or designee - pre-submission approval must be completed before any grant or subcontract application may be submitted by VMRF.
The Conflict of Interest form (Form 2000 for federally sponsored projects; Form 300 for non-federally sponsored projects) must be completed and signed by the Principal Investigator. All key personnel who are so-named on the grant proposal must also complete and sign a Conflict of Interest form before the proposal submission. If any person reveals that there may be a conflict of interest with the project (a "yes" answer), Form 2000-U or 300.1 (respectively) must be completed in addition to the initial Conflict of Interest form to identify the prospective conflict of interest. The VASDHS/VMRF Research Grant Pre-Submission Review Form can be obtained from the VMRF Contracts & Grants department, and must be filled out and signed by the PI. The completed form, along with some preliminary aspects of the grant proposal, will be forwarded to VA Research Service so that they may coordinate pre-submission review prior to the grant submission deadline.
The submission deadlines associated with the above-referenced requirements are as follows:
| 2 weeks prior to due date | Administrative portion of application to the appropriate Contracts and Grants Administrator for review, which includes the following:
1. Combined VASDHS/VMRF Research Grant Pre-Submission Review Form and other documents for pre-submission approval
2. Project Summary/Abstract
3. Project Narrative
4. Budget and Justification
5. Bio sketches for key personnel
6. Other Support for key personnel (if applicable, not required for NIH grants as this information is incorporated into the bio sketch.)
7. Facilities and Resources page
8. Equipment page
9. Required documentation for subaward(s) to other institutions |
| 5 day | Completed grant to the Contracts and Grants Administrator. VMRF will make copies if required by funding source |
The NIH 2-day window for correction is not longer available as of 01/25/2011. Therefore, late submissions to VMRF Contracts and Grants (less than 5 business days prior to submission deadline) run the risk of not being effectively reviewed, which potentially can lead to proposals being rejected during the NIH e-submission process and submission postponement until the next applicable submission deadline.
Additional Information
Equipment: VMRF equipment threshold is $5,000. Generally, items less than $5,000 are not defined as equipment (unless otherwise defined by individual agency).
Performance sites: Veterans Medical Research Foundation, San Diego, CA ; VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
Key Personnel: For key personnel with affiliations with VMRF, VASDHS and UCSD, the affiliations should be listed in the following order: VMRF, VASDHS, and UCSD
Human Subjects: If there is a current UCSD IRB approved protocol, the protocol number should be listed on the combined VASDHS/VMRF Research Grant Pre-Submission Review Form. In addition, the Principal Investigator should provide VMRF with the human subject use approval letter. If a protocol has not been approved or applied for, a "pending" status is acceptable for grant submission.
Animals: VMRF must be provided with a current/pending approval by the IACUC. This information must be listed on the combined VASDHS/VMRF Research Grant Pre-Submission Review Form and a copy of the IACUC approval must be forwarded to VMRF. VMRF can only submit a proposal to the funding agency after receipt of the R&D Approval for Project Submission letter.
Approved by the VMRF Board of Directors: 11/19/10