Updated: July 7, 2006
How to Guides for NIH and NSF Grants
This page provides step by step instructions for how to apply to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for their most frequently-applied to programs. If the specific program in which you are interested in applying is not listed, please contact the Liberal Arts Grants and Contracts Office for specific guidance (contacts below).
National Institutes of Health
Currently, NIH R03 and R21 applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. R01 proposals will begin to be submitted through Grants.gov beginning Februrary, 2007. More information about Grants.gov and NIH can be found at the following website: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/. The links below give checklists and how-to guides for each of the most frequently applied-to research programs at NIH:
- Small Grants Program – R03 – Grants.gov
- Exploratory Grants Program – R21 – Grants.gov – coming soon (see R03 version for now)
- Research Grants Program – R01 – Paper (until February, 2007)
- Progress Reports – eSNAP – coming soon
- Final Reports – Due within 90 days of the official end of a grant – coming soon
National Science Foundation
Most of the proposals to the National Science Foundation require the same types of information regardless of which program to which you are applying. Currently proposals are either submitted through NSF's Fastlane or Grants.gov. Only some NSF programs require Grants.gov; otherwise, all applications are submitted via Fastlane. When the option is given, choose Fastlane over Grants.gov. The link below contains information needed when submitting a proposal through NSF's Fastlane:
NSF Fastlane How-To Guide – coming soon
Other General How-To Information
The information above pertains to all investigators: faculty, postdocs, graduate students. However, there is additional information specifically for graduate students that can be found on the Grant Support Services page or from the Graduate Grants Support page.
Contacts
If you can't find what you are looking for here, please contact the following individuals in the Liberal Arts Grants and Contracts Office for assistance:
Main Phone Number: 865-8030
Trish Alexander - 863-6475 or talexander@psu.edu
Jen Hillebrand - 863-6477 or jth18@psu.edu
Chris Bundy - 863-6476 or clb4@psu.edu
Chris Woods - 865-8030 or cwoods@la.psu.edu