Corrected or Late Electronic Applications

Questions and Answers Table of Contents

What is a corrected application?

An investigator corrects an application when the previous application failed either Grants.gov or eRA Commons validation.

A corrected application differs from a resubmission, an amended application that a PI who did not succeed in getting funded has revised based on feedback from the initial peer review. Read more on our Unfunded Application Advice questions and answers.

How do I submit a corrected application?

If your application does not successfully get through either Grants.gov or eRA Commons validation, your authorized organizational representative (AOR) must submit a corrected application through Grants.gov.

• Fix problems and resubmit the whole application -- NIH does not retain any part of a previous application.
• Changed/Corrected. On the first page of the SF 424, select "Changed/Corrected Application" in the Type of Submission field, box 1.
• Federal Identifier field. Once the box described above is checked, Grants.gov will require data in the Federal Identifier field, box 4.
  • For a new application, including a corrected new application, enter the Grants.gov tracking number (or "N/A" if you don't have it).
  • For a renewal of an existing grant or a grant revision (competing supplement), enter the previous NIH award number, e.g., 1 R01 AI 123456-01, if that field is blank.
• Cover letter. You need to include a cover letter only if the submission deadline has passed. Read more below at Do I need a new cover letter for a corrected application?
• Always have your AOR resubmit the application to Grants.gov even if the failure point was in the Commons.

How much time do I get to submit a corrected application?

Your application must pass Grants.gov validation before the deadline; it does not have to make it through eRA Commons validation by that time.

If you fix errors or warnings from Commons validation, for now, you have two business days following the submission deadline to submit a corrected application to Grants.gov. That leniency may change after more grant types switch to electronic application.

Read more at If You Want to Correct After Passing Commons Validation in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Do I need a cover letter for a corrected application?

If the due date has not passed, your corrections won't require a cover letter.

But if the due date has passed, you do. Describe the problems you fixed in the Optional Documents section of the PHS 398 Cover Letter File form. Include all relevant information from your previous cover letter since NIH doesn't keep the old version.

If your application is late, read the questions below starting with What is a late application?

What if I need to correct something after the application passes validation in the Commons?

Read If I am not satisfied with the application, what should I do? and How much time do I have to make changes? in the Submitting and Validating Your Electronic Application questions and answers.

May I send in supplemental materials or corrections after the submission date?

Possibly. See May I send supplementary or missing materials after a receipt date? in the General Application Information questions and answers.

What is a late application?

An application is late if it does not pass Grants.gov validation by 5:00 p.m. your institution's local time on the submission date listed in the funding opportunity announcement, as explained in the Grants.gov Application Guide SF 424.

If your application is allowed after the deadline because of the correction window, it wouldn't be considered late. Read more about the correction window at If You Want to Correct After Passing Commons Validation.

Each FOA has submission dates. Program announcements use Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications.

NIH accepts late applications under rare circumstances. The Center for Scientific Review decides whether to accept a late application for each case following the NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications.

Typically, NIH allows lateness for circumstances out of your control -- including natural disasters or personal tragedies -- as well as service on an NIH study section. When a disaster occurs, NIH usually publishes a notice in the Guide.

Another exception to a deadline is if your lateness is the result of an NIH technical problem, e.g., if the Commons servers are down. You will not be penalized if that happens.

For applications reviewed at NIAID -- requests for applications and some program announcements identifying location of peer review -- the Institute may consider accepting a late application. For further details, read our Late Applications SOP.

If I have an NIH-accepted reason for submitting late, how do I proceed?

Explain the reasons for your delay in your cover letter and include it with your completed Grant Application Package. Use the PHS 398 Cover Letter File form.

Can I get permission in advance to submit a late application?

No.

Should I contact CSR to explain why I'm late?

No. Contacting the NIH Center for Scientific Review will not influence whether NIH accepts your application.

How do I submit other support, progress reports, and other required information?

Find answers in the General Application Information questions and answers.

Where can I find more questions and answers about grant applications?

Go to Applying for a Grant, Writing a Great Grant Application, and other Application questions and answers.

What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?

Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. We answer questions by email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.