Technological And Cultural Impediments Slow Electronic NIH Grant Submission

Computer compatibility and investigator reluctance blamed for the long delay in agency's move into the digital age. The Internal Revenue Service began accepting electronic transmission of federal income tax forms in 1986. This time-saving option has become quite popular, and by 1994 was used by some 14 million taxpayers. Yet at the National Institutes of Health--which funds some of the most scientifically sophisticated researchers in the world--grant proposals are, for the most part, still bei

Written byLiane Rief-leherer
| 11 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
11:00
Share


Computer compatibility and investigator reluctance blamed for the long delay in agency's move into the digital age.
The Internal Revenue Service began accepting electronic transmission of federal income tax forms in 1986. This time-saving option has become quite popular, and by 1994 was used by some 14 million taxpayers. Yet at the National Institutes of Health--which funds some of the most scientifically sophisticated researchers in the world--grant proposals are, for the most part, still being submitted and processed on paper. Why is NIH taking so long to move into the electronic age?

The answer, report researchers and NIH officials, is, in part, that electronic submission of a complete government grant application is fraught with difficulties. In addition to the technical problems that have been encountered in attempts to produce a paperless grant application submission process--such as incompatibilities among computer systems--there are human factors. For example, some investigators are too busy ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
July Digest 2025
July 2025, Issue 1

What Causes an Earworm?

Memory-enhancing neural networks may also drive involuntary musical loops in the brain.

View this Issue
Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Twist Bio 
Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

DNA and pills, conceptual illustration of the relationship between genetics and therapeutic development

Multiplexing PCR Technologies for Biopharmaceutical Research

Thermo Fisher Logo
Discover how to streamline tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte production.

Producing Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapeutics

cytiva logo

Products

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Sino Biological Sets New Industry Standard with ProPure Endotoxin-Free Proteins made in the USA

sartorius-logo

Introducing the iQue 5 HTS Platform: Empowering Scientists  with Unbeatable Speed and Flexibility for High Throughput Screening by Cytometry

parse_logo

Vanderbilt Selects Parse Biosciences GigaLab to Generate Atlas of Early Neutralizing Antibodies to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

shiftbioscience

Shift Bioscience proposes improved ranking system for virtual cell models to accelerate gene target discovery