Big Grant Applications

Questions and Answers Table of Contents

Can I request more than $500,000 in direct costs in any year?

You may, though you must get NIAID approval before applying. In deciding whether to fund a big grant, NIAID weighs the effect on its budget as well as the priority of the research. For details, see Big Grants SOP.

What are the basic requirements for a big grant?

NIH policy for applications with budgets of $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year requires that you submit documentation with your application stating you have discussed it with an NIAID program officer, and NIAID has agreed to accept it.

You must get this approval from the program officer at least six weeks before applying. Your program officer will send you a big grant acceptance letter to include with your application. Read more in the October 16, 2001, Guide notice.

Does the $500,000 limit include consortium facilities and administrative costs?

No. The $500,000 limit excludes any consortium F&A costs.

What is the best approach to planning a big-dollar application?

Work with your program officer -- submitting a big grant application is best approached as a team effort. Requesting that NIAID accept your application at least six weeks before applying is a minimum requirement. It's much better to call or write while still planning your application because we fund a limited number of big grant applications each year.

Your program officer can advise you on the feasibility of getting an award so you don't waste time writing an application we may reject. To find a program officer, visit Contact Staff for Help. Read Big Grants SOP for more information.

What happens if I don't get program staff approval before applying?

Without program staff approval, you face the following consequences:

• If you don't include a big grant acceptance letter, NIH's Center for Scientific Review will reject your application without a review. See NIH Checks Your Application in the NIH Grant Cycle.
• Program staff who are not in the loop can't be your advocate, so you don't benefit from their advice.

Do I need permission if I'm near but not over $500,000?

Yes, you need permission any time your request could exceed $500,000 in any year. For example, if you ask for $499,900 in direct costs in the first year, the out years could be more than $500,000, even if you don't request an annual increase.

Can I bypass the requirement by putting a program officer's name in my cover letter and saying he or she approved?

No. You must include a big grant acceptance letter from your program officer with your cover letter. For details, see the Big Grants SOP.

Should I contact NIAID staff if my application is part of a large multiproject application?

Only if you are the PI of a multiproject application. Project and core leaders do not contact NIAID staff unless they are the main PI.

Am I just as likely to get a big award as a smaller one?

No. Because these requests strain our budget and compromise grant numbers, NIAID funds a limited number of big grant applications each year.

When deciding what to fund, we weigh the effect on our budget as well as the priority of your proposed research.

Do large awards always get annual budget increases?

No. Getting an annual budget increase depends on our annual financial management plan, which we post on Paylines and Funding. You should start checking this site at the beginning of a new fiscal year, keeping in mind that our numbers usually change later in the year when our budget is final.

Do big grants use a modular budget?

No. Any grant requesting more than $250,000 uses the detailed budget pages in either the PHS 398 or FOA depending whether the grant type you are applying for has made the transition to electronic applications. See Detailed Budgets in the NIH Grant Cycle.

Why does NIAID convert some big grants to cooperative agreements?

We usually convert large clinical research grants to cooperative agreements when NIAID staff need to participate substantially in the research. Like all clinical awards, cooperative agreements are subject to our clinical terms of award and to additional requirements for NIAID staff participation. Also see Conversion of Grants to Cooperative Agreements SOP.

Among institutes, is NIAID particularly strict about large grants?

No. All institutes follow the same NIH policy.

What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?

Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. We answer questions by email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.