Research Newsletter 1. Recent Grant Awards 2. CUSON Grants Fund Pilot Projects 3. Recent Grant Submissions 4. Funding Opportunities 5. Awards and Accolades 6. CUSON Presence at AMIA Symposium 7. Electronic Grant Submission Update 8. NIH Announcements 9. Resources on the CUSON Shared Drive 10. Continuing Education and Training Courses 11. CIRAR / NYAS Co-Sponsored Symposium 12. Statistical Assistance 13. Research Bulletin Boards 14. Conferences and Continuing Education Opportunities 15. Publications 16. Updates to CUSON Research Web Site

Research Newsletter

7. Electronic Grant Submission Update

As of the February 5, 2007 deadline, the NIH has transitioned the majority of its mechanisms to the electronic application submission process via grants.gov. This includes R03s, R21s, and R01s (NOTE: Some specific RFAs and PAs still request paper submissions, so be sure to identify this early in the application process). Dates for the transition of NIH Training grants, Fellowships, and Career Development (K) Awards to electronic submissions will be announced in the future. The current schedule of mechanisms to transition to the SF424(R&R) application package and electronic submission can be found here:
http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/files/Electronic_receipt_timeline_Ext.pdf

The National Institutes of Health has a website specifically dedicated to the electronic grant submission process. In addition, it offers links to several online streaming videos which cover the eRA Commons web site, electronic submission overview, submitting a grant through grants.gov, and the SF 424 R&R application package (the m7andatory application package now used to submit to the NIH electronically, which replaces the PHS 398).

In addition, many other federal and non-federal agencies, as well as smaller foundations, now require all grant applications be submitted electronically. Some utilize the grants.gov system (e.g., Department of Justice), some require a 2-step electronic process (e.g., HRSA – grants.gov and HRSA Electronic Handbooks [EHBs]), and some use their own electronic submission portal (e.g., National Science Foundation uses FastLane).

In order to avoid delays in grant submissions and possible non-submissions because of failure to meet the strict electronic deadlines, Columbia University Research Administration has set the internal deadline for 100% completion of grant applications as 9am, 5 full business days prior to the due date (e.g., a NIH grant deadline Friday, March 16 at 5pm had a Research Administration deadline of Friday, March 9 at 9am). Although it is mandatory to meet this minimum deadline date, having grant applications completed prior to this internal deadline is strongly encouraged. In order to prepare for submissions, please notify Dr. Elaine Larson (Associate Dean for Research) and Kristine Kulage (Director, Office of Research Resources) as soon as possible when you anticipate a future grant submission.

The first of 4 planned Research Seminars, scheduled for March 29 at 1pm , will highlight the new procedures for electronic grant submissions (see newsletter item #10). For NIH and other grant applications being submitted electronically through grants.gov, Columbia University Research Administration has a new electronic interface, InfoEd. The Research Seminar scheduled for April 19 at 1pm will be presented by a Columbia University InfoEd Team Member and will focus on the new InfoEd system. CUSON so far has successfully submitted 3 NIH applications using the InfoEd system. If you have any questions or concerns about the implications of the new electronic submission process, please contact Dr. Larson or Ms. Kulage.