Advice for Applicants and Grantees

In general, NIH grants may be awarded to public and private nonprofit organizations and institutions (including institutions of higher education, hospitals, and nonprofit research institutes), both domestic and foreign (with some exceptions, see below), and, in rare cases, to individuals. For-profit organizations are eligible to receive awards under all NIH programs unless specifically excluded. SERCA (K01), Institutional Training Grants (T32), Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35), Animal Resource (P40), and SBIR (R43 and R44) awards are limited to domestic institutions. Consult the FOA to determine whether special eligibility requirements may apply.

Administrative Standards and Cost Standards

All awards are subject to DHHS regulations on the administration of grants found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Subtitle A,  Part 74, or Part 92, the applicable cost principles, Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement, and supplemental guidelines published for specific programs.

Coordination Required to Develop Applications

Potential applicants should consider discussing a proposed application with the DCM staff before submitting their applications. These discussions will provide clearer understanding of program policies and guidelines. Applicants should also discuss a competing continuation application with staff to determine if future plans for the project conform to current policies.

Applicants are invited to review the article, “Do’s and Don’ts of Developing an NIH Grant Application” by Stephanie J. Murphy, VMD, and Franziska B. Grieder, DVM, Ph.D.