Collaborative International Research Project  (PF5)

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Purpose

NIH no longer accepts applications that request funds for foreign components using the traditional grant subaward/consortium structure. The PF5 activity code facilitates an application and award structure that allows NIH to track the expenditure of federal funds at foreign components and meet federal reporting and oversight needs.  

Organization Eligibility

• Eligibility: U.S. domestic institutions

The primary applicant organization must be domestic (located in the U.S.) and PF5 applications must have at least one foreign subproject.

Project Director/ Principal Investigator (PD/PI) Eligibility

The leadership structure for the PF5 must include at least one PD/PI from the primary applicant organization, and at least one individual from each of the International Projects, who will serve as the PD/PI of the disaggregated Linked International Research Project award.

Award Information

• Funding Instrument: Grant
• Budget Mechanism Code: RP - Research Projects

Applications are reviewed as a whole. Following merit review, PF5 applications identified by an NIH Institute or Center for funding consideration will be disaggregated. The International Project components will be pulled from the PF5, and each will be provided a distinct grant number with an RF2 activity code. The foreign organization will be considered the applicant/recipient of the Linked International Research Project Grant (RF2).

Just-in-Time Information (e.g., IRB Approvals, IACUC Approvals, Current and Pending (Other) Support for key personnel), will be requested from both the PF5 and RF2 organizations independently. At this point in the process, if not already completed, the RF2 applicant must verify registration in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons, to ensure accurate awarding information moving forward.

Should a project be selected for funding, NIH will issue a PF5 award to the domestic organization and an RF2 award to the foreign organizations. Each organization will be responsible for ensuring the terms and conditions of their Notices of Award are met.

Note that the system disaggregation of a PF5 application should not be considered a commitment to funding. NIH has the ability to fund all, none, or some of the components of the PF5 application, based on the assessment of the technical merit, materials submitted through the JIT process, and agency priorities.   

Application and Submission Information

PF5 Application Structure

PF5 uses a multi-component application structure and all PF5 applications must include

• Overall Component that addresses the project's overall objectives as a collaboration and includes
  • Foreign justification
  • Dispute resolution plan
• Research Project/Project component that addresses the scientific and technical directions of the project
• One International Project component for each international collaboration that addresses their role on the project and includes
  • Signed letter from the foreign organization's AOR acknowledging that they will fill the role of recipient organization for the disaggregated award

Parent Announcement

The International Collaboration (PF5) Parent Announcement can be used for U.S.-led projects that formerly would have been proposed with a subaward to a foreign organization. The Parent PF5 opportunity is designed to be flexible and can support international collaborations that range from a single project to a complex project, center, or institutional research training program.

Parent PF5 Leveraging Model

NIH has specialized programs whose notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) do not use the PF5 or the cooperative agreement equivalent (UF5) activity code but do indicate that international collaborations may be relevant.

Beginning with application due dates on or after September 25, 2026, applicants proposing foreign collaborations to one of our participating specialized NOFOs can use the application forms and structure of the Parent PF5 NOFO, but follow the due dates, opportunity requirements, review criteria, and other aspects of the specialized NOFO-of-interest.

Parent PF5 Leveraging Model Instructions

	Identify a NOFO-of-interest and confirm the PF5 leveraging model is an option
	The leveraging model is only an option if your NOFO-of-interest is listed on Specialized NOFOs Participating in the Collaborative International Research Project (PF5)   Note The PF5 leveraging model is not an option for Fellowships (Fs) Institutional Training Grants (Ts) Individual Career Development Awards (Ks) Small Business (SBIR, STTR)
	Initiate an application through the Parent PF5 funding opportunity
	From NIH ASSIST or your organization’s own submission system that supports multi-project applications, initiate an application using the Parent PF5 opportunity number (e.g., PA-26-002). This provides the application forms needed to support the international collaboration. Ensure your application meets the minimum component and document requirements outlined in the application and submission section of the Parent PF5 (and summarized above under PF5 Application Structure) to pass our system validations and successfully submit.
	Complete the application forms following the requirements of the NOFO-of-interest
	Follow all other guidance from the NOFO-of-interest, including: Due dates Eligibility Award information Full application and submission requirements Review criteria
	Indicate your intent to use the Parent PF5 leveraging model in the Overall component
	SF424 R&R Form Agency Routing Identifier (field 4b): Enter the NOFO-of-interest Number (e.g., PAR-25-144). Cover Letter Attachment (field 21): Attach a letter, signed by the AOR, that includes: NOFO-of-interest Number and Title. Targeted Application Due Date for the NOFO-of-interest. Statement indicating the applicant understands that: NIH reviewers will incorporate the review criteria stated in your identified NOFO-of-interest. Additionally, NIH Advisory Councils will review and advise on the appropriateness of the International Collaboration in line with the criteria from NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.3. PHS Assignment Request Form Rationale for Assignment Suggestion field: Include a comment that you would like your application reviewed together with applications to the NOFO-of-interest.
	Submit your application by the due date of the NOFO-of-interest
	Submit early to allow time to identify and correct any unanticipated issues. NIH will not accept late PF5 applications Applications submitted after the targeted application due date will not be accepted, even if the NOFO-of-interest otherwise allows late applications (see NOT-OD-26-064).

After identifying a funding opportunity, follow guidance in the How to Apply – Application Guide including any Multi-Project (M) instruction call-outs, except where instructed to do otherwise in the funding opportunity or related notices.