Applying for a Grant

Overview

NIAMS is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a Federally-funded research agency, the NIH uses a variety of policies to guide grant processes and ensure the best possible research is supported. In addition to following NIH-wide guidelines, NIAMS also has institute-specific policies in place to guide grants and funding procedures.

Applying for a grant can be challenging—understanding the process can help. This page can help you learn about NIAMS’s grant application guidelines and policies, and provide information on how to learn more about the NIH grant process.

How NIAMS Makes Grant Funding Decisions

Before you apply for grant support, learn about some of the factors involved in making grant funding decisions at NIAMS, and the peer review process.

• NIAMS Grant Funding Decisions
• NIAMS Grants Review Process
• NIH Peer Review Process
• NIAMS Large Grant Policy for Applications
• FAQs: Three R01-Equivalent Threshold and Select Pay
• Does my grant fit within the NIAMS mission? Check using the NIH RePORTER Matchmaker tool

Preparing Your NIAMS Grant Application

Find links to resources and tips for developing an application, forms and applications, and specific application due dates.

Planning and Writing

Get tips for planning and writing your application and see sample applications and summary statements that can help you get started.

• Planning Your Application
• Writing Your Application
• Grant Writing Tip Sheets
• How to Write a Grant Application (provided by NIAID)
• Sample Applications and Summary Statements (provided by NIAID)
• How to Apply Application Guide
• NIH New Investigators Program

Forms and Deadlines

Find the necessary forms and see the important deadlines for submitting a grant application.

• Forms & Applications
• Standard Due Dates for Completing Applications

Guidelines for Preparing Specific Applications

Check NIH and NIAMS guidelines for specific grant applications, including clinical research, use of research animals or human subjects, and more before submitting your application.

NIH Application Guidelines

Follow all NIH guidelines and policies as they relate to specific grant applications and study designs to ensure they meet submission requirements.

• Clinical Research Grant Applications
• Foreign Applicants and Grantee Policies
• New Investigators Policies
• Human Subjects in Grant Applications (provided by NIAID)
• Research Animals in Grant Applications (provided by NIAID)
• NIH Modular Research Grant Applications (R01, R03, R21, R34) Guidelines
• NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings

NIAMS Application Guidelines

Follow all NIAMS guidelines and policies for specific grant applications to ensure they meet requirements for submission.

• Centers for Research Translation (CORT) Guidelines
• Large Grants ($500K or more per year) Policy
• Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Centers (MCRC) Guidelines
• Research Core Center Guidelines

After Submission

Learn what happens after the peer review process through to award of applications and the many requirements for administering a NIAMS grant.

• Pre-Award and Award Process
• Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting
• Post-Award Grants Administration
• Grants Management Staff with State Assignments

About the NIH Grants Process

The following terms are useful while you learn about how the NIH grants process works, how to apply and how NIAMS makes funding decisions.

1. Investigator: Initiates research idea. Develops application.
2. Research Institution or School: Submits applications to NIH electronically through Grants.gov.
3. Initial Review Group: (also called Study Section or Scientific Review Group): Evaluates for scientific merit. Assigns impact/priority score, or votes to not discuss the application.
4. NIAMS Program Officer: Evaluates for program relevance. Develops funding recommendations. See Scientific Supported Areas.
5. NIAMS Advisory Council: Makes recommendation. See Advisory Council.
6. NIAMS Director: Takes final action. See NIAMS Grant Funding Decisions and NIAMS Funding Plan.
7. Grants Management: Evaluates for compliance, negotiates final budget, and issues the grant award. See Post-Award Grants Administration.
8. Research Institution or School: Receives and manages funds.
9. Investigator: Conducts research.

NIH Grant Basics

Learn the nuts and bolts of the NIH grants process, access tutorials, and view a video on how to get started with the process.

• Types of Grant Programs (Activity Codes)
• Getting Started at NIH
• Grant Application Basics (video)
• Grants Process Overview
• Grants Process (provided by NCI)
• Grants Tutorials (provided by the office of Extramural Research)
• Information for New Recipient Organizations/Welcome Wagon Letter