NIH Applications Process
If you are considering applying for, or participating in a NIH application, please contact Deakin Research - Grants at least 3 months prior to the external deadline. Ensure you are familiar with the full Grant Guidelines and any requirements specified in the Guidelines. If there will be other participating institutions, please provide contact details to the Grants Office as early as possible, to assist in expediting administrative processes for your application.
All NIH Applicants will need to have an eRA Commons account, and will need to complete various NIH Trainings and forms as detailed below in the relevant section.
Deakin Research Grants does not recommend leading an NIH application if you have not held/led and completed a Major Australian Grant (i.e. ARC, NHMRC or MRFF Grant).
Deakin Led Applications Important Information
For Deakin Led applications to the NIH, researchers will need to meet a number of additional tasks in order to be compliant with NIH Policies and Procedures.
Before commencing an application, please ensure you have read the full Grant Guidelines (Funding Opportunity Announcement), and contact Deakin Research - Grants with your completed Notice of Intent to Submit form (NOIS) at least 3 months prior to the application close date.
In addition to preparing your grant proposal, you will also need to:
- Obtain and maintain an eRA Commons account, linked to Deakin University
- Complete a NIH Biosketch, ensuring it meets the current NIH biosketch requirements
- Disclose any 'Other Support' in the application - Other Support includes grants, contracts, and other agreements from which you are currently receiving financial support (if applicable)
- Complete the NIH Financial Conflicts of Interest training module, and supply Deakin Research - Grants with a copy of your completion certificate/results
- Read and comply with the Financial Conflicts of Interest requirements of the US Federal Public Health Service and the National Institutes of Health, and complete the Financial Conflicts of Interest declaration form, providing a copy to Deakin Research - Grants
- Complete the NIH Human Subjects Training Certification (if working with Human Subjects), and provide evidence of completion to Deakin Research - Grants (you will also need to obtain DUHREC approval for your project at award)
Other Participants
As Lead applicant, you will also need to ensure that all of your principal Investigators also complete the relevant forms and documentation and provide you and Deakin Research - Grants with a copy.
These include:
- Obtain and maintain an eRA Commons account, linked to your project
- Complete a NIH Biosketch, ensuring it meets the current NIH biosketch requirements
- Disclose any 'Other Support' in the application - Other Support includes grants, contracts, and other agreements from which you are currently receiving financial support (if applicable)
- Complete the NIH Financial Conflicts of Interest training module, and supply Deakin Research - Grants with a copy of your completion certificate/results
- Read and comply with the Financial Conflicts of Interest requirements of the US Federal Public Health Service and the National Institutes of Health, and complete the Financial Conflicts of Interest declaration form, providing a copy to Deakin Research - Grants
- Complete the NIH Human Subjects Training Certification (if working with Human Subjects), and provide evidence of completion to Deakin Research - Grants (you will also need to obtain DUHREC approval for your project at award)
- Complete the PD/PI Assurance Form
Application Budget
If space allows in the budget, it is expected that you will request de minimus indirect costs (8%, also known as 'Facilities and Administrative' or 'F&A' costs) as part of your application for Deakin University to retain. If indirect costs are allowed on top of the maximum budget, Deakin University will not endorse/submit your application unless the 8% indirect costs are requested.
You should work with your Faculty Research Office or Faculty Finance Partner to develop your budget to ensure it is fully costed. Current Deakin University salary rates should be used for all salary requests.
If participating organisations are to receive funds from this project, the Participating Institution will need to complete a Sub-recipient Commitment Form and return to Deakin Research - Grants prior to application submission. This form will need to be signed by an Authorised Signatory (e.g. DVCR or delegate) at the Participating Institution, ideally the same person who would sign the Sub-award Agreement (Consortium Agreement/Multi-Institutional Agreement) for the project.
Deakin Led Applications - Internal Compliance Check Timeline
| Document | Due to DR Grants prior to external deadline |
|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Submit form | 3 months |
| Sub-awardee/Participating Institution contact information (if applicable) | 3 months |
| Full application (including attachments) for Compliance Check | 1 month |
| Grant Application Coversheet | 1 month |
| FCOI Training completion certificate | 1 month |
| FCOI Declaration form | 1 month |
| Human Subjects Training Certification evidence (if applicable) | 1 month |
| Details of 'Other Support' for the application (if a PD/PI/Key Personnel) | 1 Month |
| PD/PI Assurance Form (completed and signed by all PD/PIs) | At final draft stage |
Not Deakin Led Applications Important Information
For Not Deakin Led Applications, researchers must notify Deakin Research - Grants of their involvement as soon as they are aware. There are a number of researcher and institutional requirements that must be met, even for Not Deakin Led applications, which are time consuming processes. Ensure research-grants@deakin.edu.au is cc'ed on any pertinent emails to the Lead Organisation (e.g. when you are returning forms or providing documents to the Lead Organisation)
As a participant in a Not Deakin Led NIH Application, you will need to:
- Ensure you have read the Grant Guidelines in full
- Make yourself aware of your responsibilities as a PI/Key Personnel under the NIH Grants Policy Statement
- Negotiate funding coming to Deakin University with the Lead Organisation - participation on a Not Deakin Led grant is generally not supported by the University if no funds are coming to Deakin University
- If funds are requested as a Sub-awardee/Sub-recipient, you should also request the de minimus indirect costs (8%, also known as 'Facilities and Administrative' or 'F&A' costs) to be included as part of the budget request for Deakin University to retain
- Follow the process for involvement in a Not Deakin Led Application, including acquiring Head of School/Institute Director approval, and PVC Approval
- Obtain and maintain an eRA Commons account, linked to Deakin University
- Complete a NIH Biosketch, ensuring it meets the current NIH biosketch requirements
- Disclose any 'Other Support' in the application - Other Support includes grants, contracts, and other agreements from which you are currently receiving financial support
- Complete the NIH Financial Conflicts of Interest training module, and supply Deakin Research - Grants with a copy of your completion certificate/results
- Read and comply with the Financial Conflicts of Interest requirements of the US Federal Public Health Service and the National Institutes of Health, and complete the Financial Conflicts of Interest declaration form, providing a copy to Deakin Research - Grants
- Complete the NIH Human Subjects Training Certification (if working with Human Subjects), and provide evidence of completion to Deakin Research - Grants (you will also need to obtain DUHREC approval for your project at award)
- Provide documentation to Deakin Research - Grants for our records, and for approvals, as outlined below in the Document Provision Timeline
Document Provision Timeline (Not Deakin Led Applications)
| Document | Due to DR Grants prior to external deadline |
|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Submit form | 3 months (or as soon as you are aware) |
| Not Deakin Led Approval form (with HoS/Institute Director signoff, direct to DR Grants) | 2 months (or as soon as possible) |
| NIH Biosketch | 1 month |
| FCOI Training completion certificate | 1 month |
| FCOI Declaration Form | 1 month |
| Human Subjects Training Certification evidence (if applicable) | 1 month |
| Details of 'Other Support' for the application (if a PD/PI/Key Personnel) | 1 Month |
| Institutional Letter of Support draft (for DVCR signature, liaise with Lead Organisation to prepare) | 1 month |
| Sub-awardee Commitment Form (from Lead Organisation) | 1 month |
| Full application (including attachments) for our records | At application submission |
Just-In-Time Procedure
Just-In-Time documentation is additional grant application information provided at the request of the NIH Grantor Agency, and does not guarantee that the Project will be successful, however is separate to the application process. This can include information on Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of use of human subjects, or verification of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee's approval of the proposed use of animal subjects.
Further information on Just-In-Time can be found here:
Just-In-Time Procedure
Applicants will be notified by email when Just-In-Time information is needed. Applicants should only submit this information when requested. Depending on the deadline given by the Grantor Agency, you may have to gather this information quickly, which can include information from other PIs or Key Personnel on the project. Deakin Research - Grants advises informing your PIs and Key Personnel of potential documents that may be required for Just-In-Time during the application preparation process, so that they can start preparing their documentation.
If you require information from the University, please contact Deakin Research - Grants as soon as possible for assistance, and forward any emails from the NIH/Grantor Agency regarding the Just-In-Time request.
Information that may be requested as part of Just-In-Time:
- Other Support, including providing evidence of the Other Support (more information in the below 'At Award' section)
- Resources and/or financial support from all entities that are available to the researcher
- Consulting agreements outside of their appointment at their institution
- In-kind contributions (including laboratory/office space, equipment etc.)
- Certification of IRB Approval (DUHREC approval)
- Verification of IACUC Approval (Animal Ethics Approval)
For a full list of documentation that may be requested, please review the Just-In-Time Procedures section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Please provide a copy of all documentation supplied to the NIH for Just-In-Time to Deakin Research - Grants prior to submitting, for our records.
Successful Grant Processes
At Award
If your NIH Grant is successful, you will need to do the following with the assistance of Deakin Research - Grants:
- Provide updated details and evidence of Other support (evidence in the form of contracts, grants and other agreements), including but not limited to:
- Resources and/or financial support from all entities that are available to the researcher (Grants and Contracts)
- Consulting Agreements
- In-kind contributions
- Provide evidence of the above in the form or contracts, grants, or other agreements
- Ensure that before you provide any documentation to the Lead Organisation that you have read the contract/agreement to ensure that providing to a third party is not in breach of that contract/agreement
- If provision to a third party is a breach, you will need to work with the Lead Organisation to:
- Provide an official letter or other documentation as an alternative (e.g. Notice of Award Letter); or
- Arrange for signature of a Non-Disclosure Agreement for the Lead Organisation and/or NIH to ensure that provision does not breach the terms of the contract/agreement
- Agree to Notice of Award terms and conditions
- Agree to a Sub-award Contract and its terms and conditions
- Acquire and provide details of any Ethics required, including Human and Animal Ethics, to the Lead Organisation
- Human Subjects Training Certification evidence for all key personnel must be provided (to be completed on eRA Commons)
- Institutional Review Board for Human Ethics would be the Deakin University Human Ethics Review Committee (DUHREC)
- Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) would be the Deakin Animal Ethics Committee (DUAEC)
Post-Award
Once your NIH Grant has commenced, you will need to do the following, with assistance from your Post-Award Case Manager:
- Submit, or aid with submission of Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR)
- Update evidence of Other Support as part of the Research Performance Progress Reports
- Disclose any new funding or employment arrangements (through the Lead Organisation)
- Provide Financial Reporting on project expenditures as required
- Provide reporting on Inventions arising from the Grant, acknowledging NIH support in all patents
- Retain records for a minimum of 3 years following the submission of the Final Financial Report