Grant Duration Policy

Purpose

To enable NIAID to achieve an average duration of four years for competing grants.

Procedure

NIAID funds a mix of short- and long-term grants to get a four-year average length for all grants in a given fiscal year. To find the maximum duration of any grant, look under "Budget and Project Period" in its funding opportunity announcement.

For NIAID grants that do not have funding opportunity announcements, we use the following durations:

• Up to one year of support for R56-Bridge awards.
• Up to four years of support for selective pay grants.
• Five years, with a possible three- to five-year extension, for MERIT awards.

NIH's grant duration limit is five years for most grants. Waiving this limit requires an extraordinary justification and direct approval from NIH or HHS.

In some fiscal years, NIAID resets grant start dates to more evenly distribute grant funding throughout the fiscal year. This results in a shorter grant duration.

Investigators

• Apply for a grant type that allows you to complete your project within the maximum grant duration allowed. Talk to a program officer and read Choose the Grant in the Strategy for NIH Funding.

Program Officers

• Work with grants management specialists to correct funding issues without altering grant duration, if possible.
• Nominate a maximum of four years' support for the following applications:
  • Applications that score beyond the payline.
  • R01 applications responding to RFAs.

Grants Management Specialists

• Work with program officers to correct funding issues without altering grant duration, if possible.
• See GMP's Project Period System of Awarding Grants and Duration of Support SOP and the NIH Policy Manual on Project Period System of Awarding Grants and Duration of Recommended Grant Support.

Contacts

Mary Kirker—Grants Management Officer

If you have knowledge to share or want more information on this topic, email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.

Links

Multiproject Awards SOP

Program Announcements (PA) SOP

NIAID Funding Policy and Process SOP

NIAID R56-Bridge Award SOP

Requests for Applications (RFA) SOP

Selective Pay SOP