How to acknowledge NIH funding in research publications and why it matters

Having your research published is an exciting and busy time. As you near publication, be sure to acknowledge the NIH grants that support the work described in your paper. The NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.2.1 states, “... recipients must acknowledge federal funding when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid invitations, and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with federal money.”

Clearly stating that your research was funded, or funded in part, by NIH ensures compliance with the acknowledgment policy and helps promote and track our agency’s role in science advances. Here are a few ways to properly acknowledge NIH support:

• Include specific grant numbers and use correct phrasing. Every publication resulting from research fully or partially funded by NIH must list the specific grant number(s) that supported the work. Include information such as the following in the acknowledgments section of your paper: “This research was funded [or funded in part] by the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, grant number R01AG123456.”
  
  Be sure to follow NIH’s policies on acknowledging support for specific requirements and preferred language, including how to properly acknowledge the NIH-Lacks Family Agreement when using HeLa cells .
• Include this disclaimer: “The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
• Follow journal requirements. Different journals may have specific requirements for acknowledgments. Review and adhere to those guidelines to ensure your acknowledgment complies with both NIH policies and the journal’s standards.
• Update acknowledgments for submissions. If you submit a manuscript to multiple journals, or if you must revise your manuscript, always double-check that the acknowledgments section correctly reflects the current funding status and grant numbers.