Resubmitting an Application
If your current application will not be funded, it is usually possible to send a resubmission (formerly called a revised application.) Consult with your Program Officer about the resubmission process. Generally speaking, the NIH allows you to make a resubmission twice more after the original submission. You are typically allowed up to three additional pages at the beginning of the resubmission (the "Introduction to the Resubmission"), in which you respond to the comments from the previous review. Be sure to check with your Program Officer on the number of pages allowed - small grant, R03s and Exploratory Developmental R21s are allowed only a one page introduction.
Some guidelines to help in your resubmission are:
- Clearly mark with underlining, italics, bold or other formatting where you have made revisions.
- Talk with the Program Officer about the summary statement;
- If the reviewer's comments are useful, incorporate responses to them into the revised application;
- If you disagree with a reviewer's comments, address them in your introduction - please be clear and polite.
If your application is not funded after the third submission, you will need to submit a new application that is considered to be substantively different from its predecessor. Please note that grant types might vary in the number of revisions which are permitted. Consult the specific announcement for each mechanism to confirm procedures for submitting a resubmission or check with your program officer.
