Yesterday one respondent to the list indicated that IRB and IACUC approvals
were sought after NIH proposal submissions. This may not be the best idea
for two reasons - first, if the IRB or IACUC requests/requires changes in
the methods/protocol, these changes would need to be made in the proposal.
The need for such changes might be very obvious to the study section
reviewers, who would be less likely to give the proposal a competitive
score.  Such input prior to proposal submission might increase the
competitiveness of the proposal. Second, PIs  are much more motivated to
adhere to compliance and other requirements in a timely fashion in advance
of proposal submission than afterwards.  Too often, there is a lengthy
procrastination period terminated only by hysterics when there is a pending
award or a JIT request and all the needed approvals are not in place.
Victoria J. Molfese, Director
Office of Research Development and Administration
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Carbondale, IL  62901
(618) 453-4531