NIH EXAM REVISION QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
What makes up the largest budget category of NIH funding?
Health related research and research training grants make up the largest budget category of NIH
funding. Most are unsolicited and they are primarily grants and cooperative agreements from 1 to
5 years.
What is SAM?
The System for Award Management (SAM) is the Official U.S. Government system that
consolidated the capabilities of CCR (Central Contractor Registration)/FedReg, ORCA (Online
Representations and Certifications Applications), and EPLS (Excluded Parties List System).
There is NO fee to register for this site. Entities may register at no cost directly from this page.
User guides and webinars are available under the Help tab.
How do you process a no cost extension with NIH?
eRA commons has a function to request a no cost extension where you can get a no cost
extension up to 12 months. This must be completed by the SO (signing official). If a second
extension is needed you need to contact the budget officer at NIH and have a justification for the
second no cost extension. The extension must be based off of the research and not because there
is a balance remaining in the budget. Note: There can only be one no cost extension through
Commons per grant. If you have applied previously for an extension for this grant, an Extension
link will not be available. Any future request needs to be directed to a Grants Management
Specialist.
How long do you have to draw down final expenses on an NIH grant?
Final draw down of final fiscal expenses must be done before 90 days after the project period
end date.
How many agencies are within DHHS?
NIH is 1 of 11 public health service agencies within the Department of Health and Human
Services.
,Which 2 ICs do not have funding
authority and cannot sponsor
extramural research?
The Center for Scientific Review and The Center for Information Technology.
When is the final grant report due to NIH?
The final report is due within 90 days of the end date and submitted through eRA commons.
How many Institutes and Centers (IC's) are within NIH?
There are 27 institutes and centers within NIH.
A revision application was formerly called?
A revision application was formerly called a competing supplements and may be submitted to
request support for a significant expansion of a project's scope or research protocol.
Electronic grant applications must be submitted through a what?
Electronic grant applications must be submitted in response to a Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA).
What is an NIH Parent Announcement?
For applicants who wish to submit what were formerly termed "investigator-initiated" or
"unsolicited" applications, NIH and other PHS agencies have developed Parent Announcement.
Responding to such an omnibus or umbrella Parent FOA ensures that the correct application
package is used and enables NIH to receive the application from Grants.gov.
What is an NIH Program Announcement (PA) ?
It is a formal statement about a new or ongoing extramural activity or program. It may serve as a
reminder of continuing interest in a research area, describe a modification in an activity or
program, and/or invite applications for grant support. Most applications in response to PAs may
be submitted to a standing submission date and are reviewed with all other application received
at that time. NIH may also make funds available through PARs (Program Announcements with
, special receipt, referral, and/or review considerations) and PASs (Program Announcements with
set-aside funds).
What is the difference between a Program Announcement and a Parent Announcement?
A Parent Announcement is a kind of Program Announcement but Parent Announcements have
the opportunity to have other funding opportunities associated with it.
What is an NIH Request for Applications (RFA)?
It is a a formal statement that solicits grant or cooperative agreement applications in a well-
defined scientific area to accomplish specific program objectives. An RFA indicates the
estimated amount of funds set aside for the competition, the estimated number of awards to be
made, and the application submission date(s). Applications submitted in response to an RFA are
usually reviewed by a Scientific Review Group (SRG) specially convened by the awarding
component that issued the RFA.
All PA and RFA's are?
All PA and RFA's are FOA's. But the PA and RFA are still used in NIH to distinguish between
announcements.
The activity code for an NIH Basic Research Grant?
(R01)
Used to support a discrete, specified, circumscribed research project
NIH's most commonly used grant program
No specific dollar limit unless specified in FOA
Advance permission required for $500K or more (direct costs) in any year
Generally awarded for 3 -5 years
All ICs utilize
See parent FOA: PA-13-302
The activity code for an NIH Small Research Grant?
(R03)
Provides limited funding for a short period of time to support a variety of types of projects,
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
What makes up the largest budget category of NIH funding?
Health related research and research training grants make up the largest budget category of NIH
funding. Most are unsolicited and they are primarily grants and cooperative agreements from 1 to
5 years.
What is SAM?
The System for Award Management (SAM) is the Official U.S. Government system that
consolidated the capabilities of CCR (Central Contractor Registration)/FedReg, ORCA (Online
Representations and Certifications Applications), and EPLS (Excluded Parties List System).
There is NO fee to register for this site. Entities may register at no cost directly from this page.
User guides and webinars are available under the Help tab.
How do you process a no cost extension with NIH?
eRA commons has a function to request a no cost extension where you can get a no cost
extension up to 12 months. This must be completed by the SO (signing official). If a second
extension is needed you need to contact the budget officer at NIH and have a justification for the
second no cost extension. The extension must be based off of the research and not because there
is a balance remaining in the budget. Note: There can only be one no cost extension through
Commons per grant. If you have applied previously for an extension for this grant, an Extension
link will not be available. Any future request needs to be directed to a Grants Management
Specialist.
How long do you have to draw down final expenses on an NIH grant?
Final draw down of final fiscal expenses must be done before 90 days after the project period
end date.
How many agencies are within DHHS?
NIH is 1 of 11 public health service agencies within the Department of Health and Human
Services.
,Which 2 ICs do not have funding
authority and cannot sponsor
extramural research?
The Center for Scientific Review and The Center for Information Technology.
When is the final grant report due to NIH?
The final report is due within 90 days of the end date and submitted through eRA commons.
How many Institutes and Centers (IC's) are within NIH?
There are 27 institutes and centers within NIH.
A revision application was formerly called?
A revision application was formerly called a competing supplements and may be submitted to
request support for a significant expansion of a project's scope or research protocol.
Electronic grant applications must be submitted through a what?
Electronic grant applications must be submitted in response to a Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA).
What is an NIH Parent Announcement?
For applicants who wish to submit what were formerly termed "investigator-initiated" or
"unsolicited" applications, NIH and other PHS agencies have developed Parent Announcement.
Responding to such an omnibus or umbrella Parent FOA ensures that the correct application
package is used and enables NIH to receive the application from Grants.gov.
What is an NIH Program Announcement (PA) ?
It is a formal statement about a new or ongoing extramural activity or program. It may serve as a
reminder of continuing interest in a research area, describe a modification in an activity or
program, and/or invite applications for grant support. Most applications in response to PAs may
be submitted to a standing submission date and are reviewed with all other application received
at that time. NIH may also make funds available through PARs (Program Announcements with
, special receipt, referral, and/or review considerations) and PASs (Program Announcements with
set-aside funds).
What is the difference between a Program Announcement and a Parent Announcement?
A Parent Announcement is a kind of Program Announcement but Parent Announcements have
the opportunity to have other funding opportunities associated with it.
What is an NIH Request for Applications (RFA)?
It is a a formal statement that solicits grant or cooperative agreement applications in a well-
defined scientific area to accomplish specific program objectives. An RFA indicates the
estimated amount of funds set aside for the competition, the estimated number of awards to be
made, and the application submission date(s). Applications submitted in response to an RFA are
usually reviewed by a Scientific Review Group (SRG) specially convened by the awarding
component that issued the RFA.
All PA and RFA's are?
All PA and RFA's are FOA's. But the PA and RFA are still used in NIH to distinguish between
announcements.
The activity code for an NIH Basic Research Grant?
(R01)
Used to support a discrete, specified, circumscribed research project
NIH's most commonly used grant program
No specific dollar limit unless specified in FOA
Advance permission required for $500K or more (direct costs) in any year
Generally awarded for 3 -5 years
All ICs utilize
See parent FOA: PA-13-302
The activity code for an NIH Small Research Grant?
(R03)
Provides limited funding for a short period of time to support a variety of types of projects,
