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Why are Britain's jobcentres disappearing?
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The jobcentre. It used to be a staple of the British high street, where the unemployed went to sign on and look for work. But Britain's national network of jobcentres is currently undergoing radical change as the government implements multiple welfare reforms and cuts as part of its continued austerity drive. Between 2016 and 2018, over 100 jobcentres – about 15% of the network – will have closed.
Support for the long-term unemployed and disabled jobseekers has also been cut. A new Work and Health Programme will assist less than a quarter of the participants of the programmes it replaced. Across the country, hundreds of specialist organisations working with jobseekers have lost contracts, and thousands of experienced employment advisers have lost their jobs.
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Hide AdAnd all this is happening just as the number of unemployed claimants has started to increase and the roll-out of the new, catch-all benefit called Universal Credit, is accelerating. By the end of 2018, most new working age claimants in Britain, will be claiming Universal Credit – and many of them will be required to attend jobcentres. The already intense pressure on a shrinking network of jobcentres will increase further in 2019 when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will begin moving millions of existing benefit claimants onto Universal Credit.
Meanwhile, controversy surrounding the jobcentre closures reveals just how important access to local offices remains. These cuts in jobcentres and the programmes designed to help people into work pose immediate problems for the claimants and staff affected. Reduced access to jobcentres and the complexity of the welfare reforms is also increasing demand on the advice, welfare and employment services provided by councils and other local providers. These include the very services upon which the DWP is relying to provide what it calls "universal support", which is intended to help disadvantaged claimants cope with the demands of Universal Credit.
The government justifies the cuts in jobcentres and employment services because overall unemployment has fallen – to 4.2% in the three months to Feburary 2018, the lowest since 1975.
But this is shortsighted. There are significant concerns that the system does not have the capacity to meet the needs of the millions of people who will claim Universal Credit and who will be expected to prepare for work and search for jobs. It may also fail to cope with a rapid increase in the number of people claiming benefits in the event of another economic recession.
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Hide AdThe history of jobcentres
Jobcentre offices first opened their doors on British high streets in the 1970s, replacing Employment Exchanges, which were poorly regarded and perceived by employers as a welfare service of last resort. The new jobcentres were originally designed to improve the way the labour market functioned, by helping employers fill vacancies and by providing employment and training services to all jobseekers.
Since the 1970s, the logo, layout and operating procedures of jobcentres have changed markedly. In the late 1980s, under the Thatcher government, they were gradually merged with separate unemployment benefit offices. Then, between 2002 and 2006, under the New Labour government, some 1,500 previously separate jobcentres and benefit agency offices were integrated into a network of 800 Jobcentre Plus (JCP) offices. JCP was designed as an "employment first" gateway to the benefit system and made it compulsory for lone parents and some people on disability benefits to attend work-focused interviews, where they were given support to find work. Benefit claimants were also now expected to make and manage their claims mostly by telephone.
The driver for merging jobcentres with benefit offices arose following a rapid increase in long-term unemployment in the 1980s. Influential labour market economists attributed this increase to cuts in frontline staffing, and to a relaxation of rules in the 1980s which required unemployed people to register with jobcentres. From their introduction, jobcentres had treated support for long-term unemployed claimants as a low priority.
Subsequent reforms required jobcentres to focus their interventions on benefit claimants, as opposed to all jobseekers irrespective of their benefit status. At the same time, there was further integration of employment assistance with the administration of benefits. The core of the new approach included regular mandatory contact with advisers, a focus on rapid job placement and referrals to more specialist and intensive employment services for the hardest to place.
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Hide AdA 2011 evaluation of the introduction of JCP concluded that it had helped reduce the number of people on all the main working-age benefits by an estimated 40,000. The report also found the new integrated service had increased the effective labour supply, and that the investment had actually raised the government money because it reduced the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits while increasing the revenue raised through taxation. The modernised jobcentre network played a major role in enabling the DWP to respond quickly to the 2008 recession. It managed a sharp increase in benefit claims from people who lost their jobs, swiftly deployed additional resources, and maintained performance in helping claimants get jobs.
The Job Centre, a bar in Deptford, south-east London, on the site of a former job centre.Matt from London/flickr.com, CC BY
Today, jobcentres continue to play an important role in helping employers fill vacancies and in local economic development. But since reforms introduced in 2011 by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, their primary responsibility – and the performance targets under which their staff are measured – concern moving people off benefits, with little follow-up of how many claimants get jobs, or how many keep them.
Jobcentres have now become responsible for enforcing the requirements needed to collect benefits, and imposing sanctions on those who fail to meet obligations to attend jobcentre appointments, search for a job or prepare to start work. These sanctions range from short-term deductions of up to 40% in job seeker benefit, through to penalties that can last for three years.
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Hide AdAll these reforms mean the jobcentre of today is a very different place to the jobcentre of 1970. What was a public employment service, providing assistance to all job seekers and employers, is now solely a claimant employment service tasked with reducing the number of people claiming benefits.
Preparing for Universal Credit
Universal Credit attracted widespread support because it was originally designed to simplify the benefit system and improve work incentives, with a new cadre of frontline jobcentre work coaches assisting more claimants to prepare for and seek work. In practice, benefit cuts have weakened work incentives and simplification, while more working age claimants are being pushed towards a smaller network of jobcentres.
Between 2014 and 2015, jobcentres experienced another redesign in an effort to change the way services are delivered and prepare for Universal Credit. In the new "digital" jobcentres, claimants can now access free Wi-Fi, printing facilities and computers. New benefit claims are generally made online and unemployed claimants also "sign on" using electronic pads that verify the authenticity of signatures. Part of the reason for these changes is that Universal Credit is also designed to be "digital by default", with the goal that over 80% of claimants will eventually manage all benefit-related aspects of their claim online.
Starting in 2011, Universal Credit was first targeted at new claimants without children in what was called the "live service". This approach has ended and a "full digital service", targeted at nearly all people of working age who are claiming benefits, is being implemented in phases throughout the UK. Under the full digital service, claimants manage many of their interactions with the DWP through an online Universal Credit account where they report their income, any changes in circumstances and what they have done to look for work. A digital advisory function allows work coaches to monitor individual job search activity, analyse CVs, identify skills or training gaps, as well as to search, save and send targeted vacancies directly to claimants.
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Hide AdHowever, mandatory personal attendance at jobcentre interviews remains a core requirement of continuing to receive Universal Credit and most other working age benefits. This is especially the case for unemployed claimants who must currently attend their jobcentre at least weekly, or fortnightly if their travel time is less than one hour each way by public transport. Where there is no public transport, they still have to attend every two weeks if they can walk to the jobcentre in under one hour or must walk no more than three miles each way. Claimants outside these limits, or those with particular barriers such as caring needs, are allowed to "sign on", or report on their work search, fortnightly by post – but they must still travel to the jobcentre to attend more intensive interviews concerning their benefit claim and efforts to seek or prepare for work.
These rules may seem reasonable, but they pose significant difficulties for particular groups of claimants, especially those with mobility problems, caring responsibilities or those living in rural areas.
In 2016, most jobcentres were located in urban areas and half the 28 offices in rural areas were in Wales. An interactive online data tool, published by the National Audit Office, suggests that in urban areas 89% of claimants were within 30 minutes of their nearest jobcentre by public transport. In rural areas, only 35% of claimants were within 30 minutes, 75% of claimants were within 45 minutes and 90% were within 60 minutes. These nominal travel times do not take into account factors that complicate journeys, such as the frequency, reliability, and cost of services – all factors that will now be further exacerbated by the contraction of the jobcentre network.
When asked in recent "customer experience surveys", many claimants' report positive experiences of jobcentre support and say they value the convenience and utility of accessing the services over the phone or online. Some do have less positive experiences, however, and these new communication channels cause problems for a significant minority of disadvantaged claimants, especially those with poor levels of literacy or digital skills.
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Hide AdFindings from parliamentary inquiries and independent agencies continue to highlight these problems. Persistent themes include the complexity and delays of the process to claim benefits, poor communications and reduced options available for face-to-face contact. Claimants with physical or mental health conditions can struggle to navigate the system and do what is required of them. Others fear the impact of sanctions and of being pressurised to drop benefit claims or to take insecure, low-paid jobs. Mandatory interactions with jobcentres are a source of stress and anxiety for many claimants.
Access to online facilities at jobcentres also remains important for those many claimants who do not have their own computers or internet access, or who may need assistance using such services. Jobcentres will continue to act as a fail-safe when serious or transitional problems with the Universal Credit digital system come to light. This was illustrated in January 2018, when the Government Digital Service found that about a third of potential claimants were not able to set up and verify their online Universal Credit account and in one jobcentre more than half of claimants needed help with the process. A month later, it also emerged that Universal Credit claimants who forgot their log-in details had to attend a face-to-face interview at a jobcentre to receive a new password. The "full service" should provide a password reset function but claimants will still have to attend a jobcentre if they forget their 16 digit personal security number.
All this shows that the digital transformation has met with patchy success, particularly amid the complexity of changes to Universal Credit. Yet still the government is ploughing ahead with plans to close jobcentres.
Closures commence
The programme of closures was pre-figured in the Conservatives' 2015 Spending Review, which announced that the DWP would reduce its "estate footprint by 20%". The implications for the jobcentre network emerged slowly in 2016 with phased, little-noticed announcements of decisions to close or merge small numbers of local jobcentres. The PCS, the civil service trade union, was warned, however, that a significant number of jobcentre staff would have to relocate or be at risk of redundancy.
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Hide AdParliamentary scrutiny intensified from December 2016 when the DWP proposed closing half of Glasgow's 16 jobcentres. This prompted a Westminster Hall debate in parliament followed by a Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry. The publication of the full closure programme in January 2017 was followed by another Westminster Hall debate in March 2017, when concerns were raised about the negative impact of closures on claimants' ability to access services. MPs and other stakeholders complained of a lack of prior consultation, the absence of rigorous impact assessments and negligible consideration of alternatives. They also warned of the "knock on" effect of increased demand on other, already overstretched local services, especially welfare and money advice agencies, and local libraries.
In early 2017, the PCS union launched a national campaign against the closures. It has led protests and strike action in response to particular jobcentre closures, especially in Sheffield and Glasgow where staff argue that their offices provide a vital service in the most deprived parts of each city.
A revised final timetable for jobcentre closures was published in July 2017. It said that 109 jobcentres have been, or are to be closed, leaving a final network of some 600 standalone jobcentres, including ten new acquisitions. Most of the closures are taking place in London and the Northwest, with the fewest in Wales and the Northeast. Services from 50 smaller jobcentres are to be co-located in local authority or other community settings.
The DWP published no rationale for the closure of individual jobcentres. It argued simply that the termination of a 20-year private finance initiative estates contract in March 2018 enabled it to rationalise the network and vacate underused office space. It said this space had been generated by a decline in staff numbers, the automation of back office processes, the increased use of digital services by claimants, and the reduction in the number of unemployed claimants – which had then fallen from almost 1.6m in October 2011 to just over 800,000 in October 2016.
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Hide AdThe department committed only to undertake a local consultation where a closure meant that claimants had to travel more than an additional three miles, or for over an additional 20 minutes by public transport from their existing jobcentre. This meant the views of local claimants and stakeholders were only sought for 28 of the proposed 135 countrywide closures and co-locations.
A rapid review of the subsequently published consultations shows claimants raised common concerns about the closures. These included the direct impact on travel times and costs and the possibility of receiving a sanction for not attending a meeting as a result, especially for claimants with disabilities and those caring for young children. One claimant from the Wirral said:
A train and a bus would cost people like me a fortune, it's money we simply do not have.
Another claimant in Southall, said:
An extra couple of bus journeys might not mean anything to someone with a regular income but as anyone who has been living on benefits knows – every penny counts.
While another in Highgate, London said:
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Hide AdI would fear being sanctioned all the time by having to rely on the sometimes unreliable public transport, road works or traffic problems.
Other concerns included the loss of local accessible internet and employment support and the risks of overcrowding in the jobcentres that weren't being closed. One claimant from Liverpool said: "I do not think the … jobcentre can cope with all the extra footfall and work generated by amalgamating three centres into one."
The DWP responded to each consultation with locally tailored, standard answers. It did acknowledge some difficulties, but in nearly all cases the closures went ahead. The department rejected any suggestion that sanctions might increase following local closures and insisted that claimants would continue to have access to high-quality services in their new jobcentres.
In early April 2018, Alok Sharma, the minister for employment at the DWP, when asked about the closure of the Willesden and Kilburn Jobcentre in Brent, said that work coaches would advise and assist claimants making unfamiliar journeys, and also make use of telephone, postal and email correspondence options with vulnerable claimants. The department also committed that when a full-time jobcentre closed following a consultation, it would put an "outreach" service in place within the local community. Little detail has been given, however, on how such services would operate or for how long.
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Hide AdAll this means that in the areas where jobcentres are being shut, there is real concern about how the remaining jobcentres will manage. Particularly as the Universal Credit roll-out continues apace.
Risks to roll-out of Universal Credit
Personal attendance at jobcentres and interactions with work coaches remain at the heart of the British welfare-to-work system. Even though the Universal Credit system is "digital-by-default", claimants must still attend mandatory appointments and must periodically submit physical forms of evidence at their jobcentres to support their benefit claims. This will also include providing proof of citizenship or immigration status for an estimated two million families who will have to transfer from their current benefit to Universal Credit over the next few years.
Since 2014, many unemployed claimants have been required to sign on every week or even daily for varying periods. Since 2016, most people applying for health and disability related benefits have been required to attend an initial jobcentre "work and health conversation" at the start of their claim, and successful claimants deemed more "employable" will be required to take other active steps to improve their employability.
But the numbers of people required to attend a jobcentre will keep on rising. Once the roll-out of Universal Credit is complete, jobcentre attendance will also be required of lone parents with younger children, unemployed spouses or partners, people who currently only claim housing benefit but will transfer onto Universal Credit, and up to 600,000 people in low-paid employment. The increase in the state pension age to 66 by October 2020 is also resulting in a marked increase in the number of workless people in their sixties who have to "sign on" and attend jobcentres. This is because they are no longer able to claim pension credit, which only exists for people of pension age. Many of these claimants have not previously been eligible for jobcentre support or been included in the monthly total claimant unemployment count.
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Hide AdThere is evidence already that the roll-out of Universal Credit may be causing a greater than anticipated increase in the number of claimants with which the now "streamlined" jobcentre network must engage.
Since mid-2016, the headline unemployment total has been falling – a data point measured by the household-based Labour Force Survey, which includes unemployed people who aren't claiming benefits. But the claimant unemployment count, which includes those currently receiving Jobseekers Allowance and those on Universal Credit who are expected to work, has steadily increased. In the year to March 2018, it grew by 9% or 73,200 to reach a total of 890,500 claimants.
This increase has been most marked in the areas where Universal Credit has been implemented, and even more so in "full digital service" areas. In the relatively small number of jobcentres where the full service had been implemented longest, before 2016, the claimant count was 38% higher in March 2018 than it had been a year earlier, an increase that wasn't experienced by those jobcentres where the full service had not yet been implemented. While the final trend is not certain, an analysis by the Learning and Work Institute suggests it's plausible that the number of unemployed claimants could double to 1.5m by the end of 2020. Yet the DWP and jobcentres have only a third of the resources and staffing that they had in 2012, the last time the claimant count stood at that total.
Change in claimant count in Jobcentre Plus Offices before and after Universal Credit full service rollout.NOMIS and Learning and Work Institute analysis
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Hide AdThe progress of Universal Credit has so far been mired by issues concerning benefit design and digital delivery. But a potentially bigger risk to smooth implementation may soon arise from crowded jobcentres, rapidly increasing caseloads and less frequent and effective interactions between claimants and work coaches.
The government continues to herald the UK's record low unemployment figure, using them to justify closing jobcentres at the same time as it introduces Universal Credit and makes services digital. But this low headline figure is hiding a forthcoming surge in the number of people who will need to go to a jobcentre in person. It ignores the fact that for many claimants, going to regular face-to-face meetings at a nearby jobcentre remains mandatory and is the most important way in which they will learn about Universal Credit.
Most worryingly, if there is another economic recession, then there will be little capacity to deal with the increased number of people who will lose their jobs, claim benefits and need help in finding other employment. Closing jobcentres now might come back to haunt the government later.
Dan Finn, Emeritus Professor of Social Inclusion, University of Portsmouth
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.


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Publisher's Synopsis
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subset: commoncrawl


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Continuous / Persistant type counters need an end value:
[jellyfish_counter timestamp="2016-01-01 00:00:00" start=1000000 interval=2.5 digits=8 end=99999999]
23 meals a second
When using a start value and a tick multiplier you must divide the number you want the counter to start at by the tick multiplier to get the actual start value for the counter. e.g.
31531660 / 23 = 13501376.52173913 (start / tick_multiplier)
[jellyfish_counter start=13501376.52173913 end=9999999999 format="000,000,000" direction="up" digits=10 digit_height=30 bustedness=0 digit_style="font-family:Verdana; background: transparent; color:#ff6633;" flat=true timestamp="2016-04-20 20:40:00" tick_multiplier=23 interval=1 ]
Simple count effect
[jellyfish_counter start=533290 end=533301 tenths=false digits=6 speed=100]
Counter tick_multiplier demo
Using tick_multiplier with a start value may give unexpected results.
debt ticker test
Generated by this shortcode:
[jellyfish_counter digits=7 start=4983000 end=9999999 interval=1 tick_multiplier=1.73567 timestamp="2016-04-10 23:00:00" format="$0,000,000"]
Stop test
This should stop at 20, although it will look like 200 because the custom styling makes the final 0.1 (1/10th) digit look like all the others. Continue reading Stop test
large counters
Just testing big numbers… with timestamps and multipliers Continue reading large counters


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Changing the world sounds like a tall order. But in reality, educators play their role to help change the world every day. Join Stephen Pruitt, former science teacher and science/policy leader, for a humorous, yet important discussion about the critical role of teachers in changing the world. Dr. Pruitt will share his experiences, both personal and professional, to remind us of the power of teachers in his life and as we recover from COVID. Dr. Pruitt has long been a member of NSTA and has worked for the national importance of science education and the support of teachers. His comical storytelling and somewhat unique look at the world will engage and inspire you as we all continue the fight against ignorance.
About the SpeakerStephen Pruitt is the sixth president of the Southern Regional Education Board in July 2018. Under his leadership, SREB has continued its work on college and career readiness, postsecondary attainment, workforce preparation, learning environment, and support of the SREB states' policy and education leaders to improve the education systems for each student.
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SPEAKERS:Stephen Pruitt (Southern Regional Education Board: Atlanta, GA)
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Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of
Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov/)
Components of Participating Organizations
National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://www.nci.nih.gov/)
Title: Information Technologies
and the Internet in Health Services and Intervention Delivery (R21)
Announcement Type
Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
This FOA must be read in conjunction with the application guidelines provided with this announcement in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).
A registration process is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start the process at least four weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.
Two steps are required for on time submission:
1) The application must be submitted to Grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission date (see Key Dates below).
2) Applicants must complete a verification step in the eRA Commons within two business days of notification from NIH. Note: Since email can be unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically check on their application status in the Commons.
Announcement (PA) Number: PA-06-224
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s)
93.242, 93.393
Key Dates
Release/Posted: March 9, 2006
Opening Date: May 2, 2006 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov
Letters of Intent
Receipt Date(s): N/A
Application Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details
AIDS Application Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm for details
Peer Review Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Review Date(s): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward.
Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): N/A
Expiration Date: May 2, 2009 (now May 8, 2009 per NOT-OD-07-093)
Due Dates
for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Additional Overview
Executive Summary
This funding opportunity encourages
investigators to submit applications studying the impact of health information
technology on health interventions and services. Studies related to the impact
of technology on the delivery of health-related information as well as
health-related clinical interventions are encouraged.
Table of Contents
Part I Overview Information
II Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research
II. Award Information
1. Mechanism of
2. Funds Available
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible
Eligible Institutions
Eligible Individuals
2. Cost Sharing or
3. Other - Special
Eligibility Criteria
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Request
Application Information
2. Content and Form
of Application Submission
3. Submission Dates
and Times
Submission, Review and Anticipated Start Dates
1. Letter of Intent
Sending an Application to the NIH
Application Processing
4. Intergovernmental
5. Funding
6. Other Submission
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
2. Review and
Selection Process
Additional Review Criteria
Additional Review Considerations
Sharing Research Data
Sharing Research Resources
3. Anticipated
Announcement and Award Dates
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
2. Administrative
and National Policy Requirements
3. Reporting
VII. Agency Contact(s)
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
2. Peer Review
3. Financial/ Grants
Management Contact(s)
Section VIII. Other Information
- Required Federal Citations
Part II
- Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Research Objectives
In March 2001, the IOM released "Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, which identified health information technology (HIT) as one of the four critical forces that could significantly improve clinical decision-making, patient safety, and overall quality of care. Over the past 30 years, research has demonstrated that HIT--including handheld technologies for gathering data, clinical information databases, clinical decision-making aids, internet resources-- can improve patient safety and quality of care. However, few facilities across the United States use health information technologies regularly to assist with clinical care, and little research has been conducted to guide health care organizations in optimal use of technologies. With HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's July 2004 announcement of a new national plan around the use of HIT systems, research is needed to rapidly determine the best way to utilize HIT in mental health care settings.
Similarly, the Internet remains a largely unresearched opportunity to improve access to health care. On July 16, 2003, the Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) hosted "Internet-based Research Interventions in Mental Health: How Are They Working?" in Washington, D.C. The workshop's objective was to review current tools and resources available to NIMH investigators to assess and implement Internet intervention efforts and to identify the need for NIMH to refine those resources and tools and/or develop new ones for future research. On June 9-10, 2005, the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) hosted the Critical Issues in eHealth Research conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting convened government scientists, academic researchers from a variety of disciplines, and survey research scientists and practitioners from the private and public sectors to discuss the overall state-of-the-science of eHealth research methods using internet, portable technology, and other electronic research tools.
E-mail communications, web-based psycho-educational programs, depression screening surveys, various types of online chat rooms, and electronic informed consent are increasingly used in federally funded studies of health interventions, but few researchers are focusing on the specific impact of e-technologies on the interventions themselves. Multi-disciplinary studies by researchers with expertise in clinical, services, and technology disciplines are needed to understand the complexities of HIT and Internet use to deliver clinical and systems interventions and guide their implementation into health care organizations. The capability of gathering continuous streams of multi-modal data and providing real time or just-in-time interventions using HIT underscores to need for multidisciplinary studies.
While much progress has been made in developing guidelines to ease the use of Internet technologies for service intervention delivery, still relatively little is known about the impact of the Internet and other electronic research tools in delivering interventions that have been tested in a traditional care setting. Targeted research is needed to test the effectiveness of adapted "Internet-based" interventions, the effectiveness of the Internet and other technologies as a mechanism to deliver health information to consumers, and the impact of technology use on consumer health. More broadly, research is needed to develop theory-based HIT implementation, and to explore the use of HIT as a vehicle, not a new intervention, to deliver effective health treatments to consumers. Of particular interest is the use of HIT in mental health and cancer prevention areas.
Research is invited (but not limited) to address the following major objectives:
Research invited under this announcement may also require:
R21 grants are one-time awards intended to encourage new exploratory/developmental research projects by providing support for the early stages of their development. For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research. These studies may involve considerable risk but, if successful, will lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models or applications that could have major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
1. Mechanism of Support
This funding opportunity will use the NIH
Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) award
mechanism. As an applicant, you will be solely
responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.
This funding opportunity uses just-in-time concepts. It also uses the modular budget formats (see the Modular Applications and Awards section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement. All applications submitted in response to this FOA must use the modular budget format. Specifically, if you are submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs), use the PHS398 Modular Budget component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (see specifically Section 5.4, Modular Budget Component, of the Application Guide).
Exploratory/developmental grant support is for new projects only; competing renewal (formerly competing continuation ) applications will not be accepted. Up to two resubmissions (formerly revisions/amendments") of a previously reviewed exploratory/developmental grant application may be submitted. See NOT-OD-03-041, May 7, 2003.
2. Funds Available
Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from
application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of
each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the Institutes and
Centers (ICs) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding
opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of
a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 2 years. Direct costs are limited to $275,000 over the 2 years of the R21 award, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year. Applicants may request direct costs in $25,000 modules, up to a total direct cost of $275,000 for the combined two year award period. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Facilities and administrative (F&A) costs requested by
consortium participants are not included in the direct cost limitation; see Applications
that Include Consortium/Contractual Facilities and Administrative Costs.
III. Eligibility Information
1.A. Eligible Institutions
You may submit (an) application(s) if your
organization has any of the following characteristics:
1.B. Eligible Individuals
Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and
resources necessary to carry out the proposed research is invited to work with
their institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with
disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
2. Cost Sharing or
This program does not require cost sharing as
defined in the current NIH
Grants Policy Statement.
3. Other-Special
Eligibility Criteria
Not applicable
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Registration and Instructions for Submission via Grants.gov
To download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and
SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for
this FOA, link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions provided on that Web site.
A one-time registration is required for institutions/organizations at both:
PD/PIs should work with their institutions/organizations to make sure they are registered in the NIH Commons.
Several additional separate actions are required before an applicant institution/organization can submit an electronic application, as follows:
1) Organizational/Institutional Registration in Grants.gov/Get Started
2) Organizational/Institutional Registration in the eRA Commons
3) Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Registration in the NIH eRA Commons: Refer to the NIH eRA Commons System (COM) Users Guide.
Note that if a PD/PI is also an NIH peer-reviewer with an Individual DUNS and CCR registration, that particular DUNS number and CCR registration are for the individual reviewer only. These are different than any DUNS number and CCR registration used by an applicant organization. Individual DUNS and CCR registration should be used only for the purposes of personal reimbursement and should not be used on any grant applications submitted to the Federal Government.
Several of the steps of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants should immediately check with their business official to determine whether their institution is already registered in both Grants.gov and the Commons. The NIH will accept electronic applications only from organizations that have completed all necessary registrations.
1. Request Application Information
Applicants must
download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.
Note: Only the forms package directly attached to a
specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424 (R&R)
forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although some of the
"Attachment" files may be useable for more than one FOA.
For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone 301-710-0267, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Telecommunications for the hearing impaired: TTY 301-451-5936.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Prepare all applications using the SF424 (R&R) application forms and in accordance with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (MS Word or PDF).
The SF424 (R&R) Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application to NIH. There are fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components that, although not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the Credential log-in field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component must contain the PD/PI's assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide. For additional information, see Tips and Tools for Navigating Electronic Submission on the front page of Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
The SF424 (R&R) application is comprised of data arranged in separate components. Some components are required, others are optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/ APPLY will include all applicable components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this FOA will include the following components:
(R&R) (Cover component)
Research & Related Project/Performance Site Locations
& Related Other Project Information
& Related Senior/Key Person
Cover Page Supplement
Research Plan
PHS398 Modular Budget
Optional Components:
Cover Letter File
Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form
Note: While both budget components are included in the SF424 (R&R) forms package, the NIH R21 uses ONLY the PHS 398 Modular Budget. (Do not use the detailed Research & Related Budget.)
special provisions apply to applications submitted by foreign organizations:
Proposed research should provide a unique research
opportunity not available in the United States.
3. Submission Dates and Times
See Section IV.3.A for details.
3.A. Submission,
Review, and Anticipated Start Dates
Opening Date: May 2, 2006 (Earliest
date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letter of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not applicable
Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#SBIR for
Peer Review Date(s): Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for
Council Review Date(s) : Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: Standard dates apply, please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm#reviewandaward for
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): Not
3.A.1. Letter of Intent
letter of intent is not required for the funding opportunity.
3.B. Sending an Application to the NIH
To submit an
application in response to this FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/Apply and follow
steps 1-4. Note: Applications must only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE
3.C. Application
Applications may be
submitted to Grants.gov on or after the opening date and must be
submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the application submission
dates identified in Section
IV.3.A.. If an application is not submitted by that date, the application may
be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.
Upon receipt, applications will be transferred from Grants.gov to the
NIH Electronic Research Administration process for validation. Both the PD/PI
and the Signing Official for the organization must verify the submission via Commons within 2 business days
of notification of the NIH validation.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the
Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH. Incomplete applications will not be
The NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that
is essentially the same as one currently pending initial merit review unless
the applicant withdraws the pending application. The NIH will not accept any
application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not
preclude the submission of an application already reviewed with substantial
changes, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the
previous critique. Note that such an application is considered a
"resubmission" for the SF424 (R&R).
There will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review Group is also in the Commons.
4. Intergovernmental Review
initiative is not subject to intergovernmental
5. Funding Restrictions
NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other
considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.
Costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its own risk and without NIH prior
approval, incur obligations and expenditures to cover costs up to 90 days
before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a new award if such
costs: are necessary to conduct the project and would be allowable under the
grant, if awarded, without NIH prior approval. If specific expenditures would
otherwise require prior approval, the grantee must obtain NIH approval before
incurring the cost. NIH prior approval is required for any costs to be incurred
more than 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget period of a
new award.
The incurrence of
pre-award costs in anticipation of a competing or non-competing award imposes
no obligation on NIH either to make the award or to increase the amount of the
approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is
inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be
fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against future support and
that such borrowing must not impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the
project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect
the conduct of the project. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
6. Other Submission Requirements
NIH requires the PD/PI to fill in his/her Commons User ID in the PROFILE
Project Director/Principal Investigator section, Credential log-in field of
the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile component. The applicant
organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile in the
eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional information, see Tips and Tools for Navigating
Electronic Submission on the front page of Electronic Submission of Grant
Renewal (formerly competing continuation or Type 2 ) applications are not permitted.
All application instructions outlined in the SF424 (R&R) application are to be followed, with the following requirements for R21 applications:
Note: While each section of the Research Plan needs to be uploaded separately as a PDF attachment, applicants are encouraged to construct the Research Plan as a single document, separating sections into distinct PDF attachments just before uploading the files. This approach will enable applicants to better monitor formatting requirements such as page limits. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format, filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf extension must be used.
- Publications in press: Include only a publication list with a link to the on-line journal article or the PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification number. Do not include the entire article.
- Manuscripts accepted for publication but not yet published: The entire article may be submitted electronically as a PDF attachment.
- Manuscripts published but an online journal link is not available: The entire article may be submitted electronically as a PDF attachment.
Specific Instructions for Modular Grant applications.
requesting direct costs in each year of $250,000 or less (excluding consortium
F&A costs), must be submitted in a modular budget format using the Modular
Budget Component provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Package and
Instructions Guide (see specifically Section 5.4). The modular budget format
simplifies the preparation of the budget in these applications by limiting the
level of budgetary detail. Applicants request direct costs in $25,000 modules.
Plan for Sharing Research Data
Not applicable
Sharing Research Resources
NIH policy requires that grant awardee recipients make
unique research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified
individuals within the scientific community after publication (NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for
sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be
shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
The adequacy of the
resources sharing plan and any related data sharing plans will be considered by
Program staff of the funding organization when making recommendations about
funding applications. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be
evaluated as part of the administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant
Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria (Update: Enhanced review criteria have been issued for the evaluation of research applications received for potential FY2010 funding and thereafter - see NOT-OD-09-025).
Only the review
criteria described below will be considered in the review process.
2. Review and Selection Process
submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned to the ICs on the basis
of established PHS referral guidelines.
Appropriate scientific review groups convened in
accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures (http://www.csr.nih.gov/refrev.htm)
will evaluate applications for scientific and technical merit.
As part of the initial
merit review, all applications will:
The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The NIH R21 exploratory/developmental grant is a mechanism for supporting novel scientific ideas or new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or the status of health-related research. Because the Research Plan is limited to 15 pages, an exploratory/developmental grant application need not have extensive background material or preliminary information as one might normally expect in an R01 application. Accordingly, reviewers will focus their evaluation on the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or understanding. Reviewers will place less emphasis on methodological details and certain indicators traditionally used in evaluating the scientific merit of R01 applications, including supportive preliminary data. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or, when available, from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required; however, they may be included if available.
The goals of NIH supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, to improve the control of disease, and to enhance health. In their written critiques, reviewers will be asked to comment on each of the following criteria in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.
Note that an application does not need to be strong in
all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact and thus
deserve a high priority score. For example, an investigator may propose to
carry out important work that by its nature is not innovative but is essential
to move a field forward.
Significance: Does this study address an
important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will
scientific knowledge or clinical practice be advanced? What will be the effect
of these studies on the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services,
or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Approach: Are the conceptual or clinical framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, well reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
Innovation: Is the project original and innovative? For example: Does the project challenge existing paradigms or clinical practice; address an innovative hypothesis or critical barrier to progress in the field? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies for this area?
Investigators: Are the investigators appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers? Does the investigative team bring complementary and integrated expertise to the project (if applicable)?
Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed studies benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, or subject populations, or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
2.A. Additional Review
In addition to the
above criteria, the following items will continue to be considered in the
determination of scientific merit and the priority score:
of Human Subjects from Research Risk: The involvement of human subjects and protections from
research risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will be
assessed. See item 6 of the Research Plan component of the SF424 (R&R).
of Women, Minorities and Children in Research: The adequacy of plans to
include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic groups (and
subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research will be assessed. Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects
will also be evaluated. See item 7 of the Research Plan component of the SF424
2.B. Additional
Review Considerations
Budget: The reasonableness of the proposed
budget and the requested period of support in relation to the proposed research
may be assessed by the reviewers. Is the percent effort listed for the PD/PI
appropriate for the work proposed? Is each budget category realistic and
justified in terms of the aims and methods?
Period of Support: The appropriateness of the
requested period of support in relation to the proposed research.
2.C. Sharing
Research Data
Not Applicable
2.D. Sharing
Research Resources
policy requires that grant awardee recipients make unique research resources
readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the
scientific community after publication (See NIH Grants Policy Statement http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600131).
Investigators responding to this funding opportunity should include a plan for
sharing research resources addressing how unique research resources will be
shared or explain why sharing is not possible.
Program staff will be responsible for the
administrative review of the plan for sharing research resources.
The adequacy of the resources sharing plan will be
considered by Program staff of the funding organization when making
recommendations about funding applications. Program staff may negotiate
modifications of the data and resource sharing plans with the awardee before
recommending funding of an application. The final version of the data and
resource sharing plans negotiated by both will become a condition of the award
of the grant. The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as
part of the administrative review of each non-competing Grant Progress Report
(PHS 2590). See Section VI.3. Reporting.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not Applicable
Section VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
After the peer review of the application is completed,
the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written
critique) via the eRA Commons.
If the application is under consideration for funding,
NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant. For
details, applicants may refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions
of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part4.htm).
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award
(NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the
grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative
and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email
notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.
Selection of an application for award is not an
authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the
NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the
extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Also Section
IV.5. Funding Restrictions.
2. Administrative and
National Policy Requirements
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include
the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart
A: General (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part4.htm)
and Part II Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and
Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_part9.htm).
3. Reporting
Awardees will be required to submit the PHS
Non-Competing Grant Progress Report, Form 2590 annually (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm)
and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
We encourage your inquiries concerning this funding
opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential
applicants. Inquiries may fall into three areas: scientific/research, peer
review, and financial or grants management issues:
1. Scientific/Research Contacts:
David Chambers, Ph.D.
Division of Services and
Interventions Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7133, MSC
Bethesda, MD 20892-9631
(301) 443-3747
Email: email@example.com
Audie Atienza, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Control and
Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, Room 4070, MSC
Bethesda, MD 20892-7335
Telephone: (301) 402-8426
Email: email@example.com
2. Peer
Review Contacts:
Not Applicable
3. Financial or Grants Management Contacts:
Joy R. Knipple
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6131, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 443-8811
Email: email@example.com
Crystal Wolfrey
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 243, MSC 7150
Bethesda, MD 20892-7150
Telephone: (301) 496-8634
Email: email@example.com
Section VIII. Other Information
Required Federal Citations
Human Subjects Protection:
Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).
Data and Safety Monitoring Plan:
Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(Phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The
establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for
multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks
to the participants (NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring, NIH Guide for
Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).
Access to Research Data through the Freedom of
Information Act:
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are (1) first produced
in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds and (2)
cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an action that
has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be accessed through
FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic scope of this
amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.
Applicants may wish to place data collected under this funding opportunity in a
public archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the
distribution for an indefinite period of time. If so, the application should
include a description of the archiving plan in the study design and include
information about this in the budget justification section of the application.
In addition, applicants should think about how to structure informed consent
statements and other human subjects procedures given the potential for wider
use of data collected under this award.
Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of
minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All
investigators proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines
for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html);
a complete copy of the updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm.
The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical
research; updated racial and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB
standards; clarification of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical
trials consistent with the SF424 (R&R); and updated roles and
responsibilities of NIH staff and the extramural community. The policy
continues to require for all NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all
applications or proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans
to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b)
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting analyses,
as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.
Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical
The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research,
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical
reasons not to include them.
All investigators proposing research involving human
subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the inclusion
of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).
Required Education on the Protection of Human
Subject Participants:
NIH policy requires education on the protection of
human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.
NIH Public Access Policy:
NIH-funded investigators are requested to submit to
the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system (http://www.nihms.nih.gov)
at PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript
upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research supported in whole or
in part with direct costs from NIH. The author's final manuscript is defined as
the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all
modifications from the publishing peer review process.
NIH is requesting that authors submit manuscripts
resulting from 1) currently funded NIH research projects or 2) previously
supported NIH research projects if they are accepted for publication on or
after May 2, 2005. The NIH Public Access Policy applies to all research grant
and career development award mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts,
Institutional and Individual Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awards, as well as NIH intramural research studies. The Policy applies to
peer-reviewed, original research publications that have been supported in whole
or in part with direct costs from NIH, but it does not apply to book chapters,
editorials, reviews, or conference proceedings. Publications resulting from
non-NIH-supported research projects should not be submitted.
For more information about the Policy or the
submission process please visit the NIH Public Access Policy Web site at http://PublicAccess.nih.gov/ and
view the Policy or other Resources and Tools including the Authors' Manual (http://publicaccess.nih.gov/publicaccess_manual.htm).
Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually
Identifiable Health Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection
of individually identifiable health information, and is administered and
enforced by the DHHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Decisions about applicability and implementation of
the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR
Website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/)
provides information on the Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text
and a set of decision tools on "Am I a covered entity?" Information
on the impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review,
funding, and progress monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and
research contracts can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.
URLs in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be
self-contained within specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in
an NIH solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide
information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation
to view the Internet sites. Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their
anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.
Healthy People 2010:
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of
"Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority
areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential
applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
Authority and Regulations:
This program is
described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review. Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301
and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and
under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are
subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations
described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in
which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.
Loan Repayment Programs:
NIH encourages applications for educational loan
repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to
pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception,
infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important
component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of
researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered
by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for
eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged.
The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP
recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must
commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40
hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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text: Morning Prayer: "Dear God, I give this day to You. May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit. May I not be tempted to stray from love. As I begin this day, I open to receive You. Please enter where You already abide. May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not deviate from the things of goodness. May I see the love and innocence in all mankind, behind the masks we all wear and the illusion of this worldly plane. I surrender to You my doings this day. I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world. May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto others wherever I go. Make me the person You would have me to be. Direct my footsteps, and show me what You would have me to do. Make the world a safer, more beautiful place. Bless all Your creatures. Heal us all, and use me, dear Lord, that I might know the joy of being used by You. Amen." – Marianne Williamson


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Bordeaux, 21-22 March 2019.
The EMMI network has its origins in the Network of Excellence FAME which started in 2004.
Since then, EMMI has initiated many EU projects and collaborations. One of the first was the ERASMUS MUNDUS Master programme FAME-Master1, which started in 2007 and recently obtained renewal funding for the 3rd time.
Another flagship project was the Doctoral School IDS-FunMat2, and its successor EJD-FunMat3. Both projects end in 2019.
Thus we have celebrated in a special meeting the anniversaries of EMMI and FAME-Master, and held at the same time the final meeting of the projects IDS-FunMat and EJD-FunMat.
The meeting included 2 panel discussions with former Master and PhD students, several lectures for the general public, discussions of hot topics in materials science, a poster session for recently finished PhDs, and an educative visit to the vinery Chateau Luchey Halde, including gala dinner.
One highlight was a presentation from Donna STRICKLAND, University of Waterloo4, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018, for her work on pulsed lasers. Raja CHATILA, Sorbonne University Paris, discussed robotics and artificial intelligence, with a focus on ethical aspects. Two other plenary talks by Rodrigo MARTINS (University NOVA Lisbon) and Yuko HARAYAMA (Professor Emeritus Tohoku University) discussed science policy in Europe and Japan, respectively, focussing on new technologies and their impact.
Very interesting was also the feedback of our alumni, who reported on their experiences during and after their degree programme. The general consensus was that, while an international 'co-tutelle' programme is much more demanding compared to single-site studies, it is worth the effort, because the exposure to two (or more) different working cultures in different countries provides an extremely valuable experience for coping with working life.
The alumni also shared their experiences and anecdotes regarding a number of related issues, for example the psychological difficulties during job hunting, the pressure related to the culture of 'publish-or-perish' in academia, and the specific problems of women to find recognition and equal treatment in the technology sector.
( (c) photos by Olivier Nguyen)
Here is the full programme for download (pdf 2MB):
1FAME-Master was first funded through two grants from ERASMUS MUNDUS. The latest edition FAME+ is funded by the Programme ERASMUS+
2IDS-FunMat has received funding from the European Commission through the
Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme, FPA 2010-0004/001-001, SGA 2014-0966
3EJD-FunMat has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and
innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 641640
4the project IDS-FunMat was also the origin of the now wide-ranging collaboration between universities Bordeaux and Waterloo. Several PhD graduates from Waterloo, now working in Europe, participated in BRIEFE


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Starting in 1996, CrimethInc. released some of the most passionate and provocative music in the hardcore punk underground—bands like Catharsis, Zegota, and Trial. For the sake of posterity, in a grudging concession to the platforms of Web 2.0, we've uploaded the majority of these albums to a bandcamp page, where you can download them for free (though we won't refuse donations). Please help us keep this chapter of our cultural heritage in living memory.
Download CrimethInc. musical releases.
The do-it-yourself punk scene from which these bands emerged brought together the desperation and rage of the disenfranchised in a generative primordial froth. In the beginning, the riots erupting from these concerts pitted the participants against each other, as at the notorious Catharsis shows with Gehenna in Reno in 1997 and with Point of No Return in Belo Horizonte in 2000, both of which ended in mass violence. Later, this force was turned against the ruling order, as in the uncontrollable march following the Anti-Flag show after the 2005 presidential inauguration.
For more perspective on the relationship between hardcore punk and anarchism, read "Music as a Weapon," which originally appeared in issue 7 of our journal Rolling Thunder.
Some of you will notice that this collection is not complete. Albums by Gehenna, Timebomb, Filastine, and Test Their Logik are already available through their respective Bandcamps. We are still seeking several other CrimethInc. releases in internet-ready formats, including all of the Inside Front compilations. If you have the ability to supply us with lossless files (FLAC/WAV) of any of these albums, as well as large (>1400px) JPGs of the album covers, please send them to us.


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Welcome to the A to Z of Bonsai.
We are compiling a worldwide A to Z of Bonsai database. The A to Z is written collaboratively by the people who use it and we would like to encourage anyone reading this page to contribute to what has become the worlds greatest encyclopedia of bonsai terms. Entries when they are made will be added to an editable list which will be checked prior to publication. Photos and images of the bonsai term can be added and links made to relevant web pages.


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Adventure Tour
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial gain "to benefit another person, group or organization". Volunteering is also renowned for skill development and is often intended to promote goodness or to improve human quality of life. Volunteering may have positive benefits for the volunteer as well as for the person or community served. It is also intended to make contacts for possible employment. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster.
The verb was first recorded in 1755. It was derived from the noun volunteer, in C.1600, "one who offers himself for military service," from the Middle French voluntaire. In the non-military sense, the word was first recorded during the 1630s. The word volunteering has more recent usage—still predominantly military—coinciding with the phrase community service.In a military context, a volunteer army is a military body whose soldiers chose to enter service, as opposed to having been conscripted. Such volunteers do not work "for free" and are given regular pay.
During this time, America experienced the Great Awakening. People became aware of the disadvantaged and realized the cause for movement against slavery. Younger people started helping the needy in their communities[citation needed]. In 1851, the first YMCA in the United States was started, followed seven years later by the first YWCA. During the American Civil War, women volunteered their time to sew supplies for the soldiers and the "Angel of the Battlefield" Clara Barton and a team of volunteers began providing aid to servicemen. Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and began mobilizing volunteers for disaster relief operations, including relief for victims of the Johnstown Flood in 1889.


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Evangeline Lilly Spins A Spooky Story With 'Squickerwonkers'
Evangeline Lilly is a familiar name to sci-fi and genre fans – she broke into Hollywood's major leagues playing Kate Austen in Lost, she was the female lead in 2011's supremely fun Rocky-meets-Rock 'Em Sock 'Em flick Real Steel, and most recently, she's risen to new heights of fame for her role as elven warrior Tauriel in Peter Jackson's Hobbit films.
But while she's best known for on-camera appearances, acting is merely one of facet of her creative impulse. Lilly's first authorial effort is premiering at San Diego Comic-Con this week: a creepy crawly children's picture book entitled The Squickerwonkers, that tells a story-in-verse of a terrible child and the puppet people she encounters and antagonizes. It's a quick and delightfully dark read, illustrated in at once unsettling and beautiful fashion by WETA designer Johnny Fraser-Allen – and thanks to the fine folks at Titan Books, we recently had the opportunity to speak with Lilly about the long and convoluted path that this tale has taken on the road to publication.


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EFL Day of Action to showcase the power of Football
More than one million people are now participating in football-led community programmes and activities every season.
On Tuesday 25 April, all 72 EFL clubs will come together for the EFL's Community Day of Action to highlight and showcase the impact of this work in towns and cities nationwide.
EFL Clubs use the power of football to have a positive effect on thousands of people's lives in the UK every day, helping participants to improve their lives with programmes focused on health and wellbeing, education, community outreach and much more.
The EFL's Community Day of Action presents a unique – and brand new – opportunity for all EFL clubs to simultaneously raise awareness of the impact they are having by creating a national platform to highlight the community work that happens across 72 towns and cities, 365 days a year, seven days a week.
Approximately £50million is being invested every season by the EFL Trust and Club Community Trusts into key areas, using the power of football to help people in need across sport, education, health and community engagement programmes.
The work is having a significant impact in communities up and down the country.
For example:
- -For every £1 spent to deliver Millwall Community Trust's programmes – more than £7 is generated in cost savings to society
- -Portsmouth's crowdfunding campaign generated over £100,000 to build a new community facility to increase the Trust's capacity by 100%
- -Wigan Athletic have helped to reduce anti-social behaviour by up to 50% in selected communities by providing sports opportunities for 4,000 young people
- -At Charlton Athletic the social value of the community trust's mentoring programme is estimated at over £2.3million
- -Over 1,000 young people have participated in NCS with Rotherham United, improving their skillset, confidence and raising over £28,000Sheffield United have delivered the Kinder +Sport move and learn project to almost 2,000 children over 41 schools across the city
Shaun Harvey, EFL Chief Executive, said:
"EFL clubs play a pivotal role in their communities and what our inaugural Day of Action makes abundantly clear is how this work is having a significant impact, not just on match days but seven days a week, 365 days a year.
"The power of football continues to be used to improve people's health and wellbeing and provide increased opportunities to develop individuals' education and career prospects.
"Such important work should be commended and clearly illustrates how EFL clubs and their Trusts are contributing to society outside of the game, achieving tangible results and lasting change."


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By Reginald Stanley. Posted January 14, 2017, 7:26 PM.Another in the series of wet storms this week brought significant rain to the region, continuing a cool, wet January this year. Thursday's storm was the fourth of the week, and the wettest of the bunch. Rainfall for Thursday and Friday totaled at between 1/2 inch and just under two inches, with the wettest locations in the valleys. Perris - a normally rain-shadowed location - lead the way with 1.69 inches. This was followed by 1.31 inches at both San Bernardino and San Jacinto. Lake Elsinore, Beaumont (Cherry Valley), Hemet, Moreno Valley and Wildomar also all received over an inch of rain. In East Highland, Peter Michas reported 1.24 inches of rain, and 1.20 inches was reported by Monty Parrott in East San Jacinto. In Temecula Valley's Wine Country, Jim Sappington reported 0.79 inches for Thursday and Friday. On the drier side of the storm, Fallbrook recorded only 0.55 inches - atypical for a normally wet location. San Diego's City Heights recorded 0.58 inches, and Riverside's Presidential Park recorded a mere 0.66 inches. Showers continued into Friday morning in many communities, before giving way to unsettled weather later that day. A final round of showers did bring small amounts of rain to some communities Friday night. The region is expected to dry out for a few days, while remaining seasonally cool. Another storm could be on tap for Thursday next week. Here are the rain totals for the WeatherCurrents network and associates:
Other Recent Weather News for San Diego (City Heights), California


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See: Description
The package includes two example applications: a pentomino solver and a sudoku solver.
The pentomino includes both a "normal" pentomino set and a one-sided set where the tiles that are different when flipped are duplicated. The pentomino solver has a Hadoop driver application to launch it on a cluster. In Knuth's paper on dancing links, he describes trying and failing to solve the one-sided pentomino in a 9x10 board. With the advances of computers and a cluster, it takes a small (12 node) hadoop cluster 9 hours to find all of the solutions that Knuth estimated would have taken him months.
The sudoku solver is so fast, I didn't bother making a distributed version. (All of the puzzles that I've tried, including a 42x42 have taken around a second to solve.) On the command line, give the solver a list of puzzle files to solve. Puzzle files have a line per a row and columns separated by spaces. The squares either have numbers or '?' to mean unknown.
Both applications have been added to the examples jar, so they can be run as:
bin/hadoop jar hadoop-*-examples.jar pentomino pent-outdir bin/hadoop jar hadoop-*-examples.jar sudoku puzzle.txt
I (Owen) implemented the original version of the distributed pentomino solver for a Yahoo Hack day, where Yahoos get to work on a project of their own choosing for a day to make something cool. The following afternoon, everyone gets to show off their hacks and gets a free t-shirt. I had a lot of fun doing it.
Copyright © 2024 Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.


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Pomona, CA, September 06, 2017 –(PR.com)– Avera Digital has launched its 2017 Equinox 4K UHD TV series. The 2017 series follows the successful launch of the brand's first Equinox 4K UHD TV series last year in time for the holiday season.
Several innovative technologies have come together in the 2017 Equinox series, also known as the EQX20 series, to maximize consumers' entertainment experiences.
"Customers are looking for TVs that offer both a great picture and a great value. We have combined 4K resolution and Dolby Audio, as well as our own technologies, in our new Equinox series to offer a better 4K TV watching experience while still being affordable," said Hugh Yu, Vice President of Avera Digital.
To build on the success of the 2016 Equinox series, the EQX20 series includes a new and improved multi-core processor to support 4K content with exceptional color, clarity and contrast.
The EQX20 series uses the unique Automatic Pixel Adjustment technology from Avera's partner company, China Electronics Corporation (CEC). With this technology, EQX20 series displays can turn individual pixels completely off or on to reproduce images with perfect blacks, stunning brightness, immersive details and vibrant colors. The intense detail of 4K Ultra HD and the ability to render over one billion rich colors allows for more shades of color than conventional TVs.
For improving HD content, the EQX20 series is equipped with Avera's 4K PRO upscaling engine, which brings HD pictures to life by upscaling every pixel to near 4K quality – delivering clearer, smoother and more natural scenes.
The series includes CEC's UAccelera++ technology, which aims to diminish moving blur typically seen in lower resolution content. The result is a seamless, lifelike moving picture, allowing fast-moving action sequences to be seen with precise motion clarity.
Dolby Audio is included in the series to offer the immersive high definition sound needed to complete the 4K viewing experience. It allows viewers to hear surround sound like never before with immersive, object-based audio that creates a true theater-like experience.
Four HDMI 2.0 with MHL, HDCP and ARC feature ports offer the extensive flexibility and functionality needed to enjoy 4K content at home.
CEC's expertise in advanced LCD display technologies led to outstanding features that enable Avera TVs to deliver supreme viewing experiences to consumers.
The EQX20 series is available in 40", 49", 50", 55" and 65" sizes. Most sizes are available for purchase online this year from Walmart, Amazon, Newegg and Fry's Electronics.
Contact Information:
Anissa Melendez
(626) 383-2108
Contact via Email
Read the full story here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/729052
Press Release Distributed by PR.com


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Designed to cater to the needs of fitness enthusiasts in Kingston Upon Hull, Formative Sports' leggings are made from high-quality, moisture-wicking fabric. As one of the leading Gym Leggings Manufacturers in Kingston Upon Hull, introduces its premium quality gym leggings that are a perfect blend of comfort, style, and functionality.
In Kingston Upon Hull, we understand that every customer has unique requirements. We are also Custom Gym Leggings Suppliers in Kingston Upon Hull. We offer a range of customization options in Kingston Upon Hull, including color, size, design, and material, to cater to individual preferences. Our team of skilled designers in Kingston Upon Hull works closely with clients to create customized leggings.
We cater to the needs of customers in Kingston Upon Hull across the globe, and our export-quality leggings are highly sought after in international markets. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction has earned us a reputation as one of the most trusted names in the fitness industry. We are also Custom Gym Leggings Exporters in Kingston Upon Hull. With Formative Sports, customers in Kingston Upon Hull can be assured of the best quality products and exceptional service.
Formative Sports is the leading manufacturers of sports uniforms which uses latest and modern technology for customised printing of uniforms and jerseys.


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Green Salad with Creamy-Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Baguette with Roasted Garlic
One would think that with a fancy name and a special mold that this would be a difficult dessert to prepare, but it couldn't be more simple. It can also be prepared a couple of days in advance. It is basically a no-bake cheesecake; rich, creamy and decadent. The only changes I made to the original recipe is to reduce the amount of ingredients. The first time I made this it made way too much for the 7-inch porcelain mold that I have. Served with a ruby red raspberry coulis and a few chocolate wafer cookies on the side, it is the perfect ending to our meal.
Printable Recipe
Coeur à la Crème with Raspberry Coulis
serves 6-8
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
Raspberry Coulis (recipe follows)
1 pint fresh raspberries
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on high until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and change the paddle for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Turn the mixer to high and whip until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.
Line a large heart-shaped mold with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and place it in a bowl, so that the bottom of the mold does not touch the bottom of the bowl. This will allow the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, smooth the top, then fold the cloth ends over the top, and refrigerate.
To serve, discard the liquid in the bowl and unmold the cream onto a large serving plate. Serve with raspberry sauce and fresh berries. Enjoy!
Raspberry Coulis
makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 pint of fresh raspberries, or 12 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional, but good)
In a blender, purée the raspberries with the sugar, lemon juice, and framboise. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the raspberry mixture, pressing firmly with a rubber spatula. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Stored in the refrigerator, the sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Source: Coeur à la Créme from Barefoot in Paris, Raspberry Coulis slightly adapted form Joy of Cooking, 1997


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Maximize your Rainbow's cleaning capability with the AquaMate.
Using the natural cleaning power of water and our specially formulated AquaMate Carpet Cleaner solution, the AquaMate's wide-angle revolving brushroll massages deep into carpet fibers for a thorough cleaning and rinsing.
Ready anytime you need it, the AquaMate:
- Easily removes non-vacuumable stains caused from grease, oils, spills and pet stains.
- Cleans, reconditions and deodorizes your carpets.
- Dries quickly.
Extend the reach of your Rainbow Cleaning System with the RainbowMate, the accessory designed to clean limited-access areas. With its sleek, lightweight design and powerful, motor-driven brush, the RainbowMate makes it easy to achieve superior cleaning results in hard-to-reach areas.
The RainbowMate is sized just right for:
- Carpeted stairways
- Upholstered furniture
- Mattresses
- Car interiors*
*The Rainbow is not intended for outdoor use.
Easy to set up and use at a moment's notice, the ,MiniJet harnesses the cleaning power of the Rainbow to shampoo, scrub and remove dirt and stains from smaller carpeted areas and upholstery.
The MiniJet's long, ten-foot hose, refillable tank and trigger-activated spray applicator puts stain-removing power and spot cleaning versatility in the palm of your hand.
The MiniJet's long, ten-foot hose, refillable tank and trigger-activated spray applicator puts stain-removing power and spot cleaning versatility in the palm of your hand.
MiniJet is perfectly sized to clean:
- Carpeted stairways and closets
- Small area rugs
- Sofas, chairs and upholstered furniture
- Pet stains
- Vehicle interiors and floor mats*
*The Rainbow is not intended for outdoor use.
The RainJet uses the natural cleaning power of water to remove ground-in dirt and grime from tile, linoleum and other hard surface floors.
It features:
It features:
- A self-contained solution tank with the capacity to clean large rooms.
- Interchangeable sponge and brush attachments to scrub away embedded dirt and debris.
- A squeegee pickup blade for a fast, clean and streak-free finish.
- Precise trigger control over the spray application of liquid cleaning solution.
You can get Fresh Air, Assorted Fragrance Packs, AquaMate Carpet Cleaning Solution or RainMate
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