Consolidated List of Reviewer Documents

On this page:

• Conflict of Interest Information
• Review Criteria Information
• Orientation Information 
• Scoring Information

NEWS:

• Implementation of Revisions to the NIH and AHRQ Fellowship Application and Review Process - April 18, 2024
• Policy & Procedure for the Recruitment of Individuals Employed at Federal Agencies for NIH Scientific Review Groups (SRGs) - January 25, 2024
• NOT-OD-24-010: Simplified Review Framework for NIH Research Project Grant Applications - October 19, 2023
• NIH Security, Confidentiality, and Nondisclosure Agreement: updated to prohibit the use of Generative AI for peer review - August 8, 2023
• NOT-OD-23-156: Review Integrity and Bias Awareness Training will be Required for NIH Reviewers Effective May 2024 Council Round July 11, 2023
• NOT-OD-23-149: The Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies is Prohibited for the NIH Peer Review Process - June 23, 2023

NOTE:

• Read the specific Review Guidelines for each grant mechanism. Only NIH staff may access the critique templates .

Conflict of Interest Information

• NIH Conflict of Interest Rules PDF – 171 KB (effective 01/25/2024)
• Pre-and-Post-Meeting COI Certification Changes in IAR PDF – 26 KB (05/20/2022)
  

Grants certifications (effective 01/25/2024)

• NIH Conflict of Interest Grants Pre-Review Certification, Non-Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Grants Post-Review Certification, Non-Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Grants Pre-Review Certification, Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Grants Post-Review Certification, Federal (01/25/2024)

Contracts certifications (effective 01/25/2024)

• NIH Conflict of Interest Contract Pre-Review Certification, Non-Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Contract Post-Review Certification, Non-Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Contract Pre-Review Certification, Federal (01/25/2024)
• NIH Conflict of Interest Contract Post-Review Certification, Federal (01/25/2024) 

Further Guidance

• Conflict of Interest Guidance: Contract Reviews PDF – 37 KB (07/27/2021) 
• Conflict of Interest Guidance: Grant Reviews PDF – 36 KB (07/27/2021)
• Protecting Peer Review PDF – 152 KB (04/16/2021) 

Review Criteria Information 

• About Review Criteria  PDF -  140 KB (11/19/2018)
• Reviewer Guidance Clinical Trial Applications 2021 PDF - 185 KB (11/12/2021) 
• Applications Proposing Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells PDF – 123 KB (03/21/2016) 
• Budget and Period of Support Information PDF – 180 KB (09/03/2024)
• Guidelines for the Review of the Human Subjects Section PDF – 229 KB (03/15/2019)  
• Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion PDF – 270 KB (03/15/2019) 
• Overall Impact vs Significance PDF – 138 KB (03/21/2016)  
• Resource Sharing Plans PDF - 155 KB (09/04/2024)
• Data Management and Sharing Policy Guidance for NIH Reviewers PDF 121 KB - (3/9/2023)
• Review Criteria at a Glance PDF – 226 KB (03/05/2021) 
• Reviewer Guidance on Rigor and Transparency  PDF – 200 KB (03/15/2019) 
• Reviewer Guidance to Evaluate Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) PDF – 232 KB (08/8/2016)
• Revision Applications PDF – 87 KB (12/18/2015)
• Worksheet for the Vertebrate Animals Section (VAS) PDF – 161 KB (06/22/2017)
• Reviewer Training Module for the Vertebrate Animals Section (03/23/2021) 
• VAS Reviewer Cheat Sheet PDF - 269 KB (03/23/2021) 
• Guidance on Review of Biohazards Including Select Agents PDF - 158 KB (02/21/2024)

Orientation Information

• Policy & Procedure for the Recruitment of Individuals Employed at Federal Agencies for NIH Scientific Review Groups (SRGs) PDF - 564 KB (01/25/2024)
• Employment Certification Form PDF - 153 KB (02/29/2024)
• Ban on Lobbyists Serving on Advisory Committees PDF – 21 KB (08/01/2023)
• Chair Orientation PDF – 120 KB (07/26/2018)
• NIH Security, Confidentiality, and Nondisclosure Agreement PDF – 16 KB (08/08/2023)
• Registration Instructions for NIH reviewers to Receive Reimbursement and Honoraria PDF – 367 KB (07/01/2014)
• NIH Reviewer Orientation PDF – 321 KB (12/11/2018) 
• NonFederal Peer Review Travel Guidelines PDF – 225 KB (06/03/2022)
• Working with the Review Critique Templates PDF – 199 KB (03/04/2019)  

Scoring Information

• Additional Scoring Guidance for Research Applications PDF – 174 KB (07/27/2021)
• Additional Scoring Guidance: Applications for Fellowships, Career Awards, and Institutional Training Grants PDF – 574 KB (05/15/2013)
• Scoring System and Procedure PDF – 70 KB (03/18/2015)