Funding Strategy: Fiscal Year 2009
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Introduction
NCCAM distributes its resources among many programs and mechanisms. The Center is committed to funding the largest number of meritorious projects possible, while allowing the flexibility needed to support selected program priorities and to respond to emerging scientific opportunities.
The Center establishes general guidelines for funding based on the overall NCCAM appropriation, allowing for necessary adjustments throughout the year to reflect directives from Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as emerging program priorities.
Budget Data
Appropriation: The FY 2009 appropriation for NCCAM is $125,471,000, which represents a +2.7 percent increase over the FY 2008 appropriation of $122,224,000.
Success Rate: The success rate represents the number of competing research project grant applications funded as a percentage of the total number of new research project grant applications received.
- NCCAM's success rate in FY 2008 was 12 percent.
- The success rate in FY 2009 is projected to be 12 percent.
Research Funding Guidelines
Based on the funds available for FY 2009 and trans-NIH policies, NCCAM will use the following guidelines for funding Research Project Grants (RPG).
Non-Competing Awards (Type 5): Consistent with NIH policy, NCCAM will pay non-competing continuation awards at an average inflation rate of 2 percent over the level paid in FY 2008. However, NCCAM retains the right to reduce this level in specific instances when necessary and appropriate. For example, such reductions would be made to eliminate any overlapping support identified, or if a change in a project's scope were to occur.
New and Competing RPG Awards (Type 1): NCCAM will make competing awards using the following general priority scores and, where appropriate, percentiles.
- Exploratory/Development Grants (R21):
Applications that receive priority scores of 140 or better are most likely to be funded. - Research Project Grants (R01):
Applications that receive priority scores of 170 or better and fall within the 15th to 20th percentile range for the grant study section are most likely to be funded. - Early Stage Investigators:
R01 applications from new investigators (by the NIH definition) that receive priority scores of 180 or better and fall within the 25th percentile range are most likely to be funded.
In addition, budgets for awarded grants may be further adjusted according to recommendations of the study section, the NCCAM Advisory Council, or the judgment of NCCAM staff.
Duration of RPGs: NCCAM makes 5-year awards that are well justified. However, NIH as a whole is required to limit the average length of all RPGs to 4 years or less. To achieve this average, NCCAM may award 4 years of support for many applications that requested and were recommended for 5 years.