In late April, the NIH released a list of cuts to grant awards in the wake of the final fiscal year 2011 budget. The $30.9 billion allocated to the NIH for fiscal 2011 is almost 1% less than what the agency received in fiscal year 2010. All modular and nonmodular noncompeting research-grant levels from NIH institutes and centers will be lowered to 1% below the fiscal 2010 levels, with the exception of the National Cancer Institute, which will cut noncompeting research-grant levels by 3%. Each NIH institute and center will support competing research awards with funds that have not been designated for noncompeting awards. This should allow the NIH to award approximately 9,050 new and competing Research Project Grants, down from the 9,386 awarded in fiscal 2010. Awards that are affected by the policies and that have already been delegated in fiscal 2011 may be amended. The policy does not affect projects backed by Career Awards, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs or the Ruth L. Kirschstein-National Research Service Award Individual Fellowships and Institutional Teaching Grants. Stipend levels for the Kirschstein National Research Service Awards will rise 2%. Grants’ recurring costs will be adjusted 2% for inflation.

Source: NIH