Put your research plans in scientific context for your reviewers and convince them that you know your field by citing wisely in your application, including a Bibliography, and including appropriate Appendix materials.

Connect to Science With Citations

Your Bibliography and References Cited Attachment should reflect all the source materials you relied on when preparing any section of the application.

List all the publications you have cited. Read more on citing publications as you write at Referencing Publications.

We suggest that you limit your citations to fewer than 100, but don't omit essentials or items that highlight the breadth of your knowledge.

If a publication is public, always link to it, or include its NIH PubMed Central identification number in the text.

References show your breadth of knowledge of the field. If you leave out an important work, reviewers may assume you're not aware of it.

Cite publications that are current and relevant to the project or show that you or your collaborators used your proposed methods. In general, you do not include a copy of publications in the application.

You will list all citations in your Other Project Information Form: Bibliography and References Cited form.

What To Add and Not To Add in an Appendix

For applications submitted before January 25, 2017, an Appendix may include certain publications and an unlimited number of questionnaires, data collection instruments, clinical protocols, and informed consent documents. Be judicious with what materials you include; do not inundate reviewers with a lot of nonessential information.

NIH will check that you did not try to bypass page limits by putting materials in the Appendix that belong in the Research Plan.

NIH limits the information you may put in an Appendix. Rules differ by grant type and funding opportunity announcement, so check yours carefully.

Here are the rules for publications for an Appendix to an R01 application.

Limited Items

• Your Appendix may include up to three of the following items:
  • Manuscripts or abstracts accepted for publication but not published.
  • Published manuscripts or abstracts that are not on a public website.
  • Patent materials relevant to the project.
• If a publication is public, always link to it, or include its NIH PubMed Central identification number in the text. Don't put a copy in the Appendix or elsewhere.
• Never include a manuscript not accepted for publication.
• For multiproject applications, each project or core may include up to three of the above items. See NIAID Multiproject Research (P, U) Applications.

Note: For due dates on or after January 25, 2017, NIH will no longer accept most Appendix materials. The list of allowable Appendix materials will be limited to the following items:

• For applications proposing clinical trials (unless the funding opportunity announcement [FOA] provides other instructions for these materials)
  • Clinical trial protocols
  • Investigator's investigational new drug brochure, as appropriate
• For all applications
  • Blank informed consent/assent forms
  • Blank surveys, questionnaires, data collection instruments
  • FOA-specified items—if Appendix materials are required in the FOA, the review criteria for that FOA will address those materials

Applications that include unallowable Appendix materials will be withdrawn and not reviewed.

How To Deal With Images

• Put images in the Research Strategy where they count toward the page limit.
• Follow the SF 424 Application Guide for size and resolution information.

Submitting the Appendix

Use the Appendix attachment of the PHS 398 Research Plan form. If you can't submit the materials electronically, contact the scientific review officer listed in your chosen FOA.