SPECIAL EXCEPTION – SUBMISSION OF A3 APPLICATIONS DURING CENTER FOR 
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW (CSR) REORGANIZATION 

RELEASE DATE:  September 22, 2003
 
NOTICE: NOT-OD-03-065

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Present NIH policy allows consideration of revised applications for 
only two additional versions (A1 and A2).  The policy 
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-041.html)  
was established following analysis of data indicating that 
investigators who receive initial funding for an amended application 
have a lower success rate in obtaining support for a follow-on 
competing application.  The likelihood of subsequent success decreased 
with an increasing number of amendments.  After three reviews, it was 
felt that it was time for investigators to take a fresh approach to 
their research proposals. 

The most common situation is for revised applications to be reviewed by 
the same committee that reviewed the previous version, but this is not 
always the case.  Because of the reorganization of Integrated Review 
Groups and their component study sections in the Center for Scientific 
Review at NIH, some investigators may be concerned that amended 
applications may be assigned to a new study section.  This 
reorganization is a special circumstance that warrants offering 
applicants in a particular category an additional review opportunity. 
Accordingly, NIH has decided to allow a third (A3) revision for 
applications that meet all of the following criteria:

o They were reviewed in their first revision (A1) in a to-be-disbanded 
study section and not funded.
o They were reviewed in a newly created study section as the second 
revision (A2) and not funded. 
o A note citing this opportunity appears on the summary statement of A2 
application. 

This will allow all amended applications to have their final two 
reviews within the reorganized CSR review committees.   This 
opportunity applies only to the identified applications; other A3 
applications will not be accepted for review consistent with NIH policy 
as stated above.

For questions, please contact:

Division of Receipt and Referral
Center for Scientific Review
301-435-0715; 301-480-1987 (fax)

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