New Appendix policy for NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Applications

New Appendix policy for NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Applications submitted for Due Dates On or After January 25, 2017

This Notice reminds the scientific research community of the recent policy for allowable Appendix materials in applications submitted to the NIH, AHRQ, or NIOSH for due dates on or after January 25, 2017. Elimination of most Appendix materials is intended to rectify inequities in the peer review process that can arise from submission of inappropriate or excessive Appendix materials by some applicants and consideration of Appendix materials in peer review by some, but not all reviewers.

Allowable Appendix Materials

For applications proposing clinical trials (unless the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides other instructions for these materials):

• Clinical trial protocols
• Investigator's brochure from an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, as appropriate for the goals of the research proposed in the application.

For all applications:

• Blank informed consent/assent forms
• Blank surveys, questionnaires, and/or data collection instruments
• Other items only if they are specified in the FOA as allowable

No other items are allowed in the Appendix. Simply relocating disallowed materials to other parts of the application will result in a noncompliant application (NOT-OD-11-080).

Consequence for submitting disallowed materials:
Applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2017, will be withdrawn as noncompliant if they are submitted with Appendix materials that are not specifically listed in NOT-OD-16-129 and this Notice, or specified in the individual FOA as allowed or required.

For full details, visit grants.nih.gov.