'O' Terms

Obligation
The amounts for which the recipient has made binding commitments for orders placed for property and services, contracts and subawards, and similar transactions during a funding period that will require payment during the same or a future period.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Obligations
When used in connection with a non-Federal entity's utilization of funds under a Federal award, obligations means orders placed for property and services, contracts and subawards made, and similar transactions during a given period that require payment by the non- Federal entity during the same or a future period.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

OCONUS
See: Outside Continental United States
Offer
"Offer" means a response to a solicitation that, if accepted, would bind the offeror to perform the resultant contract. Responses to invitations for bids (sealed bidding) are offers called "bids" or "sealed bids"; responses to requests for proposals (negotiation) are offers called "proposals"; however, responses to requests for quotations (simplified acquisition) are "quotations," not offers. For unsolicited proposals, see subpart 15.6.

Quoted from §2.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Offeror
A contracting term denoting a respondant to a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Office for Protection from Research Risks OPRR  
Now known as the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).
See: Office of Human Research Protections
Office of Acquisitions OA  
The National Cancer Institute Office of Acquisitions (OA) awards and administers contracts and simplified acquisitions in support of the institute's mission to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Office of Advocacy Relations OAR  
NCI's Office of Advocacy Relations (OAR) serves as the cancer advocacy community's primary point of contact and facilitates the involvement of advocates in NCI's research activities to help enhance the scientific process and improve patient outcomes.
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research OBSSR  
The mission of NIH's Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) is to:
  • Enhance the impact of health-related behavioral and social sciences research
  • Coordinate behavioral and social sciences research conducted or supported by the NIH and integrate these sciences within the larger NIH research enterprise
  • Communicate health-related behavioral and social sciences research findings to various stakeholders within and outside the federal government
Office of Budget and Finance OBF  
NCI's Office of Budget and Finance (OBF) advises the Office of the Director and other senior staff on the management of financial and personnel resources to ensure fiscally responsible and efficient operation of the Institute.
Office of Cancer Centers OCC  
NCI's Office of Cancer Centers (OCC) supports 69 NCI-designated cancer centers nationwide that are actively engaged in trans-disciplinary research to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality.
Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research OCCPR  
NCI's Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research (CCPR) analyzes protein content in tumor cells through the application of state-of-the-art proteomic technologies and workflows, open-data policies, and community reagents to advance our understanding of proteins derived from cancer genomes in clinical research and medicine.
Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research OCNR  
See: Nanodelivery Systems and Devices Branch
Office of Communications and Public Liaison OCPL  
NCI's Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL) supports NCI by disseminating cancer research findings, providing evidence-based information on cancer for the public, including patients, caregivers, health professionals, researchers, advocates, the news media, and other stakeholders, and disseminating information about cancer clinical trials and funding opportunities.
Office of Dietary Supplements ODS  
The mission of NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion ODPHP  
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) plays a vital role in keeping the Nation healthy. We accomplish this by setting national health goals and objectives and supporting programs, services, and education activities that improve the health of all Americans.

We also manage 3 independent websites:

  • health.gov — the home of ODPHP and an essential resource for health information
  • HealthyPeople.gov — tools and resources for professionals about Healthy People 2020 health objectives
  • healthfinder.gov — evidence-based, actionable health guidance for consumers
Congress created ODPHP in 1976 to lead disease prevention and health promotion efforts in the United States. We're part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
Office of Extramural Finance & Information Analysis OEFIA  
NCI's Office of Extramural Finance & Information Analysis (OEFIA):

  1. Manages, plans, directs and coordinates all aspects of the financial management of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) extramural grant programs, including the budget process as it relates to NCI grants;

  2. serves as the principal advisor to Institute senior management on extramural financial management, makes policy recommendations, manages NCI's grants-related financial information systems, and serves as the primary contact regarding NCI extramural research financial management activities;

  3. establishes standards and requirements for the Institute's financial data base that report extramural financial information, ensuring compatibility with NIH and Department systems, and provides reliable extramural accounting and financial management data;

  4. prepares and presents extramural informational analyses, financial reports, special trend and projection analyses, historical data, and fiscal models to inform funding and policy decisions and communicate to institute management, staff and/or advisory groups, NIH, and the general public; and

  5. facilitates deployment at NCI of new business systems for extramural finance and budgeting.
Office of Extramural Research OER  
The NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides the corporate framework for NIH research administration, ensuring scientific integrity, public accountability, and effective stewardship of the NIH extramural research portfolio.
Office of Extramural Research Policy Announcements
Internal correspondence from the NIH's Office of Extramural Research (OER) to Institute/Center Directors and all Extramural Staff that announces a new policy or update to an existing policy.
Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy (formerly NIH/CMO) OFACP  
NIH's Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy's (OFACP) mission is to develop policy and to provide guidance and resources to the public, advisory committee members, the Congress, the President, and those managing Federal advisory committees at the NIH, HHS, and other Federal agencies. As a leader in the advisory committee management community of the Federal Government, OFACP is committed to supporting the NIH mission by managing and promoting the highest quality administration of the laws, regulations, and policies governing Federal advisory committees.
Office of Financial Management OFM  
The NIH's Office of Financial Management (OFM) provides central accounting and reporting for all NIH financial transactions. OFM is responsible for establishing financial management policies and procedures to assure NIH's core financial management systems meet existing and emerging Treasury, GAO, OMB, and Departmental mandates.

OFM serves as an essential partner in providing accounting and financial management services to support the NIH's scientific and biomedical research communities. OFM comprises five divisions for which these services are coordinated for both internal and external customers.

Office of Government and Congressional Relations OGCR  
NCI's Office of Government and Congressional Relations (OGCR) informs the NCI community of congressional issues and interests that affect the Institute; facilitates relationships between NCI, Congress, and the public; and responds to Freedom of Information Act and Government Accountability Office requests to foster an understanding of the scope and value of NCI's investment in cancer research.
Office of Government Ethics OGE  
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics, established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, provides overall leadership and oversight of the executive branch ethics program designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest. OGE's mission is part of the very foundation of public service. The first principle in the Fourteen Principles of Public Service is, "public service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws and ethical principles above private gain." Public servants are expected to make impartial decisions based on the interests of the public when performing their job duties. The executive branch ethics program ensures that employees fulfill this great trust. OGE works with a community of ethics practitioners in more than 130 agencies to implement that program.
Office of Government-wide Policy OGP  
In December 1995, GSA created the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) to consolidate its policy functions into a single organization. OGP's policymaking authority covers the areas of personal and real property, travel and transportation, information technology, regulatory information and use of federal advisory committees. OGP's strategic direction is to ensure that government-wide policies encourage agencies to develop and utilize the best, most cost effective management practices for the conduct of their specific programs.
Office of Grants Administration OGA  
NCI's Office of Grants Administration (OGA) manages all NCI business-related activities associated with the negotiation, award, and administration of NCI grants and cooperative agreements to help financially support cancer research activities throughout the United States and around the world.
Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy OHAM  
NCI's Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy (OHAM) coordinates and oversees HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS cancer research; directly manages certain HIV/AIDS-cancer research activities; and acts as a point of contact for the NIH Office of AIDS Research and other Institutes and Centers to enhance HIV/AIDS and HIV malignancies research efforts across NCI.
Office of Human Research Protections OHRP  
HHS's Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) provides leadership in the protection of the rights, welfare, and wellbeing of human subjects involved in research conducted or supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OHRP is part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in the Office of the Secretary of HHS.

OHRP provides clarification and guidance, develops educational programs and materials, maintains regulatory oversight, and provides advice on ethical and regulatory issues in biomedical and behavioral research. OHRP also supports the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP), which advises the HHS Secretary on issues related to protecting human subjects in research.

Office of Intramural Research OIR  
NIH's Office of Intramural Research (OIR) is responsible for the development and implementation of NIH-wide projects and policies, as well as the oversight and coordination of intramural research, training, and technology transfer conducted within the laboratories and clinics of the National Institutes of Health. NIH's intramural facilities are located on the main campus in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; Frederick, Maryland; Hamilton, Montana; and Phoenix, Arizona. Organizationally, the individual laboratories and sections answer to the 24 Institute– and Center–based intramural programs within NIH, which conduct applied and basic biomedical research in particular disease or subject areas.
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare OLAW  
NIH's Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare provides guidance and interpretation of the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, supports educational programs, and monitors compliance with the Policy by Assured institutions and PHS funding components to ensure the humane care and use of animals in PHS-supported research, testing, and training, thereby contributing to the quality of PHS-supported activities.
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare and Animal Welfare Assurance
See: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare
See Also: Animal Welfare Assurance
Office of Management and Budget OMB  
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the Office in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government that assists the President of the United States in the preparation of the Federal Budget each fiscal year. The OMB also evaluates agency programs and policies, and sets funding priorities.
See Also: Circulars, OMB
Office of Management Assessment OMA  
NIH's Office of Management Assessment (OMA) falls under the Office of Management (OM) located within the Office of the Director (OD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

OMA provides broad management oversight and advice to the Deputy Director for Management and the Institutes and Centers, (ICs) on management reviews, corrective actions, and NIH-wide management of activities related to regulations, delegations of authority, A-76/FAIR Act and Privacy Act requirements, records and forms management, organizational and functional analysis, and manual issuances;

Additionally, OMA conducts management assessments to improve component-specific and/or NIH-wide management effectiveness and efficiency of administrative management functions and systems, as well as broad-based management assessments of program areas as appropriate. Specific responsibilities also include:

  • Providing a centralized management survey and review capability to promote program integrity.
  • Assuming the lead responsibility on cases received through the DHHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) hotline that are referred to NIH for action.
  • Serving as NIH's central liaison on matters involving the OIG, the Government Accountability Office, the DHHS Office of Audit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, congressional staff members, etc., related to management controls and audits.
  • Having overall responsibility for all matters-including the development and implementation of policy and the Annual Management Control Plan-related to management controls to prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and conflict of interest or the appearance of these, and developing a planned management oversight activity that focuses on early identification and prevention of such occurrences.

Office of Management Policy and Compliance OMPC  
NCI's Office of Management Policy and Compliance (OMPC) advises the Office of Management and other senior staff on the implementation of Institute-wide administrative policies and procedures, management controls and evaluations while ensuring compliance with Federal requirements.
Office of Personnel Management OPM  
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) works in several broad categories to recruit, retain and honor a world-class workforce for the American people.

  • We manage Federal job announcement postings at USAJOBS.gov, and set policy on governmentwide hiring procedures.
  • We conduct background investigations for prospective employees and security clearances across government, with hundreds of thousands of cases each year.
  • We uphold and defend the merit systems in Federal civil service, making sure that the Federal workforce uses fair practices in all aspects of personnel management.
  • We manage pension benefits for retired Federal employees and their families. We also administer health and other insurance programs for Federal employees and retirees.
  • We provide training and development programs and other management tools for Federal employees and agencies.
  • In many cases, we take the lead in developing, testing and implementing new governmentwide policies that relate to personnel issues.

Altogether, we work to make the Federal government America's model employer for the 21st century.

Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration OPERA  
NIH's Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA) provides leadership and oversight in grants management policy and compliance, intellectual property, and OMB clearances to the extramural research community and NIH extramural staff through policy development, expert guidance, analysis, outreach, and related information dissemination in order to promote effective stewardship of NIH extramural funds in support of health research.
Office of Referral, Review, and Program Coordination ORRPC  
NCI DEA's Office of Referral, Review, and Program Coordination (ORRPC), which consists of four review branches and a program coordination and referral branch, provides: (1) coordination of the development and issuance of NCI program initiatives; (2) execution of grant receipt and referral; and (3) management of NCI peer review activities. Review activities include the organization and management of peer review for all applications and proposals received in response to RFAs, PAs, PAs with Special Receipt (PARs), complex, multi-component grant and cooperative agreement initiatives, and R&D RFPs. The program coordination responsibilities of the DEA, in cooperation with NCI extramural program Divisions, Offices, and Centers, extend to the development of all new extramural program guidelines and funding opportunity announcements (FOAs).

Another program coordination activity is the development and maintenance of referral guidelines for assignment of grant applications to the NCI. These guidelines, included in the Referral Guidelines for Funding Components of PHS, are critical to the development of program initiatives across the NIH, as well as the prompt referral of unsolicited grant applications to the NCI. These guidelines differ from the NCI Internal Referral Guidelines, which are vital to the prompt referral of grant applications to the appropriate NCI program areas.

Source: NCI DEA Annual Report 2015 "The RAS Initiative".

Office of Research Integrity ORI  
HHS's Office of Research Integrity (ORI) oversees and directs Public Health Service (PHS) research integrity activities on behalf of the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the exception of the regulatory research integrity activities of the Food and Drug Administration.

Organizationally, ORI is located within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) within Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (OS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Office of Research on Minority Health ORMH  
See: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Office of Research on Women's Health ORWH  
NIH's Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) is the first Public Health Service office dedicated specifically to promote women's health research within and beyond the NIH scientific community. ORWH was established in September 1990. Congress assigned a far-reaching leadership role for ORWH by mandating that the ORWH Director:
  • Advise the NIH Director and staff on matters relating to research on women's health
  • Strengthen and enhance research related to diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect women
  • Ensure that research conducted and supported by NIH adequately addresses issues regarding women's health
  • Ensure that women are appropriately represented in biomedical and bio-behavioral research studies supported by the NIH
  • Develop opportunities and support for recruitment, retention, reentry, and advancement of women in biomedical careers
  • Support research on women's health issues
ORWH crafts and implements the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research in partnership with NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and co-funds research on the role of sex and gender on health. ORWH also collaborates with NIH ICs, the NIH Office of Extramural Research, and the NIH Office of Intramural Research to monitor adherence to NIH's inclusion policies, which ensure that women and minorities are represented in NIH-supported clinical research.

ORWH's interdisciplinary research and career development initiatives stimulate research on sex and gender differences and provide career support to launch promising women's health researchers. These programs set the stage for improved health for women and their families and career opportunities and advancement for a diverse biomedical workforce.

Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP  
In 1976, Congress established the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics. OSTP also leads interagency science and technology policy coordination efforts, assists the Office of Management and Budget with an annual review and analysis of Federal research and development in budgets, and serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government.
Office of Special Populations Research OSPR  
See: Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Office of Technology and Industrial Relations OTIR  
See: Technology Transfer Center
Office of Technology Transfer OTT  
The NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) plays a strategic role by supporting the patenting and licensing efforts of our NIH ICs. OTT protects, monitors, markets and manages the wide range of NIH discoveries, inventions, and other intellectual property as mandated by the Federal Technology Transfer Act and related legislation.

To accomplish its mission, OTT staff provide management and oversight of the collection and disbursement of royalties, monitor and enforce patent rights and licensing agreements, coordinate the payment of all patent annuities, market available technologies to the private sector, provide legal docketing services, and provide technology development systems support and expertise to the NIH Technology Transfer community.

Office of the Director, NIH OD  
The Office of the Director is the central office at NIH for its 27 Institutes and Centers. The OD is responsible for setting policy for NIH and for planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all the NIH components.

For additional information, visit the NIH Office of the Director webpage.

Office of the Inspector General OIG  
Since its 1976 establishment, the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has been at the forefront of the Nation's efforts to fight waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid and more than 100 other HHS programs.

HHS OIG is the largest inspector general's office in the Federal Government, with approximately 1,600 dedicated to combating fraud, waste and abuse and to improving the efficiency of HHS programs. A majority of OIG's resources goes toward the oversight of Medicare and Medicaid — programs that represent a significant part of the Federal budget and that affect this country's most vulnerable citizens. OIG's oversight extends to programs under other HHS institutions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Office of Tropical Medicine and International Research OTMIR  
In 1984 The Office of Tropical Medicine and International Research (OTMIR) was established to coordinate NIAID's intramural and extramural research activities in tropical medicine and other international research. OTMIR worked with other Federal agencies and international organizations active in these areas. In 1995 the Office of Tropical Medicine and International Research (OTMIR) was transfered to the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and abolished.
Official Duty Activities
Official Duty Activities are those activities performed by an employee as part of, or an extension of, regular official responsibilities. This discussion refers to official duty activities with an outside organization. The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (at 5 CFR 2635) provide the basic guidelines for official duty activities, and the NIH sets the policy for implementing the guidelines at the NIH. An employee may participate in such activities only with advance approval as indicated below. For questions about specific activities, contact your IC's Deputy Ethics Counselor or Ethics Coordinator.

Quoted from the NIH Ethics Program website.

OMB Circulars (Office of Management and Budget Circulars) OMB Circulars  
Government-wide guidance issued to Heads of Federal agencies by the Director of OMB. OMB Circulars directly pertinent to grants include the following:
  • cost principles (OMB Circular A-21, OMB Circular A-87, and OMB Circular A-122). See Cost Considerations-The Cost Principles for additional information;
  • uniform administrative requirements (OMB Circular A-102 and OMB Circular A-110);
  • audit requirements for non-profit organizations (OMB Circular A-133). See Monitoring-Audit for additional information.
Some (but not all) of these OMB Circulars were reissued in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Effective December 26, 2014, these Circulars were superseded by OMB's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards ("Uniform Guidance") located in 2 CFR Part 200.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List

Omnibus Solicitation
The SBIR & STTR Omnibus Solicitations are intended to support small business innovation research across a broad spectrum of topic areas. U.S. small businesses that have the research capabilities and technological expertise to contribute to the research and development missions of the awarding components identified in the Omnibus Solicitation are encouraged to submit investigator-initiated SBIR & STTR grant applications in response to the identified topics. Applicants may also consider other areas of research within the mission of any of the awarding components and submit an SBIR & STTR application.
See Also: Parent Announcement
On-Time Submission
For an application to be considered on-time, all registrations must be completed and an error free application must be submitted to and accepted by Grants.gov with a timestamp on or before 5:00 p.m. local time of submitting organization on submission deadline date.

NOTE

  • For both paper and electronic submissions, when these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, they are extended to the next business day.
  • Requests for Applications (RFAs) and Program Announcements with Special Referral Considerations (PARs) with special receipt dates always must be received (by Grants.gov for electronic applications and the Center for Scientific Review for paper applications) on the dates designated in the announcement to be on time.

See: NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Oncologist
A doctor who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer. Some oncologists specialize in a particular type of cancer treatment. For example, a radiation oncologist specializes in treating cancer with radiation.

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Oncology
A branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It includes medical oncology (the use of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other drugs to treat cancer), radiation oncology (the use of radiation therapy to treat cancer), and surgical oncology (the use of surgery and other procedures to treat cancer).

Quoted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

Oncology 1 - Basic Trainslational IRG OBT  
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Integrated Review Group (IRG) Oncology 1 — Basic Translational Integrated Review Group (OBT IRG) will consider applications involving basic and translational investigations that encompass cancer initiation, promotion, progression, and metastasis.
Oncology 2 - Translational Clinical IRG OTC  
The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Integrated Review Group (IRG) Oncology 2 — Translational Clinical Integrated Review Group (OTC IRG) will consider applications involving translational and clinical investigations that encompass cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Oncology Models Forum
This newly launched program encourages incorporating data from intelligent, informed use of animal and cell models into strategies for precision medicine. The Forum's premise is that realizing the impact of basic research on precision medicine requires that the oncology community have full access to the breadth of available models, deep information about what each animal or other model represents vis-a-vis patients, and collaboration opportunities through the Forum environment.

For additional information, visit the NCI DCB Special Research Programs webpage.

See Also: electronic Models Information, Communication, and Education (eMice)
One-Shot
A single purchase/project, which is requested in a given fiscal year, and if approved, does not recur in the next fiscal year (i.e. renovation, equipment). This is a "non-recurring" expenditure.
Option
"Option"' means a unilateral right in a contract by which, for a specified time, the Government may elect to purchase additional supplies or services called for by the contract, or may elect to extend the term of the contract.

Quoted from the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Organization
A generic term used to refer to an Institution of Higher Education or other entity, including an individual, which applies for or receives an NIH grant or cooperative agreement.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Organizational Code
A two-letter code in the grant number identifying the first major-level subdivision of the funding organization.

Grant Number 3 R01 CA 12921(9)-04 S1A1

In the example above, "CA" refers to the National Cancer Institute. For certain activities, DHHS organizations having Bureau status may use a Division-level code. An interagency agreement awarded by NCI, for instance, may be coded 1Y01CM00999-00, where CM refers to NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment.

Also referred to as an IC (Institution or Center) Code or Admin PHS Org Code.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Follow this link for a list of NIH Institute or Center (IC) codes.

Other Research
A "NCI Obligations by Mechanism" category. Some of the mechanisms in this category are: Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training-K01, Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention and Control-K05, Cancer Prevention, Control, Behavioral Sciences, and Population Sciences Career Development Award-K07, Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award-K08, Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology-K12, Stem Cell Research-K18, Transitional Career Development-K22, Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award-K23, Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research-K24, Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award-K25, Pathway to Independence Awards- K99, Cancer Research Education Program-R25, Cooperative Clinical Research--Cooperative Agreements -U10, Minority Biomedical Research Support-S06, Research Enhancement Award-SC1, Pilot Research Project-SC2, Continuing Education Training Program-T15, Resource-Related Research Projects-R24, Resource-Related Research Projects--Cooperative Agreements-U24, Exploratory Grants--Cooperative Agreements-U56, International Research Training Grants-D43, Conference Grants-R13.
Other Research Grants
Grants to institutions to provide developmental opportunities for investigators at various stages of their biomedical research careers. The programs are Research Careers, Cancer Education Cooperative Clinical Research, Biomedical Research Support, Minority Biomedical Research Support, and Other areas of research.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Other Significant Contributors OSC  
Individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project, but are not committing any specified measurable effort (i.e., person months) to the project. These individuals are typically presented at "effort of zero person months" or "as needed." Individuals with measurable effort may not be listed as Other Significant Contributors (OSCs). Consultants should be included if they meet this definition.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Other Support
Includes all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or organizational, available in direct support of an individual's research endeavors, including, but not limited to, research grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or organizational awards. Other support does not include training awards, prizes, or gifts.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

Other than Full and Open Competition
See Subpart 6.3 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Other Transactions OT  
An "Other Transaction" (OT) award refers to a transaction other than a contract, grant or cooperative agreement under section 402(b)(7) or 402(b)(12) of the Public Health Service Act.

An Other Transaction is a funding mechanism which targets non-traditional sources and allows a high degree of flexibility in how the agreement is awarded. Typical government procurement and grant laws, regulations and policies do not apply to OT awards.

There are three NIH activity codes for OT awards:

  • OT1 - Pre-Application for an Other Transaction Award;
  • OT2 - Research Project-Other Transaction Award; and
  • OT3 - Other Transaction Multiple-Component Research Award.

An example is the NIH Common Fund Program "The Human BioMolecular Atlas Program".

Outcome Evaluation
Outcome evaluation measures a program's results and helps determine whether a program or strategy produced the changes it intended to achieve. Because many environmental prevention strategies either rely on policy change or function like policies, a promising approach to evaluating the effectiveness of strategies is through policy analysis. This is a broad approach that examines the overall impact of a policy on large populations such as communities, states, or the nation. A comprehensive outcome evaluation will include:
  • An assessment of the impacts of each program component
  • Data from a population group
  • Choices of evaluation designs
  • A selection of comparison groups
Quoted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) Process and Outcome Evaluation webpage.
Outlays or Expenditures
An Outlay is the issuance of checks, disbursement of cash, or electronic transfer of funds made to liquidate a federal obligation. (GAO's - A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process)

An Expenditure is the actual spending of money; an outlay. (GAO's - A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process)

The NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List entry for Expenditures is:

  • (1) The charges may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and is consistently applied.
  • (2) For reports prepared on a cash basis, expenditures are the sum of:
    •   (i) Cash disbursements for direct charges for property and services;
    •  (ii) The amount of indirect expense charged;
    • (iii) The value of third-party in-kind contributions applied; and
    • (iv) The amount of cash advance payments and payments made to subrecipients.
  • (3) For reports prepared on an accrual basis, expenditures are the sum of:
    •   (i) Cash disbursements for direct charges for property and services;
    •  (ii) The amount of indirect expense incurred;
    • (iii) The value of third-party in-kind contributions applied; and
    • (iv) The net increase or decrease in the amounts owed by the non-Federal entity for:
      • (A) Goods and other property received;
      • (B) Services performed by employees, contractors, sub-recipients, and other payees; and
      • (C) Programs for which no current services or performance are required such as annuities, insurance claims, or other benefit payments.

Outreach Strategies
These are outreach efforts by investigators and their staff to appropriately recruit and retain populations of interest into research studies.

For additional information, see NCI's "Cancer Clinical Trials: A Resource Guide for Outreach, Education, and Advocacy".

Outside Activities
Information on personal activities with outside organizations, including criteria for approval, prohibitions, forms, detailed instructions for submission, and review. Also included is information on the status of foreign entities, activities with private foundations, use of your official title, clearance requirements for Visa holders, and many other topics dealing with outside activities.

Quoted from the NIH Ethics Program "Ethics Topics".

Outside Continental United States OCONUS  
The area outside the Continental United States. OCONUS includes foreign and non-foreign areas.
See: Continental United States
See Also: Foreign Area ;  Non-foreign Area
Outside Opinion
In the NIH peer review system, this term refers to a situation in which a written expert opinion on a grant application is obtained from an appropriate (non-conflicted) consultant by a Scientific Review Administrator and provided to the members of a grants review panel.
See: Mail Reviewer or Mail-In Reviewer
Outstanding Investigator Award R35  
To provide long term support to an experienced investigator with an outstanding record of research productivity. This support is intended to encourage investigators to embark on long-term projects of unusual potential.

For additional information, visit the NCI Grant Activity Codes/Mechanisms webpage.

Overall Component
A special component type within a multi-project grant application, used by the applicant organization, with a single occurrence in every multi-project application. The Overall component typically contains information about the application as a whole and how the various other components fit together.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

See Also: Multi-Project Grant Application ;  Component
Overall Impact Score
See: Impact Score
Overlap of Support
Other support duplicating research or budgetary items already funded by an NIH grant. Overlap also occurs when any project-supported personnel has time commitments exceeding 12 person months.

Quoted from the NIH OER Glossary & Acronym List.

See Also: Budgetary Overlap ;  Commitment Overlap ;  Scientific Overlap
Overseas
Overseas means outside the continental United States, but does not include Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, the Isthmus of Panama, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.

Quoted from the 5 CFR §210.102.

See Also: Foreign Area ;  Non-foreign Area ;  Continental United States ;  Outside Continental United States