NIH Issues Guidance on Implementing a Unified NIH Strategy to Guide Consistent and Clearer Award Decisions
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued guidance on November 21, 2025, on Implementing a Unified NIH Funding Strategy to Guide Consistent and Clearer Award Decisions | Grants & Funding
Of note:
- NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices (ICO) funding policies should… promote broad distribution and geographic balance of funding, considering the total amount and type of NIH funding already available to each investigator
- Peer Review Remains Essential and Vital… decision making on applications will still weigh peer review scores and critiques
- NIH ICOs will not rely on funding paylines in developing pay plans. Rather, ICOs will consider these scores in context of their and NIH’s priorities, strategic plans, and budgets.
- NIH ICOs should also carefully consider the budget to award for each grant, considering the actual need, opportunity costs, and good stewardship of taxpayer investments, rather than relying solely on the requested budget as evaluated by peer reviewers, as peer review is just one input in setting award budgets.
- All NIH ICOs should share their funding policies and financial management plans publicly. In doing so, ICOs should transparently articulate the factors that are considered in funding decisions and state any across-the-board budget policies (e.g., standard budget reductions, caps on number of awards per investigator, differences for competing and non-competing awards).
NSF Funding of UCLA Awards
We have received informal notification that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is resuming funding to UCLA. The advice was recent and, in conjunction with dealing with the backlog from the shutdown, it may still be a few weeks before the change in stance becomes visible.
NSF Issues Updated Guidance Under Continuing Resolution
NSF has released updated guidance for researchers and institutions as it operates under a continuing resolution effective through January 30, 2026. To assist the research community, NSF has published a comprehensive Resumption of Operations webpage featuring FAQs on proposals, funding opportunities, panels, payments, outreach activities, site visits, award management, and key contacts.
Key Points for Researchers:
- Proposals Submitted During the Shutdown: Any proposals submitted during the recent government shutdown remain valid and will be processed in the order they were received.
- Communication with Program Officers: If you have questions about a proposal submitted during the shutdown, you may contact the cognizant program officer. Please note that any changes requested after the submission deadline require formal approval from the designated officer.
- Report Processing: Reports submitted through Research.gov are being reviewed in sequence. Program officers are actively working through backlogs and prioritizing overdue reports.
For the latest updates and detailed guidance, visit the NSF Resumption of Operations page.
Updated FCOI Decision Tool
OCGA has released a corrected version of the Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Decision Tool. This update addresses output errors related to sponsors that follow Public Health Service (PHS) FCOI rules and also require compliance with California state disclosure regulations. For example, certain sponsors may necessitate both Federal eDGE disclosures and submission of Form 700U (plus a supplement if a positive disclosure is made). To ensure accuracy, users are encouraged to access the tool each time directly from the OCGA website rather than relying on saved versions.
New Training Video: Understanding Funding Mechanisms/Award Instruments
Navigating the landscape of research funding can be complex. To help clarify the distinctions among various funding mechanisms and award instruments, OCGA has released a concise training video. This resource outlines key characteristics and definitions, making it easier for researchers and administrators to understand the types of support available. Watch the video here.