Grant stage indicator: after submitting an application

Understand the Review Process

Learn about the assignment and review process. Find out how you hear back about review results and your next steps.

Application Assigned to a Review Group

The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) checks your application for administrative and formatting requirements. CSR also assigns the application to an NIH Institute or Center (IC) and a review group. Learn more about administrative checks and how applications are assigned to a review group.

First-Level Peer Review

Your application's most significant test is initial peer review. Find out who reviews your application, the role of different reviewers, and what happens at a review meeting. Learn how first level peer review works.

Scoring and Summary Statements

Your overall impact score is the key review outcome, the main basis for a funding decision by an NIH Institute. Your summary statement gives information about the review, the reviewers’ critiques, and your score. Learn about scoring, how to interpret your summary statement, and your next steps.

Second-Level Review: Advisory Council

The main NIAID advisory Council must recommend an application for funding before we can award a grant, although the Institute makes the final funding decision. Our Council looks at administrative issues and applications that may receive special funding. Get details on second-level review by NIAID Council.

Serving on a Peer Review Committee

To fund the best science we need the best peer reviewers to assess the scientific merit of grant applications. Find out why you might want to join the ranks and learn what you can do to get involved. Learn about volunteering as a reviewer.

Have Questions?

Contact your assigned scientific review officer, found in your eRA Commons account or in your notice of funding opportunity. If you do not have a scientific review officer, go to Scientific Review Program Contacts.

Content last reviewed on