>Is there some standard advice that I can give to faculty about what their
>NIH score might mean -- while they wait the interminable 6-8 weeks to get
>their comments?

Yes.  NIH has merit descriptors attached to ranges of numerical ratings
(the  numerical ratings are multiplied by 100 to get the priority score --
which is what the PI is sent.

I recall seeing some general advice in the past, but I
>know that NIH revamped their system last year.    Do fundable scores vary
>widely by Institute?    Is there a score above which grants are rarely
>funded?

Yes to all of the above.  You should be able to get this information from
xxxxxx@nih.gov

A score that's always considered excellent

Yes!   1.0   !!!

(even if not fundable

The data are probably different for AREA grants.  But the statistics about
scores of funded proposals (i.e., the cut-off) can be obtained from NIH.

>in a given competition)?    All of our proposals are R15 (AREA) -- I don't
>know if that makes any difference or not.
>
>Franci Farnsworth
>
>Frances Vinal Farnsworth
>Coordinator of Sponsored Research
>Munford House
>MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
>Middlebury, VT 05753
>Tel:  802-443-5889
>Fax: 802-443-2081
>email:  xxxxxx@middlebury.edu
>
>
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Liane Reif-Lehrer, PhD
PO Box 645
Belmont, MA  02478
Tel: 781-863-1117
Fax:  781-674-0436 (To get the fax tone, press the * key AFTER the message
starts;  For                                       autofax: program
781-0436,,,,,,,,,,,* )

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 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
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