Eligibility of individuals, pre-award process, peer review

2.5.4 Determining Eligibility of Individuals

It is the responsibility of the applicant organization to select the individuals who have the appropriate expertise to manage the scientific and administrative aspects of the project. The eligibility of these individuals to complete the project will be evaluated during peer review and at 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. level by grants management and program staff.

The GMO will verify whether the proposed PD/PI or other senior/key personnel are debarred or suspended from participation in Federal assistance programs (see Public Policy Requirements and Objectives-Debarment and Suspension for certification requirements).

Generally, PD/PIs and other personnel supported by NIH research grants are not required to hold any particular educational degree, and are not required to be U.S. citizens. However, some NIH programs/mechanisms have a citizenship requirement. Any citizenship requirement will be stated in the NOFO. In these cases, individuals are required to have the appropriate citizenship status when the award is made rather than when the application is submitted. For example, under most career development awards or Kirschstein-NRSA individual fellowships, the individual to be trained must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of award.

NIH requires the applicant to determine that individuals' visas will allow them to remain in this country long enough for them to be productive on the research project, but NIH does not provide guidance on or assess the different types of visas. NIH expects recipient organizations to have policies, consistently applied regardless of the source of funds, to address this area. If a grant is awarded and an individual's visa will not allow a long enough stay to be productive on the project, NIH may terminate the grant (see Administrative Requirements-Changes in Project and Budget and Administrative Requirements-Enforcement Actions-Suspension, Termination, and Withholding of Support).

The eligibility requirements for trainees and additional eligibility requirements for fellows are addressed in Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards chapter in IIB.

In the post-award phase, NIH monitors changes in recipient and project status to ensure they meet legal and programmatic requirements and takes actions necessary to protect the Federal government's interests.