Frequently Asked Questions for Global Aging Applications in the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Q: I’m new to NIH. How do I apply for research funding?

A: All NIH applications must be submitted in response to a Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) . A NOFO is a publicly available document in which a U.S. federal agency, such as NIH, announces its intention to give an award.

Q: What are the different kinds of NOFOs?

A: There are different types of funding opportunities announcements , including:

• Request for Applications (RFA): When NIA issues RFAs, the Institute has reserved funds for applications focused on a specific research area, and applications are due relatively quickly after RFAs are issued. A Letter of Intent may be required before a complete application can be submitted.
• Program Announcements (PA): PAs discuss broad research areas of particular interest to NIA, and applicants compete for available funds. PAs are valid for several years, and applications are usually due three times each year.
• Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): NOSIs describe a specific area of research and direct applicants to one or more active funding opportunity announcements.

Q: What type of training or career development programs are available to non-U.S. citizens?

A: There are several opportunities for career and development programs for non-U.S. citizens. For those conducting research outside the United States, consider:

• D43 — Institutional International Research Training Grant at Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)
• K43 — Individual International Research Career Development Award at LMICs
• R03, R21, R01, and other major research project grants

The following are available to non-U.S. citizens on valid visas conducting research in the U.S.:

• F99/K00 — predoctoral to postdoctoral transition award
• K99/R00 — career transition award
• R03, R21, R01, and other major research project grants

Visit the NIA Training and Career Development page for more information.

Q: How do I know which funding opportunity to apply for?

A: There are different avenues you can pursue to obtain funding. You will need to determine what NIH activity code is appropriate for your project. Activity codes are NIH’s way to differentiate types of research-related projects we support. Visit grants.gov to learn more about the different types.

• Research Project Grants, R01s provide three to five years of support to investigators who have preliminary data.
• Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants, R21s support one- or two-year exploratory research to test a hypothesis that could yield a significant breakthrough.
• Small Grants, R03s provide up to two years of funding to obtain preliminary data that support a hypothesis that will likely lead to a major Research Project Grant.

Generally, researchers should not apply for an R01 grant unless they have preliminary data. These researchers should first apply to one of the smaller grant programs (R21 or R03). You can then use the preliminary data from that grant to apply for a larger R01 grant.

Visit our Behavioral and Social Research Funding Opportunities and Applicant Resources webpage for a list of available funding opportunities.

Q: How do I determine if an international organization can apply for a funding opportunity?

A: Foreign institutions are eligible to apply for many NIA funding opportunities. “Section III. Eligibility Information” in every NOFO will state whether foreign institutions are eligible to apply. There are two main types:

• U.S. Domestic Grants With a Foreign Component

  • Domestic Grants With a Foreign Component enable U.S.-based principal investigators to conduct cooperative international studies with foreign partners. The grant is awarded to the U.S. partner, who will share funds with the foreign principal investigator according to the agreement spelled out in the application.

• Direct Foreign Grants

  • These are grants awarded directly to institutions outside of the U.S. Direct Foreign Grants allow researchers from outside the U.S. to compete for funding within the NIH system. The actual research is conducted outside the U.S.

Q: Are there any special requirements for research being conducted internationally?

A: Every NIA grant application for research conducted outside of the U.S. must establish that the proposal offers a special opportunity to further aging research by:

• Taking advantage of special opportunities outside the U.S. to access talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions not available domestically or that leverage existing U.S. resources.
• Demonstrating that the proposed project has specific relevance to the mission and objectives of NIA and has the potential for significantly advancing the health sciences in the U.S. Note: These criteria are not applied to applications from domestic institutions with foreign components.

When applying from an international/foreign institution, please note that applications have a checkbox for foreign institutions and domestic institutions with a foreign component. In addition, there are special requirements for applications from foreign institutions. For more information, visit the Information for Foreign Grants information page and Tips for International Applicants (PDF, 89K).

Q: Are there any full sample applications I can reference?

A: See the NIH sample applications (including those for the R01, R03, and R21 programs) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Cancer Institute. While these are applications for different institutes and highlight different areas of science, the general format of applications across NIH remains the same. NIA has K99/R00 sample applications on our website.

The format of the specific aims in these applications is worth noting, as you will want to draft a one-page aims page before initiating discussions with an NIA program official.

Q: The NIH Grants process is new to me. What other resources are available so I can learn more?

A: There are many resources that help researchers understand the grants process, including:

• International Collaborations: Advice From Experts — NIH Extramural Nexus

  • Whether you’re from a foreign organization looking to secure NIH funding or a domestic researcher or institution partnering with a foreign collaborator, you’ll find helpful information to get started in the recording of NIH’s International Collaborations: Policies, Processes, & Partnerships event. NIH experts walk you through the process of working with foreign entities through engaging case studies, panel discussions, and live Q&As. In addition, research officials from several universities across the U.S. share their perspective on building a supportive and successful environment for international collaborations as they also address questions from the audience. This website also includes the slides from this event.

• NIH Grants Process Overview

  • The NIH Office of Extramural Research describes the steps researchers must take to plan, write, submit, revise, and resubmit a grant application. Resources for each step of the process provide guidance from NIH experts that can help maximize your understanding of the grants process and help you submit a successful grant application.

• NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

  • Provides tips for grant applicants and reviewers, describing the role of CSR in the NIH funding process.

• Grant Writing

  • Provides guidance in developing a strong application that allows reviewers to better evaluate the science and merit of the application.

• Strengthen Your Research Plan for a Better Score — Dos and Don’ts

  • Veteran Program Officer Dr. Dallas Anderson provides guidance on writing a strong research plan.

• Advice on How To Write Specific Aims

  • NIAID staff provide advice on writing specific aims.

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