NIH Late Application Submission Policy

Learn about the circumstances under which NIH will and will not accept late applications.

Policy

We expect you to take the necessary steps to submit your application on time. If you miss the submission deadline, you may need to regroup and submit for a future due date or to a different opportunity. We only accept late applications in limited situations and consider each late application for acceptance on a case-by-case basis. Decisions are based on the cover letter explanation, the funding opportunity, and the completed submission date.

To be considered under the late policy, you must submit your application within two calendar weeks of the original due date, even if there is more than one reason for the delay. We consider those two calendar weeks the late application period. If an application due date extends to the next business day because it falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the late application period is calculated from that business day.

You may submit during the late application period if all the following are true:

  • One or more of the PD/PIs listed on the application encountered extenuating circumstances that led to the missed deadline
    • We don't accept late applications due to situations involving individuals other than a PD/PI (e.g., authorized organization representatives (AORs)/signing officials (SOs), senior/key personnel, other significant contributors, mentors/sponsors, co-investigators, collaborators, consultants, project or core leaders in a multi-component application)
  • The PD/PI's extenuating circumstances are documented in the cover letter submitted with the late application
  • Your application is in response to a program that allows late submission
    • We will not accept late submission for
      • Fellowship (e.g., F30, F31, F32, F33, F99/K00) and Small Business (e.g., R41, R42, R43, R44, SB1, UT1, U44) applications which have the shortest processing time prior to review
      • Collaborative International Research applications (e.g., PF5, UF5)
      • Any funding opportunity that states in the Key Dates section that late applications will not be accepted
    • Late submissions are considered for all other programs

NIH Review Service

You may also submit within the late application period, if within four calendar weeks before or after the due date, any PD/PI named on the application participates in 

  • An NIH peer review study section or special emphasis panel 
  • An NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, Program Advisory Committee, or an NIH Advisory Board or Council

This specific review service is the only pre-authorized reason for a late submission (i.e., automatically accepted once review service information provided in the cover letter is confirmed). Other types of NIH activities and services for other federal agencies or private organizations are not acceptable reasons for late submission.

No Advance Permission is Given to Submit Late

We don't provide advance permission to submit late. No NIH staff member (including receipt and referral, review, grants management, and program staff) has the authority to evaluate or pre-approve reasons for late submission. 

Submitting a Late Application & Cover Letter

Submit your application as soon as possible. We consider your submission time as a factor when evaluating your case. Let’s say, for example, extenuating circumstances prevented you from submitting on time but were resolved within two days of the deadline. If you submit on the third day you have a much stronger case than if you wait until the end of the late application period to submit.

You must document your situation in the Cover Letter attachment on the SF424 R&R form submitted with your late application. Clearly explain the reason for the delay (including delays for qualifying NIH review service). NIH receipt and referral staff use the cover letter to evaluate whether your situation warrants late application acceptance. While the reasons for late application submission are sometimes personal in nature, specific information about the timing and cause of the delay should be provided so an informed, objective decision can be made. For example, in the case of sudden, acute, severe illness, the timing/onset and severity should be explained.

Your cover letter is only seen by NIH staff who need the information for referral or review decisions. We do not share cover letters with peer reviewers or include them in the assembled e-Application seen by reviewers and general NIH staff.

Examples

Accepting late applications is the exception, not the rule. You must provide an unusual, highly compelling case for consideration. We can't provide exhaustive lists of reasons we will or will not accept late applications but hope these examples are helpful.

Reasons Late Applications Might be Accepted

  • Death of an immediate family member of a PD/PI
  • Sudden acute severe illness of a PD/PI or immediate family member

  • Delays due to weather, natural disasters, or other emergency situations that close the applicant organization (delay cannot exceed the time the applicant organization is closed)

    Note
    When appropriate, we may issue separate guidance in the NIH Guide to provide details on any application submission leniency related to public health emergencies declared by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), natural disasters, or a lapse in federal appropriations.

Reasons Late Applications Will Not Be Accepted

  • Failure to follow instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, Notices in the NIH Guide, or the funding opportunity

  • Situations involving individuals other than a PD/PI (e.g., authorized organization representatives (AORs)/signing officials (SOs), senior/key personnel, other significant contributors, mentors/sponsors, co-investigators, collaborators, consultants, project or core leaders in a multi-component application)

    Tip
    Plan ahead for situations that may impact the administrators you count on during the submission process. Establish more than one Grants.gov authorized organization representative (AOR) and eRA Commons signing official (SO) who can step in when needed.
  • Serving as an appointed member of an NIH chartered standing study section, NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH Advisory Board or Council, or NIH Program Advisory Committee without participating in a meeting within 4 calendar weeks before or after the due date
  • Participation in NIH activities other than NIH study section/special emphasis panel for grant applications or contract proposals, NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, Program Advisory Committee, or an NIH Advisory Board/Council
  • Participation in review activities for other Federal agencies or private organizations 
  • Advisory group participation or review service by individuals other than a PD/PI named on the application
  • Ongoing or non-severe health problems
  • Heavy teaching, grant writing, or administrative responsibilities, relocation of a laboratory or personal residence, personal events, attendance at scientific meetings, or a very busy schedule.
  • Problems with a system-to-system grant submission service or its technical/customer support, computer systems or internet service for the PDs/PIs or applicant organization, or failure to complete or renew required registrations
  • Correcting application issues after the deadline (e.g., resolving errors or warnings identified by Grants.gov or eRA Commons; correcting mistakes, problems, omissions, or oversights)

Problems with Federal Computer Systems

You must report to the eRA Service Desk any system issues with federal services that threaten your ability to apply on time. We investigate these reports on a case-by-case basis to determine root cause. If the encountered issue is confirmed to be beyond your control, the eRA Service desk will document their findings and share them with receipt and referral staff. Your application will not be considered late if you follow our guidelines for Dealing with System Issues and work diligently with the eRA Service Desk to quickly complete your submission. You must document in the cover letter your good faith effort to submit on time and steps taken to resolve the encountered issue including service desk ticket numbers.

Policy Reference

  • NOT-OD-26-064 - Update of NIH Policy for Late Application Submission and End of Continuous Submission 
This page last updated on: March 31, 2026
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