My Application Was Scored as “Competitive But Not Discussed” During Review. What Does This Mean?

Last November, NIH implemented emergency modifications to review processes following resumption of activities after the lapse in appropriations (see also this Nexus article). These steps were taken to address the resulting backlog of applications scheduled for peer review and remain in place through the October 2026 Advisory Council round (NOT-OD-26-012, NOT-OD-26-069).

One modification was reducing the discussion rate from approximately 50% of applications to approximately 33%. Recognizing that strong applications may fall below a 33% cut off, the middle third of applications in a study section were designated as “competitive but not discussed.” These applications: 

• Were not discussed at the review meeting
• Will not have a resume of discussion when the summary statement is released (but will include written critiques from the three assigned reviewers)
• Will not have a priority score
• Could be recommended to NIH Institute/Center Director for funding by their program staff 

The Competitive, Not Discussed designation can be found at the top of page 1 of the summary statement.  

Take Away
Applications in the middle were not overlooked. Rather, these applications were judged to have scientific and technical merit and may be considered for funding, even though they were not discussed or scored. Program staff may recommend these applications for funding to their Institute/Center Director, particularly when considering programmatic priority, portfolio balance, or available funds (in alignment with the NIH Unified Funding Strategy).

What should applicants do next? 
Applicants should carefully review their summary statements resulting from the study section meeting.

You can consider discussing your summary statement with appropriate program staff, including: 

• Funding likelihood in that Institute/Center
• Whether a resubmission is advisable

Please remember to keep in mind what the program officials roles are (and are not) before seeking their advice.