NIH to Require Use of Updated Electronic Application Forms for Due Dates on or after September 25, 2013

Notice Number: NOT-OD-13-074

Update: The following updates relating to this announcement have been issued:

  • May 12, 2014 - Updated Grant Application Forms (FORMS-C) Now Available for SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunities. See Notice NOT-OD-14-089.
  • January 30, 2014 - See Notice NOT-OD-14-045. NIH Reminds Applicants to Use Updated Electronic Application Forms (FORMS-C) for F, K, T and D Submissions with Due Dates on/after January 25, 2014 - Correction.
  • January 30, 2014 - See Notice NOT-OD-14-044. Updated Electronic Application Forms (FORMS-C) Now Available for Administrative Supplement (non-competing Type 3), Successor-in-Interest (Type 6), and Change of Grantee Organization (Type 7) Applications.
  • November 27, 2013 - See Notice NOT-OD-14-027. NIH Reminds Applicants to Use Updated Electronic Application Forms (FORMS-C) for F, K, T and D Submissions with Due Dates on/after January 25, 2014.
  • September 26, 2013 - See Notice NOT-OD-13-121. NIH Reminds Applicants to Use Updated Electronic Application Forms (FORMS-C) for Due Dates on or after September 25, 2013.
  • August 30, 2013 - See Notice NOT-MH-14-020. Notice of Intent to Publish the Reissued Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Silvio O. Conte Centers for Basic or Translational Mental Health Research (P50).
  • July 26, 2013 - See Notice NOT-OD-13-091. Now Available: PHS 398 Application Forms and Instructions for Application Due Dates on or after September 25, 2013 and Updated Application Guides for Electronic Application Forms.

Key Dates
Release Date: May 30, 2013

Related Announcements
NOT-OD-12-161
NOT-OD-13-075

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

The purpose of this Guide Notice is to alert applicants that NIH is transitioning to updated electronic application forms packages. The new packages will be identified with a Competition ID of FORMS-C and will include the form changes documented at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/FORMS-C_Changes.pdf.

For due dates on or after September 25, 2013, all applicants will be required to use FORMS-C packages, with the exceptions noted below. The requirement includes electronic applications submitted under the continuous submission policy, administrative supplement requests (Type 3), change of organization requests (Type 6) and change of grantee/training institution requests (Type 7) submitted September 25, 2013 and beyond. Multi-project applications that are transitioning to electronic submission beginning with the September 25, 2013 due dates (see NOT-OD-13-075) will also use FORMS-C packages.

Exceptions

The programs noted below will move to FORMS-C application packages as follows:

  • Individual Research Career Development Award Programs (Ks), Institutional Training and Career Development Programs (Ts and Ds) and Individual National Research Service Awards (Fs) applicants will be required to use FORMS-C packages for due dates on or after January 25, 2014.
  • Small Business programs (SBIR/STTR) applicants will transition to FORMS-C packages later in 2014, when we can combine these form changes with anticipated form changes relating to the Small Business Authorization Act.

Background

NIH periodically implements updated versions of federal-wide SF424 (R&R) and agency-specific (PHS) grant application forms in order to remain current with the most recent form sets available through Grants.gov and approved by the Office of Management and Budget.

Beginning this July, the updated forms will be incorporated into new and existing Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). FOAs published between now and July that have submission due dates on or after September 25, 2013, will be posted without application packages. NIH will make every effort to post the FORMS-C application packages with the FOA at least 60 days in advance of the due date.

Instructions

  • If presented with more than one forms package, applicants should download and use the most recent set of forms to complete their submission. However, applicants submitting to AIDS deadlines should be especially careful in choosing the correct package and be sure to follow guide notice timelines.
  • Return to FOAs posted without a forms package or existing FOAs with ADOBE-FORMS-B1 or B2 packages 45-60 days prior to the deadline to obtain the FORMS-C package.
  • Verify you have the correct application package by checking the Competition ID for FORMS-C. The Competition ID field can be found when downloading the application package from Grants.gov, in the application header information of the downloaded package or in the ASSIST FOA summary information for multi-project applications.
  • All applicants should carefully read their FOA and the appropriate C Series Application Guide for program-specific instructions before completing their application.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Grants Information
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
Telephone: 301-945-7573
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov
Web: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm