Updates From NIH
Beginning January 25, 2025
NIH project grants will have a new scoring rubric. The five regulatory criteria are reorganized into three factors. Namely, the investigator and Environment score will be pass/fail. This puts more emphasis on the Significance and Approach sections. Guidelines to reviewers on how this will drive scores is not yet available.
Factor 1: Importance of the Research (Significance, Innovation), scored 1-9
Factor 2: Rigor and Feasibility (Approach), scored 1-9
Factor 3: Expertise and Resources (Investigator, Environment), to be evaluated as either sufficient for the proposed research or not (in which case reviewers must provide an explanation).
Visit the NIH website for the background on this change, as well as details on the framework.
NIH has revised the application and review criteria for fellowship applications, beginning with those submitted January 25, 2025, and beyond. The changes will:
- Better focus reviewer attention on three key assessments: the fellowship candidate’s preparedness and potential, research training plan, and commitment to the candidate.
- Ensure the broad range of candidates and research training contexts can be recognized as meritorious by clarifying and simplifying the language in the application and review criteria.
- Reduces bias in review by emphasizing the commitment to the candidate without undue consideration of sponsor and institutional reputation.
The website has further details about the changes.
Applications to the NIH that are due January 25, 2025, and after are require the use FORMS-I when putting together the proposal. When preparing an application in Cayuse, double check that the application package is using FORMS-I when creating your proposal.
The Institutional Training Grant applications and data tables have been updated to enhance institutional research training programs, including by enhancing opportunities to strengthen mentor training. The Data Tables have also been updated to eliminate some of the trainee characteristics related to prior academic and research experience, as well as only request tables for the training stage(s) reflected in the proposed program. Visit the website for more details of the changes.
Fellowships and some career development awards require the submission of reference letters by a referee. The instructions for applicants and referees have been updated to provide more structure so letters will better assist reviewers in understanding the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential to pursue a productive career in biomedical science. If you are a referee for a candidate, please review the modified instructions.
The next time you submit a progress report (RPPR) to the NIH, you will notice some changes. In the RPPR, there are several new questions asking recipients for updates on the status of data sharing, repositories, and unique identifiers for data that have been shared. Always remember to review the latest RPPR Instruction Guide for changes.
The process for requesting revisions to an approved DMS has changed some to include that requests must be submitted by the UI Signing Official (for the university, that is the Division of Sponsored Programs) at least 30 days in advance of the requested change. The requests can occur in one of three stages of your grant:
- Pre-Award – Requests must be submitted on the Just in Time (JIT) Screen in eRA Commons
- Post Award: at Time of RPPR – The request must use Section C.5.c on the RPPR Module in the eRA Commons.
- Post Award: Off-Cycle Requests – The request must be submitted through the eRA Commons using the Prior Approval Module.
Details of the changes and requirements can be found here.
Updates for Due Dates on or after May 25, 2025
NIH is adopting the Biosketch Common Form and Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form as per the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy memorandum on Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms. The goals are for:
greater standardization across federal agencies
provide clarity regarding disclosure requirements, disclosure process, and expected degree of cross-agency uniformity.
SciENcv is required for the creating of the commons forms and will also require an ORCID profile. Most of the Carver College of Medicine faculty have an ORCID profile already. For those that do not, creating an ORCID ID is fairly easy. The Hardin Library is also available for assistance.
The instructions for the forms are found on the NSF website.
University of Iowa
Federal agencies require the use of a single IRB (sIRB) for federally funded research conducted at multiple sites. This means one IRB oversees research conducted at some or all of the study sites. The budget must include the fees for this type of IRB review and this type of research may require some additional approvals and agreements. Researchers can access information about UI IRB fees for budget planning.
If you are planning to submit a grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or any other federal agency that requires the sIRB model, complete the Pre-Grant Submission Survey as soon as you become aware of the award notice. It is best to complete this survey well in advance, especially if the UI IRB is serving as the lead IRB over non-UI sites or relying on an external IRB as an expectation of the grant. If you have questions or need any assistance, contact the External IRB Team at uirb-external@uiowa.edu.
The University of Iowa, in line with its mission to bring research into the service of the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world, is committed to supporting a campus culture of innovation through the acceleration of research-based startups. If you are thinking about a start-up, these guidelines are intended to help the UI research community navigate the startup landscape, and the applicable institutional policies that govern the circumstances when startup companies and university research activities intersect. The ultimate goal is to balance promoting innovation and entrepreneurship with safeguarding the integrity and objectivity of university research and our commitments and obligations to the UI research community.
Events
Distinguished Biomedical Scholars Lecture
March 13, 2025 | 4:00pm | Prem Sahai Auditorium 1110 MERF
Itzhak Fried, MD, PhD
Professor-in-Residence, Neurosurgery, UCLA
Co-Sponsored by the Department of Neurosurgery |
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Ramon and Victoria Lim Medical Science Lectureship
April 10, 2025 | 3:00pm | Urmila Sahai Seminar Room 2117 MERF
S. R. Wayne Chen, PhD
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary |
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Health Sciences Research Day 2025
May 2, 2025 | Full Schedule TBD
In partnership with The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center |
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Core Updates
From the Scientific Editing and Research Communication Core (SERCC)
Changes to Grant Review at NIH
See the recent SERCC Newsletter on this topic.
Subscribe to the SERCC Newsletter here.
Flow Cytometry Receives Cytek Amnis ImageStreamX MkII Imaging Cytometer
The Flow Cytometry Facility has successfully received NIH S10 grant funding for a Cytek Amnis ImageStreamX MkII imaging cytometer equipped with 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, and 642nm lasers plus two CCD-TDI cameras enabling 12 channel detection and 20X, 40X, and 60X objective lenses. The ImageStream will allow investigators to combine the quantitative traits of flow cytometry (speed, sensitivity, and phenotypic ability) with the qualitative traits of microscopy (detailed imagery, morphological information, and functional insight), which is technology that is not currently available at the University of Iowa. This unique combination of technical capabilities has wide-ranging applications that are not possible using either method alone.
The Cytek Amnis ImageStreamX MkII is capable of a wide range of applications, including:
- Apoptosis: Detecting and analyzing programmed cell death.
- Cell Cycle Analysis: Studying the different phases of the cell cycle.
- Co-localization: Identifying the spatial overlap of different fluorescent markers within cells.
- Internalization: Measuring the uptake of substances by cells.
- Nuclear Localization: Tracking the movement of molecules into the nucleus.
- Shape Change: Observing changes in cell morphology.
- Spot Counting: Counting discrete spots of fluorescence within cells.
- Cell-Cell Interactions: Analyzing interactions between different cells.
- Phagocytosis: Studying the engulfment of particles by cells.
- Autophagy: Investigating the process by which cells degrade and recycle their own components.
- Stem Cell Differentiation: Monitoring the differentiation process of stem cells.
- Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells: Identifying and analyzing tumor cells in the bloodstream.
The instrument is up and running as of November 1, 2024
Any questions please contact Heath Vignes: heath-vignes@uiowa.edu
Iowa Institute of Human Genetics Offers DNA Sequencing with Plasmidsaurus
Protein and Crystallography Facility Welcomes Glacios Cryo-Electron Microscope
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CCOM and is thrilled to announce the upcoming addition of a Thermo Fisher Glacios cryo-electron microscope in 2025! This state-of-the-art instrument will empower researchers with cutting-edge cryo-EM capabilities, offering high-resolution imaging, sample screening, and structure determination. With its automation and streamlined workflows, the Glacios will significantly enhance access to advanced cryo-EM technology, accelerating discoveries across a wide range of molecular and cellular research projects. Stay tuned for updates!
Questions? nicholas-schnicker@uiowa.edu
Read More about the Glacios Cryo-TEM
