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Standard Receipt Dates for Competing Applications
Schedule of Postmarked Receipt Dates, Review and Award Cycles
See Receipt Date Policy Below                      

Receipt, Review, and Award Cycles
Types of Applications Cycle I Cycle II Cycle III
Application Receipt Dates
Institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service (Kirschstein-NRSA) Awards *
(All new, competing continuation, supplemental and revised applications)		 January 10 May 10 September 10
Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
(All new, competing continuation, supplemental and revised applications except those involving AIDS-related research)		 January 25 May 25 September 25
New Research Grants and Research Career Awards February 1 June 1 October 1
Program Project Grants and Center Grants
(All new, competing continuation, supplemental and revised applications)		 February 1 June 1 October 1
Competing Continuation, Supplemental and Revised: Research Grants and Research Career Awards March 1 July 1 November 1
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants
(All new, supplemental, and revised applications except AIDS and AIDS-Related applications)		 April 1 August 1 December 1
Individual Kirschstein-NRSA Awards (Standard) **
(All new and revised applications except AIDS and AIDS related applications)		 April 5 August 5 December 5
Conference Grants and Conference Cooperative Agreements
(All new, competing continuation, supplemental and revised applications)		 April 15 August 15 December 15
AIDS and AIDS-Related Grants
(All new, competing continuations, supplemental and revised applications; includes AIDS and AIDS-Related SBIR/STTR and Fellowship applications)		 May 1 September 1 January 2
Review and Award Schedule
Scientific Merit Review June - July October - November February - March
Advisory Council Review September - October January - February May - June
Earliest Project Start Date *** December April July
* Several NIH Institutes and Centers use only one or two of the receipt dates for Institutional NRSA awards. Please check the program announcement for "Institutional Research Training Grants (T32)" at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.

**The National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowships for Minority Students and Students with Disabilities have special receipt dates.

*** Awarding components may not always be able to honor the requested start date of an application. Therefore, applicants should make no commitments or obligations until confirmation of the start date by the awarding component.


Receipt Date Policy - Competing Applications

Send all applications and other deliveries to the Center for Scientific Review via courier or the USPS

  • Mailing labels in
  • Applications may not be delivered by individuals to the Center for Scientific Review but must be sent via a courier delivery service or the USPS.
  • Applicants must seek agreement to accept assignment from Institute/Center staff at least 6 weeks prior to the anticipated submission of any application requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year (see 10/16/2001 NIH Guide Notice)
  • See the NIH Guide Notice dated November 13, 2001 for more information on Mail Addressed to the NIH
  • See NIH Guide Notice dated April 22, 2003 for the mailing address and a Reminder and Clarification on Delivery of Competing Grant, Cooperative Agreement, and Fellowship Applications

Submitting Applications or Proposals on Time

Unsolicited, investigator-initiated applications

  • An application is on time if it is either:
    • (1) received by the published receipt date , or
    • (2) mailed on or before the published receipt date and a proof of timely mailing is provided

  • Proof of timely mailing consists of:
    • a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark, or
    • a dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service
    • Private metered postmarks are not acceptable.
    • note: this policy also applies to unsolicited AIDS-related applications and to AREA applications.


  • When a receipt date falls on a weekend or holiday, the receipt date will be the following business day

Solicited applications or proposals

Solicited applications include those in response to Requests for Applications (RFAs); Program Announcements (PAs) with specified receipt dates (dates other than the standard ones specified in the chart above), such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR); and Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Note: If the receipt date is listed in the Table above, then it is a submission or "send by" date. If a date is specified in the announcement, then the application must "arrive by" that date at NIH.
  • An application is on time if it is either:
    • (1) received by the specified date, or
    • (2) after the deadline may be acceptable if it carries a legible proof-of-mailing date assigned by the carrier and the proof-of-mailing is not later than one week prior to the deadline date.

Late Applications

Permission is not granted in advance for submission of a late application. Late applications are accepted only in extenuating circumstances. If an application is submitted late, you must include with the signed, completed application a cover letter explaining the reasons for the delay. Late applications are evaluated on an individual basis considering the reasons provided. Contacting the Division of Receipt and Referral in advance will not influence the acceptance of a late application.

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Web Posting:  10/8/2004
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