Dr. Robin Barr, Director of the NIA Division of Extramural Activities, blogged about a recent change to the NIA’s review process for program projects. Beginning with the January 25, 2020 submission deadline, NIA will suspend the second-stage review. Second-stage review is not gone – it remains an option for NIA – but a new pattern of scoring in initial review panels suggests that the second stage may not be necessary. NIA also has a new funding announcement for program projects: some important changes include that NIA now allows these grants on all three submission deadlines of the year and has increased the amount allowable without preclearance.