In response to an inquiry from Liz Lieberman regarding whether PHS 398's can
now be stapled:

I have also looked through the new PHS 398 several times, and cannot find
instructions regarding how to secure copies. HOWEVER, no matter what the
ruling, we will continue to have proposal originals and copies come in and
leave our office unstapled for two reasons:

 1) the face page needs to be countersigned by the institutional
official and a signed xeroxed face page placed on each copy.  I have neither
the desire nor the time to ask every administrator to pull the staples or to
pull them myself (especially on a deadline day!)
 2)  Extra copies still need to be made at NIH for the review
committee.  Having to pull staples makes that task more painful for them.

Using paper clips, binder clips, or rubberbands is just easier all around
than dealing with staples.

Violet E. Horvath
Grants Administrator
Washington University
xxxxxx@medicine.wustl.edu

>I've finally looked over the new version of PHS 398 closely and find
>that the old instruction which said "Secure the application and its
>copies with rubber bands or paper clips only" no longer seems to be
>there (or at least I don't see it).  Does anyone know if they've in
>fact changed the rules and will now accept applications that are
>stapled?
>
>Liz Lieberman
>Director, Office of Sponsored Research
>Wellesley College/ Wellesley, MA 02181
>xxxxxx@Wellesley.Edu
>
>