Conference Grant (R13) Application Procedures
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
Background
As a result of the passage of the NIH Reform Act of 2006, all research grant applications, regardless of cost, must undergo secondary review by the National Advisory Council prior to making an award. The requirement for Council review means that conference grant (R13) applications must be submitted far enough in advance to allow the award to be made prior to the conference meeting date.
The NHLBI will only support conferences that are critical to the mission of NHLBI (i.e., meetings directly related to heart, lung, blood, and/or sleep disorders and conditions). Meetings for the purpose of professional development (e.g., continuing medical education [CME]) are not supported through the R13 award mechanism. Supported meetings generally explore and identify: (a) critical gaps in knowledge; (b) research challenges and opportunities; and/or (c) promising strategies for advancing prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment modalities for science related to the NHLBI mission.
Receipt Dates
Conference grants must be awarded prior to the meeting date. Consequently, the potential applicant must choose an application receipt date that allows for an award to be made prior to the meeting. The following table shows the deadline for the application receipt date necessary for the NHLBI to provide timely support for a conference. Conference grant (R13) applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov.
| Receipt Date | Approximate Review Date | Council Date | Conference Meeting Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 12 | June/July | October | December through March |
| August 12 | October/November | January | April through July |
| December 12 | February/March | May | August through November |
Letters Requesting Permission to Submit
Permission to Submit letters are no longer required per NOT-OD-26-040: NIH No Longer Requires Advanced Permission for Conference Grant Applications.
Funding Decisions
Applications approved for funding may receive a Notice of Award within a few weeks after Council review. Other ICs interested in contributing funds to conference grant applications with NHLBI primary assignment must have: 1) a dual assignment on the application and 2) completed their respective funding approval processes prior to submitting co-funding agreements to the NHLBI. In order for the NHLBI to co-fund another IC’s application, the NHLBI must have been dually assigned to the application.
Additional Information
For important information on the conference grant (R13) mechanism, prospective applicants should review:
- NIH R13 Program Announcement PA-25-080: NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13)
- NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-12-041: NIH Policy on Efficient Spending Related to Grants Supporting Conferences and Meetings
- NIH Conference Grant Web Page: NIH Support for Scientific Conferences (R13 and U13)
- Frequently Asked Questions: NIH Frequently Asked Questions for Conference Grants (R13)
Inquiries
Institutional contacts for additional information regarding conference grant applications can be found at NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13)