Introduction

This site is devoted to general information regarding investigator-initiated Conference Grants (R13) or Conference Cooperative Agreement (U13) Awards. This site will be updated as policies and information change, so readers are encouraged to check back periodically. One of the changes that has occurred is the switch to an electronic application process as of December 15, 2005 (see 10/26/2005 R13/U13 Program Announcement).

The NIH recognizes the value of supporting scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health. A scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, conference, workshop, or any other organized, formal meeting where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.

The support of scientific meetings is highly contingent on the scientific interests and priorities of the individual Institutes and Centers (IC), as well as on the level of investment that each determines is appropriate. Therefore, a conference grant application is required to contain a letter from the appropriate NIH staff listed below (Contacts List, MS Word - 77 KB) documenting advance permission. Investigators are urged to initiate contact well in advance of the application receipt date. Please note that agreement to accept an application does not guarantee funding.

Any domestic organization eligible to receive grants from NIH, including a scientific or professional society, is eligible to apply for a conference grant or cooperative agreement. Both domestic and international conferences may be supported; however, an international conference can be supported only through the U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society.

• Electronic Submission– NIH will require electronic submission of the SF424 (R&R) form through Grants.gov to NIH for all Conference Grants and Conference Cooperative Agreement Awards (R13/U13) for the Dec. 15, 2005 application deadline and beyond.
  
  
• Registration – The NIH electronic submission process requires institutional registration in two separate systems: Grants.gov and eRA Commons. Principal Investigators also must be registered in eRA Commons. These registration processes can take up to four weeks (possibly longer for new organizations) to complete. All registrations must be in place prior to application submission. For additional information on preparing for electronic submission to NIH please visit: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm.
  
  
• Training resources – video library, archived training sessions and other training resources to learn about the NIH electronic submission process and the new SF424 (R&R) application
  
  
• FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
  
  
• Tips & Tools - resources to avoid common application submission errors
  
  
• NIH Guide Program Announcement (10/26/2005) - NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13/U13) - requires use the Grants.gov electronic application process as of 12/15/2005.
• December 14, 2006 - This funding opportunity has been updated to clarify page limitations for the Introduction on Resubmissions.



• Transition to SF424 (R&R) and Electronic Submission - (10/3/2005) - NIH Guide Notice on NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13/U13): Transition to the SF424 (R&R) Form and Electronic Submission through Grants.gov



• Contacts List (MS Word - 77 KB) - NIH staff who must be contacted for written approval prior to submission of an application. These individuals welcome inquiries for additional information.



• Receipt Dates - April 12, August 12, and December 12 (also see Submission Date Schedule).



• Inclusion Information (09/26/2003) - Guidelines for Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Supported Conference Grants.



• Frequently Asked Questions (MS Word - 46 KB) - Listing of common questions regarding the preparation and submission of conference grant and cooperative agreement applications. Please check back periodically, as these will be updated as new questions are received.



• Acknowledgement/Disclaimer of NIH support
  Effective immediately for all R13, U13, and other NIH awards that support scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops, the grantee must acknowledge NIH grant support and provide a disclaimer on any conference materials related to the project.  

For specific questions regarding NIH Institute and Center (IC) Conference (R13 and U13) funding opportunities and questions about IC research interests.
See: Contacts List (MS Word - 80 KB)

For general questions about the NIH Conference (R13 and U13) program:

Denise Russo, Ph.D.
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive
Rockledge I Building, Room 3524
Bethesda MD 20892
ph: 301-451-7972
fax: 301-480-0146
email: drusso1@mail.nih.gov

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