Questions and Answers Table of Contents
Which form do I use to apply for
an NIH research grant?
For most investigator-initiated applications, such as the R01 and the Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), use electronic forms in the Grant Application Package.
For career awards, training grants, fellowships, and some RFAs and cooperative agreements, use either the PHS
398 or PHS
416-1 paper applications. Find out which one in the Grant Application Guide or go to NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID. You can see all the possibilities at NIH Forms and Applications.
Eventually, you will use electronic applications for all grant types. Learn more about that at NIH's Transition Timeline for the transition plan, and go to Applying
for a Grant questions
and answers for more on applying.
How do I apply for an investigator-initiated
clinical trial grant?
NIAID uses a mandatory, two-step approach to funding
investigator-initiated clinical trials: a Clinical Trial Planning Grant (R34), followed by a
Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (U01). For more information, go to Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials Resources.
Always call an NIAID program
officer before planning a human subjects research application. You'll also have to fulfill Institute-specific
requirements in the NIAID Clinical Terms of Award.
Should I include a cover letter?
Yes. A cover
letter helps the NIH Center
for Scientific Review assign your
application to a study
section for initial
peer review and an institute for possible funding. You can use the cover letter to request these assignments. Read more in Consider Requesting an Institute and Study Section in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Your cover letter might be required for some applications, and it can list the names of people you don't want to
review your application, e.g., a competitor or someone with whom you
have a long-standing scientific disagreement.
For more information, read Do You Need a Cover Letter? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Where do I send my paper application?
Unless otherwise noted in the funding opportunity announcement, send the original plus five copies in one package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040 - MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (Use this ZIP code for the U.S. Postal Service, including express mail.)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (Use this ZIP code for commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS.)
You cannot hand deliver it; send it by mail
or commercial courier. Check the announcement to see if you need to send copies to another location.
How do I send my electronic application?
Read Part 7. Applying in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
When is my application due?
NIH accepts most investigator-initiated applications on three receipt dates -- February 5, June 5, and October 5. AIDS, renewals, small
business awards, fellowships,
and other grant types have different due dates.
T32 and T35 training grants have only one submission date, September 25, and each request for applications has its own, one-time receipt date.
If a deadline lands on a weekend or
federal holiday, it moves to the next business day.
Go to the Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications for all NIH receipt dates, and see How to Submit Electronically on Time and Rules for Late Applications in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
I've heard that NIH doesn't require
PI signatures. Is this true?
Yes. A principal investigator
signature assurance replaces the signature.
See SF 424 (Cover Page) in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
What does CSR do with my application after receiving it?
CSR assigns your application to an integrated review group for initial peer review and an institute or center for funding.
For more information, go to Applications Are Assigned to an Institute and Integrated Review Group in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal, and read CSR's The
Peer Review Process.
How do I know if CSR or an IC will review my application?
NIAID reviews applications for program
project grants, cooperative
agreements, career
awards, institutional training
grants, conference
grants, Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Grants, and applications responding to requests for applications.
CSR reviews investigator-initiated grant applications for all award types except those reviewed in NIAID.
See Who Peer Reviews Your Application? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
How long will I have to wait for notification
of assignment?
Seven to ten days after you apply. Log in to
the eRA Commons to see the assignments. For more information, go to Applications Are Assigned to an Institute and Integrated Review Group in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
What if I don't like the assignments?
If you are not satisfied with your application's assignments, you can request a change. See Call If You Are Not Satisfied With a CSR Assignment in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
How long will I have to wait for my summary statement?
You will receive a summary
statement through the eRA Commons roughly six to eight weeks after the review meeting, or earlier for new investigators. Read When You Can Expect to Hear Back in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Whom do I contact at NIAID before the initial review of my application?
Call the scientific
review officer of the scientific
review group reviewing your application. For a CSR study section,
go to the Study
Section Roster Index; for an NIAID review group, go to our Scientific
Review Program staff list.
Whom do I contact at NIAID after the review of my application?
Call the program
officer listed on your summary
statement. See When to
Contact an NIAID Program Officer.
What happens if my application receives a fundable score?
NIAID's main advisory Council performs second-level
review and makes a funding recommendation to NIAID. For fundable applications, NIAID's Grants Management Program sends you a Notice of Award. Go to Outcomes of Second-Level Review and read Part 10. Funding Decisions in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
How long will I have to wait for my Notice of Award?
For an R01 application, you will receive your Notice of Award within six to eight weeks of the Council meeting, or earlier if it underwent expedited second-level review. Other grant types may take longer. See the NIAID R01 Application to Award Timeline for more timing information, and go to How Long to Get the Grant? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
You can check for your Notice of Award in the Status module of the eRA Commons, or you can search Issued Notice of Award.
What should I do if there is a code 44 bar to award?
If you see a code 44 bar
to award on your summary
statement, contact your program
officer immediately. That code indicates a review group concern with your use of research animals or human subjects.
For more information on what to do and what you should expect, read the Bars to Grant Awards -- Research Animals or the Bars to Grant Awards -- Human Subjects SOPs.
What should I do if my application is deferred for funding?
We suggest that you revise and resubmit based on your summary statement and feedback from your program
officer. Go to Is Your Application Deferred for a Funding Decision? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
What should I do if my application does not receive a fundable score?
Various approaches work best in different situations. Go to Part 11b. Not Funded, Reapply in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal to
determine whether your application's issues are correctable, and what to do next. Also call your program
officer for advice.
How do I submit my noncompeting application?
For a noncompeting award, you may submit your application electronically or on paper. Learn more at Send Us an Annual Progress Report, Submit Your Report Electronically, and Submit Your Report on Paper in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?
See our main Grants and R&D Contracts portals and our All About Grants tutorials.
If you still can't find the answer, 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. |
