American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package)

April 27, 2009

Letter from Dr. Stephen I. Katz: Reviewers needed — Please do your part!

Photo of Stephen Katz

Dear Colleagues:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is expecting a very robust response to the many funding initiatives supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which I have introduced to you in recent letters. We have been hearing from many of our colleagues in the extramural community, and we are very excited about their enthusiastic participation in these unprecedented opportunities.

Peer Review of ARRA Applications

A central tenet of the NIH's ARRA-associated programs is the rapid distribution of funds, to stimulate the economy, create and preserve jobs, and advance biomedical research. In addition, NIH is committed to maintaining its high standard of peer review, which is the foundation of our support of the most promising and meritorious biomedical and behavioral research.

Peer review of ARRA applications is being organized by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), as well as by the scientific review branches of individual Institutes and Centers. Because of the volume of ARRA applications we are receiving—and the need to distribute ARRA monies in an expeditious fashion—it is absolutely essential that members of the research community heed the call to participate in this review process. We know that extramural investigators have been working extremely hard to respond to ARRA-related research opportunities—just as NIH staff members have been working very diligently to develop and publicize these funding announcements. However, as you all know, we cannot distribute these funds if reviewers are not forthcoming.

Therefore, I would like to strongly encourage all NIAMS-supported researchers to respond to the call from NIH review staff—both from CSR and from the Institutes and Centers-to join in this important activity. The scientific promise of the many projects that will be supported through ARRA is truly breathtaking—we must all do our part to ensure that the very best research is funded in a timely manner. The NIAMS leadership is committed to having outstanding reviewers to help us identify the most meritorious proposals that warrant utilization of these ARRA funds. For these unprecedented times, we ask that you be as flexible as you can time wise when you are called by one of our Scientific Review Officers to assist with ARRA-related reviews.

Additional Announcements

I would also like to call your attention to the following funding opportunities and information resources.

— The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) has announced new ARRA funding opportunities, to stimulate research at educational institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH support and to develop networking infrastructure to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific exchange:

— The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) has recently updated its Frequently Asked Questions Web page related to ARRA. We strongly recommend viewing this page soon, and revisiting it frequently.

Once again, we are very grateful to President Obama and the U.S. Congress for this unprecedented opportunity. We welcome your questions and comments and, most importantly, your participation!

More information is available at the following websites:
http://www.recovery.gov/
http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Best wishes and many thanks in advance for your efforts to accommodate your schedule in order to help the NIH and NIAMS review the many outstanding proposals we hope to receive.

Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services