Public FAQs
		NIH Staff FAQs

  A. FAQs on Continuous Submission

1. If I am eligible, how do I request that my application be accepted for continuous submission?
2. What is the definition of a temporary or ad hoc member of a study section?
3. Does all NIH peer review service, including face-to-face meetings as well as mail and telephone review, count toward eligibility?
4. What is the definition of an appointed member of a study section?
5. What is the definition of Recent Substantial Service?
6. Are any other individuals eligible for continuous/alternate submission?
7. What is the definition of an appointed member of a NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH Advisory Council, or the NIH Peer Review Advisory Committee?
8. How will applications with multiple Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) be handled?
9. Does this opportunity apply to new applications only?
10. For R01, R21, and R34 collaborative applications (independent but related applications), do all of the PD/PIs have to be eligible reviewers to use the alternate submission?
11. What about R01, R21, and R34 applications for Institute/Center review?
12. I served as a temporary member on NCI Special Emphasis Panels: am I eligible for alternate submission?
13. What is the last date I can submit and be considered for this alternate submission and review process?
14. How can I correct my review service record?

  A. FAQs on Continuous Submission

1. If I am eligible, how do I request that my application be accepted for continuous submission?
   

   In order to assist NIH in identifying these applications, a cover letter is required. Please clearly identify the study section(s), Council, and/or Board on which you serve(d) and the period of your service. 

2. What is the definition of a temporary or ad hoc member of a study section?
   

   Temporary or ad hoc members of study sections have a commitment to only one meeting of either a permanent study section or a Special Emphasis Panel and are not appointed by the Director, NIH. To check on your eligibility status as a temporary member, see the list of eligible reviewers, List of Reviewers Eligible for Continuous Submission (Combined Regular and Frequent Fly) (PDF - 728 KB).

3. Does all NIH peer review service, including face-to-face meetings as well as mail and telephone review, count toward eligibility?
   

   Yes, temporary service as an attending member, telephone reviewer, or mail reviewer, counts toward eligibility for continuous submission.  For mail and other reviews the date of service is the actual meeting date, not the date the review happened to be submitted.

4. What is the definition of an appointed member of a study section?
   

   Appointed regular members of standing study sections generally have a four- or six-year commitment involving three or two meetings a year.  They are nominated by the Scientific Review Officer of the study section and appointed by the Director, NIH.  To check on your eligibility status as a regular member, contact your Scientific Review Officer.

5. What is the definition of Recent Substantial Service?
   

   Recent substantial service is defined as service as a regular, temporary, or ad hoc reviewer six times in 18 months. For the initial eligibility period, the 18-month window ended April 30, 2009. For all subsequent years, the window is from January 1 through June 30 of the following year.

6. Are any other individuals eligible for continuous/alternate submission?
   

   Appointed regular members of NIH Advisory Councils, NIH Boards of Scientific Counselors, and regular members of the NIH Peer Review Advisory Committee are eligible for continuous submission.

7. What is the definition of an appointed member of a NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH Advisory Council, or the NIH Peer Review Advisory Committee?
   Appointed regular members of these standing NIH committees generally have a four- or five-year commitment involving two or three meetings a year. They are nominated by the Executive Secretary of the committee and appointed by the Director, NIH, or the Secretary, HHS. To check on your eligibility status as a regular member, contact your Executive Secretary
8. How will applications with multiple Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) be handled?
   

   If an application has multiple PD/PIs (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-017.html), and one of the PD/PIs is eligible for alternate submission, then the application is eligible for this alternate submission process.

9. Does this opportunity apply to new applications only?
   

   No, this opportunity applies to new (all three activity codes – R01, R21, R34) , resubmission (A1 for all three activity codes), renewal (type 2 for R01, not allowed for R21,  and generally not allowed for R34) and revision (formerly termed supplements) applications (all three activity codes) submitted for standard dates. 

10. For R01, R21, and R34 collaborative applications (independent but related applications), do all of the PD/PIs have to be eligible reviewers to use the alternate submission?
    

    If the PIs for all the related applications are eligible for alternate submission and they all submit their applications at the same time, then the applications are eligible for this alternate submission process.  However, if any one of the PIs is not a regular member of a standing NIH study section, then all the applications should be submitted on a regular receipt date. 

11. What about R01, R21, and R34 applications for Institute/Center review?
    

    I serve on an NIMH committee, for example, and my research is on mental health services.  My R01 application has always been reviewed by an NIMH panel, not a CSR panel.  Since I am still an appointed member of an NIMH panel can I submit my renewal R01 application whenever I want?

    
    

    This is an NIH-wide effort.  Whether your application is in an area normally reviewed by a CSR study section or an IC study section, you are eligible for this alternate submission and review process.

12. I served as a temporary member on NCI Special Emphasis Panels: am I eligible for alternate submission?
    

    If you served either as a temporary member or as an appointed member of a NIH review or Advisory Group six times in the 18 month period ending June 30 of any year (i.e., January 1, 201_ through June 30, 201_+1) on , you are eligible for continuous submission; continuous submission applies to all NIH review panels or Advisory Groups whether in CSR, NCI, etc.

13. What is the last date I can submit and be considered for this alternate submission and review process?
    

    This depends on when your membership term expires.  If your eligibility results from regular membership on a NIH Advisory Group, you must successfully submit any application within 1.5 months after your appointment ends.

    If your eligibility results from having served as a reviewer six times in 18 months, you must successfully submit any application prior to September 30 of the eligibility year.

    If, for example, your appointment as a regular member of a study section ends on June 30, 2011, you may submit an application (new, renewal, or revised) up to August 16, 2011, and be considered eligible for this alternate submission and review process.  Any applications submitted after August 16, 2011 must be submitted on regular receipt dates, unless you served six times in the 18 months from January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, which makes you eligible from August 16, 2011, through September 30, 2012.

14. How can I correct my review service record?
    

    Reviewers who are eligible for continuous submission based on substantial service to peer review, six times in 18 months, and reviewers whose eligibilities are based on regular memberships are listed (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/continuous_submission.htm). Individuals who are not listed and believe that they are eligible must ensure that all of their Commons profiles have been collapsed into one, as service records that are divided among multiple profiles will be missed (investigators own their profile(s) and are responsible for keeping them current). Assistance in collapsing profiles is available at the NIH Commons Help Desk (http://ithelpdesk.nih.gov/eRA/). Any remaining issues/appeals may be directed to the NIH Continuous Submission Committee by emailing CSR.cont.sub.comm@csr.nih.gov.

Back to Top