Announcements - Cloned

We have two important clarifications for PIs regarding: (1) the use of DMPTool and NIH’s formatting requirements, and (2) when the Resource Sharing Plans are required in addition to the Data Management and Sharing Plan.

1. DMPTool - When using DMPTool to create the DMS Plan, the Plan must comply with all of NIH’s formatting requirements. Otherwise, the application is at risk of getting withdrawn. This includes font size, margins, and no URLs or hyperlinks are allowed.  You should download the Plan created in DMPTool as a Word document to make sure you can meet all formatting requirements…

The new NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1) took effect this week for proposals submitted on, or due on or after, Monday, January 30, 3023. To assist with the creation of NSF’s new Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending (C&P) Support formats, we provide you with the following:

Resources

• Have I Included…?  - a questionnaire to assist you with ensuring all projects and in-kind contributions are included in the C&P form.

• The Rascal Other Support Tool -  a starting point to assist researchers in identifying current…

Dear NSF-funded Researchers and Applicants,

As we have previously communicated, as of today (January 30, 2023) all NSF proposals that include off-campus or off-site research must have a plan to ensure a safe and inclusive work environment for that specific project, and must share the plan with all participants.  NSF defines “off-campus or off-site research” as “data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork on research vessels and aircraft.”

To support principal investigators in meeting this new requirement, we have created two templates that…

Dear Members of the Research Community,

We write to remind you of two important federal legal requirements related to sponsored projects:

1. Certification of current and pending/other support (per Section 223 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021)

Federal law requires principal investigators and senior/key persons to:

• disclose the amount, type, and source of all current and pending research support received by, or expected to be received by, the individual as of the time of the disclosure;
• certify that the disclosure is current,…

Our office will be hosting a town hall on Wednesday, December 14^th at 2pm EST to review very important upcoming changes to NSF proposals and awards, taking effect for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023 as stated in NSF’s revised version of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1).

To register for the town hall on December 14^th, register here, using a Columbia-affiliated email address.

The town hall agenda will include, but is not limited to:

• Revisions to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support formats to require…

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community,

We write to reiterate Columbia University’s commitment to integrity in scholarly research, and to remind you of key policies and resources that support your research endeavors. In particular, if you conduct research, or if you support people who conduct research, please be sure to read the information below.

• The University’s conflict of interest and conflict of commitment policies affirm that a researcher’s outside activities may stimulate and nurture scholarship. These policies also address how real or perceived conflicts may cause…

NIH’s new Data Management and Sharing Policy (NOT-OD-21-013) takes effect January 25, 2023. For a high-level overview of the Policy, see their PowerPoint presentation, Data Management & Sharing Policy Overview (June 2022).

NIH will be offering a two-part webinar series to prepare researchers and administrators for the policy implementation:

• Thursday, August 11, 2022 / 1:30 - 3:30 PM EDT; Understanding the New NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy
  • Agenda: In this webinar, you will learn about DMS policy expectations, the applicability of the policy, how to prepare a Data…

NIH recently updated its NIH Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support table (rev. June 8, 2022). It contains additional clarifications of where certain types of activities should be disclosed on NIH forms (i.e. the Biographical Sketch, Other Support, Annual Project Reports, etc.).

In addition, we recently posted new Columbia-specific FAQs to clarify the requirements for uploading supporting documentation to accompany NIH Other Support forms and be uploaded into Rascal’s COI Module. Please see FAQs: Supporting Documentation Requirements for…

NIH/AHRQ/HRSA issued a notice of correction of the NRSA stipend levels for FY22, previously announced on April 15, 2022. See the details in notice NOT-OD-22-132.

As a reminder, effective January 25, 2022, PIs and other senior/key personnel must electronically sign the NIH Other Support form to certify the accuracy of the information provided, and adhere to Columbia University’s Electronic Signature Policy. A typed name is not an electronic signature and is not acceptable. Certification cannot be delegated to administrators or other staff. NIH will not accept wet signatures, or pictures of wet signatures. 

The University recommends using DocuSign to electronically sign the Other Support forms. DocuSign is…

Dear NIH Researchers,

As previously announced, as of January 25, 2022, NIH will require new Biographical Sketches and Other Support format pages containing substantial changes. The updated forms and instructions are required for use in applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) due on or after January 25, 2022.

IMPORTANT: the revised Other Support form requires three new action items for all PIs and senior/key persons:

• Sign Electronically:  The PI and other senior/key personnel must electronically sign the Other Support form to …

Last week, the NIH implemented new system validations for Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) for clinical trial registration and results reporting. RPPRs that have associated clinical trials that are non-compliant with these requirements will receive errors preventing submission of the RPPR. See NOT-OD-22-008 for more details.

As a reminder, failure to register or report results data for an Applicable Clinical Trial (ACT) as per FDAAA 801 and the Final Rule or the NIH Policy on the Dissemination of NIH-Funded Clinical Trial Information can result in immediate suspension or termination…

We will be hosting webinars on the NIH Biosketches and Other Support format pages to provide you with the latest information and guidance. The new format pages will be required for proposals, Just-In-Time (JIT) and the Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) for due dates on or after January 25, 2022. In addition, electronic signatures and the collection of supporting documentation, where applicable, will take effect January 25, 2022 for Other Support. The University will be implementing new procedures in order to meet these requirements.

NIH is continuing to provide clarifications and…

With the NIH application due dates approaching in late September and early October, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind the research community of the latest required researcher disclosure requirements in proposals:

Biographical Sketch (“Biosketch”) –

• The newest Biosketch format is preferred immediately and required to be used for applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) submitted on or after January 25, 2022 (NOT-OD-21-073 and NOT-OD-21-110).
• The Positions, Scientific Appointments and Honors section of the Biosketch must include, in reverse chronological…

Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) invites you to our next Research Administration Forum. The Forum is an interactive opportunity for you to hear the latest policy updates from central Columbia offices, and ask questions concerning the sponsored project lifecycle.

We are excited to introduce you to Dr. Jeannette M. Wing, the newly appointed Executive Vice President for Research, who will kick off our meeting. Jeannette will speak briefly about her background, and strategic ideas in her new role as EVPR.

Also included on the agenda will be the latest updates concerning NSF and NIH. A…