Requests for Applications

Purpose

To solicit grant applications in narrowly defined, high-priority, and high-opportunity areas of science.

Procedure

A request for applications (RFA) is one of three types of initiatives -- together with program announcements and requests for proposals -- NIAID develops with its advisory Council. See the Concept Development SOP for more information on concepts and initiatives.

RFAs may be sponsored by one or more NIH institutes or centers. They always have set-aside funds and a targeted number of awards. NIAID's review committees usually peer review applications responding to NIAID's RFAs.

NIAID publishes all RFAs in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts and Grants.gov. RFAs have single receipt dates, which are stated in their Guide and funding opportunity announcements.

Investigators

• For active RFAs relevant to NIAID, go to the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID.
• You can also find RFAs in the NIH Guide by selecting Request for Applications (RFAs) under Browse Active Funding Opportunities. This retrieves active RFAs based on expiration dates.
• You can find RFAs in Grants.gov by selecting Find Grant Opportunities, Basic Search. Then enter the RFA number in the Search by Funding Opportunity Number box.
• Determine whether applying for an RFA is right for you by reading the pages starting with Compare FOAs in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Program Officers

• After developing a concept for an RFA, work with your program division coordinator to enter the initiative into the Scientific Initiative Management System.
• Check the NIH Guide and Early Notification System to see if there is overlap with RFAs from other institutes and get ideas to develop your RFA. See Early Notification SOP.
• Once your division, the NIAID director, and Council recommend a concept for approval, work with your program division coordinator and the Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) to create a phasing plan that schedules all steps needed to proceed from concept to award. See the Phasing of Initiatives SOP.
• Prepare first and final submissions of the RFA using the current Templates and forward to your program division coordinator for internal division review.
• Ensure RFAs are formatted according to the most recent RFA guidelines and templates. When preparing your first submission, pay close attention to detail. The submitted document should be as close to publication quality as possible.
• After your division approval, your program division coordinator submits the document to DEA and the Office of Initiative Development (OID) for review and approval. Once approved, DEA sends the document to NIH's Office of Extramural Research for review and approval and publication in the NIH Guide.
• After electronic applications arrive, you can view them in IMPAC.
  • Work with the scientific review officer (SRO) to perform a programmatic and administrative review to make sure applications respond to the RFA's objectives and requirements.
  • Determine which applications are nonresponsive, taking SRO input into account.
• Return nonresponsive applications. See the Withdrawal of a Nonresponsive Application SOP.

Office of Program Coordination and Operations Staff

• Create a phasing plan and receive internal DEA approval of the plan before sending to program divisions for approval.
• Provide guidance to program staff during all stages of RFA development.
• Review first and final submissions and send comments to the Office of Initiative Development. OID forwards comments to the program officer through the program division coordinator according to the phasing plan.
• Enter the RFAs into the Early Notification System to allow other ICs the opportunity to comment before the RFA is published.
• Ensure the RFAs are formatted according to the most recent RFA guidelines and templates.
• Send the final RFA to NIH Guide staff for review, approval, and publication.
• Monitor phasing milestones and revise as necessary.

Office of Initiative Development

• About four to eight weeks before the first version of an RFA is due, coordinate and lead a pre-initiative planning meeting to discuss scope, requirements, and other issues.
  • The meeting includes the program officer, branch chief, program division coordinator, DEA staff, and possibly a representative from NIAID's Office of Technology Development.
  • See the Pre-initiative Planning Meeting Checklist for details.
• Advise program staff during all stages of RFA development.

Contacts

Applicants with questions should Contact Staff for Help.

RFAs -- Contact for NIAID Staff

Phasing -- Contact for NIAID Staff, Office of Program Coordination and Operations (OPCO)

Program Division Coordinators

Contact for NIAID Staff -- DAIDS

Contact for NIAID Staff -- DAIT

If you have knowledge to share or want more information on this topic, email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.

Links

Early Notification SOP

Grants.gov

NIAID Research Funding

NIAID Funding Policy and Process SOP

NIH Guide Publishing System, including Submission Guidelines and Templates for Publications in the NIH Guide

Research Initiative Management System (RIMS)

Searching the NIH Guide for Expired Initiatives

SIMS on the intranet