Checklists for Planning and Writing a Grant Application

These checklists have been updated for electronic application and are based on NIAID's All About Grants tutorials. Throughout, we provide links to the tutorials for more complete information.

Before You Begin

• Do I know the field and its literature well?
• Do I know what other projects in my field are being funded?
• Is the field overpopulated with researchers?
• Did I check the literature to make sure the project I'm considering has not been done before, or has been done and its methods judged inadequate?
• Did I brainstorm ideas with colleagues and mentors?
• Did I discuss my proposal with NIH program staff in the appropriate institute?
• Did I decide whether to apply with an investigator-initiated application or apply for one of NIAID's initiatives reflecting our high-priority areas? See How to Choose an Application Topic and subsequent tutorial pages.
• If I decided to apply for an NIAID initiative, did I see if my idea matches any current ones?
• Do I know what resources and support my organization has, and what I'll need?
• Did I check with my institution's business office to learn its deadlines?
• Am I giving myself plenty of time to write the application, at least three to six months?
• Have I considered asking a few of my senior colleagues to be on a mock review committee so I can get ideas and feedback on the concept, planning, and writing stages of my application? Find out more at Part 2. Game Plan.

For more information, go to Part 2. Game Plan in our NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Determine Award Parameters and Documentation

• Have I decided what grant type I should apply for, e.g., R01, R03, R21, other?
• Have I decided how many years of funding to request?
• Will I be doing human subjects research?
• Will I be using research animals?
• Will I be doing rDNA research?
• Will I be doing stem cell research?
• Will I be filling out a modular application?
• Did I check for special requirements in the program announcement or request for applications?
• If planning on working with select agents, have I registered with either CDC or USDA?
• Have I described plans for sharing unique model organisms and, if I'm requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs, data sharing?
• Have I included budget information for any subaward partners?

For more information, go to Which Award Type Suits You Best? and Will Your Research Have Special Requirements? in our NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Hypothesis

• Is my proposal driven by a strong, well-defined hypothesis?
• Have I defined what, specifically, I am setting out to prove?
• Is the central research question important to the field?
• Is the hypothesis testable by current methods?
• Did I present alternatives to my hypothesis and the reasons I chose the one I did?
• Is my idea focused enough? Is it provable during my three- to four-year award with the resources I am requesting?
• Does my topic fit with the NIH mission? Does it work towards improving health through science?
• If my application is not hypothesis-based, have I stated this in my cover letter and given the reasons why the work is important?

For more information, go to Create a Solid Hypothesis in our NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Research Plan

Planning

Answer these questions when you develop your Research Plan.

• Does my project address NIH review criteria?
• Does my research approach answer the question posed by my hypothesis?
• Does my project have a central focus and coherent direction?
• Are the aims of the project achievable?
• Is my research innovative? If so, read Don't Propose Too Much or Be Too Innovative in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
• Am I attempting a modest amount of work and not too much for my first research grant?
• Do I know the common review problems and solutions? See Know These Review Problems.
• Have I checked the common reasons that might keep me from getting funded? See Solutions and More Common Problems Cited by Peer Reviewers.

For more information, start reading at Part 2. Game Plan.

Process

Answer these questions when you write your Research Plan.

Content

• Did I keep both of my audiences in mind: my primary and other reviewers?
• Did I maintain a balance between technical and nontechnical language?
• Have I described the importance of my project and why it is worthwhile?
• Have I explained how my institution can give me the support I'll need to do my work?
• Did I state my hypothesis in the Specific Aims and abstract, and give a logical rationale for it?
• If my proposal is highly innovative, have I justified why I am challenging the existing paradigm? Did I include data to support my innovative approach?
• Have I avoided major pitfalls? See Know These Review Problems and Solutions and the following page.
• Did I provide all necessary information for human subjects, research animals, and other requirements?

Organizing and Formatting

• Did I present the information logically and clearly?
• Have I adhered to the 25-page limit for the first four sections of the PHS 398 Research Plan?
• Did I refer to the literature thoroughly and thoughtfully?
• Did I add graphics, timelines, and charts to help reviewers grasp my information?
• Have I followed the instructions in the Grant Application Guide to the letter?

For more information, go to Plan and Organize Effectively in NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Specific Aims

• Have I written this section in clear, nontechnical terms so the review committee assess my objectives?
• Have I begun by stating my hypothesis and the objectives of my research?
• Do my specific aims and objectives support and test my hypothesis?
• Did I present alternatives to my hypothesis and the reasons I chose the one I did?
• Have I limited myself to three or four tightly focused specific aims?
• Have I organized and defined my aims so I can relate them directly to my research methods?
• Did I list the experiments I'll do to support each aim and list them in the same order as my specific aims so reviewers can see how I will achieve the aims?
• Are the experiments in a logical sequence, flowing from one to another with clear end points?
• Have I made sure my experiment can yield statistically significant results?
• Did I state what staff I'll need to accomplish my aims?
• Have I kept to the one page that the Grant Application Guide recommends for this section?

For more information, go to Start With Specific Aims in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Background and Significance

• Have I written this section in clear, nontechnical terms that all reviewers will understand?
• Have I conveyed the significance of my research and how it will increase knowledge in the field and improve public health?
• Have I shown the breadth of my knowledge of my field and highlighted why I am uniquely qualified to do the research?
• Have I tied my science to curing, treating, or preventing disease?
• Did I include background information about the field?
• Does the Bibliography and References Cited show reviewers my understanding of the field?
• Have I shown that I know the gaps, discrepancies, or roadblocks in the field?
• Have I kept to the two to three pages that the Grant Application Guide recommends for this section?

For more information, go to Background and Significance in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Preliminary Studies/Progress Report

Preliminary Studies

• Do the preliminary data support the hypothesis to be tested?
• Do they show the feasibility of the project?
• Did I focus on my own preliminary data, or when using results from other labs, draw a clear distinction between theirs and mine?
• Did I explain how the results from my preliminary studies are valid and how they will be expanded?
• Did I interpret my results critically and provide alternative meanings for them?
• Have I explained how my early work prepares me for the new project?
• Have I included all experience that shows I can direct the research and achieve its aims?

Progress Report

• If I'm writing a renewal or revision application, have I prepared a progress report instead of preliminary data?
• Have I included the beginning and ending dates for my grant project period?
• Have I provided a summary of the importance of my findings in relation to my specific aims?
• Have I given an account of published and unpublished results, indicating progress toward achievement?
• Have I kept to the six to eight pages that the Grant Application Guide recommends for this section?

For more information, go to Preliminary Studies/Progress Report in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Research Design and Methods

General

• Have I included only information needed to state my case, avoiding anything I don't plan to do?
• Have I organized this section with either one section for each of NIH's five review criteria or two sections -- a description of my research and then methods?
• Did I offer a timetable showing how and when I will accomplish my aims, including any overlap of experiments and alternative paths?
• Did I use flow charts and decision trees to show paths of experiments and how they will progress?
• Have I spelled out in detail what I am going to do, how I am going to do it, and my criteria for success?
• Have I discussed different possible outcomes and described contingency plans?
• Have I defined the criteria for evaluating the success or failure of each experiment?
• Have I anticipated reviewers' questions about the feasibility of what I propose?
• Have I cited references wherever possible?
• Have I used sufficient detail to show I understand and can handle the research?

Go to Research Design and Methods -- Writing and Research Design and Methods -- Evaluating in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Methods

• Are the methods I chose feasible and within my competence?
• Have I made sure my experiment can yield statistically significant results?
• Did I address difficulties I may encounter with the proposed approaches, show I can handle them, and propose solutions and alternatives?
• Did I consider how the limitations of the approaches may affect my results and data?
• Did I discuss methods for gathering and interpreting data?
• Did I estimate what I expect to accomplish each year and state foreseeable delays?
• Am I using collaborators or consultants to supplement my expertise?
• Did I describe sources for key reagents and equipment?
• Did I describe any hazardous procedures, situations, or materials, as well as appropriate precautions?
• If using animals, human subjects, or other special areas, have I provided all the needed information and met requirements? See Will Your Research Have Special Requirements?.
• Have I referenced all my methods and concepts and included a citation list using the Bibliography and References Cited attachment of the Research and Related Other Project Information form?

For more information, go to Design Your Research Plan in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Results

• Did I describe the kinds of results I expect and how they support continuing my project?
• Did I show I am aware of the limits to and value of the kinds of results I expect?
• Have I convinced reviewers I will be able to interpret my results?
• Have I enlisted help from a statistician, if needed, and discussed statistical methods to be used?
• Did I define the criteria for evaluating the success or failure of each experiment?
• Did I state the conditions under which my experimental data would support or contradict my hypothesis?
• Did I state the limits I will observe in interpreting results?

For more information, go to Design Your Research Plan in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

rDNA

• Have I checked requirements for recombinant DNA research?
• Have I contacted my biosafety officer and institutional biosafety committee to find out what the application procedures are for my project?
• Have I found out whether I need additional approvals for my work, e.g., from the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee or the NIH director?

For more information, see the rDNA Requirements checklist and Will Your Research Have Special Requirements? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Human Subjects

See the Checklists for Planning and Writing a Human Subjects Grant Application.

Vertebrate Animals

• Did I determine that my research requires animals?
• Have I obtained Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval of my project?
• Has my institution filed its assurance with the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare?
• Have I read the vertebrate animals section of the Grant Application Guide to learn about the five elements I must describe in my application?

For more information, go to How to Write an Application Involving Research Animals tutorial and Will Your Research Have Special Requirements? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Select Agent Research

• Have I checked HHS and USDA Select Agents and Toxins to determine whether my research involves select agents?
• Did I describe which select agents will be used, how, and where?
• Have I included a description of all facilities where select agents will be used?
• If I am at a foreign institution, did I follow the procedures in the Select Agent Awards SOP?
• Have I followed the instructions in the Grant Application Guide?

For more information, go to Will Your Research Have Special Requirements? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Multiple PI Applications

• Does the science warrant using multiple PIs?
• Did I contact my program officer at the earliest possible date to discuss the appropriateness of the approach?
• Have I read the instructions in the Grant Application Guide?
• Are all PIs registered as PIs in the eRA Commons?

Leadership Plan

• In my leadership plan, have I provided rationale and justification for choosing the multiple PI approach?
• Does my plan address each PI's role and responsibilities and the team's governance and organizational structure?
• Is each PI leading a project?
• Did the application state which PI or PIs are responsible for which research aims?
• Did the team designate a contact PI?
• Have I included procedures for resolving disputes and policies for communication, data sharing, publication, and intellectual property?
• Did I describe how the PIs will make decisions on scientific direction and allocating resources?
• Did I state how resources will be distributed if each PI has a budget?

For more information, go to Take Heed -- You Might Want to Avoid a Multiple PI Application in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Consortium and Contractual Agreements

• Have I described any of these arrangements, stating the roles of the people and organizations involved?
• Have I ensured that the information in my budget matches that in the Research Plan?
• For a modular budget, have I listed total costs and listed all key personnel?
• Have I included all key personnel and other significant contributors?
• Have I read the instructions in the Grant Application Guide?

For more information, go to Where to Add Consortium and Contractual Agreements in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Consultants or Collaborators

• Do I understand the roles consultants and collaborators can play and how to integrate them into my application, including my budget? If not, see the links at the end of this section.

Consultants

• Have I engaged expert consultants to compensate for any experience I lack?
• Have I included a letter describing the willingness of an investigator to be a consultant?
• Did I list my consultants as key personnel and provide biosketches?
• Have I read the Grant Application Guide for additional instructions.

Collaborators

• If I'm working closely with an investigator from another institution, do I need a consortium agreement?
• Have I checked with my institution's grant office staff to determine whether I need a consortium or other agreement?

For more information, go to Using Consultants and Collaborators in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Resource Sharing

• If I'm requesting $500,000 or more, have I included a data sharing plan, or justified its absence?
• If I'm planning to create a new model organism, have I described my sharing plan, or justified its absence?
• Have I placed the plans in the Resource Sharing Plans section of the PHS 398 Research Plan form?

For more information, go to What Resources Do You Need to Share? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Appendix

• Did I follow the rules for appendices, including limited items? See the links at the end of this section.
• Have I read the funding opportunity announcement for what can be included in the Appendix?
• If a publication is public, have I linked to it or included its NIH PubMed Central identification number in the text?
• Have I placed gels, micrographs, and other items in the Research Plan, not the Appendix?

For more information, go to If You Need an Appendix in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

SF 424 (Cover Page)

• Is my title specific and detailed?
• Have I made sure that my business office has completed its part of the face page or SF 424 (Cover Page)?
• Do I know what information staff in my business office will be inserting and how long they'll need to review, add required information to, and sign my application?
• Have I signed a PI signature assurance, which replaces the PI signature on the face page, and filed it with my institution?
• If I am a new investigator, have I checked "yes" in the box on the PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement form?

For more information, go to SF 424 (Cover Page) in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Bibliography and References Cited

• Have I listed all the publications I've cited in my Research Plan and other parts of my application?
• Do my citations show reviewers my breadth of knowledge of my field by referencing all published research relevant to my aims?
• Have I formatted the citations correctly, i.e., the names of all authors (not et al.), name of the book or journal, volume number, page numbers (not first page only), and year of publication?
• Have I used the Bibliography and References Cited attachment of the Research and Related Other Project Information form?

For more information, go to Other Project Information Form: Bibliography and References Cited in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Project Summary/Abstract and Project Narrative

Project Summary/Abstract

• Did I provide a succinct summary of my project using no more than 30 lines of text?
• Did I keep the language of my abstract simple and easy to understand for a broad audience?
• Have I included my hypothesis, specific aims, and long-term objectives and described why they are important, innovative, or both?
• Did I state the relevance of the work to NIAID's mission?
• Did I describe the design and methods I will use to accomplish my goals?
• Have I excluded all confidential or proprietary information?

Project Narrative

• Have I used two to three sentences to describe my project's potential contribution to public health?
• Have I used the Project Summary/Abstract and Project Narrative attachments to the Research and Related Other Project Information form?

For more information, go to Project Summary/Abstract and Project Narrative in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Facilities, Resources, and Equipment

• Does my description of resources show adequate equipment, space, and support staff to conduct the research?
• Have I convinced reviewers my institution provides the support I need and does not demand excessive amounts of my time?
• Have I listed all the sites where my work will take place and stated which facilities are completing which parts of the project?
• Did I list the major items of equipment available to me and give their location and capabilities?
• Have I described essential resources that are available to me, such as animal facilities?
• Do the resources match the information on the Research and Related Project/Performance Site Locations form?

For more information, go to Other Project Information Form: Facilities, Resources, and Equipment in Part 6. Other Application Sections.

Biosketches

• Did I include all key personnel and other significant contributors?
• Have I included biosketches in the proper order: principal investigator, then other key personnel in alphabetical order by last name, and significant contributors last?
• Have I kept in mind the four pages for each person that the Grant Application Guide recommends for this section?
• Does each biosketch include all required sections: positions and honors, selected peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press, and research support?
• Does the section on positions and honors describe employment history in chronological order and include dates, places, nature of position, professional experience, and honors?
• In the section on selected peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press, did I provide a chronological list of relevant publications with titles and complete references (including all authors)?
• In the research support section, for everyone who has a biosketch, did I list all support during the past three years in order of relevance to the project?

For more information, go to Senior/Key Person Profile Form: Prepare the Biographical Sketches in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Budget

Strategy

• Is my budget realistic and appropriate for the project's aims and methods?
• Have I requested only enough money to do the work and made sure my request does not appear to be extravagant?
• Have avoided requesting resources already available to me?
• Have I made sure that the PI's salary takes into account the mandatory cap?

Modular Budget

• Am I applying for a grant type that uses a modular budget: R01, R03, R21, R15, or R34?
• Did I create a budget in increments of $25,000?
• If I did not request the same number of modules each year, except for special needs such as equipment, did I justify this in the Additional Narrative Justification attachment of the PHS 398 Modular Budget form?
• Have I planned for the cost of the entire project?
• Did I list total costs, rounded to $1,000, for consortium arrangements?
• Did I separate consortium facilities and administrative costs from other direct costs?
• Have I followed instructions in the Grant Application Guide for the PHS 398 Modular Budget form?
• Have I completed the attachments for three justifications: Personnel, Consortium, and Additional Narrative?

Detailed Budget

• If I requested more than $250,000, did I prepare a detailed budget?
• If I'm at a foreign institution, did I create a detailed budget?
• Did I use the Research and Related Budget component forms?
• Have I requested a salary that is under the annual cap?
• Have I used whole numbers for person months for percent effort and dollars for costs?

For more information, go to Strategy for Planning a Budget and Create Your Budget in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Cover Letter

• Did I opt to include a cover letter to help the Center for Scientific Review assign my application and for the other items listed on the pages noted below?
• Have I included the required cover letter for a resubmission, big grant, conference grant, or late application?
• If I'm an appointed member of a chartered NIH study section submitting at a nonstandard time, have I included the name of my study section and period of service (if known) in my cover letter?
• Did I use the PHS 398 Cover Letter File?
• Does it include my application's title?
• Does it include a list of people who should not review my application and why?
• Does it state the different disciplines involved, if multidisciplinary?
• If applicable, did I include the title of an RFA or PA?
• If applicable, does it state that the application was previously submitted in response to an RFA or PA?
• If applicable, does it state that I've enclosed the required institute approval documentation for a grant requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any one year?

For more information, go to Do You Need a Cover Letter? and Rules for Late Applications in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Writing

General

• Have I carefully read the instructions and followed the rules, such as those for page limitations and font size?
• Did I follow the format outlined in the Grant Application Guide?
• Is the writing clear and concise?
• Have I anticipated any questions reviewers might have and supplied the necessary information to answer them?
• Have I kept the basic concepts and key ideas as nontechnical as possible?

For more information, go to Plan and Organize Effectively in NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Presentation of Information

• Does the application have a pleasing presentation, i.e., well-organized, sufficient white space?
• Have I labeled all materials clearly so that reviewers can easily find information?
• Is the type clean and legible?
• Did I begin with basic ideas and move towards more complex ideas?
• Have I included bullets and lists to draw attention to key facts and create visual breaks?
• Have I included graphics that can help reviewers grasp information quickly and easily?
• Did I make sure information that appears in more than one form is consistent, e.g., key personnel, resources, and consortium information? For a list, see Part 6. Other Application Sections in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
• Does a cover letter accompany my application?

For more information, go to Plan and Organize Effectively in NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Mechanics

• Did my paragraphs contain only one major point each?
• Did I use short, basic sentences that average 20 words or less?
• Did I include transitions to show the relationship between my ideas, using words such as: furthermore, additionally, in other words, in another area, in contrast, following the same path, and moving to the next stage?
• Did I keep related ideas and information together, e.g., put clauses and phrases as close as possible to (preferably right after) the words they modify?
• Did I use strong, active verbs? Did I avoid passive verbs? (i.e. "We will develop a cell line," not "A cell line will be developed.")
• Did I use verbs instead of abstract nouns ending in "ion" and "ment"? (i.e. say "creating the assay leads to..." rather than "the creation of the assay leads to...")

For more information, go to Plan and Organize Effectively and Write, Edit, and Proof Like a Pro in NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Editing and Proofreading

• Have I edited and proofread the application thoroughly several times after giving myself a few days away from it to gain perspective?
• Have I eliminated redundant words and phrases?
• Have I checked all my information and data for consistency?
• Have I reviewed my conclusions to see if my supporting facts might lead a reader to different conclusions?
• Did I have several colleagues critique the application on the writing and presentation?
• Have I gotten editorial help from a nonscientist with a strong writing background?
• Have I supported all facts with citations?
• Have I stayed within the 81-character limit (including spaces) for the title of my project?

For more information, go to Write, Edit, and Proof Like a Pro in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

After You've Finished Writing

• Have I looked at my application from the perspective of a peer reviewer?
• Did I use topic sentences to clearly state each main point?
• Did I check my application against NIH's five review criteria and give it a rating?
• Did I explain the significance of the work to scientific research progress and public health?
• Did I make a strong case for the qualifications of the researchers and institutional support?
• Have I asked non-experts in the field to read my application to make sure it's clear and understandable?

For more information, see Last Steps After You Finish Writing in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Research Support and Other Support

• Have I refrained from filling out the Current and Pending Support attachment in the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile?
• Do I know the difference between research support and other support? For more information, see You Will Send Some Materials Just-in-Time in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
• Have I started gathering information for my other support submission, which I will send NIAID just-in-time?
• After NIAID asks for the information, have I followed the sample Other Support format in the Grant Application Guide?
• Have I shown that no other organization is supporting the research I've outlined in my Research Plan?
• Have I included support for all key personnel as of the time I send in the other support information, not the time I applied?
• If applying for more than one grant to a PHS agency, did I point out in my application and my cover letter that there's no overlap between them, and make sure the aims differ?
• If I'm submitting the same application to multiple organizations, have I listed it in my other support, even if it's not funded?
• Have I made sure that I'm not committing more than 12 person months to all my support?
• Have I included my R56-Bridge award as other support?
• Have I withheld sending in my other support information until asked for by the just-in-time notice?

For more information, go to Prepare Your Other Support Submission in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Requesting an Institute

• Have I talked to my program officer and done research on the Web about the scientific areas each IC funds to increase my chances of getting funded?
• Have I found out which institutes are appropriate for my application in terms of their subject matter and paylines?
• Have I contacted a program officer to see if these institutes might have a special interest in my application?
• Have I considered getting my application assigned to more than one institute to increase my chances of geting funded?

For more information, go to Requesting an Institute, Applications Are Assigned to an Institute and Integrated Review Group, and Call If You Are Not Satisfied With a CSR Assignment in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Request a Study Section

• Did I call a scientific review officer (SRO) for help in determining which study section is appropriate?
• In searching for a study section, did I look for familiar names, or if unable to find any, read their papers to see if their work is similar to my own?
• Have I requested an IRG or specific study sections that may be friendly to my type of research?
• Did I frame my request in positive terms, noting that a study section has several people interested in my area and qualified to judge my work?
• Did I refrain from suggesting specific reviewers?
• After being notified of the assignment, did I check the committee's roster on the Web?
• Have I contacted the SRO if there is a problem with the committee, e.g., a conflict of interest?

For more information, go to Requesting a Study Section, Applications Are Assigned to an Institute and Integrated Review Group, and Call If You Are Not Satisfied With a CSR Assignment in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

If You Did Not Succeed

• Do I understand what the summary statement means?
• Have I called my program officer for more feedback and help?
• Do I know what my options are if I did not succeed?
• Are the problems fixable?

See Part 11b. Not Funded, Reapply in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Resubmitting

• Did I read the summary statement to identify problems?
• Did I create a three-page introduction to the Research Plan?
• Does my introduction describe my changes and how I addressed reviewers' comments point by point?
• If I disagreed with the reviewers, did I explain why and provide supporting information?
• Did I substantially add, delete, or change the application?
• Did I identify these changes clearly by using arrows, brackets, indents, or a new font?
• Have I added new findings to the Preliminary Studies/Progress Report section and made other revisions I think would be helpful?
• Did I follow the instructions in the Grant Application Guide?

For more information, start reading at How to Revise and Resubmit in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Just-in-Time Information

• Has my institution sent in my other support information?
• When working with human subjects:
  • Has my institution filed for a Human Subjects Assurance?
  • Has my institution sent in my Certification of IRB Approval?
  • Has my institution sent certification of Human Subjects Education?
• When working with research animals:
  • Has my institution filed for an Animal Welfare Assurance?
  • Has my institution sent in my Certification of IACUC Approval?
• Has my institution sent my application's title and number with my just-in-time information?

For more information, go to Prepare Your Just-in-Time Information and Prepare Your Other Support Submission in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Notice of Award

• Have I read the Notice of Award carefully?
• Has my institution contacted the Division of Financial Advisory Services to negotiate indirect cost rates?
• Has my institution submitted an 1199A Direct Deposit Form?
• Do I have a payment plan (such as Cashline or Smartlink) set up?

For more information, go to Read Your Notice of Award, Know Your Terms and Make Sure Your Institution Has Negotiated F&A Rates in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Before Beginning Research

• Have I read the Terms and Conditions?
• For research involving select agents, have I made certain that CDC or USDA has approved my registration before spending any funds?
• Do I know how long I am going to be funded?
• Do I know whether there are any restrictions, e.g., for human subjects, on my award?

For more information, go to Read Your Notice of Award, Know Your Terms in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

While Doing Research

• Have I been reading the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts and the NIAID Funding News newsletter to keep abreast of policy changes that might affect my grant?
• Do I know what actions I am allowed to take under expanded authorities?
• Do I know what actions require prior approval from NIH?
• Do I know what actions of mine will constitute a change in the scope of my project?
• Do I have reasonable monthly expenditures?
• Am I pacing myself with my spending?
• Do I have any new inventions that need to be reported?
• Am I making sure my institution is sending out all of my required reports on time?
• Am I reading each year's Notice of Award to make sure no restrictions have been placed on my award?

For more information, go to Grantees Can Take Many Actions Independently and Some Actions Require Our Approval in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.