All NIH grant applications submitted late for due dates between March 9, 2020, and May 1, 2020, will be accepted through May 1, 2020.
NIH understands that the emergency declaration related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected and will continue to affect many NIH applicants’ ability to submit applications in a timely manner.
In response to community concerns about the ability to submit applications in a timely manner, NIH has published a notice announcing that grant applications submitted late for due dates between March 9, 2020, and May 1, 2020, will be accepted through May 1, 2020. This notice applies to all relevant NIH notices of funding opportunities, including those that indicate no late applications will be accepted. A cover letter providing a justification is not required. NIH will be extending the expiration date of most NOFOs expiring between now and May 1. For NOFOs expiring on or before June 30, 2020, NIH will extend the NOFO expiration date by 90 days.
We anticipate, but cannot guarantee, that all late applications submitted by that date will be reviewed in the council round to which they were submitted (e.g. August or October 2020). As much as NIH would like to extend flexibility further, this rapidly evolving situation also creates multiple challenges for conducting review, and the timeline for getting review outcomes to councils (so that funding can occur) can only be delayed so long. Therefore, applicants should assume that late applications submitted after May 1 may not be reviewed until meetings for the January 2021 council round (e.g., October-November 2020).
Currently, due dates after May 1, 2020 will remain as posted and follow usual late application policies.
For more information and updated guidance, please view the NIH page on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding and FAQs.