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This page provides guidance and resources on the review of applications that use the simplified review framework.
NIH has expired some Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) with activity codes impacted by the simplified review framework which were not reissued with the updated review criteria or expired prior to January 25, 2025. No applications for due dates on or after May 25, 2025, will be accepted for those NOFOs, and applications already submitted will be reviewed under the simplified review framework. See NOT-OD-25-113 and NOT-OD-25-116 for more information.
What's Changing
The simplified review framework retains the five regulatory criteria (Significance, Investigators, Innovation, Approach, Environment) but reorganizes them into three factors which will be considered — Factors 1 and 2 will receive numerical criterion scores and Factor 3 will be evaluated for sufficiency. All three Factors will be considered in arriving at the Overall Impact score, along with the Additional Review Criteria. Furthermore, the review of some Additional Review Considerations (Applications from Foreign Organizations, Select Agents, and Resource Sharing Plans) is being shifted from reviewers to NIH staff. See Simplified Peer Review Framework for more information about how the review process is changing.
Resources for Reviewers
The following materials are available to help explain how applications will be reviewed under the simplified review framework.
- Resources for the revised fellowship review process - Chair Orientation Session: Revisions to the NIH Fellowship - (September 19, 2025)
- 2025 CSR Incoming Chair Orientation - Fellowships (PDF - 337 KB)
- Fellowship Panel Chair Orientation: Revised NIH Fellowship Application and Review Process (PDF - 421 KB)
- Recording (Video)
- Video Introduction to the Simplified Review Framework – March 14, 2025
- This video walks reviewers through the evaluation and scoring of applications under the simplified review framework.
- Reviewer Guide to Evaluating Applications (PDF - 157 KB) – September 5, 2025
- This document provides guidance on evaluating and scoring applications under the simplified review framework.
- Scoring Guidance (PDF - 86 KB) – March 14, 2025
- This document provides an overview of the approach to scoring under the simplified review framework, with accompanying examples.
- Reviewer Training Slides (PDF - 907 KB) – September 22, 2025
- This slide deck provides training on reviewing and scoring applications under the simplified review framework. It is designed to be used by scientific review officers (SROs) to lead orientation sessions for reviewers in their scientific review group.
- Chair Orientation Video – May 21, 2025
- This video discusses the role of the review group Chair in implementing the simplified review framework, starting with summer 2025 review meetings. You can review the video slides (PDF - 413 KB).
- Reviewer Discussion Cheat Sheet (PDF - 221 KB) – July 7, 2025
- This document guides the reviewer through the meeting discussion process and critique presentation for applications under the simplified review framework.
- Chair Discussion Cheat Sheet (PDF - 171 KB) – July 9, 2025
- This document guides the chair through the meeting discussion process and critique presentation for applications under the simplified review framework.
- Consolidated List of Reviewer Documents
- This page provides guidance for reviewers on the assessment of specific review elements as well as review meeting associated tasks.
The following videos are excerpts from conversations with study section chairs about their impressions of peer review under the Simplified Review Framework.
- Emphasizing Importance of the Research – (September 17, 2025)
- Encouraging the Evaluation of Risk – (September 17, 2025)
- What was the biggest impact of the Simplified Review Framework on discussions during the meeting? – (September 9, 2025)
- How did the Simplified Review Framework change your approach to review? – (September 9, 2025)