You can download the forms you need for NIH grants and fellowship from the on the NIH website.
The most commonly used forms and applications for NIH grants (Grant Application Form SF-424, PHS-398 and the Grant Progress Report PHS-2590) are available there, along with other NIH forms that you’ll need to report, manage, or close your NIH grant.
WARNING: Some forms are only for paper submissions while others can only be used in an SF424 electronic submission
ORS can assist you in determining what forms are needed for submission to NIH. Download grant forms from the NIH website.
Hints for Forms:
Sample NIH Proposals
Several R01 and R21/33 applications that can be reviewed along with the Summary Statements.
NIH Grant Writing Tips
Several NIH institutes post writing guides to help you plan and write your grant application.
NIH Regional Seminars on Program Funding and Grants Administration
Twice a year, NIH hosts regional seminars to help demystify the application and review process, clarify Federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern. The seminars are appropriate for grants administrators, new researchers, and graduate students.
Since 1990, Congress has legislatively mandated a limitation on direct salary for individuals under NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards (referred to here as a grant). The mandate appears in The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94), signed into law on December 20, 2019, which provides authority for NIH to incur obligations for FY 2020.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, signed into law on December 27, 2020, restricts the amount of direct salary which may be paid to an individual under an HHS grant, cooperative agreement, or applicable contract to a rate no greater than Executive Level II of the Federal Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 1, 2024, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $221,900.
Committed levels of funding for grant and contract awards made in prior fiscal years that were restricted to Executive Level II will NOT be adjusted for the new salary cap rate. However, if adequate funds are available in the award, and if the salary cap limitation is consistent with the institutional base salary, grantees may re-budget funds to accommodate the new salary cap and cost reimbursement contractors may invoice at the higher rate. It is expected that such re-budgeting will not negatively impact the aims of the project. No additional funds will be provided for grant awards. Total estimated costs of contracts will not be modified.
The salary limitation also applies to all subawards and subcontracts.
Submit Your NIH Grant for Review
NIH proposals cannot be submitted by the PI: they must be submitted by ORS.
A Grants.gov username and password are not necessary to download an application package from Grants.gov or submit an application. Email us your completed Grants.gov application to and we will submit it to NIH.
You cannot submit a grant proposal to NIH until you have an eRA Commons’ account that is affiliated with UMKC.
eRA Commons is NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. A Commons user ID is required to submit proposals. Registering with eRA Commons allows ORS to submit your application electronically and allows you to see the status of your grant and summary statements.
Center for Scientific Review
NIH's Center for Scientific Review coordinates the peer-review process. The website lists, among other information, the meeting dates of the study section to which your proposal has been assigned.
Peer Review Policies & Practices
Review detailed and up-to-date information about NIH’s peer review policies and practices
Query NIH Projects
The NIH RePORTER is a tool you can use to query NIH proposals and projects on expenditures and results. It presents pre-configured reports and allows you to customize reports by defining your own query.