National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is the nation's medical research agency-making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.

E-Systems

The  eRA Commons  is an online interface where signing officials, principal investigators, trainees, and post-docs at institutions/organizations can access and share administrative information relating to research grants.

CREATE AN ERA COMMONS ACCOUNT

The Signing Official (SO) at the organization is able to establish additional user accounts with varying degrees of access and capability depending on roles and responsibilities. If you or someone else needs an account, then please request one at the link below.  Include name, title, email address, current Commons ID (if transferring from another institution), and role requested.  Review roles here and choose the one that most reflects your job duties.

Request an Account

Upcoming Changes

Changes Coming to NIH Applications and Peer Review in 2025 - NOT-OD-24-084

  1. Simplified Review Framework for Most Research Project Grants (RPGs)
  2. Revisions to the NIH Fellowship Application and Review Process
  3. Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications
      • Application Updates
        • The Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity will be its own attachment in the pHS 398 Research Training Program Plan Form
        • Mentor training expectations will be more clearly defined in the parent T32 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
        • Institutional Training data tables will be updated to reduce burden and promote consistent information collection across training programs
  4. Updated Application Forms and Instructions (FORMS-I)  (NOT-OD-24-086)
  5. Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other Support) - on or after May 25, 2025
    • What you can do to prepare
      • Familiarize yourself with Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv).
        • SciENcv is a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive, or are associated with research investments from federal agencies.
        • You will be required to use SciENcv to complete Common Forms (i.e., Biographical Sketch, Current and Pending (Other) Support) and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement to produce digitally certified PDF(s) for use in application submission.
      • Get an ORCID ID (for PIs).

Sponsor Specific Guidance

These application instructions, along with the guidance in the funding opportunity announcement, will help grant application submissions to NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Please note that each activity code (research, training fellowship, etc.) has its own set of instructions. All forms are updated and ready to use for System to System submission in VERA.

NIH Application Guide

Proposal Guidance

  • Budget
    • Budget Types:
      • Modular Budget (≤ $250k in direct costs in each period): Utilize the Current Salary Cap with no salary escalation.
      • Detailed Budget (> $250k in direct costs in any period): Utilize one of the following three budget methods. Each proposal must use a single method for all UIUC investigators:
        1. Institutional Base Salary (IBS) with salary escalation in out-years;
        2. Current Salary Cap with salary escalation in out-years; OR
        3. Current Salary Cap with no salary escalation in out-years.
    • Additional Resources:
  • Biosketch
    • Non-Fellowship Template (Due Dates on/before January 24, 2022)
      • Section A: Cite up to 4 publications.
      • Section B: No limit on entries, but must be in chronological order.
      • Section C: List up to 5 contributions to science. Each contribution can include up to 4 publications. A link to full list of published works is allowed, but must be a .gov site.
      • Section D: Only include research projects from the past three years. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and your responsibilities. Do not include the number of person months or direct costs.
    • Non-Fellowship Template (Due Dates on/after January 25, 2022)
      • Section A: Cite up to 4 publications, factors impacting productivity, alternate names, other contributions to science not in Section C, and highlight ongoing or completed research projects from the past three (3) years.
      • Section B: No limit on entries, but must be in reverse chronological order.
      • Section C: List up to 5 contributions to science. Each contribution can include up to 4 publications. A link to full list of published works is allowed, but must be a .gov site.
    • Fellowship Template (Due Dates on/before January 24, 2022)
    • Fellowship Template (Due Dates on/after January 25, 2022)
  • Other Support

    Other Support instructions and current NIH approved templates

    Vanderbilt Other Support Information: what to include, what not to include, and who must submit

Post-Proposal Guidance

  • Post-Submission Guidance
  • Just-in-Time (JIT)
  • No-Cost Extension (NCE)

    The PI can exercise their one-time authority to extend without funds the final budget period of a project period of a grant. This no-cost extension (NCE) can be up to 12 months in additional time. The department would need to send an Modification Request through VERA to request the NCE. SPA submits the request through NIH's eRA Commons. After the first request, the appropriate campus department will write a letter requesting the additional NCE and submit it to SPA. In turn, SPA will forward the NCE request letter to NIH.