RPPRs and the Project Outcomes Section
NIH will make the Project Outcomes Section of all Interim and Final RPPRs submitted on or after October 1, 2017 available to the general public via the NIH RePORTER. See notice NOT-OD-18-103.
You should also read Mike Lauer’s Blog, Why Project Outcomes Matter in your Interim and Final RPPR, which provides helpful tips on writing this section for the general public.
Per the notice, this allows recipients of NIH funds “to provide the general public with a concise summary of the cumulative outcomes or findings of the project (analogous to the Project Summary/Abstract section of the competing application) at the end of each competitive segment.”
Extremely important to note:
“The NIH will only publish project outcomes that have been reviewed and approved by NIH staff to ensure the narrative is written for the general public in clear and comprehensible language, without including any proprietary, confidential information or trade secrets. If the description of the project outcomes are found to be unacceptable, recipients will be required upon NIH request to submit revised project outcomes statements using the Additional Material functionality in place for the Final and Interim RPPR (i.e., Final Report Additional Materials (FRAM) for Final RPPR). The Additional Material functionality for both the Final and Interim RPPR have been enhanced in order to capture revised project outcomes in a web form format that will support NIHs ability to make this information publically available. Please note that the web form data entry field pertains only to the entry of Project Outcomes text. Any other additional materials requested, if applicable, should be uploaded as a file attachment. In order to assist recipients, NIH has posted sample descriptions for project outcomes that may assist recipients in submitting acceptable project outcomes. See the Sample Project Outcomes description available at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/rppr/sample_project_outcomes_RPPR.htm.”
For more information on RPPRs and the Project Outcomes section, see their FAQs. As always, contact your SPA Project Officer with any questions.