Administrative Supplements

An administrative supplement is a non-competing award that provides additional funding to a currently funded grant to meet increased costs that are within the scope of the approved project, but that were unforeseen when the new or competing renewal application was awarded.

Administrative Supplement Parent Announcement

Administrative Supplement Parent Announcement available.

  • Broad funding opportunity for requests that do not fall under a specific program.
  • Many notices of special interest (NOSIs) for administrative supplements use the parent announcement for application submission.
  • Not all NIH institutes and centers participate on all parent announcements. Check the participating organization in the funding opportunity before applying.

Featured Administrative Supplement Opportunities

These opportunities have wide participation across NIH and support the biomedical research workforce:

  • Research Supplements to Promote Re-entry & Re-integration into Health-Related Research Careers: Funding Opportunities
    • The Re-entry Supplements provide mentored research training opportunities to scientists who’ve had at least 6 months of career interruption due to experience of critical life events.
    • The Re-integration Supplements provides opportunity for pre/postdoc students experiencing unsafe or discriminatory environments to transition to safer, more supportive research environments and continue their graduate careers.
  • Research Continuity Supplements: Funding Opportunities
    • Supplements to Promote Research Continuity and Retention of NIH Mentored Career Development (K) Award Recipients and Scholars).
    • Supplement for Continuity of Biomedical and Behavioral Research Among First-Time Recipients of NIH Research Project Grant Awards.

Timing

  • Original grant award must be active
  • Administrative supplements may not extend beyond the term of the current award period

Application Process

  • Prior to submission reach out to the awarding institute or center to discuss your request
  • Administrative Supplements follow a similar application process as competing applications, but are handled a bit differently after submission

Application Content

  • Follow all guidance in the How to Apply – Application Guide, funding opportunity, and related notices
    • Follow the appropriate page limits for the activity code of the award
  • Review the awarding institute and center's (IC) web site for any IC-specific submission deadlines or eligibility criteria before submitting an administrative supplement request
  • Follow the appropriate page limits for the activity code of parent award
  • Complete all required fields in the application package that you would for a competing revision (including an Introduction) and follow unless the funding opportunity specifies otherwise
    • Sr/Key Personnel
      • Designate the same project director/principal investigator (PD/PI), or contact PD/PI for multiple-PD/PI, as listed on the current award
      • List anyone being added through the supplement, or for whom additional funds are being requested through this supplement
    • Budget
      • Use the R&R Budget form (or PHS 398 Training Budget), regardless of requested amount (i.e., modular budget policies do not apply)
      • Only include funds requested for the additional supplement activities
    • Cover Letter attachment and PHS Assignment Request form
      • Do not use (applications bypass receipt and referral staff who have access to them)
  • Administrative supplements for multi-project applications
    • Administrative supplements are submitted as single-project application since the supplement is for the overall award

Review Criteria

  • Administratively reviewed by NIH institute and center staff considering the criteria in Section V of the funding opportunity
Search for Administrative Supplement Funding Opportunities

The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is NIH's official publication of notices of grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities.

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This page last updated on: August 13, 2025
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