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Read the entire Program Announcement, Request for Application, or Funding Opportunity Announcement including
guidelines, instructions and tips about the submission and review process. Feel free to contact the program officer
with any questions because they are there to help.
Check if you are eligible to apply
Do you work at an eligible institution? Do you need to be a citizen or permanent resident? Does your job title and
years of experience meet the requirements?
Who needs to submit the application, you or your institution? If necessary, contact the grants administrator at your
institution to communicate your intention to apply. Sometimes only one applicant per institution is allowed, so
there may be an internal competition and an earlier deadline you'll want to know about.
Make sure your research is suitable for the goals of the PA/RFA
What is the aim of the funding announcement? Is there a specific disease focus? Which grants have been funded by
this same program in the past (e.g. for NIH grants, check NIH RePORT https://report.nih.gov/)? Who is on the grant
review panel? How likely would they support your proposal?
"Program officers at the various NIH institutes can provide specific advice and help you think through a grant
application. If you have questions about the best funding mechanism for a particular idea, the appropriate study
section to review your proposal, or the best institute to support your work, program officers are good people to ask.
Program officers o en attend major scientific conferences in their fields, so these are good places to connect and
talk informally."
— Webb, 2012
