Skip Navigation Bar

Grants and Funding: Extramural Programs (EP)


QUICK REVIEW GUIDE
R13 CONFERENCE GRANTS

PURPOSE: The NLM conference grant supports of international, national, or regional meetings, conferences, and workshops that are relevant to NLM’s priority areas in biomedical informatics, biotechnology information, and health sciences library and information sciences. NLM recognizes the value of supporting high quality scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and programmatic relevance, as well as promoting the public health. A scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, conference, workshop or any other organized, formal meeting where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.

Interested parties must obtain prior approval before submitting an application for a conference grant. The NLM contact for approvals is listed below.

ELIGIBILITY: Any of the following may apply
  • For-profit or non-profit organizations
  • Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories
  • Units of State and local governments
  • Eligible agencies of the Federal government
  • Domestic
  • Faith-based or community-based organizations
An international conference can be supported only through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society. An individual is not eligible to receive a grant in support of a conference.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT: This program uses the NIH R13 grant mechanism. The typical award is $10,000 per year; no awards of more than $20,000 per year will be made. The total project period for an application requesting support may not exceed five years for an annual or biennial conference. Multiple year awards may be made to a permanently-sponsoring organization for conferences held annually or biennially on a recurring topic.

This funding opportunity uses just-in-time budget concepts. It also uses the non-modular budget format. Applicants must complete and submit a detailed categorical budget as described in Section 4.7 of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide .

APPLICATION PROCESS: Application receipt dates are December 15, April 15, August 15. Applications must be prepared using the SF 424 (R&R) electronic form package.


REVIEW PROCESS: An appropriate evaluation group convened by NLM will evaluate the application for scientific and technical merit. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will:
  • Receive a written critique
  • Undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score
  • Receive a second level review conducted by the Institute or Center.
REVIEW CRITERIA: In the written comments, reviewers will be asked to discuss the following aspects of the application in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals:
  • Significance. Does this conference/scientific meeting address an important health problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect of these endeavors on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
  • Approach. Is the format and agenda the best vehicle for the advancement of a specific priority programmatic area? Is the meeting timely for the subject matter? How well do the plans for inclusion of women, minorities and persons with disabilities provide for appropriate representation in the planning, organization, and implementation of the proposed meeting? Is there a plan for disseminating results/findings of the conference?
  • Innovation. Does the meeting employ novel approaches or methods to fulfilling its purpose? Does the proposal have the potential to result in new methodologies or technologies or advancing research?
  • Investigator. Is the investigator well suited to carry out this work? Are the qualifications of the PI appropriate and past performance adequate?
  • Environment. How appropriate is the meeting site? Does the applicant organization have the ability to contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed meetings, exhibits, interactions, etc., take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
  • Appropriateness Of The Budget. Are items requested reasonable, allocable, and allowable?
NIH Guide reference: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-041.html
Conference grant kiosk: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm