Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about grant application format 
1.	Why must NIH require format specifications? 
The scale of the NIH grant review effort (over 46,000 applications in fiscal year 2002) requires standards for application submission. These format specifications are designed to ensure that the grant applications sent to peer reviewers comply fairly with space limitations and are easy to read. Reviewers commit considerable effort to the review process and they are understandably annoyed with difficult to read applications. An application that is difficult to read will be difficult for the reviewers to reasonably evaluate. 
2.	Do the font sizes and margin settings that have been automatically set on the Form Pages meet the application format style and NIH specifications? 
Yes. Some of the fields on the Form Pages (e.g., email address) have been preset with a smaller font size to enable all characters to be printed. 
The PHS 398 and PHS 2590 Rich Text File (RTF) and Portable Document File (PDF) Form pages as provided are acceptable by NIH. All other sections of the application (e.g., Biographical Sketch, Introduction, if necessary, Literature Citation and the Research Plan) must conform to the following four requirements:
a.	The height of the letters must not be smaller than 10 point; Helvetica or Arial 12-point is the NIH-suggested font. 
b.	Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15 characters per inch (cpi). 
c.	No more than 6 lines of type within a vertical inch. 
d.	Margins, in all directions, must be at least ½ inch.
You may substitute computer-generated facsimiles for government-printed forms; however, they must maintain the exact wording and format of the government-printed forms, including all captions and spacing. The PHS 398 and 2590 includes Form Pages and Format Pages. The format pages are intended to assist you in the development of specific sections of the application. Format Pages have been left "unprotected" to allow you to format text, insert graphics, diagrams, or tables. Alternatively, you may create a page similar to the format provided and inclusive of requisite information.
3.	What does "point" mean and how is it measured? 
Point is a term used by printers and refers to the height of the letters. A point is 1/72 of an inch, so a 10-point font has letters that are 10/72 of an inch in height (when an ascender/descender combination such as an "ly" is measured). Rulers and other measuring devices for determining "point" are generally available in copy centers and medical illustration offices or can be obtained at office supply stores. It is important to measure point size on the actual printed page as printer settings or photocopying may result in a change in point size selected in a word processing program. The point size is independent of the characters per inch; using a 10-point font provides no guarantee that the type will be within the required specifications of characters per inch or lines per inch. 

4.	How should characters per inch be measured? 
With a standard ruler measure a representative section of type (not headings using all capital letters and bold font). Each character and space will need to be counted. For a proportional font (where a "w" or "m" uses more space than a "l" or "i"), it is recommended that 10 inches (25 cm.) be counted and the average determined. Exceeding the characters per inch is the most common problem encountered with noncompliant applications. 
5.	How should lines per inch be measured? 
With a standard ruler. If any part of a seventh line is included in a vertical inch, the type used is not compliant. If the application exceeds the lines per inch standard, it may be because the letters are too short (less than 10 point) or that the normal spacing between lines is suppressed.
6.	What happens if I send in an application that does not conform to the format specifications? 
The NIH will be screening applications for obvious problems with the required format. When problems are identified, the investigators will be contacted and given four business days in which to correct the problem. If the application cannot be corrected in that time period, there may be delays in the review. 
7.	If my application is assigned for review, does that mean that NIH has determined that its format is in compliance? 
No. The initial spot-checking will not necessarily identify all applications with format compliance problems. If reviewers or other NIH staff identify problem applications later in the process, applications may be returned or deferred at that time. 
8.	Does NIH require a particular font to be used? 
No. Since there is variability in the fonts available in word processing programs and printers, NIH does not make a specific requirement for a particular font. However, NIH has established parameters of letter height (point size), characters per inch, and lines per inch that need to be applied to determine if the font selected and printer used produce acceptable output. It is very important for investigators to measure all three parameters on the printed page and not rely on the settings chosen in a word processing program. If any aspect of the computer system used is changed, including the printer, the type should be checked again. Each parameter of type—height of letters (point size), characters per inch, and lines per inch—needs to be checked. 
9.	The computer settings I normally use produce an output that does not meet the NIH format requirements. Are there suggestions that will help me do so? 
Although specific computers and word processing programs may vary, practical experience indicates that fonts most likely to cause problems are Times New Roman, Courier, and Palatino. If the measured output does not meet the established requirements with one of these fonts, a different font should be tried. Fonts that seem less likely to lead to problems include Arial, Bookman Old Style, and Helvetica. Right justification also may lead to an increased number of characters per inch. 
10.	What about footnotes, figure legends, figures, charts, and tables? Must these follow the same format specifications? 
Type size may be reduced for footnotes, figure legends, figures, charts, and tables. However, investigators should use their judgment and avoid the use of excessively small type that would make it hard to read.