NSM Faculty/Staff Newsletter

From the Office of the Dean

April 2025

Did You Know?

NSM Staff Virtual Suggestion Box

Do you have a question, comment, concern, or suggestion to make something better here in NSM? Let us know using the NSM Staff Virtual Suggestion Box.

Office of Research Update

Recent Awards

Congratulations to the following faculty members for their recent awards:

  • Zhifeng Ren Zhifeng Ren (TcSUH) was awarded $200,000 from Element Resources, LLC: SRA from Element Resources: Catalysts for Water Electrolysis

* The awards listed above are extracted from the awards report generated through PeopleSoft Grants system. This report includes only the awards that are fully set up with cost centers available for expenditures. Any incoming awards pending in the system will not be reported until the set up is complete.

General Reminders

Looking for new funding opportunities? Check out the NSM Office of Research’s Funding Opportunities webpage. Here you will find a list of funding opportunities curated to the interests of NSM faculty. The list is updated monthly, so check back often.

Don’t unnecessarily delay your award! The most common cause for delays in issuing a notice of award (NOA) is failing to submit just-in-time (JIT) information, such as revised budgets and current/pending support information. The biggest obstacle to award set up is congruency review—an internal review done by DOR that ensures all compliance approvals are complete (animal use, human subjects, biohazards, radiation safety). To minimize delays in getting your award, please let us know if you receive a favorable review. This typically comes in the form of a high impact score on a summary statement or a letter from the sponsor suggesting interest in the proposal. We will complete any pending JIT requests and ask DOR to begin the congruency review.

Preparing your next proposal? Please review our proposal submission timetable. We routinely have multiple grants due at or near the same time, so it is imperative that everything is in order well ahead of the deadline. This also gives us time to properly check for errors. Let us know when you have plan(s) for submission by filling out our Pre-submission Questionnaire online.

Let us create your budget! Many of you like to fill in the UH budget worksheet yourself, but we end up transferring that information to the most current version and looking up everyone’s salary and benefits information anyway. It is simpler to just send us an outline of what you would like in the budget, and let us create it for you. A great way to do this is to make a draft of your budget justification. We can use that to create the budget.

Please check out the NSM Office of Research website for useful links and information.

– The NSM Research Team

What’s New?

New timeline for NSM proposal submissions starting immediately

In order to spread out the workload, ensure accurate review of proposal materials, and to meet deadlines imposed by other institutions on subawards, the NSM Office of Research has revised its timeline for proposal submissions. Notably, the pre-submission questionnaire and an outline of the budget must be received 25 business days prior to the grant deadline. All final materials must be received at least 5 business days prior to the deadline. The NSM proposal submission guidelines can be found here.

Pre-Award Checklist for Export Control and Information Security

Export control, trade compliance, and “Research Security” regulations and requirements have expanded significantly in recent years and now have institution-wide impact for research universities.

The University of Houston is implementing a new “pre-award checklist for export control and information security” online form which must be completed Prior to each application submission. It is brief and should only take no more than 3 minutes. Once complete, please be sure to submit and print the PDF of your responses. Forward the PDF to your research liaison officer.

Additional information on this requirement for faculty and staff is forthcoming from the Division of Research.

Proposal Pre-Submission Questionnaire

To revamp the proposal submission process and make information gathering more efficient for proposal preparation, NSM Office of Research has rolled out an improved Proposal Pre-submission Questionnaire on SmartSheet as our primary proposal in-take form. We encourage you to use it for your future proposal submissions. Let us know your plans as soon as you can.

NIH “Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies” Page is Now Available

This page serves as a central location where you can learn more about the status of changes impacting NIH grants process and plans for implementing new initiatives and policies.

NIH Common Forms Implementation for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Postponed

To further support a successful transition to the Common Forms, NIH is postponing the May 25, 2025, implementation for all applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs). NIH will issue future Guide Notices outlining the new effective date and additional implementation details as they are finalized.

NIH applicants and recipients must continue to use the current NIH Biosketch and Other Support format pages for applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) and RPPRs.

NSF: Login.gov and Research.gov Email Addresses Must Match

Beginning April 26, 2025, your Login.gov email address must match the primary email address for your NSF account. To review your NSF account primary email address, sign into Research.gov and then select the My Profile option at the top of the screen to view your primary email address on the Contact Information tab. You can change your NSF account primary email address by following the step-by-step instructions in the View and Edit My NSF Account Profile Information job aid available in the Account Management User Guide. If Research.gov detects a mismatch of emails on or after April 26, you will not be able to use Login.gov credentials to sign into Research.gov and must use your NSF account credentials instead.

UMR Releases Annual NIH Economic Impact Report: 2025 Update

United for Medical Research (UMR) released the 2025 update of its annual analysis of the economic impact of research funding from the NIH. The analysis shows that the $36.94 billion awarded to researchers in FY2024 supported 407,782 jobs and $94.58 billion in new economic activity nationwide - or $2.56 for every $1 invested.

NIH: Preparing for 2025 Application and Review Changes - Tips and Resources

NIH just issued a reminder that multiple changes affecting extramural applications and review are coming for application due dates on or after January 25, 2025. As you prepare applications for the January due dates and beyond, reference these updates, tips, and resources.

NIH: Create an ORCID Account and Link it to Your eRA Commons ID

Open Researcher and Contributor Identification (ORCID) provides each researcher with a unique persistent digital identifier that connects researchers with their professional accomplishments over time, regardless of changes to their name, location, title, or institution.

Instructions for linking your ORCID ID to your eRA Commons profile can be found here.

Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) Acknowledgement Form Now Online for NSM Faculty

The Chips & Science Act of 2022 prohibits participation in any foreign talent recruitment program by personnel of Federal research agencies and prohibits participation in a malign foreign talent recruitment program by covered individuals involved with research and development awards from those agencies.

To comply with the Chips & Science Act, UH has implemented System Administrative Memorandum (SAM) 01.G.04 - Participation in Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs, which can be found through here.

When submitting proposals to Federal agencies, applicants are required to document investigators’ participation in any and all foreign talent recruitment programs. If the Federal agency requires use of the “common forms” generated by SciENcv for the Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, then this acknowledgement is recorded when the forms are generated. If the common forms are not used, a separate acknowledgement is required.

NSM Office of Research has taken this MFTRP Acknowledgement Form online for easier access and better record keeping. Please be sure to complete one when prompted by our office.

Grant Notice 24-01 NASA Policy Update

NASA Grants Policy and Compliance has published Grant Notice 24-01 informing NASA grant and cooperative agreement recipients and applicants about changes to NASA’s grant policies released on October 1, 2024, which implement revisions to 2 CFR and National Security Presidential Memorandum-33.

The Grant Notice, published on the Grants Policy and Compliance website, outlines what proposers and grant recipients can expect as NASA prepares to release updated grant guidance in the NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual.

While changes to policy are effective for grants being awarded on or after October 1, 2024, GPC recognizes that upcoming requirements around biosketch and current and pending (other) support (CPS) disclosures could change for proposers while there is an open Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). As such, if a proposal is submitted that does not comply with the changes, and has been selected for funding, the NASA Shared Services Center will request and collect the new required forms and certifications from entities post-application and pre-award. Please see further guidance below:

NOFO Release Award Date Biosketch CPS Reporting Requirement/New Certs and Reps Submission Method
Prior to October 1, 2024 Prior to October 1, 2024 No new requirements N/A
Prior to October 1, 2024 On or After October 1, 2024 New requirements apply Via Email to NSSC Grant Officer, as Requested
On or After October 1, 2024 On or After October 1, 2024 New requirements apply Submission in NSPIRES

For questions on the Grant Notice, please contact HQ Grants Policy and Compliance at hq-dl-grants-policy-compliance@nasa.gov.

Recent and Upcoming Changes in NIH Applications and Reports

  • Report DMS Plan Activities in RPPR: NIH will require progress report (RPPR) to address NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan activities including updates on data sharing, repositories, and unique identifiers for data that have been shared (NOT-OD-24-123). The updated NIH RPPR Instructions Guide will be posted to the RPPR page, and NIH plans to implement the new DMS reporting questions for RPPR submitted on or after October 1, 2024.
  • Guidance for Videos Submitted as NIH Application Materials: NIH will no longer accept video files in CD/DVD/USB formats. Only digital video files submitted via email will be accepted. The files must be submitted by institutional AOR no later than 30 days prior to peer review. Multiple videos may be submitted per application, but their aggregate length (at normal speed) must not exceed two minutes for single-project applications and five minutes for multi-component applications. The maximum file size for all videos combined is 35 MB (NOT-OD-24-067).
  • Marking Changes in Resubmission Applications: Markups should not be used to identify changes in Resubmission applications. Changes made to a Resubmission application should only be outlined in the Introduction attachment (NOT-OD-24-061).

Recorded Webinar: NIH Grants Process Primer: Application to Award

Understanding NIH’s overall structure and the foundation of the agency’s grants process is vital to successfully applying for NIH funding. To help you on this journey, the NIH developed a two-part webinar designed to help inform and clarify important elements from application preparation to award. Links to the two free webinars are below.

Part One: An Overview (Published November 13, 2024)

  • Introduction to NIH
  • Identifying Funding Opportunities
  • Elements of a Competitive Application (key components and guidance from NIH experts)
  • Understanding the Peer Review Process
  • Award Determination
  • Q&A focused on pre-award preparations and the path of your application toward award

Part Two: An Interactive Experience (Published November 14, 2024)

  • Pre-Award Systems (Walk-through of systems and tools used to submit and track applications)
  • Notices of Funding Opportunities
  • Application Components & Guidance (e.g., deadlines, budget types, project narratives, supporting documents, and application assembly)
  • Peer Review Outcomes, Responding, and Tips on Resubmitting
  • Award Notification and Acceptance (e.g., understanding the Notice of Award)
  • Preparing for Managing an Award
  • Q&A focused on systems, tools, and resources from submission to award

CPRIT Grant Policies & Procedures Guide

Beginning with applications submitted in cycle 25.1, the maximum salary amount supported by CPRIT grant funds for an individual with 100% level of effort on a grant award is $225,000.

The current version of the Grantee Policies & Procedures Guide is dated June 2024.

Simplified Review Framework for NIH Research Project Grant Applications

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is simplifying the peer review process for most Research Project Grant applications, effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. These changes are designed to enable reviewers to better focus on answering the key questions necessary to assess scientific and technical merit, mitigate reputational bias, and reduce reviewer burden.

The major changes are as follows:

  1. The current 5 review criteria will be reorganized into just 3 criteria, with only 2 of them scored:
    • Factor 1. Importance of the research (significance and innovation) - scored 1–9
    • Factor 2. Rigor and feasibility (approach) - scored 1–9
    • Factor 3. Expertise and resources (investigators, environment) - not scored
  2. Reduce reputational bias by asking reviewers to assess the adequacy of investigator experience and institutional resources with respect to the work proposed as a binary choice: (1) adequate/appropriate or (2) additional expertise/resources needed.
  3. “Additional considerations” will no longer be required of peer reviewers. Considerations not directly related to scientific merit will shift to NIH staff for review.

Additional resources/information about the upcoming changes are listed below:

Information that Must be Disclosed in the NSF Current and Pending (Other) Support Document

In recent years, all federal agencies have increased their requirements for what must be disclosed when reporting current and pending support. Here is a list of items that must be included for NSF:

  1. All projects currently under consideration (including the current proposal) from whatever source, and all ongoing projects, irrespective of whether support is provided through the proposing organization, another organization, or directly to the individual, and regardless of whether or not they have monetary value (e.g., even if the support received are in-kind contributions such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, or employees).
  2. In-kind contributions not intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed and have an associated time commitment.
  3. Current or pending participation in, or applications to, programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities, including foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs.
  4. Postdoctoral scholars, students, or visiting scholars who are supported by an external entity, whose research activities are not intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed and have an associated time commitment.
  5. Consulting that falls outside of an individual’s appointment/agreement.
  6. Travel supported/paid by an external entity to perform research activities with an associated time commitment.
  7. Startup company based on non-organization-licensed IP.
  8. Startup packages from other than the proposing organization.

For more information, NSF offers a disclosures table and FAQ on Current & Pending Support.

Hanover Research

Sign up for alerts for webinars and other grant services offered by Hanover Research.

Upcoming Webinar - Creative Grant Seeking in a Challenging Landscape

Thursday, April 24, 2025, 11:00 AM CT

In today’s funding environment, many grant seekers cannot afford to invest all their effort towards one or two federal programs.

Using examples based in real experience, this webinar will illustrate how a combination of creative design and resourceful grant seeking – such as exploring foundations or clearly articulating impact – can give PIs promising pathways to pursue even amidst a changing landscape.

Register Here

Hanover Grants Calendars

Hanover publishes several Grants Calendars centered on certain funding interests as part of their effort to monitor the funding landscape and facilitate strategic planning. Here are a few that might be of interest to NSM faculty:

Anti-DEI Legislation Trends and Impacts on Grants

In recent years, efforts to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in both K-12 and higher education through legislation have become commonplace. In this special report, Hanover reviews national and state-specific trends related to DEI legislation, including potential impacts for grant-seekers.

Hanover Watch On-Demand

Hanover has these additional resources:

University of Houston

Federal Funding Updates Webpage

The UH Division of Research has published a new webpage with resources for recent and upcoming changes to proposals, awards, and agency operations during the federal administration transition. You can also submit questions pertaining to recent federal funding changes to DOR directly on this webpage.

PI Survey on Impacts to Federal Awards

If you are a Principal Investigator on a federally funded award, DOR requests that you respond to this survey if you believe there are current or future activities in your Statement of Work or budget that may be affected by recent Executive Orders. Complete the Survey

Required Research Security Training Available in CITI

The Department of Energy will require any NOFO application with a due date after May 1, 2025, that covered individuals complete Research Security Training within the 12 months prior to the application. Covered individuals must certify via Current and Pending Support that they have completed the training. Other agencies will require this training in the future as well.

A Covered Individual (a) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the development or execution of the scope of work of a project funded by DOE or proposed for funding by DOE, and (b) is designated as a covered individual by DOE. At a minimum, DOE designates as covered individuals any principal investigator (PI); project director (PD); co-principal investigator (Co-PI); co-project director (Co-PD); project manager; and any individual regardless of title that is functionally performing as a PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or project manager.

The University of Houston offers this training through the modules that the NSF has made available. Covered individuals should access the training via CITI. If UH is not listed under your affiliations, please add it before beginning the training.

There are four Research Security Training modules, and each will take approximately one hour to complete.

  • Introduction to Research Security (ID 21304)
  • The Importance of Disclosure (ID 21305)
  • Risk Mitigation and Management (ID 21306)
  • The Importance of International Collaboration (ID 21307)

Effort Reporting Available for FY24

The effort reporting system is now up and running. This system will display your effort for the period from September 1, 2023, through August 31, 2024, which requires your review and certification.

The Maximus system follows a two-part effort certification process:

  1. Pre-Review: The Pre-Reviewer (typically the DBA or department staff) will receive the first notification. This step is to verify that payroll charges align with the planned effort.
  2. Certification: Once the Pre-Review is complete, a second email will be sent to the Certifier (usually the PI or their designee), indicating that the effort report is ready for certification.

To assist you in navigating the system, or if you need access, I have included some helpful links below:

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please send all inquiries to doreffrt@central.uh.edu.

PeopleSoft Functions: Subaward Invoice

As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance operations, the Office of Contracts and Grants has expanded PeopleSoft functions to include the payment of subaward invoices.

Beginning July 1, the subaward invoice process is as follows:

  • OCG will receive invoices at subaward@central.uh.edu.
  • Invoices received will be assigned a Subaward Invoice function by OCG.
  • PIs will receive an email notification informing them of an invoice requiring their review and approval.
  • PIs will review and approve in their My Inbox within PeopleSoft Grants.
  • Once PI approval is complete, OCG will be notified and will initiate the voucher for payment.

These updates were covered in the recent Research Administration Forum. Watch this segment on SharePoint

Watch on SharePoint: Functions Overview

Learn about new functions in PeopleSoft Grants designed to streamline award management.

Watch: Getting Started with ORCID

Andrea Malone of UH Libraries walks you through the process of setting up your ORCID iD and adding works to your profile. Watch on SharePoint.

Watch on SharePoint: Watch Hanover Research: Introduction for UH Grantseekers

Learn about how to engage with UH’s new research partner, Hanover Research.

UH Libraries Can Help You with Research Data Management

UH Libraries offers a range of support for Research Data Management, archiving, and sharing:

  1. Guidance on data management planning for grant proposals or any research project.
  2. Assistance for sustained compliance with funder and university policies.
  3. Workshops and consultations for graduate students on collaborative work practices and strategies for handling data throughout research.
  4. An institutional data repository for archiving and sharing data and related content at no cost for up to 10 GB per project.

For more information about data management see: UH Libraries Data Management Resources.

Gulf Coast Consortium News

GCC Job Board

Looking for a postdoc or research position at a GCC member institution? The GCC Job Board currently lists several positions. The Job Board is where graduating Ph.D. students and postdocs from GCC institutions can post their resumes and search for jobs at GCC institutions.

To place a resume on the Job Board, register as a Job Seeker and enter the requested information. To place a job opening, register as a GCC Recruiter and enter the requested information. Anyone not from a GCC institution can register through Public Access and view job openings and resumes but cannot place anything on the Job Board.

Highlighted Core Technology of the Month: Structural Biology

  • Center for Research Computing, Rice University website

Looking for a Particular Piece of Equipment?

Did you know that the GCC has a Shared Equipment and Resource Committee composed of the Directors/Leaders in equipment inventory and acquisition from each of the GCC institutions? If you are looking for a particular piece of equipment, please email Suzanne Tomlinson (smtomlin@rice.edu), and the committee members will work together to try to locate it and introduce you to the PI who owns/administers it. View GCC Shared Core Facilities

Upcoming Events

Manuscript Mastery 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Writing, April 16

Manuscript writing is an essential part of Biomedical research. This IN PERSON workshop is designed for PhD students and Postdocs affiliated with Institutions in biomedical science and will provide tips to enhance your writing skills for publication in scientific journals. Presented by Kim Mankiewicz, PhD, Scientific Writer, UTHealth Houston, and former GCC Trainee. Wednesday, April 16, 3:30-5:00pm. Location: BRC Room 1060. This event is currently full. For waitlist registration, click here.

GCC Jr. Faculty Extravaganza, April 25

Open to all Assistant Professors and Jr. Faculty: Do not miss this opportunity to learn about research and training programs, seed grants, equipment/cores, and other resources that are available across GCC institutions. It is also an excellent opportunity to meet new colleagues and potential collaborators. A drawing will take place for several door prizes including an iPad and gift cards. Friday, April 25, 4:00-6:00pm. Location: Bioscience Research Collaborative (BRC). Register here.

Molecular Basis of Infectious Diseases (MBID) Retreat, May 1

The Annual MBID Retreat will be held on Thursday, May 1, at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, 1825 Pressler Street. Keynote Speakers for the retreat are Alejandro Aballay, PharmD, PhD, Dean of the MD Anderson/UTHealth Houston GSBS and Professor of Genetics, MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Julie Segre, PhD, Chief and NIH Distinguished Investigator of the Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute. In addition to the keynote addresses, planned activities for the day include Career Development Panel, Poster Session, Graduate Student/Postdoc/Faculty Presentations. This retreat is sponsored by the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at UTH and is aligned with the GCC Training Program for predoctoral trainees, MBID. All are welcome! Register here.

Mentoring Refresher for Faculty - Unlocking Potential: Supporting Your Mentee’s Career Development, May 6

Designed for faculty engaged in biomedical research, this Mentoring Refresher will focus on promoting professional development with your mentees. Learn to identify your role in the professional development of your mentee and develop strategies for guiding that growth. (GCC webpage for more information.) Tuesday, May 6, 12:00-1:30pm; Facilitator: Jane Grande-Allen, PhD, Rice Univ. ONLINE. Space is limited. Register here.

Call for Abstracts: 6th Annual GCC Innovative Drug Discovery and Development Conference: Pioneering New Approaches for Healthcare Innovation, May 6-7

Confirmed Keynote presenters are Michelle Arkin, Univ. of California, San Francisco, and Miguel Hernán, Harvard Univ. Additional presenters include Zhiqiang An, UTHealth Houston; Chen-Ni Chin, IGM Biosciences, Inc.; Kevin Dalby, Univ. of Texas; Siddhartha De, 7 Hills Pharma Inc.; Long Doan, SpyGlass Pharma Inc.; Aimee Iberg, Recursion; Wissam Khalife, Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Monique Knighten, Portal Innovations; Jeffrey Larson, Tvardi Therapeutics; Dong Liang, Texas Southern Univ.; Qingyun “Jim” Liu, UTHealth Houston; Jennifer Maynard, Univ. of Texas; Stanton McHardy, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio; Deepak Nijhawan, Univ. of Texas, Southwestern; Allison Rhines, JLabs; Jennifer Roohi, TMC Innovation; Supriya Sinha, TMC Innovation; Clifford Stephan, Texas A&M Institute of Bioscience and Technology; Colby Suire, K2bio; Will Tankersley, Levit Green; Lacey Tezino, GCC REACH; and Suzanne Tomlinson-Mathis, GCC IDDD Core Network. Submit your abstract for poster presentation here. The deadline to submit an abstract is April 8. More information can be found at the conference website. Register here.

Mentoring Up for PhD Students - In-person, May 16

This in-person, 6-hour, evidence-based workshop helps mentees learn to proactively manage their mentoring relationship. This workshop is specifically geared for the challenges faced by PhD students in biomedical research. Facilitated by: Vicki Alger, Training Administrator and Evaluator, GCC; Gabrielle Ferguson, LMSW, Office of Graduate Studies & Trainee Affairs, Houston Methodist Academic Institute; Sandra Haudek, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine. Friday, May 16, 9:30am-3:30pm. Location: Bioscience Research Collaborative (BRC), Room 1060. Register here.

Research Mentor Training Workshop for Faculty - In-person, June 6

This in-person, 6-hour, evidence-based workshop helps develop skills and insights in mentoring through interactions and discussions. Workshops cover aspects of mentoring young scientists in the lab. Friday, June 6, 9:30am-3:30pm. Facilitated by: Cintia De Paiva, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine; Sandra Haudek, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine; Fred Pereira, PhD, Assoc. Professor, Baylor College of Medicine. Location: Bioscience Research Collaborative (BRC), Room 1060. Register here.