What if I Forgot to Include a Required Attachment of an Application?

NIH will contact the applicant in certain, limited situations if required attachments of an application were not submitted on time. As explained on NOT-OD-26-025, NIH might request limited missing materials on a case-by-case basis only as an alternative to the withdrawal of substantially complete applications by NIH.

Our goal is to ensure submitted applications go through review. We recognize there may be situations where a required attachment may have been unintentionally omitted. When NIH requests the missing materials instead of withdrawing the application, it can save applicants the unnecessary time and effort of resubmitting at a later date.

NIH will reach out to request submission of required sections, including the following situations:

• Leaving out required sections of applications (e.g. foreign component justifications and support letters from institutions).
• Incorrect files being uploaded.

NIH will not accept:

• Revised, corrected, or replacement materials, files, or attachments (e.g., requesting changes to a research strategy, budget, or biographical sketch).
• Unsolicited materials.
• Applicant requests to provide or replace materials.

When NIH identifies an application missing material after submission:

• NIH will contact the applicant’s Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).
• The AOR must provide the corrected information within a designated timeframe to ensure the application can be reviewed.
• Applicants should not contact NIH directly.