Table of Contents
Introducing the NIH Grant Cycle
We don't have to tell you that it's hard to get an NIH grant. Limited funding increases for NIH during the past few years have made competition tougher than ever.
Though much of the Cycle pertains to grantsmanship in general, we wrote it from an NIAID perspective. |
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Sound guidance from people in the know -- colleagues and NIH staff -- can help you succeed.
You'll also need a strategy for planning and writing grant applications.
NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal covers each step from mapping out your next ten years of research to renewing your funded grant. We answer your most critical application questions, including:
- How much time should you allow?
- How much work should you propose?
- How do you balance time, money, and effort?
- How much detail should you include?
- Should you involve collaborators?
- What should you do if you don't succeed?
NIAID's Perspective
Though much of our information and advice pertains to grantsmanship in general, the Cycle is written from an NIAID perspective. We share with you the knowledge and experience of NIAID staff, including former NIH grantees.
This new resource packs in even more guidance from senior-level scientists in the Institute, while incorporating four of our former All About Grants tutorials -- Application Basics, How to Plan an Application, How to Write an Application, and How to Manage Your Award.
Some of this information is specific to NIAID -- we cannot speak to the practices of other institutes. Find other NIH information at Office of Extramural Research and Institutes, Centers, and Offices.
Please take our advice as opinion only. Differing views may exist, and if you have one, we want to hear it. Send your comments to deaweb@niaid.nih.gov.
How to Use the NIH Grant Cycle
Our graphic- and text-based approach lets you navigate to the information you need. Here are tips for using the Grant Cycle and its resources:
- Zoom in. Move around the Cycle to find step-by-step information and guidance at each stage of application and award.
Flowcharts let you quickly glean processes and decision points, while the text gives you the meat of our help and advice.
- Glossary links. In the box at the top of each page, follow key glossary term links to definitions in the NIAID Glossary of Funding and Policy Terms and Acronyms.
- Integrated Table of Contents. Go to a list of topics covered in all Cycle sections at Table of Contents.
- Advice only. Want a summary of only advice? Go to our Advice Index.
- Checklists. Take a shortcut to find the information you need with our bulleted lists of action items, advice, and pitfalls. Each section of our Checklists for the NIH Grant Cycle links to the relevant Cycle pages.
- Tools. In Application Tools, find an NIAID R01 Application to Award Timeline, Annotated R01 Research Plan, and other resources.
- What the NIH Grant Cycle doesn't do. This resource focuses on explanation and advice.
- It does not repeat the directions in a funding opportunity announcement's Grant Application Guide or the associated NIH Guide announcement. You will need to follow those instructions to prepare your application.
- It does not detail requirements for different grant types. Although much of our content applies to grant writing in general, the Cycle is geared to the standard NIH research grant, the R01.
- Elsewhere on our site, find answers to basic questions at Quick Facts on Research Grant Applications and our other Questions and Answers.
Facts to Know Before You Do Anything
These key points will help you understand NIH and NIAID. |
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Do you know enough about NIH to make it successfully through the system? Read more in the New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding.
- What does NIH do? NIH is the federal government's main agency that supports biomedical and behavioral research that expands scientific knowledge to improve public health. Congress appropriates NIH's funds with the goal of finding solutions to important public health problems. You may want to read NIH Mission and NIH's Mission -- Why It Matters to You. Go to NIH's Institutes, Centers, and Offices to learn more about all institutes.
- What does NIAID do? NIAID supports basic and applied research to understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. Read more at NIAID Overview.
- Who receives NIH grants? Most of NIH's money funds grants to research organizations throughout the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the world. To learn more, go to Does Your Institution Qualify for NIH Support? and Does NIH Fund Foreign Institutions and Investigators?
- How important is it to address Institute priorities? Most investigators apply for investigator-initiated research -- people send us their best ideas -- rather than respond to an Institute priority. But even with an investigator-initiated application, you can consider Institute priorities. We cover this topic in Application Approach: What Are Your Choices? and What Are Your Choices?
- What is a grant? A grant is financial assistance for peer-reviewed research, usually made to institutions. Investigators have a lot of leeway in the direction they can take their research. The government is usually not involved in the project. Read our definition of a grant.
- How do I apply? You apply for an NIH grant through a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) and will likely submit electronically.
For investigator-initiated research, use a parent program announcement, e.g., the Parent R01.
Always read the FOA's NIH Guide announcement to get key information you'll need to apply.
To see more information, go to How Funding Opportunities Work and Application Approach: What Are Your Choices?
- What is initial peer review? Peer reviewers assess applications for scientific merit and technical feasibility based on NIH review criteria and their ideal of an outstanding application in your field. They give each application a priority score, the main basis for funding. We cover this topic in the Review
Criteria SOP and Initial Peer Review Assesses Scientific Merit and subsequent cycle pages.
- Who is the audience for my application? Your main audience is the group of peer reviewers who review your application. If you want to read more, go to Write to Your Audience.
- How does NIAID determine which applications to fund? NIAID funds most applications by scientific merit as assessed by peer reviewers. We fund in order of percentile (for R01s) or priority score (for other applications) until we reach a funding cutoff point called the payline. Thus, submitting an outstanding application is the best strategy for NIAID. For more information, go to Part 10. Funding Decisions. Funding strategies can vary by institute; contact a program officer in the institute likely to fund your application -- go to Institutes, Centers and Offices.
- What grant types does NIH fund, and how do I know what to pick? NIH funds dozens of grant types -- large and small, simple and complex. NIAID supports a subset, most of which are listed in the Grants portals. But this is not a "do it yourself" question. Talk to an NIAID program officer for help.
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Do you know key points about NIH?
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Get a Grip on Timing
Plan for a long road ahead. |
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Expect to spend two months or more of dedicated time to prepare an R01 application. It can take from 5 to 18 months after the receipt date to get an award, 3 months less for AIDS applications, assuming you succeed.
Even if we plan to fund your application, several factors may cause a delay; for example, early in the fiscal year, the Institute does not have a budget, or you have administrative issues to resolve.
 Our advice. Plan accordingly. If you are a novice, allow plenty of time to do the following:
- Research your topic.
- Plan and write your application.
- Have colleagues and peers review it.
- Revise from the feedback, and perform final edits.
- Fill out the forms.
- Submit and get through Grants.gov and NIH checks.
After submitting, you still have a long road ahead:
- Wait for initial peer review results.
- Wait for second-level review.
- Hear from NIAID about funding.
- Wait for the award.
- If you did not succeed, possibly revise and reapply.
Some of your planning and decisions involve your institution -- see You and Your Institution. Visit your institution's business office early to find out your organization's expectations.
Our NIAID R01 Application to Award Timeline gives you a snapshot of the application process.
Contact Staff for Help
NIAID program staff are your primary sources of information. |
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Helping grant applicants like you is an important part of the job for many NIAID staff. Below we list contacts for different application types by award stage.
Before and During Application
Main contact. NIAID program staff are your primary sources of information for scientific, funding, and programmatic matters. They work in DAIDS, DAIT, and DMID -- see box below for the full names and links to contact pages.
Program staff are busy people, so you may want to email first rather than play telephone tag. An email also gives you written information to refer back to if needed.
You may also want to read When to Contact an NIAID Program Officer.
Contact the program
officer for your area of science:
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Our advice. Contact a program officer while you are early in the planning stage to do the following:
- Assess the Institute's enthusiasm about your research area and discuss potential application topics.
- Ask about investigator-initiated research: topics of interest and new scientific directions.
- Get more information about an initiative -- a request for applications or program announcement. If you want more information now, go to Where Does Your
Research Belong?
- Ask about meeting requirements for special areas such as human subjects and vertebrate animal research.
Small business awards. For help with Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research grants, contact Dr. Gregory Milman, 301-496-8666, director of the Office of Innovations and Special Programs.
Training and career development grants. Fellowships, training grants, and career development awards are managed by Dr. Milton Hernández, 301-496-3775, director of the Office of Special Populations and Research Training. Contact him or the program officer in the relevant division -- go to links in the box above.
Peer review. Before review, you can contact a scientific review officer either at NIAID or the NIH Center for Scientific Review, depending on which organization is reviewing the application.
If you applied with an investigator-initiated application, call CSR -- go to Contact CSR.
Staff in NIAID's Scientific Review Program oversee peer review of applications requiring special expertise. Click on the Scientific Review Program glossary link for a list. Go to SRP Contacts.
Contact a scientific review officer for these topics:
- Insight into the peer review process, such as what reviewers look for in an application, and preparing a grant application.
- Advice about formats and supporting documentation.
- Help to determine which CSR study section is appropriate.
After Peer Review
After you receive your summary statement, contact your program officer to ask about your chances of funding. Find the person's name in the eRA Commons and at the top of your summary statement.
Your program officer may be able to give you additional insight into the discussion of your application at the peer review meeting, which he or she may have attended as an observer.
Get advice if you know you will be funded or receive an almost fundable score.
Funding and After Award
Science issues. Contact your program officer, listed on your Notice of Award and in the eRA Commons, for science-related issues about your grant.
Administrative issues. Staff in our Grants Management Program negotiate the terms and conditions of award with you and prepare your Notice of Award. Go to the Grants Management Program Contacts.
They can help you with the following:
- Business or policy questions related to your grant.
- New policies and guidelines that affect what items you can request for your grant and how to request them, helping you avoid unnecessary paperwork or delays.
You may also want to read our Find Help questions and answers.
Know Who Helps You at Each Stage
Here's a handy summary of whom to contact and when.
Keep Up With Policy Changes
Changes in policy may affect your application or grant.
To stay informed, do the following:
NIH
NIAID
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