National Institutes of Health Resources

The College of Liberal Arts departments and programs frequently submit grant proposals to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The CLA Research Development Team is available to assist with proposal preparation, online applications, and final proposal submission. Complete the Intent to Submit form to connect with the Research Development Team as early as possible prior to an NIH deadline. 

NIH Grant Basics

NIH provides financial support in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to support the advancement of the NIH mission to enhance health, extend healthy lives, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. It encourages the submission of unique projects of high scientific caliber. Types of NIH Grant Programs

Who is Eligible

Each type of NIH grant program has its own eligibility requirements. Applicants can find eligibility information in Section III of each funding opportunity announcement (FOA). NIH Funding opportunities are also available on Grants.gov. 

Types of Grant Programs

NIH provides a search tool to help you explore the types of grant funding that they offer, including research grants, career development awards, research training and fellowships, center grants, and more. 

NIH uses activity codes (e.g., R01, R21) to differentiate the wide variety of programs they support. NIH institutes and centers may vary in the way they use activity codes; not all institutes and centers accept applications for all types of grant programs or they apply specialized eligibility criteria. Look closely at the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to determine which institutes and centers participate and the specifics of eligibility.

• Active Funding Opportunity Announcements
• RePORTER: Search NIH-funded research projects, access publications resulting from NIH funding, and discover the best NIH funding opportunities for your research.

NIH eRA Commons Account

In order to submit an NIH application, which is done via eRA Commons, the primary investigator (PI) must have an eRA Commons account, including a username and password.

eRA Commons accounts are managed by the U’s Sponsored Projects Administration. To activate your eRA Commons account, email [email protected] and put "NIH eRA Commons" in the subject line. Please include your first name, middle initial, and last name and verify your University email address.

Once SPA has set up an  eRA Commons account for you, NIH will send you an email within three days that contains your username and a temporary password.

NIH requires that you complete your registration two to four days prior to any submission. If you are planning to submit an NIH proposal and have not requested an eRA Commons account, they suggest you do so immediately.

Visit the Sponsored Projects Administration’s web page for additional details.

Determine a Timeline

Every NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will have a submission deadline for grant applications. This date varies depending on the activity code, specific program, or FOA. 

Plan on contacting the CLA Research Development Team seven weeks in advance of your intended submission deadline. If you intend to submit an application with less than a six-week notice, contact the Team to verify that staff will be available.

If you do not believe you can develop a strong and complete application by the FOA submission deadline, consider delaying your application to the next deadline. NIH reviewers “will point out when they feel an application is premature because of inadequate development and presentation, including a poorly conceived budget” (Grants.nih.gov).