If you plan to apply for a grant, your opportunity’s due date may not be the only one you need to know. You may also have special institutional and NIH deadlines in the weeks or months before you apply.
Your Institution’s Internal Deadlines
Long before you Find a Funding Opportunity or start to Apply for a Grant, you should touch base with staff in your university or institution’s business office. They can inform you about their required approvals, preparation steps, and internal deadlines.
Most organizations have at least one internal deadline before the NIH funding opportunity’s due date. That’s because it can take days, weeks, or even months for your business officials to process and submit your application.
It’s also a good idea to check early whether you are properly registered in the eRA Commons and able to log in. If not, ask your institution’s eRA account administrator for help.
Timed Steps for NIH and NIAID Requirements
Far in advance of your application due date, you may need to seek NIAID’s prior approval, contact a program officer for prior consultation, or take other timed steps.
We advise you to Contact a NIAID Program Officer early for advice on your planned science, notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), and how to meet special requirements.
Here are some example scenarios with steps before your application’s due date:
- Big Grants. For unsolicited applications with budgets of $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year, you must seek approval from the program officer at least six weeks before applying.
- Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (IICTs). At least 10 weeks before your application’s due date, speak to the scientific/research contact listed on the NOFO to Request Prior Consultation to Discuss Submission of a NIAID Clinical Trial Application.
- Conference Awards (R13, U13). Request written permission at least six weeks before you apply.
- Multiproject Research (P, U) Applications. Contact the appropriate NIAID program division before you plan an application. In most cases, you will need our approval 10 weeks or more before the application deadline.
- Investigator-Initiated Resource-Related Research Projects (R24). We strongly encourage prior consultation with NIAID staff at least 10 weeks before the application due date.
- Cooperative Agreements. We encourage you to contact the scientific/research contact listed in the NOFO well before you apply.
Beyond those examples, your application may have different or additional requirements. Check the instructions for your chosen NOFO, NIH Policy and Compliance, NIAID Grants Rules and Policies, and NIAID rules for Research With Special Considerations.
Based on your internal deadline and accounting for preapproval steps, we recommend that you allow at least this much time to Prepare Your Application and Apply for a Grant:
- Two months: Planning and writing.
- One month: Getting feedback.
- Two weeks: Checks and edits.
Learn more about timelines, preparation time, and review cycles at Timelines & Due Dates.