FAQs: PHS-NIH

How Do I include a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) in NIH Proposal Applications?

The DMS Plan should be included on:

  • PHS 398 Research Plan Form, field #11 or
  • PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form, field #17

The DMS Plan should be:

  • two pages or less in length
  • in PDF format
  • have a Title length of no more than 50 characters (including the ‘.PDF'). 

The following Elements are to be included:

  1. Data Type
  2. Related Tools, Software and/or Code
  3. Standards
  4. Data Preservation, Access, and Associated Timelines
  5. Access, Distribution, or Reuse Considerations
  6. Oversight of Data Management and Sharing

NIH has several resources, along with sample DMS Plans and an optional DMS Plan format page.  Please see: https://sharing.nih.gov/data-management-and-sharing-policy/planning-and-budgeting-for-data-management-and-sharing/writing-a-data-management-and-sharing-plan#after

 

How do I include the Resource Sharing Plan in NIH R21 applications?

Information on the Resource Sharing Plan for R21’s (PA-06-181- parent R21)
R21 does NOT require data-sharing; R01 requires both Data and Resource sharing).

The Resource Sharing Plan has always been listed in the NIH Parent R21 PA-06-181 as a required narrative – especially for biomedical research, though the language is such that if sharing is not appropriate/possible, it's not mandatory (the sharing -- not the file!).

While lack of this narrative does not prompt errors at eCommons, it has come to RAS’s attention that this NIH initiative is being pointed out to review panels. While the plan may not affect the review score, it IS a factor at the funding stage! We don’t want our MIT applications passed up for the lack of attention to this item.

So while prior MIT submissions may have been submitted without this plan, ERA team is noting all applications where this is not addressed by the PI in any NIH opportunity that notes this as a requirement.

Please pass this information on to your PI– cut straight from NIH Parent R21: PA-06-181

Sharing Research DATA is NOT applicable for R21.

Sharing Research Resources

NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community after publication (See the NIH Grants Policy Statement:
 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2013/nihgps_ch8.htm#_Toc271264950).

Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a sharing research resources plan addressing how unique research resources will be shared or explain why sharing is not possible.

The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3. “Reporting.”

We've indicated "Resubmission" under Proposal Type, essentially just replacing files from the previous (original) submission. Which Attachment Type is designated for describing the "changes" in this submittal as compared to the previous submittal?

The changes to the proposal should be addressed in the introduction section of the science. The upload name is PHS_ResearchPlan_IntroductionToApplication

An Introduction must be included that summarizes the substantial additions, deletions and changes to the application. The Introduction must also include a response to the issues and criticism raised in the Summary Statement. The Introduction is separate from the Cover Letter and should be placed immediately before item 2. of the Research Plan.

Page Limits for the Introduction: It should not exceed one page unless the FOA specifies otherwise.

For more information, please refer to the NIH guidelines, for your particular type of grant, see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html#sub

In particular, please see: Introduction to Application (Resubmission and Revision)

Under submission type there is resubmission, but there is also a change/corrected application. Which would be used to decrease/increase award?

The use of Changed/Corrected for Submission Type is dependent upon the Proposal Type that you are amending, and only for Grants.gov submissions.

Changed/Corrected is only to be used to amend a prior submission that errored at Grants.gov. As there are now new Proposal Types, there are also new Changed/Corrected versions for them. These types include:

  • New Changed/Corrected – use only with Grants.gov submissions, and only without an existing award
  • Renewal Changed/Corrected – use only with Grants.gov submissions, and only with an existing award
  • Resubmission Changed/Corrected – use only with Grants.gov submissions, and only without an existing award
  • Supplement Changed/Corrected – use only with Grants.gov submissions, and only with an existing award

However, if you wish to increase or decrease an existing award, you would use the Proposal Type Supplement. Please use the Proposal Type per the Sponsor’s instructions.

If this is a Resubmission of a previously unfunded application to NIH, your Proposal Typeon the general info screen of Kuali Coeus should be Resubmission, and on the Grants.gov window you should go with the default Submission Type of "Application".

If this description is not the case for the proposal you are working on, for additional guidance please refer to the NIH SF424 Application Guide which contains detailed instructions on which proposal type to use, refer to the FAQs at the NIH Electronic Submission website, or consult with your RAS Contract Administrator.