About the National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. NIH advertises availability of grant support through notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs). Investigators can search for a funding opportunity specific to their area of interest or apply to one of NIH's generic parent announcements.
There is not a generic application form package that can be downloaded and used for all grant application submissions. You must use the application form package associated with the funding opportunity to which you are applying. Access the opportunity-specific form package through your chosen submission method (ASSIST, institutional system-to-system solution, Workspace).
The UC Davis Proposal Development Services team has assembled templates and samples for some of the most commonly used proposal sections in NIH applications.
Please reach out to us if the file you are looking for is not updated for the current proposal call. We will be happy to update it for you!
NIH Resources
Click on the topic you're interested in to jump to that area of our NIH resources, or simply scroll down to browse! Not sure what type of grant you should be applying to? Check out the NIH Funding Programs by Career Stage for a guide.
- General NIH Resources
- Resources for Research Grants
- Resources for Early Career Researchers - Links to our NIH Early Career Resources page
- Resources for Institutional Training Grants - Links to our Training Grant Resources Page
- Resources for Equipment Grants - Links to our Equipment Grant Resources Page
General NIH Resources
- NIH Tools for Writing Concise and Compelling Grants
- 2020 NIH Agency Overview Workshop Recording
- Information on NIH review criteria (NIH website)
- NIH All About Grants Podcast
Resources for Research Grants
Research Grants (R series)
About the NIH Research Grants (R series)
Resources for specific R series applications
R01 Resources - About Research Project (R01) Grants
R21 Resources - About Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
DP2 Resources - About NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards (DP2)
Introductory files
- Assignment Request Form
- Cover Letter Instructions (rarely needed)
- Introduction to the Revised Application template outline (resubmission applications only)
Research Plan
- Project Narrative Template
- Project Summary Template
- Specific Aims
- Research Strategy Template
- Bibliography
- Bibliography & References Cited Template
- Progress Report Pub List Instructions (renewal applications only)
Supplemental Documents
Below are resources for the common supplemental documents required for an NIH proposal.
Personnel Documents
NIH is requiring personnel documents for all submissions due May 8 and after to be created using the Common Form in SciENcv (NOT-OD-26-079). This affects proposals, RPPRs and JIT submissions. Details of the changes can be found in the original notice (NOT-OD-26-018). Please reach out to the PDS team at [email protected] for assistance.
- SciENcv Tip Sheet for NIH biosketch - This shorter, more visual help document provides an overview of the new biosketch format and includes a sample, annotated biosketch.
- Navigating errors during NIH Common Form submission - This document addresses errors that some have encountered during the submission process for the new Common Form documents. In it, you will find explanations and fixes for each of the errors you may experience.
- Comprehensive guide to NIH's SciENcv Common Form - This document describes the details of the changes in the Common Form, how to create and link ORCiD, eRA Commons, and SciENcv, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Data Management and Sharing Plan
April 2026 Update: NIH has released a new Data Management and Sharing Plan. See details here.
- To develop your Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP), please visit the UC Davis Library’s highly informative Research Data Management website that will walk you through the process of developing a DMSP using the DMPTool. The California Digital Library’s DMPTool is an online tool containing templates and resources for different agencies and programs and is designed to guide you through the process of creating a DMSP that is compliant with funder requirements.
- Article: Writing a Data Management & Sharing Plan (with samples)
- Resource Sharing Plan Sample (rarely required)
Facilities & Resources
- Equipment Template
- Facilities & Resources Multiple Investigator Template
- Facilities & Resources Single Investigator Template
Human Subjects
- Instructions for completing the Human Subjects section
- Templates for individual sections of the Human Subjects section
Vertebrate Animals
Letters of Support
Authentication of Key Biological and Chemical Resources
- Authentication of Key Biological and Chemical Resources Template
- Authentication of Key Biological and Chemical Resources Sample
Select Agent Research
Foreign Justification
- On form R&R Other Project Information (in ASSIST), when you answer YES to 6. Does this project involve activities outside of the United States or partnerships with international collaborators? You need to not only indicate which country(ies) you are collaborating with, but you also need to include under 12. Other Attachments, a Foreign Justification
- See our recent analyses regarding 2025 changes to Foreign Justification documents
Budget-related files and information
- SPO budget templates
- Budget Justification template for NIH grants
- Equipment Definition for Budget Purposes
- Consortium & Contractual Agreements Template
Program Project/Center Grants (P series)
About the NIH Program Project/Center Grants (P series)
- Key considerations for submitting a multicomponent grant
- SPO BAASICS multicomponent grants (presentation slides)
- Specific Aims
- Facilities and Equipment
- Resource Sharing Plan