A $787 billion economic stimulus package was put in place by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)  passed by Congress on Feb. 13, 2009 and signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 17. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act targets investments towards key areas (shown below) that will save or create good jobs immediately, while also laying the groundwork for longterm economic growth.

Federal Agencies will provide specific information and mechanisms for the monies to be appropriately spent to meet the objectives of the ARRA. For example, the National Institutes of Health will receive $10.4 billion.

• Of this sum, $1.3 billion will go to NCRR ($1 billion for competitive extramural facilities; $300 million for shared instrumentation), $500 million goes to intramural facilities, and $400 million gets transferred to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• A total of $8.2 billion goes to the NIH Office of the Director, of which $7.4 billion is transferred to the specific Institutes/Centers with $800 million remaining in OD for trans-NIH initiatives.  Three primary mechanisms:
  • 1.  R01 applications already in the funding queue.  Two years of funding could be provided for those applications that could benefit from two years of funding and align with Institutes/Centers priorities.
  • 2.  Administrative Supplements to existing grants.  Existing grants with at least one year to run may be given the opportunity or asked to submit supplements that further the goals of the Institutes/Centers.
  • 3. Challenge Grants: CHALLENGE GRANTS-with topic areas.doc