Questions and Answers Table of Contents
Where can I learn what to do if my application didn't succeed?
Read our information and advice in Part 11b. Not Funded, Reapply in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal. Call your program officer after you get your summary statement. Read Know What a Summary Statement Means.
Is appealing a good idea?
We don't think so. Though you can appeal an
initial
peer review you feel was seriously flawed, we recommend revising
and resubmitting your application
instead.
Appeals almost always end up with the applicant revising and
resubmitting. By not appealing, you
avoid a lengthy process that takes you to the same place. Read more
in Should You Appeal? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Can I appeal for differences in opinion on science?
No. You can appeal only for defects in the review procedure, for example,
a conflict of interest or bias. See Should You Appeal? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
If my score misses the payline, should
I resubmit or wait?
We advise you not to wait for possible funding
later in the year.
If you revise and resubmit, you can improve your application based on
the feedback from the initial peer review and hopefully get a better percentile and
chance of getting an award. Call your program officer for more advice.
Does
a resubmission remove the original
scored application from funding consideration?
No. The eRA Commons allows investigators to send one resubmission while the earlier application remains active, so NIAID can fund the earlier application if a resubmission receives a worse score.
For advice on resubmitting, see How to Revise and Resubmit. Talk to your program officer for further guidance.
Can a resubmission hurt my initial application's chance of funding?
Not usually. A resubmission that scores slightly
worse than your initial application probably won’t affect your
chances at funding, as we could still fund your initial application. However,
a resubmission that fares significantly worse probably would hurt your
funding prospects since reviewers would have found problems
that weren’t apparent the first time.
That said, our data show that less than five percent of resubmissions
score significantly worse than the initial applications. More than 80 percent
get better scores, and for around 15 percent, results are equivalent.
By addressing the issues raised in your summary
statement you will
increase the likelihood that your resubmission will fare even better
than your
first try. Just remember that the summary statement isn't an exhaustive
critique. See Summary Statements Have Their Limitations
If my application is not scored, does that
mean it is very poor quality?
Not necessarily. Because an unscored application doesn't get a full review, it's harder
to gauge the peer
reviewers' appraisal.
In today's budget environment, high-quality applications might be unscored because the pool contains a lot of outstanding applications, including resubmissions, which have already addressed the study section's concerns.
If your application is unscored, stay objective, and spend time figuring out what areas reviewers felt had problems.
For more help, read Part 11b. Not Funded in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Do a good proportion of investigators get funded after revising?
Yes. Read more in Part 11b. Not Funded, Reapply in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Should I always revise if I didn't succeed?
No. First determine whether your problems are fixable. Read starting at Ask: Is It Worth Fixing?
How can I tell whether my problems are fixable?
See our lists of Common Fixable Problems and Not Fixable or More Difficult Problems.
What are my options if I want to revise?
See Pick a Strategy That Suits the Problem.
For a resubmission,
do I need an introduction?
Yes. You must include an introduction to the Research
Plan. For more information, see How to Revise and Resubmit.
Should I read my summary statement carefully to identify problems?
Yes. Use your summary
statement as feedback. Read Assess How Serious the Problems Are, How to Revise and Resubmit, and Summary Statements Have Their Limitations in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Can I revise my application and resubmit it to
a different study section?
Yes. Read more in Option 2: Revise and Resubmit to a Different Study Section.
How many times can I revise my application and resubmit it?
NIH allows investigators who have not succeeded to resubmit an unsolicited application submitted on January 25, 2009, and later only once with no time limit. Applicants may resubmit applications sent before that date twice and must do so by January 7, 2011.
How long do I have to resubmit my application?
See the question above.
What should I do after one resubmission?
After your one resubmission, you must submit a new
application. See the following question.
I'd like to keep the best parts of my application.
How can I do that after I have already resubmitted?
If you don't succeed
after revising, you can submit a new application that keeps some
of the previous one. To go that route, you must significantly revise
or replace all parts of the application, including the aims, methods, and outcomes.
For
details, see Option 3: Create a New Application.
If I respond to all the previous reviewers' comments, am I guaranteed
success when I revise and resubmit?
No. The two main reasons are: a summary
statement is not an exhaustive critique of your application,
and the second or
third
group
of peer
reviewers may not
agree with a previous group. For more information, see Summary Statements Have Their Limitations in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Where can I find information about completing an electronic resubmission
application?
See Frequently
Asked Questions: Resubmission, Revisions Renewal on OER's Electronic
Submission of Grant Applications Web site.
If I apply for a request for applications and my application doesn't
succeed, can I
simply resubmit?
No. Submit it as a new investigator-initiated application, following
NIH's recommendation in the January 16, 2003, Guide notice, unless the request for applications provides for submitting a revised application. See the next question.
What may I do if a reissued RFA allows resubmissions of applications from the previous RFA?
If we reissue a request for applications that solicits resubmissions of unfunded applications from the previous RFA, you may resubmit. Follow the instructions in the second RFA. In all other cases, submit a new investigator-initiated application.
If I submit an application for an R01 and it doesn't succeed, can
I resubmit it as an R21?
Yes. And you must submit it as a new application because you are using a different
grant type -- R21 instead of R01.
Do not
include an introduction describing changes made to your previous submission. Use receipt dates for new applications -- see
the Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications.
May I respond to an RFA with an application that was not funded as
an investigator-initiated application?
Yes. You must make it a new application, see question above If I submit an application for an R01 and it doesn't succeed, can I resubmit it as an R21?
May I resubmit as investigator-initiated an application that was not
funded under an RFA?
Yes. See the question above If I submit an application for an R01 and it doesn't succeed, can I resubmit it as an R21?.
How do I know if I can resubmit
an application that responded to a PA or RFA?
Check the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID to make sure your PA or RFA
is still on the list and open. If it is, you can find the expiration
date by clicking on the title to access the Guide notice. You can resubmit
until that time unless NIAID decides to extend the PA.
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. |
