Reference Letters

Some types of programs, such as fellowships and some career development awards, require the submission of reference letters by the referee. Referees must submit these letters by the application deadline in order to be considered as part of the application. Applications that have fewer than the required numbers of reference letters will not be reviewed.

Resubmission applications require referees to submit updated reference letters.

• At least three, but no more than five, reference letters are required.
• The letters should be from individuals not directly involved in the application, but who are familiar with the applicant’s qualifications, training, and interests.
• The sponsor/co-sponsor(s) of the application cannot be counted toward the three required references.
• Make sure you include a list of referees (including name, departmental affiliation, and institution) in the cover letter of the application so that the NIH staff will be aware of planned reference letter submissions. 

Fellows/candidates should provide their referees with the appropriate instructions. Remember to include your name as it is shown in your Commons account, your eRA username, and the number of the FOA to which you are applying.

Letters must be submitted directly to the eRA Commons at: https://public.era.nih.gov/commons/public/reference/submitReferenceLetter.do?mode=new.

• Instructions for Fellowship Applicant Referees (MS Word - 16 KB)
• Instructions for Career Development Applicant Referees (MS Word - 17 KB)

• Referees must submit reference letters through the eRA Commons by the application due date.
  Note: Referees DO NOT need need to login to eRA Commons to submit their letters.
• Referees will need to provide the following information with their reference letter:
  • PI’s (fellow/candidate’s) eRA Commons user name
  • PI’s first and last name as they appear on the PI’s eRA Commons account
  • Number of the funding opportunity announcement to which you are applying
• Upon submission of the reference letters, the eRA Commons will send confirmation e-mails to both the referee and the fellow/candidate.
  • The confirmation sent to the referee will include the mentee and applicant’s names, a confirmation number, and the date the letter was submitted.
  • The confirmation sent to the fellow/candidate will include the referee’s name and the date the letter was submitted.
• The eRA Commons will link the reference letter up with the application.
• The fellow/candidate is responsible for reviewing the status of submitted reference letters and contacting referees to ensure that letters are submitted by the due date.
  • The fellow/candidate may check the status of submitted letters by logging into their Commons account and accessing the “check status” screen for this application.
  • While the fellow/candidate is able to check on the status of the submitted letters, the letters are confidential and the fellow/candidate will not have access to the letters themselves.