Ever since the NIGMS Feedback Loop launched in 2005, we’ve sent periodic digests of its content to our grantees, applicants and others. To help our readers receive time-sensitive information sooner, we’re now offering a way to get individual posts as they’re published on the blog. If you’d like to receive new posts by email, go to our email updates page, enter your email address, click the Submit button and then check the box next to NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog on the Quick Subscribe page. Each time we add a post to the blog, you’ll get an email message with the first part of the post and a link to the full version. We average about 4 posts per month. For the time being, we’ll continue emailing the digests of recent posts. If you subscribe to receive individual posts and no longer want to get the periodic digests, you can cancel your digest subscription. You can also follow the blog via its RSS feed.

This is the 500th Feedback Loop post. We’ve made numerous changes since the blog launched in 2009, but one of the things that’s stayed the same is the importance of your input. Your responses to our posts have given us valuable information and insights on our policies and plans. They've also helped us identify topics that interest you or that we could clarify. If there’s a topic you’d like us to write about—or if you have any other feedback for us—please leave your suggestions in the comment section below or email me.

In a new video on iBiology, NIGMS Director Jon Lorsch discusses the relationship of lab size and funding levels to productivity, diversity and scientific impact.

The talk covers information detailed in previous Feedback Loop posts:

• Measuring the Scientific Output and Impact of NIGMS Grants
• A Shared Responsibility
• MIRA Program Launches with First FOA
• Announcing Our New Strategic Plan

Read the Molecular Biology of the Cell paper mentioned at the end of the video for more discussion of lab size and other topics related to maximizing the return on taxpayers’ investments in fundamental biomedical research.

The NIH Extramural Nexus blog has published posts on video resources that you may find helpful: New Webinars Connect Applicants to NIH Peer Review Experts: The Center for Scientific Review is hosting webinars in early November to give R01, R15, SBIR/STTR and fellowship grant applicants and others useful insights into the submission and review processes. Register by October 28. New Video Tutorials Can Help You Navigate eRA Commons: A 10-part series of short video tutorials walks you through the steps for submitting just-in-time information, a no-cost extension, a relinquishing statement and more. Watch the tutorials on the NIH Grants playlist on YouTube.

Within the last week, NIH’s Sally Rockey has published posts that may be of interest to you: PubMed Gets Interactive: The broader public now can view opinions and information shared by authors on scientific publications in PubMed. Application Success Rates Decline in 2013: An early analysis of 2013 competing research project grant applications and awards at NIH shows a downward trend for success rates. NOTE: We at NIGMS are currently working on our annual funding trends post. Understanding Lead-time for NIH Staff Participation in Scientific Meetings: Invitations for NIH program, review or other staff to speak at or attend a meeting need to be made as early as possible due to approval requirements and budget constraints. NOTE: Sally Rockey’s post suggests at least 4 months advance notice, but at NIGMS, we recommend at least 6 months.

The next meeting of our Advisory Council is later this week. For more information on Council activities, see these previous Feedback Loop posts:

• The Advisory Council’s Critical Roles, an overview of the types of input Council members provide to NIGMS
• “Did Council Fund My Grant?”, a discussion of the Advisory Council’s role in making funding decisions

You may be interested in this funding opportunity announcement from the NIH Common Fund: NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01) (RFA-RM-12-017) Purpose: Support groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original and/or unconventional research with the potential for major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral science Letter of intent due date: August 21, 2012 Application due date: September 21, 2012 NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204

You may be interested in the following funding opportunities that were recently published in the NIH Guide: Collaborations with National Centers for Biomedical Computing (R01) (PAR-12-001) Purpose: Use computational tools and biological and behavioral application drivers of the funded National Centers for Biomedical Computing as a foundation for building a biomedical computing environment Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Peter Lyster, 301-451-6446 More info: National Centers for Biomedical Computing Web site (no longer available) Dynamics of Host-Associated Microbial Communities (R01) (RFA-GM-13-001) Purpose: Reveal basic principles and mechanisms that govern the symbiotic systems dynamics of host-associated microbial communities through genetic, physiological and ecological studies Letter of intent due date: December 13, 2011 Application due date: January 13, 2012 NIGMS contact: Shiva Singh, 301-594-3900 Short Courses on Mathematical, Statistical, and Computational Tools for Studying Biological Systems (R25) (PA-11-351) Purpose: Conduct workshops and short courses to improve integration of mathematical, statistical and computational approaches into biological and/or behavioral research Letter of intent due date: 30 days before application due date Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Irene Eckstrand, 301-594-0943

You may be interested in the following funding opportunities that were recently published in the NIH Guide:

NIH Director's Transformative Research Awards (R01)
(RFA-RM-11-006)

Purpose: Support exceptionally innovative, high-risk, unconventional research
Letter of intent due date: December 12, 2011
Application due date: January 12, 2012
NIGMS contact: Laurie Tompkins, 301-594-0943
NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204
More info: This is an NIH Common Fund program; it replaces the NIGMS EUREKA and the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Project (TR01) initiatives

Mechanistic Pathways Linking Psychosocial Stress and Behavior (R01)
(RFA-HL-12-037)

Purpose: Investigate basic psychological, social and environmental mechanisms and processes linking psychosocial stressors and behaviors that may ultimately impact biological function, health and disease
Letter of intent due date: November 19, 2011
Application due date: December 19, 2011
NIGMS contact: Stephen Marcus, 301-451-6446
NHLBI contact: Catherine Stoney, 301-435-6670
More info: Issued by the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet)

We’re trying something new! To keep you posted on funding opportunities, we’ll provide a digest of NIGMS-related announcements soon after they appear in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, typically every 1 to 2 weeks. (You also can subscribe to get a weekly list of all NIH Guide announcements.) Similarly, we plan to post monthly digests of relevant highlights from the NIH Office of Extramural Research blog. Here is the first digest of funding opportunities. Please let me know if you do or don’t like this format or if you have suggestions for ways to improve its usefulness to you.

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You may be interested in the following funding opportunities that were recently published in the NIH Guide: NIGMS Centers for HIV/AIDS-Related Structural Biology (P50) RFA-GM-12-003 Purpose: Structure determination and dynamic characterization of macromolecular complexes among and between components of HIV and the components of host cells Letter of intent due date: December 7, 2011 Application due date: January 6, 2012 NIGMS contact: Michael Sakalian, 301-594-0828 More info: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/SpecificAreas/ AIDSStructuralBiology/ Lab to Marketplace: Tools for Biomedical and Behavioral Research (SBIR [R43/R44]) PA-11-335 Purpose: Translation of technologies for biomedical or behavioral research from academic and other non-small business research sectors to the marketplace Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827 More info: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Mechanisms/Pages/SBIR.aspx Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies for the Accurate Detection and Diagnosis of Polymicrobial Infections in Biomedical Laboratory Animal Models (SBIR [R43/R44]), (STTR [R41/R42]) SBIR: PA-11-340; STTR: PA-11-341 Purpose: Rapid and sensitive detection of infectious agents as a key requirement for microbial identification in laboratory animal models Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Stefan Maas, 301-594-0943 More info: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Mechanisms/Pages/SBIR.aspx, http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Mechanisms/Pages/STTR.aspx