CRA Exam Prep Spring Questions &
Answers 2023/2024
Modular budget (NIH) - ANSWERSbudget with direct costs requested in $25,000 modules, up to
$250,000 per year.
Typical modular budgets request the same number of modules per year.
Used for R01, R03, R15, R25 funding mechanisms.
Modular budget justification(s) - ANSWERS1. Personnel justification (name, role, # of person months)
2. Consortium justification - include total costs (direct+indirect) rounded to nearest $1k for each
subaward - including personnel roles and months; and if foreign or domestic
3. Additional justification - used to describe any variation in module requests between years; and any
work conducted off-site
FedConnect.net - ANSWERSGateway to Government Opportunities, Acquisition and Grants Portal
sam.gov - ANSWERSSystem for Award Management: register to do business with the US government
obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from sam.gov
UEI - ANSWERSunited entity identifier
12 digit alphanumeric ID
assigned by sam.gov
,final implementation on April 4, 2022
NSF:PAPPG, NIH:? - ANSWERSGrants Policy Statement (NIH-GPS)
the NIH is part of what department? - ANSWERSUS Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
NIH is one of 8 what? - ANSWERSPublic Health Service
Bonus: along with ACF, AHRQ, CDC, CMS, FDA, HRSA, and SAMHSA
How many NIH institutes and centers (ICs) are there?
How many have funding authority? - ANSWERS27
24 with funding authority
Bonus: 3 without are NIH Clinical Center, Center for Info Technology, and Center for Scientific Review
3 common funding instruments - ANSWERS1. Grants
2. Contracts
3. Cooperative Agreements
Characteristics of a Grant - ANSWERSInitiated by the investigator (via an FOA, RFP, RFA)
Assistance/for the public good
No sponsor involvement
scope somewhat flexible
applicable regulations - Uniform Guidance; sponsor specific
Characteristics of a Contract - ANSWERSInitiated by sponsor via RFP, RFQ or maybe BAA
to obtain specific goods or services
,no flexibility in scope; firm deadline
sponsor could have extensive involvement
Applicable regulations - Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
Characteristics of a Cooperative Agreement - ANSWERSInitiated by sponsor via FOA, RFP, RFA
Substantial sponsor involvement
scope may be flexible
regulated by - uniform guidance; sponsor specific
Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Agreement - ANSWERSallows university faculty to temporarily be
assigned to a federal agency while maintaining their university status (usually less than 3 years)
OF-69 is award instrument
USAspending.gov - ANSWERSSearchable database for Federal awards
E-Verify.gov - ANSWERSSite for instant verification of US work authorization
NSPIRES - ANSWERSNASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System
proposalCENTRAL - ANSWERSE-granting website shared by many government, non-profit, and private
grant-making organizations
Grant Solutions (eRA) - ANSWERSDepartment of the Interior award management system
FDP - ANSWERSFederal Demonstration Partnership: initiative to reduce administrative burden associated
with research grants and contracts
FDP is a cooperative initiative among _____ federal agencies and _______ institutional recipients of
federal funds - ANSWERS10 federal agencies, 217 institutional recipients
, FDP primary benefit - ANSWERSsimplified and streamlined terms and conditions across FDP member
federal agencies
What clearinghouse does the FDP maintain? - ANSWERSFCOI Institutional Clearinghouse
Institutes can certify their institutional compliance with PHS FCOI requirements
Scientific Review Officer (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for scientific and technical review; managing the
peer review process
point of contact for applicants during review process
Program Official (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for the programmatic, scientific, or technical aspects of a
grant; provides scientific guidance to PIs; reviews progress reports
Grant Management Officer (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for administrative management of grants
Research Project Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSPrimarily R and U awards
But not all RPGs are Rs; not all Rs are RPGs).
Includes R01, R15, R21, DP1, P01
Small Business Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSSBIR & STTR - R41, R42, R43, R44
Center Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSMost P awards
Other Research Grants (NIH) - ANSWERSconference grants - R13
Resource grants - R24, R25
Answers 2023/2024
Modular budget (NIH) - ANSWERSbudget with direct costs requested in $25,000 modules, up to
$250,000 per year.
Typical modular budgets request the same number of modules per year.
Used for R01, R03, R15, R25 funding mechanisms.
Modular budget justification(s) - ANSWERS1. Personnel justification (name, role, # of person months)
2. Consortium justification - include total costs (direct+indirect) rounded to nearest $1k for each
subaward - including personnel roles and months; and if foreign or domestic
3. Additional justification - used to describe any variation in module requests between years; and any
work conducted off-site
FedConnect.net - ANSWERSGateway to Government Opportunities, Acquisition and Grants Portal
sam.gov - ANSWERSSystem for Award Management: register to do business with the US government
obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from sam.gov
UEI - ANSWERSunited entity identifier
12 digit alphanumeric ID
assigned by sam.gov
,final implementation on April 4, 2022
NSF:PAPPG, NIH:? - ANSWERSGrants Policy Statement (NIH-GPS)
the NIH is part of what department? - ANSWERSUS Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
NIH is one of 8 what? - ANSWERSPublic Health Service
Bonus: along with ACF, AHRQ, CDC, CMS, FDA, HRSA, and SAMHSA
How many NIH institutes and centers (ICs) are there?
How many have funding authority? - ANSWERS27
24 with funding authority
Bonus: 3 without are NIH Clinical Center, Center for Info Technology, and Center for Scientific Review
3 common funding instruments - ANSWERS1. Grants
2. Contracts
3. Cooperative Agreements
Characteristics of a Grant - ANSWERSInitiated by the investigator (via an FOA, RFP, RFA)
Assistance/for the public good
No sponsor involvement
scope somewhat flexible
applicable regulations - Uniform Guidance; sponsor specific
Characteristics of a Contract - ANSWERSInitiated by sponsor via RFP, RFQ or maybe BAA
to obtain specific goods or services
,no flexibility in scope; firm deadline
sponsor could have extensive involvement
Applicable regulations - Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
Characteristics of a Cooperative Agreement - ANSWERSInitiated by sponsor via FOA, RFP, RFA
Substantial sponsor involvement
scope may be flexible
regulated by - uniform guidance; sponsor specific
Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Agreement - ANSWERSallows university faculty to temporarily be
assigned to a federal agency while maintaining their university status (usually less than 3 years)
OF-69 is award instrument
USAspending.gov - ANSWERSSearchable database for Federal awards
E-Verify.gov - ANSWERSSite for instant verification of US work authorization
NSPIRES - ANSWERSNASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System
proposalCENTRAL - ANSWERSE-granting website shared by many government, non-profit, and private
grant-making organizations
Grant Solutions (eRA) - ANSWERSDepartment of the Interior award management system
FDP - ANSWERSFederal Demonstration Partnership: initiative to reduce administrative burden associated
with research grants and contracts
FDP is a cooperative initiative among _____ federal agencies and _______ institutional recipients of
federal funds - ANSWERS10 federal agencies, 217 institutional recipients
, FDP primary benefit - ANSWERSsimplified and streamlined terms and conditions across FDP member
federal agencies
What clearinghouse does the FDP maintain? - ANSWERSFCOI Institutional Clearinghouse
Institutes can certify their institutional compliance with PHS FCOI requirements
Scientific Review Officer (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for scientific and technical review; managing the
peer review process
point of contact for applicants during review process
Program Official (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for the programmatic, scientific, or technical aspects of a
grant; provides scientific guidance to PIs; reviews progress reports
Grant Management Officer (NIH) - ANSWERSresponsible for administrative management of grants
Research Project Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSPrimarily R and U awards
But not all RPGs are Rs; not all Rs are RPGs).
Includes R01, R15, R21, DP1, P01
Small Business Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSSBIR & STTR - R41, R42, R43, R44
Center Grants series (NIH) - ANSWERSMost P awards
Other Research Grants (NIH) - ANSWERSconference grants - R13
Resource grants - R24, R25
