Now that your project has been accepted for NNLM funding, this guide will explain how to comply with the specific requirements you will need to meet through the duration of your project.
Congratulations on having your project selected by the NNLM! You probably have a lot of questions. We encourage you to speak to your Regional Medical Library, Office, or Center that awarded your proposal.
Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions that each NNLM Regional Medical Library, Office, and Center receives once a project is selected for funding:
Requirements differ between funding institutions and can change over time. Consult with the funding Region, Office or Center to determine what documentation will be required.
In addition to documents, you will have to complete before you can begin your project, there are a number of reports that you are required to complete. Please refer to the Reporting tab for information on what reports you may be responsible for completing.
Awardees must acknowledge the support of the National Library of Medicine whenever publicizing the work under an award in any media by including an acknowledgment substantially as follows:
"Developed resources reported in this [publication, press release, website] are supported by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, under Cooperative Agreement number XXXXXX. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."
Contact your funding Region, Office or Center to get the cooperative agreement number.
All awards are cost-reimbursable. Your institution pays for budgeted expenses and then sends line item invoices to get reimbursed. As long as an awardee is up to date with reporting and is complying with other award requirements, invoices can be sent to us as frequently as once a month.
Please refer to the Invoicing tab in this guide for more details.
Project Reporting
All NNLM-funded projects require some form of reporting, to communicate the value and achievements of your activities back to the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. You should consult with your Regional Medical Library, Office, or Center funding your project to confirm what reports you will need to submit. The following reports are the most common reports you are required to complete.
NNLM Awardees should refer to the Grant Reporting video tutorial to help submit an activity report and include data for your activities. Templates are available for you on this page to plan answers ahead of submission.
Activity Reports
Activity reports must be submitted via the Network of the National Library of Medicine's online reporting portal, known as the Data Reporting System (DRS).
- These activities are typically scheduled in advance and directed toward an audience outside of the awardee's institution.
- Activities may be in person, virtual, or a combination of both.
- Awardees should make an effort to collect demographic information for all participants.
- Some examples of activities that should be reported are:
- Holding a class on an NLM resource for members of the public
- Presenting your outreach program at a professional conference
- Visiting a potential community partner to assess their health information needs
- Conducting focus groups to determine how best to serve the larger community
- Exhibits where you answer questions, distribute educational materials, and provide impromptu training to attendees at conferences, health fairs, or other events
- If you are unsure about whether your activity should be reported, please contact the Region, Office or Center that funded your project.
- Sample Documents
Final Reports
A Final Project Report must be completed no later than 30 days after the end of the period of performance.
- Final Reports must be submitted via the Network of the National Library of Medicine's online reporting portal, known as the Data Reporting System (DRS).
- Unique login information for the DRS will be supplied to subawardees.
- Answer in a narrative paragraph format.
- Please note that parts of these reports may be made public, and so should be edited carefully for spelling and grammatical errors.
- Final Reports may be started at any time after the project has begun. We recommend starting early and writing the report as the project progresses.
- Sample Document
Please contact the funding Region, Office or Center with any questions.
Other Reporting Requirements
Additional reporting may be required depending on the award type. Supplemental reports are requested for:
Awardees may also be required to share their project with the network via:
- Blog post
- Webinar presentation
Consult with your RML Coordinator and/or check your Statement of Work (SOW) for guidance.
Compliance with Federal Requirements
In addition to reporting on your project activities and outcomes, all projects funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must also comply with federal requirements.
NIH Acknowledgement
Awardees must acknowledge the support of the National Library of Medicine whenever publicizing the work under this award in any media by including an acknowledgment substantially as follows:
"Developed resources reported in this [publication, press release, website] are supported by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, under Cooperative Agreement number XXXXXX. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."
Credit Statement
The awardee shall acknowledge the support of the National Library of Medicine whenever publicizing the work under this award in any media by including an acknowledgment substantially as follows:
“This project is funded by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Cooperative Agreement Number XXXXX with the University of XXXXX."
Accessibility Requirements: 508 Compliance
Section 508 requires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to web applications, web pages and training materials posted on websites.
Data Sharing and Development of Training Materials
To facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and information associated with the NNLM Cooperative Agreement Award, all subawardees are required to share any data or training material resulting from funding. This information must be submitted to the following collection sites as applicable:
- Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) website;
- Other websites specifically designated by the NLM as part of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (considering changes in the project and data repositories required to maintain sharing within the Network).
In addition, recipients of funding are expected to use or adapt existing training materials before developing new materials. Consult with your RML and the NNLM Training Office (NTO) prior to developing materials.
NIH Public Access Policy: Publications and Copyright
Recipients of NNLM funding are required to deposit any peer-reviewed manuscript upon acceptance for publication in PubMed Central in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Contact your RML for additional guidance.
Final peer-reviewed manuscripts arising from NLM/ NIH funds must be submitted to PubMed Central (PMC) upon acceptance for publication. The NIH Public Access Policy ensures that the public has access to the published results of NIH funded research. It requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PMC upon acceptance for publication.
NNLM's Invoicing Process
Please note the following information and requirements related to invoicing.
- All NNLM awards are made on a cost reimbursement basis unless another arrangement has been explicitly pre-approved by the funding Regional Medical Library, Office, or Center.
- Awards are contingent upon funding available from the sponsoring agency.
- Reimbursement is contingent on satisfactory compliance with reporting requirements (LINK).
- All awardees should submit invoices on a monthly basis, unless another arrangement has been explicitly approved by the funding Region.
- Receipts are not required with invoices, but should be kept on file by subawardees for auditing purposes.
- Please use the NNLM invoice template to ensure that all required information is collected prior to submission.
- Please contact your Project Coordinator for approval before purchasing anything not included in the original project budget.
To submit an invoice:
- Send a PDF copy of the invoice via email to your invoicing contacts, and CC your Project Coordinator.
- If your project is funded by Region 5, invoicing is processed through the University of Washington ARIBA System. Instructional links will be provided by the RML.
- With your first invoice, please also include a copy of your institution’s W-9, if requested by the funding Region.
Note: invoices cannot be processed until your contract has been fully executed with the sponsoring university; contact your RML if you are unsure about the status of your contract.
Invoicing Contacts
The following table provides contact information and the correct institutional address to include in your invoice. If you have questions about the process or need assistance, please reach out to the invoicing contact for the Region, Office or Center (ROC) that is supporting your project.
| ROC | States/Territories Served | Contact(s) | Invoicing Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | DE, KY, MD, NJ, NC, PA, VA, WV, DC | University of Maryland, Baltimore Health Sciences and Human Services Library 601 W Lombard Street Baltimore, MD 21201 | |
| Region 2 | AL, FL, GA, MS, SC, TN, PR, VI | Evelyn Blake | Evelyn Blake Interim Grant Administrator 171 Ashley Avenue, MSC 403, Charleston, SC 29425 |
| Region 3 | AR, KS, LA, MO, NE, OK, TX | UNT HSC Office of Sponsored Programs CC your Budget Coordinator | Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 3 University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., LIB 310 Fort Worth, Texas 76107 |
| Region 4 | AZ, ID, CO, MT, NM, ND, SD, UT, WY | University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library 10 North 1900 East Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5890 | |
| Region 5 | AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA, AS, FM, GU, MH, MP, PW | Lisa Guerrero | Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 5 University of Washington, Box 357155 Seattle, WA 98195-7155 |
| Region 6 | IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, OH, and WI | The University of Iowa Attn: Grant Accounting Office 118 S. Clinton Street Iowa City, IA 52242 | |
| Region 7 | CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT | ATTN: Christian Molina University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 7 55 Lake Ave North, Room S4-241 Worcester, MA 01655-00002 | |
| NEC | National | ||
| NPHCO | National | Susan Army | ATTN: Susan Army University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Network of the National Library of Medicine 55 Lake Ave North, Room S4-241 Worcester, MA 01655-00002 |
| NTO | National | Jessica Van Der Volgen | NNLM Training Office University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library 10 North 1900 East Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5890 |
| All of Us CEN | National | The University of Iowa Attn: Grant Accounting Office 118 S. Clinton Street Iowa City, IA 52242 | |
| All of Us TEC | National | Tristan Lucchetti | NNLM All of Us Training and Education Center 200 Scaife Hall 3550 Terrace Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 |