NIH Proposal Development

• Explore NIH grant opportunities
• NIH guide for grants & contracts
• NIH grants & funding homepage
• NIH RePORTER: searchable repository of NIH-funded research
• NIH Matchmaker: enter abstracts or other scientific text to find potential program officials, institutes/centers, and review panels for research
• List of NIH institutes & centers
• Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) (R15): As a predominantly undergraduate institution, UWL is eligible to submit applications to AREA (R15) program. Research areas and program officer contacts are listed on the NIH webpage. Note there are separate AREA solicitations for research involving and not involving clinical trials. For help determining whether your research meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial, refer to the NIH clinical trial decision tool. 

A successful proposal starts with thorough planning before you begin drafting the application. Keep in mind that substantive proposals (e.g., federal applications, collaborative projects) should be developed over a much longer timeline - typically six months to a year in advance of the deadline. See below for the required NIH proposal planning resources:

• NIH Proposal Development Guide & Checklist: extensive compilation of the required UWL forms, relevant NIH guidance, and templates
• NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
• Federal proposal development timeline calculator

To get started:

1. Use the federal proposal development timeline calculator to generate a customized proposal timeline.
2. Initiate your application by completing the INTAKE questionnaire.
3. Review the applicable proposal development information on this webpage for the NIH proposal development guide & checklist, budgeting guidance, templates, and other resources.

• INTAKE Questionnaire
  • See the Proposal Review, Approval, & Timeline Requirements and federal proposal development timeline calculator for due dates.
  • INTAKE Questionnaire Preview
• Required for all federal proposals:
  • Significant Financial Interest (SFI) Disclosure Form (see FCOI webpage) 
• Required for sponsors following Public Health Service (PHS) financial conflict of interest (FCOI) regulations, including NIH:
  • FCOI training and assessment (a score of at least 80%)
    • Self enroll in the Canvas course to access the training.
• Required for proposals involving subawards:
  • Subrecipient Commitment Form (Pre-Award) (see policy)
• Required for projects involving international travel, collaborators, funding, or organizations, including the exchange of data, research materials, and/or equipment with international individuals (domestically or abroad, virtually or in-person):
  • Export Control Screening Survey (see FAQs)

Sponsor Guidance

• R&R budget (>$250,000 direct costs)
• Modular budget (≤$250,000 direct costs)
• Subaward budget(s)
• AREA (R15) budget
  • PAR-25-134, Section IV (no clinical trial)
  • PAR-25-148, Section IV (clinical trial)
• NIH: Develop Your Budget

Budget Templates & Rates

• Budget Template
• Budget Justifications:
  • R&R Detailed Budget (>$250,000 direct costs): General Budget Justification Template
  • Modular Budget (≤$250,000 direct costs):
    • Personnel Justification
    • Consortium Justification
    • Additional Narrative Justification
• Cost Sharing Template
• Fringe Benefits and Indirect Costs - Current Rates
• Budget Guidance: Fringe Benefits Overview

Faculty & Staff Compensation

• Time and Salary Calculator
• Budget Guidance: Effort & Course Release for Extramural Projects

Student Compensation & Tuition

• Undergraduate Student Wage Guidance
• Graduate Assistant Compensation
• Tuition and Fee Information

Travel & Meals

• UWL Travel Information
• Lodging & Meal Per Diems
  • Current rates until June 30, 2025:SFS Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
  • NEW calculator for travel occurring July 1, 2025 or later: Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
• Ground Transportation
  • UWSA Ground Transportation Information
  • UWSA Vehicle Rental Rates & Procedures
  • UWSA Vehicle Reimbursement Rates
• UWL Food Hosted Meal Rates

Data Management & Sharing

• NIH Budgeting for Data Management & Sharing
• Data Submission Cost Estimation Tool (NIH NDA)
• NIH DMSP Budgeting & Application Instructions Tip Sheet (Harvard)

Facility Rental

• For rental of on-campus facilities, contact Reservations for facility and cost information. A facility rate sheet is also available.

• SF 424 (R&R) Form
• PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement Form
• R&R Other Project Information Form
  • Project Summary/Abstract
    • UWL template
  • Project Narrative
    • UWL template
  • Bibliography & References Cited
  • Facilities & Other Resources
    • UWL template
    • NIH sample Facilities & Other Resources
  • Equipment
    • UWL template
  • Other Attachments
    • AREA proposals require an eligibility certification letter (see PAR-25-134, Section III or PAR-25-148, Section III for clinical trials). Request from ORSP. It must be uploaded to ASSIST as ProvostLetter.pdf.
• Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
• Senior/Key Person Profile Form
  • Biographical Sketch guidelines
  • Biographical Sketch template & instructions (or use SciENcv to generate an automatically formatted biosketch)
  • Sample Biosketch Personal Statement
  • Biosketch FAQs
  • NIH Disclosures Table
• PHS 398 Research Plan Form
  • Introduction to Application
    • Required for resubmission and revision applications
  • Specific Aims
    • UWL template
  • Research Strategy
    • AREA proposals: also see Section IV of PAR-25-134 (no clinical trial) or PAR-25-148 (clinical trial)
  • Progress Report Publication List
    • Required for renewal applications
  • Vertebrate Animals
  • Select Agent Research
  • Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan
  • Consortium/Contractual Arrangements
    • UWL template
  • Letters of Support
    • UWL template
  • Resource Sharing Plan(s)
  • Other Plan(s)
    • Data Management & Sharing Plan: required for all research applications that will generate scientific data
      • NIH templates: Sample DMS Plans, Blank DMS Plan template
      • FDP templates
      • DMPTool
  • Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources
    • NIH Examples
  • Appendix
• PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information
  • NIH Decision Tool: Am I Doing Human Subjects Research?
  • NIH Decision Tool: Does Your Human Subjects Study Meet the NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial?
• PHS Assignment Request Form
  • NIH Assisted Referral Tool (ART): recommends potentially appropriate study section(s)
  • NIH RePORTER: searchable repository of grants to identify where related research was funded by NIH
  • NIH Matchmaker: enter abstracts or other scientific text to find potential program officials, institutes/centers, and review panels for research
• NIH Project Roles
• Logic models guidance and templates (UW Extension)

• NIH Application Guide & Resources
• NIH: Develop Your Budget
• NIH: Sample Applications, Attachments, and Other Documents
• NIH: Write Your Application
• NIH Research Enhancement Award (R15) Information
  • NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Solicitation (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PAR-25-134)
  • NIH AREA Solicitation (R15 Clinical Trial Required) (PAR-25-148)
  • NIH R15 Research Areas by NIH Institute/Center
  • NIH R15 Scientific/Research Contacts by Institute/Center
• NIH Disclosures Table
• NIH Guide for Grants & Contracts: Find Funding or Subscribe for Weekly Updates
• NIH Decision Tool: Am I Doing Human Subjects Research?
• NIH Decision Tool: Does Your Human Subjects Study Meet the NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial?
• Human Subjects Research: Principles and Best Practices for Protecting Participant Privacy
• Artificial Intelligence in Research: Considerations, Guidance, & Resources

• UWL frequently requested information for proposals
• National Center for Science & Engineering Statistics (NCSES) Academic Profile and Rankings for UWL