pre-award process

2.5 Completing the Pre-Award Process

Following the peer review process, applications that an IC The NIH organizational component responsible for a particular grant program or set of activities. The terms "NIH IC," or "awarding IC" are used throughout this document to designate a point of contact for advice and interpretation of grant requirements and to establish the focal point for requesting necessary prior approvals or changes in the terms and conditions of award. may fund are reviewed for a number of other considerations. These include, as applicable, alignment with NIH's funding principles, review of the project budget, assessment of the applicant's management systems, determination of applicant eligibility, and compliance with public policy requirements. The applicant may be asked to submit additional information (such as other support or verification of IACUC approval) or to undertake certain activities (such as negotiation of an F&A cost Necessary costs incurred by a recipient for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools of F&A (indirect) costs. F&A (indirect) cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived. rate) in anticipation of an award. However, such requests by NIH do not guarantee that an award will be made. Following review of all applicable information, the IC The NIH organizational component responsible for a particular grant program or set of activities. The terms "NIH IC," or "awarding IC" are used throughout this document to designate a point of contact for advice and interpretation of grant requirements and to establish the focal point for requesting necessary prior approvals or changes in the terms and conditions of award. will determine whether an award can be made, if specific award conditions are required, and what level of funding is appropriate.

Although these reviews and determinations occur before NIH makes a new award, recipients must continue to comply with eligibility and public policy requirements and maintain adequate management systems throughout the period of support. The pre-award process for non-competing continuation awards is a streamlined version of this process, including an assessment of progress (see Administrative Requirements-Monitoring-Reporting-Non-Competing Continuation Progress Reports).