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 with materials for:
- Research Career Development (K) awards - K99 and K23
- R35 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) ESI (Early Stage Investigator)
- Individual Fellowships (F series)
- Resources for Institutional Training Grants - Links to our Training Grant Resources Page with materials for:
- Institutional Training Grants (T series)
- Resources for Equipment Grants - Links to our Equipment Grant Resources Page with materials for:
- Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10)
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)
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
- Biographical Sketch
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Article: Writing a Data Management & Sharing Plan
- Sample plans (from article)
- Data Management and Sharing Plan (required)
- Resource Sharing Plan Sample (rarely required)
- Article: Writing a Data Management & Sharing Plan
- Facilities & Resources
- Human Subjects
- Vertebrate Animals
- Multi-PI plan
- Letters of Support
- Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP)
- Authentication of Key Biological and Chemical Resources
- 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
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