NIH Modular Grants

NIH allows certain new, revised, and competing continuation R0, R03, R15, R21, R41 and R43 grants and supplements, as well as some RFAs, to be prepared under its Modular Grant Application and Award Initiative.   Modular proposals are simplified proposals requiring limited budget information and no Other Support pages.   GSU will support this more efficient proposal development and review process by following the below specified procedures.

To submit an NIH Modular Grant Application to the OSP for review and processing, please include all PHS 398 grant application forms as required with the following components specifically addressed:

  1. SP Proposal Routing Form with Modular type of grant checked.
  2. PHS 398 Face Page Completed.   Please note that 7a cannot show over $250,000 in direct costs per year, and annual direct cost budget must be in $25,000 increments.  Note that modular grants typically request the same number of modules per year, and you must provide written budget justification for any variations in the number of modules requested on the Narrative Budget Justification page of the application.  Your total direct costs (7b) for the entire grant should be easily discernable from your initial budget, number of grant years, and any annual variations justified. 

Item 8a (initial period direct and indirect costs) should also be figured carefully.   You are required to subtract estimates of the following items from any direct cost totals before indirect costs are derived:

    1. Each piece of equipment costing over $5000.
    2. Costs for patient care or participant cost (stipends, parking, etc.)
    3. Costs for tuitions, scholarships or fellowships.
    4. Any costs for each subcontract above $25,000 (combined direct & indirect).  Note that the Narrative Budget Justification page also requires documentation of subcontract costs (to nearest $1,000 for direct & indirect combined) and additional personnel information for all subcontracts/consortium/contracts.   
    5. Costs of alterations and renovations.
  1. Do not include typical PHS 398 Page 4 (Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period) or Page 5 (Budget for the Entire Proposed Period of Support) or Other Support pages (which will be requested right before the time of award in a “just-in-time” process).   Do include instead the Budget Justification Page – Modular Research Grant Application.   Be sure to list all personnel, including consultants and those on subcontracts by name, include percent effort and roles on the project.  You do not have to provide salary information.   

For more specific Modular Grant preparation information, see:

http://grants.nih/gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm

Please note that the Principal Investigator has even greater responsibility to ensure that their direct and indirect cost projections for their modular grants are accurate and adequate to meet their research project needs over the entire length of the project.   NIH has given notice that the total amount of modular grant awards cannot be changed once awarded.  Given that the Office of Sponsored Programs cannot cross-check PI's modular budgets (unless they want to develop a detailed budget with Office of Sponsored Program assistance or review), any errors will have to be managed by the Principal Investigator.

Once awarded, Principal Investigators will have to provide the Office of Sponsored Programs with their budget broken down into standard Spectrum budget categories, including any cost sharing requirements.   All costs charged to a Modular grant must still conform to all the standard OMB Circular A-21 accounting requirements.  Note though that Modular grants allow for significant rebudgeting across budget categories without NIH notification.  If you apply for any supplemental awards (minority, etc.) connected to a modular award, they also have to be in modular format. 

(Approved 10/26/04 VPR)