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Purpose of NIAMS Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
To provide partial support for scientific conferences including symposiums, seminars, workshops, or other organized formal meetings in areas within the mission of NIAMS. NIAMS may provide primary support for mission-relevant scientific conferences up to $15,000 per meeting. Conference grant applications that are NIAMS mission-relevant and have received a priority score of 30 or less will be considered for funding however, the actual award will be contingent upon availability of funds, programmatic priorities and recommendations by peer review and program staff.
A Letter of Request (LOR) seeking permission to submit an R13 application must be submitted to the NIAMS R13 coordinator at least six weeks before the application receipt date.
NIAMS may provide secondary support for a scientific conference up to $3,000, if another NIH Institute or Center has agreed to provide primary support. Applicants do not need a permission letter from NIAMS for secondary assignments. Instead, applicants can request NIAMS as a secondary assignment in the cover letter component of their application. Applicants can also use the PHS Assignment request form to request NIAMS as a secondary IC on their application.
Organizers of NIH-supported conferences and scientific meetings must also take steps to ensure a safe and respectful environment, inclusive across career stages, and free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, sexual or otherwise, and other barriers that might prevent or inhibit one’s participation (see NOT-OD-22-074). It is expected that organizers of NIH-supported scientific conferences employ strategies that seek to prevent or mitigate the effects of any discrimination and harassment.
As science becomes increasingly collaborative, it is imperative that R13 applicants recognize the importance of providing networking opportunities and the benefits of engaging scientists and trainees from a variety of research areas within NIAMS' mission. NIAMS will place priority on conferences that support participation in professional development programs and offer opportunities that enhance networking for early-stage researchers.
If the conference grant involves foreign components (i.e., foreign collaborators or if the meeting will take place at an international location), please make sure to include a foreign justification as per NOT-OD-25-098. This attachment is required for all applications that involve activities outside of the United States or partnership with international collaborators, regardless of whether the foreign component will receive funds from the NIH award. Applications that do not include this attachment will be withdrawn and will not be reviewed.
Eligibility
Eligibility is limited to domestic institutions and organizations, including established scientific or professional societies.
This program supports both domestic and international conferences; however, an international conference can be supported only through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society.
Application procedures
- Contact the NIAMS Program Official in the scientific area of the proposed conference to discuss the suitability of the potential R13 application for NIAMS support.
- Submit an R13 Letter of Request seeking approval to submit an application at least six weeks before the application receipt date. This applies to both new and resubmitted applications. The request should be sent to [email protected]. If accepted, NIAMS will send an Advance Permission letter to the Applicant via email (Please note that NIAMS agreement to accept an application does not guarantee funding).
- At the time of application submission, a copy of the Advance Permission letter must be included as part of the cover letter component. Conference grant applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov. Refer to the current funding opportunity announcement for application submission information.
- It is recommended that applicants utilize a receipt date at least seven months prior to the conference; awards will not be issued after the conference has occurred
Required Information for the Letter of Request
- The name of the meeting.
- The name and address of the principal investigator, including email address.
- The name of the sponsoring institution (foreign institutions are not eligible to apply for conference support).
- The location and dates of the meeting.
- A short description of the purpose of the meeting and its relevance to the NIAMS mission.
- A preliminary draft agenda of the program, including names and affiliations of invited and/or confirmed speakers.
- A listing of similar recent or upcoming meetings, if any, and the "value-added" by the proposed meeting (optional).
- The requested conference budget and intended use for funds. Please include total budget, portion requested from the NIAMS, and portion to be requested from any other source, if applicable. See Allowable and Unallowable Costs section from the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Due to budgetary constraints, NIAMS will place priority in supporting professional development and enhanced networking potential of early stage researchers over supporting regular meeting logistics (e.g. venue rental, meeting staff effort, etc.).
- The intended receipt date for application submission (i.e., April 12, August 12, or December 12).
- A statement that the NIAMS is the sole NIH Institute from which primary assignment is being requested, as well as the identification of other NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) (if any) that may be interested in providing co-funding support for the conference grant application.
Receipt dates
| Deadline to submit "Request Advance Permission Letter" | Application Receipt Date | Scientific Merit Review | Advisory Council Review | Earliest Conference Meeting Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | April 12 | June/July | October | December 1 |
| July 1 | August 12 | October/November | January | March 1 |
| November 1 | December 12 | February/March | May | July 1 |
NIAMS Guidance for R13 Applications
NIAMS recognizes the value of supporting scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to public health. Furthermore, NIAMS is committed to, and will actively enforce that all its supported conferences adequately address plans to promote inclusion of early career researchers. When designing a conference plan, it can be helpful to demonstrate concrete efforts towards providing professional development activities and experiences to early stage researchers to enhance the networking potential of the meeting. An example would be to include networking sessions or mentorship sessions including early career investigators. Travel assistance for early stage researchers is of high priority for NIAMS support of R13 conference grants.
Organizers of NIH-supported conferences and scientific meetings should take steps to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all attendees by providing an environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment and follow current guidelines for inclusion in NIH-sponsored conferences (NOT-OD-22-074).
Additional Information
For important information on the conference grant (R13) mechanism, prospective applicants should review:
- NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-12-041: New NIH Policy on Efficient Spending Related to Grants Supporting Conferences and Meetings
- NIH Conference Grant Web Page: NIH Support for Scientific Conferences (R13)
- Frequently Asked Questions: NIH Frequently Asked Questions for Conference Grants (R13)
