Federal Research Agencies Move to Aid Displaced Scientists

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By JEFFREY BRAINARD

Federal science agencies that finance academic research will give scientists displaced by Hurricane Katrina time and money to get back on their feet and have set no deadline for them to resume their work.

The National Institutes of Health, in response to the hurricane damage, has described such policies on its Web site, most recently in a set of "frequently asked questions" and answers posted on September 14. The National Science Foundation issued its version on September 15.

Two institutions in New Orleans, Tulane University and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, together held most of the federal research grants among all colleges shut down by the storm.

All told, the two federal agencies, which together are the largest single source of funds for academic science, provided about $120-million to about 300 projects at the two institutions in 2004. Tulane ranked 97th among academic institutions in federal research dollars in the 2003 fiscal year, the last for which spending numbers were reported by the NSF. The science foundation does not report a separate number for the health-sciences center, whose spending is lumped into an overall total for the LSU system. The center ranked 97th among colleges in 2004 in receipt of funds from the NIH.

Even with the possibility of long delays in some projects, federal officials said they would strive to help affected researchers get going again. Grantees can request additional funds for their projects to pay for losses not covered by insurance, said Joseph J. Ellis, director of the NIH's office of policy for extramural research administration.

"The longer we go out, the more of these resources that will be restored, as well as access to human subjects for clinical studies," Mr. Ellis said. "By next spring, we really hope things will be in much better shape down there."

NIH research grants typically last for four or five years, at which point grantees who want renewals must undergo peer review. So some scientists, especially those who recently won grants, may have several years to salvage their work before they must compete for renewal, he noted.

The NIH will continue to evaluate pending applications through peer review, Mr. Ellis said. That process itself takes months: For applications submitted for the agency's October 1 deadline, award decisions will not be announced until next spring. If displaced researchers who win grants are still unable to conduct the proposed research then, NIH program officials may negotiate changes to the scope of the project.

"From our experience to date, there is a strong commitment coming from the NIH director and from the response team that he's put in place," said Paul K. Whelton, senior vice president for health sciences at Tulane. "Within the existing policies and procedures, they've done everything that can be humanly expected."

Through at least January 1, the NIH is allowing institutions to submit applications several weeks past published deadlines without advance permission. The NSF is allowing late applications if program officers agree in advance.

Lila Guterman contributed to this article.