Information for Foreign Grants

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) , part of the United States Department of Health & Human Services , is the primary U.S. Federal agency that conducts and supports medical research. To realize its mission of extending healthy life and reducing the burdens of illness and disability, NIH funds grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts that support the advancement of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems.

The 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs) of NIH provide leadership and financial support to researchers both inside and outside the United States. Approximately 80% of NIH funding goes to support research grants, including grants to foreign organizations. Many of the ICs have international programs/collaborations that can be linked to from their homepages.

This page provides information specifically for foreign applicants and recipients. Applications for research grant support from foreign organizations are treated as if they were applications from domestic organizations. There are a few exceptions which are highlighted on this page. This page also provides links to important information for foreign applicants as they consider and prepare applications and administer grant awards.

Important Resources

• NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIH GPS) is the policy source for terms and conditions NIH awards made to domestic and foreign organizations. It is also designed to be useful to those interested in NIH grants by providing information about NIH—its organization, its staff, and its grants process. The NIH GPS should be used extensively when applying for NIH grants and cooperative agreements and in management of NIH awards. There are links to the NIH GPS through out this document.
   
• The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is published daily and contains information on current grant policies, guidelines and funding opportunities. NIH issues hundreds of funding opportunities in the form of Program Announcements (PAs) and Requests for Applications (RFAs) to stimulate research in particular areas of science. Applicants can determine their eligibility by reviewing the funding opportunity, specifically Section III Eligibility information, which lists institutions/organizations that are eligible to apply and any special eligibility criteria.
   
• There are many public policy requirements for applications from foreign organizations. When an application is submitted to NIH, the Authorized Organization Representative assures NIH that the organization will follow the applicable public policy requirements, including those for human subjects, animal welfare, and Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI). These can be found in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) Section 16: Grants to Foreign Organizations, International Organizations, and Domestic Grants with Foreign Components and in NIH GPS Chapter 4: Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.
   
  • In addition to information found in the NIH GPS Chapter 4, information about using human subjects in research, can be found at the HHS Office of Human Research Protections International Program . 
     
  • Find NIH Training and Resources on Human Subjects for investigators involved in human subject research.
     
  • Find information about using live vertebrate animals in research at Foreign Grants - Animal Welfare.
     
  • Refer to Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) requirements and check Important Highlights of FCOI Regulatory Requirements for Foreign Institutions. The FCOI regulation (42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F) applies to all foreign and domestic NIH grants and cooperative agreements, excluding Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) applications and awards. The FCOI regulation also applies to subrecipient institutions and their investigators.
     
• Read the Application Guide carefully before applying and follow all instructions.  
   

Location and Time Zone of the NIH

The NIH main campus is located in Bethesda, Maryland on the East Coast of the U.S., just 10 miles from the center of Washington, D.C. From early November until March, this is GMT – 5 hours, and from March until November this is GMT – 4 hours. Note: Daylight Time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

To confirm what time it is at our offices, visit www.Time.gov and click on Maryland (or any state on the East Coast).

NIH encourages email communication when possible.
 

Submitting an Application

All applications to NIH must be submitted in response to funding opportunities which describe an IC's intent to award grants and/or cooperative agreements in certain programmatic areas. All NIH funding opportunities are published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts and on Grants.gov - Search Grants . Links to published funding opportunities may also be posted on individual IC home pages.

Section III.1.A of each funding opportunity describes the type of organizations that are eligible to apply. Section III.1.B provides information on the type of individuals that are eligible to apply. In addition, Chapter 16 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement describes general eligibility requirements for foreign organizations.

Funding opportunities include contact information for NIH IC staff:

• Scientific/research contact(s) (usually a program officer) who can answer questions about the scientific and/or technical aspects of the announcement
• Financial/grants management contact(s) who can answer questions about the administrative and budget aspects of the announcement
• Peer review contact(s) who can answer questions about the peer review aspects of the announcement. 

Applicants are encouraged to contact these individuals to discuss their applications.

Check Plan Your Application for more information.
 

Application Requirements

Electronic Submission is required for all competing NIH grant application types. Applicants from foreign and international organizations must fulfill some additional requirements to register for electronic submission of grant applications. Registration can be a lengthy process and foreign organizations are especially encouraged to register early. Electronic submission of grant applications is required for most NIH application types.

• Get Registered!
• How to Apply - Application Guide
• Tips for International Applicants on applying electronically

Application forms and instructions are identical to those required for domestic applicants. The forms needed to apply are customized to each funding opportunity. You must use the forms linked to the announcement to apply. 

Foreign organizations should be aware that budget requests must be prepared in U.S. dollar amounts and must be submitted in detail using the R&R Budget forms included with in the application package. Foreign organizations are not eligible to use the PHS 398 Modular Budget form. Limited Facilities and Administrative costs (8% of total direct costs, less equipment) are provided to support the costs of compliance with NIH requirements. Other information on allowable and unallowable costs can be found in NIH GPS Chapter 16.6.
 

Peer Review

The peer review of applications from foreign organizations is the same as that for U.S. applications, as described in the NIH GPS Chapter 2.4: The Peer Review Process. In addition, the following factors are assessed as part of the review process and award decisions for applications from foreign institutions:

• Whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.
   
• Whether the proposed project has specific relevance to the mission and objectives of the IC and has the potential for significantly advancing the health sciences in the United States

Extensive information on all stages of the NIH grant process including peer review can be found at Grants Process Overview.
 

Post Award Issues for Foreign Recipients

When NIH awards a grant or cooperative agreement, it is formalizing its partnership with the recipient to ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations and policies. This protects the integrity of the overall scientific endeavor. Acceptance of a grant award from NIH carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of the Notice of Award (NoA). By drawing funds from the payment system, the recipient agrees to the terms and conditions of an award.

The NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) is a term of award and provides valuable information about the pre- and post-award requirements for NIH grants and cooperative agreements, as well as the general Overview of Terms and Conditions. NIH GPS Chapter 16: Grants to Foreign Institutions, International Organizations, and Domestic Grants with Foreign Components provides information specific for awards to foreign organizations.
 

Payment

The application budget, requests for funds, and financial reports must be stated in U.S. dollars. 

Awards to foreign and international organizations are paid through the Payment Management Services (PMS). PMS is a centralized grants payment and cash management system. It is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Support Center (PSC). Refer to NIH GPS 16.5: Funding and Payment.

When a foreign component participates in a consortium arrangement, the funding and payment information should be reflected in the formal written agreement. Learn more in NIH GPS Chapter 15: Consortium Agreements.