Key Dates

Related Announcements

• November 21, 2025 - NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution. See Notice NOT-OD-26-011.
• April 3, 2025 - NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution. See Notice NOT-OD-25-084.
• January 10, 2025 - NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution. See Notice NOT-OD-25-054.
• November 14, 2024 - Updated Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements. See Notice NOT-OD-25-025.
• October 10, 2024 - NIH Operates Under a Continuing Resolution. See Notice NOT-OD-25-010.
• April 30, 2024 - Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2024. See Notice NOT-OD-24-110.
• April 30, 2024 - Notice of Fiscal Policies in Effect for FY 2024. See Notice NOT-OD-24-109.

Issued by

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

Purpose

This Notice provides information regarding the salary limitation for NIH grant and cooperative agreement, extramural research and development contract, and Other Transaction awards.

Since 1990, Congress has legislatively mandated a limitation on salary for individuals under NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards (referred to here as a grant).

As a reminder, effective October 1, 2024, this mandate applies to both direct salaries (individuals working directly on NIH projects) and indirect salaries (executive salaries in various uncapped cost pools).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 restricts the amount of salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 11, 2026, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $228,000.

For active awards, including awards that have been issued in FY 2026 (continuation and new) that were restricted to Executive Level II, if adequate funds are available, and if the salary cap increase is consistent with the institutional base salary, recipients may rebudget funds to accommodate the current Executive Level II salary level. Recipients may not draw down funds, whether direct or indirect costs, to pay salaries above the salary rate limitation, and recipients must have established policies and procedures that are consistently applied regardless of the source of funds.

Salary Cap Examples: Salary Cap Summary (FY 1990 - Present) | Grants & Funding

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Questions about specific awards may be directed to the Grants Management Specialist identified on the Notice of Award.

Questions related to the NIH salary cap policy may be directed to the Division of Grants Policy at: [email protected].