Abstract

This presentation is dedicated to Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) working at biomedical research institutions, that are not familiar with US-government funds and wish to know better about the NIH grant process, in order to offer their researchers more funding opportunities than national and EC awards.
Indeed the NIH-National Institutes of Health are the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, investing each year around $45 billion, and have thousands of open calls at a time: for an RMA working with biomedical researchers, it's worth looking into it.

The Institut Pasteur is a non-profit foundation created in 1887 by Louis Pasteur with a large focus on infectious diseases research. Based in Paris (France), where it hosts about 2,800 people, the Institut Pasteur has developed many major international projects in partnership with the main international scientific authorities, research institutions and other private actors worldwide.
At the Institut Pasteur’s Grants Office, we created an international division separated from the EC projects, to focus on US-funded research projects, and especially NIH grants. Based on my experience as the head of international division at the Institut Pasteur’s Grants Office, I will guide RMAs through:
1) Understanding how the NIH works (ie. identify which NIH institute is closer to PI's field)
2) Preparing institutions & PIs to US awards (ie. demonstrate added value as a foreign)
3) Thinking as a US research office (ie. discuss with the NIH staff before applying).

After a short introduction on NIH and how it is organised, I will strive to break the myths around the NIH grants (complexity and obligation of having a US partner) with a successful case study we had at Institut Pasteur: we are currently leading a $6M NIH award without US partner on a fascinating and strategic topic (https://picreid.org/).

Following an obligatory step on registration (SAM.gov, UEI number...) and compliance issues (FCOI, misconduct and other US policies), I will give an insight on NIH most common types of grant for non-US applicants (R03, R21, R01, U-cooperative agreements) and on NIH reference documents (funding opportunity announcement, notices, NIH grant policy statement, etc.).

Finally, I will end my presentation with tips for RMAs to get themselves more confident with the NIH grant process:
1) consulting NIH online resources and tools (eg. Youtube trainings, NIH RePORTER, sample applications, etc.)
2) attending the next NIH online seminar (free)
3) making your own tools on the NIH process (eg. templates, guide, etc.).

At the end of the 6-minute presentation, RMAs from biomedical institutions should be able to make their way through the NIH grant process and eager to push their institution and PIs applying for NIH grants.