Dear Member:

The National Institutes of Health has released information on the Challenge Grant application process.  These Challenge Grants will be funded out of the $10 billion given to the NIH in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Of this $10 billion, at least $200 million will be used to fund at least 200 Challenge Grants in fiscal years 2009 - 2010.  This new program will support research on Challenge Topics (please see link below for further information on specific topics covered under this program) which address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that will benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds.  The RFA includes the following deadlines:

Release/Posted Date: March 4, 2009
Opening Date: March 27, 2009 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Due Date(s): April 27, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): June/July 2009
Council Review Date(s): August 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): September 30, 2009
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: April 28, 2009

Further information on the Challenge Grant program may be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/challenge_award/

If you have questions about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or biomedical research funding, please contact Stephanie Kutler, Director of Government Affairs at The Endocrine Society at skutler@endo-society.org.