NIH Suggested Cover Letter Format - Harvard University

NIH Suggested Cover Letter Format

Some NIH grant applications do require a cover letter while some don’t. Even if your application doesn’t need a
cover letter, NIH institutes along with the Division of Receipt and Referral (DRR) in the Center for Scientific
Review (CSR) strongly recommend that PIs include a cover letter requesting assignment to an Institute or
Center (IC) and/or a Scientific Review Group (SRG). The information included in the cover letter will help CSR
in referring your application to a particular review group. It will also help in ensuring that, while the final
determination is made by the DDR, people with the appropriate discipline and expertise will review your
application. The cover letter is only for internal use by referral staff and Scientific Review Officers (SRO), and it
is not shared with reviewers or other NIH staff.

Here is the specific formatting requested by NIH:

• List one request per line.
• Place IC and SRG review requests (if applicable) on separate lines.
• Place positive and negative requests (if applicable) on separate lines.
• Include name of IC or SRG, followed by a dash and the acronym. Do not use parentheses.
• Provide explanations for each request in a separate paragraph.

You must include a cover letter if you are:

• resubmitting your application
• submitting a Change/Corrected application after the submission date
• required to obtain a NIH approval to submit (for grants requesting $500K or more in DC for any given

year, R13 or U13 conference grants, etc). Approval document should be appended to the cover letter
and uploaded as one attachment.
• submitting a proposal that contains GWAS studies, or those that plan to access GWAS data in NIH
repository
• submitting a late application or continuous submission (for those who are a member of an NIH study
section qualified to submit at a nonstandard time). Include explanation.

A sample cover letter template is attached below (please note that not all areas may apply to your situation.
Please read the RFA/PA in detail to see if you are required to submit a cover letter in any specific format)

Sample Cover Letter Format Suggested by NIH – All items may not be applicable!

Application title

Funding Opportunity Announcement (PA or RFA#) and title of the NIH initiative if applicable

Request an assignment (referral) to a particular NIH institute/center or SRG. DDR will make the final
determination after consultation with Institutes/Centers, SROs, and IRG chiefs

Institutes/Centers
National Cancer Institute – NCI
National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research – NIDCR

Scientific Review Groups
Molecular Oncogenesis Study Section – MONC
Cancer Etiology Study Section – CE

Please do not assign this application to the following:
Scientific Review Groups
Cancer Genetics Study Section – CG

The reasons for the assignment request [provide a narrative explanation for the request(s)]

List of individuals who should not review the application (and state the reason why)

Disciplines involved, if multidisciplinary.

Statement that required NIH approval documents are included (e.g., budget over $500K/year; approval
for conference grant proposal; cooperative agreement, etc.)

For late applications - if applicable, include explanation of the delay as part of the letter.

If applicable, explanation of any subaward budget forms that are not active for all periods of the
proposed grant

Attention! NIH Program officers can serve as excellent sources of advice and guidance on whether and how
your proposed research fits with their mission and priorities as well as which SRG may be most appropriate.
We strongly advise that you communicate with an appropriate program officer about your project before you
submit your application.

Sources of information used for this document:
• NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm
• SF424 R&R General Guide http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm
• NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
http://public.csr.nih.gov/ApplicantResources/Pages/default.aspx,
http://public.csr.nih.gov/ApplicantResources/PlanningWritingSubmitting/Pages/Cover-Letters-Help-Us-
Refer-and-Review-Your-Application-.aspx
http://public.csr.nih.gov/ApplicantResources/ReceiptReferal/Pages/Submission-and-Assignment-
Process.aspx
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(http://www.niaid.nih.gov/researchfunding/grant/strategy/pages/4coverletter.aspx)

Notice: This document is provided for the HMS/BCMP faculty, staff and students to assist with their NIH grant applications. The written

work contained within the document is not covered under any copyright law. Therefore it may be reproduced or modified as needed.

SAMPLE TEMPLATE

Date

Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040-MSC 7710
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710

Application for the NIH Research Grant Program (Mechanism Name)

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to submit a grant proposal with the title “Application Title” for consideration under the NIH
Research Grant Program (Mechanism Name) with PA (or RFA) number PA (or RFA)-XX-XXX, as discussed
with Program Officer (if applicable).

Our long-term goal is to [INSERT YOUR OVERALL RESEARCH GOAL]. The overall objective of this
application is [INSERT OBJECTIVE]. This project, if awarded, is in alignment with the mission of the [NIH
INSTITUTE/CENTER] because [INSERT reason].

Please consider assignment of this application to the following:
Institutes/Centers (EXAMPLE)
National Institute of Center - NCI
National Institute of General Medical Sciences - NIGMS
Scientific Review Groups (EXAMPLE)
Cancer Genetics Study Section - CG
Biochemistry and Biophysics of Membranes Study Section - BBM

Please do not assign this application to the following: (Example)
Scientific Review Groups
Epidemiology of Cancer Study section - EPIC

The reasons for this request are [provide a narrative explanation for the request].

List of individuals who should not review the application and the reason why (however you should not list the
names of potential reviewers) – let them know if you know of a potential reviewer who is a direct competitor,
who may have a conflict of interest, who you believe could not provide an impartial review such as someone
with whom you have had a longstanding scientific or personal disagreement.

Disciplines involved, if multidisciplinary.

If applicable, include a statement that required NIH approval documents are included (e.g., budget over
$500K/year; approval for conference grant proposal; cooperative agreement, etc.)

For late applications - if applicable, include explanation of the delay as part of the letter.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

First and Last Name
Title