NIH issued two application submission policy updates, effective immediately. The changes are intended to minimize applicant burden.
- NIH will no longer accept Letters of Intent (LOIs) as part of the application process. This is not surprising, given that the LOI was typically used by program staff to set up ad hoc review panels, and there is now a push to have all review occurring at the Center for Scientific Review instead.
- Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any one budget period no longer need Program Official approval (nor the accompanying cover letter) prior to submitting the application. Of course, you must still ensure that the requested budget fits the scope of the project. And when faced with their own tight budgets, I would imagine that program staff will have to think long and hard before funding an expensive R01.
