265-b. Funding committee. 1. There shall be a funding committee which shall have thirteen members appointed by the governor, except for the commissioner who shall serve as an ex officio member. Six members shall be appointed directly by the governor; two shall be appointed on the nomination of the temporary president of the senate; two shall be appointed on the nomination of the speaker of the assembly; one shall be appointed on the nomination the senate minority leader and one shall be appointed on the nomination of the assembly minority leader. A member of the funding committee shall also serve on the ethics committee.
2. The funding committee shall perform the following functions:
(a) provide for an independent scientific peer review committee composed of individuals with expertise in the field of biomedical research who shall review grant applications based on the criteria requirements and standards adopted by the funding committee, and make recommendations to the funding committee for the award of grants;
(b) develop criteria including an appropriate competitive scoring method, standards, and requirements for considering funding applications and for awarding research grants, including but not limited to recommendations for the overhead/indirect component of such grants for the development and submission of funding applications by New York state based consortia;
(c) recommend standards for the scientific and medical oversight of awards;
(d) solicit through requests for proposals and otherwise, and to accept proposals for research projects including grant applications;
(e) review grant applications based on the criteria, requirements, and standards adopted by the funding committee utilizing a process that gives due consideration to the amount of nonpublic funds contributed by the project sponsor, including cash, in-kind personnel, equipment or materials, donations, the opportunity to leverage funds, including federal, private and not-for-profit funds reasonably anticipated to be received by the project sponsors; provided, however, that nonpublic funds shall only be considered as a factor by the funding committee when reviewing applications of equivalent merit as determined by the independent scientific peer review committee;
(f) make recommendations to the commissioner for the award of research therapy development and clinical trial grants; and
(g) recommend standards for the evaluation of grantees to ensure that they comply with all applicable requirements, including, but not limited to, conducting peer group progress oversight reviews of grantees to ensure compliance with the terms of the award and report to the commissioner any recommendations or subsequent action. Such standards shall mandate periodic reporting by grantees.
3. With the exception of the ex officio member, the funding committee shall be divided into three classes. Of the three classes, the first class appointed shall include three of the governor's appointees, one appointee nominated by the temporary president of the senate, and one appointee nominated by the speaker of the assembly and shall serve for a term ending one year from the effective date of this title. The second class shall include two of the governor's appointees, one appointee nominated by the minority leader of the senate, and one appointee nominated by the minority leader of the assembly and shall serve for a term ending two years from the effective date of this title. The third class shall include the final governor's appointee, one appointee nominated by the temporary president of the senate, and one appointee nominated by the speaker of the assembly; and shall serve for a term ending three years from the effective date of this title. Subsequently, each member appointed shall serve a term of three years and no more than two terms of three years each. A vacancy in the membership of the board shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment.
Last modified: February 3, 2019