Create a Team

All Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) teams must involve an intramural investigator PLUS one or more investigators from another NIH institute and/or one or more extramural partners. The team must include at least one basic scientist and one clinical researcher.

Designate a Project Leader

Intramural Investigators in all Institutes/Centers are eligible to serve as project leaders on proposals. At least one intramural investigator on the project must have responsibility for scientific and budgetary oversight.

Extramural Investigators (PIs) are eligible to serve as project leaders on proposals but must meet the following requirements:

• Have an existing NIH grant if requesting funding
• Have an intramural collaborator* at NIH who would function as: the project leader and point of contact OR just serve as an intramural collaborator on the project and be responsible for submitting both the letter of intent and full proposal electronically

*To identify an intramural collaborator, here are some NIH resources:

• NIH's database of all current intramural research
• Intramural Principal Investigator Directory
• "Search the Studies" website to identify investigators on relevant protocols
• Contact the Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) Program Office for assistance in identifying intramural partners

• For awards involving extramural partners, PIs can budget a portion of their funds to their extramural collaborator(s), which will be directed as an administrative supplement to an existing grant. In order to ensure uninterrupted funding, it is best if there is sufficient time left on the grant vehicle to get to the end of the project period. Thus, grants such as R21 and other award mechanisms that do not have competing renewals are not acceptable for BtB supplements. If the extramural collaborator does not have sufficient time on the parent grant to complete the BtB work, the BtB supplement may be pro-rated. For additional information please Contact Us.
• Anticipated indirect costs must be included in the budget tables of the application.
• The extramural collaborator must ensure that his/her role on the BtB proposal is within scope of the parent grant. This is the responsibility of the extramural collaborator, not the BtB program team.
• Any expected recipient of a supplement must be listed on a grant to be supplemented. Adding a collaborator on an existing grant for the sole purpose of a supplement from BtB will not be approved.
• Principal investigators for all awarded projects will be required to submit annual progress reports on the project's status. Extramural collaborators receiving administrative supplements are required to include a section in the parent grant RPPR on the progress made on the BtB project.

The proposal is forwarded for review by the full Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) Review Team which is assembled to represent diverse scientific/medical disciplines, based upon the research categories of the applications.

Peer Review Process

• Reviewers with subject matter expertise will review submitted proposals and assign scores based on the NIH scoring system and program guidelines.
• Summary statements are released to applicants by Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) Program officer.

Designation of Awards

• Funding decisions will be made by program officials in consultation with donor offices.
• Funds are distributed by the earliest possible date, depending on budgetary conditions.

Post award requirements:

• Principal investigators for all awarded projects will be required to submit annual progress reports on the project's status.
• Extramural collaborators receiving administrative supplements are required to include a section in the parent grant RPPR on the progress made on the Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) project.
• Progress Report Templates:
  • Progress Report Template for Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) Project, Year 1 
  • Progress Report Template for Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program (BtB) Project, Year 2