National Institutes of Health (NIH) Terms and Conditions Summary

Updated: February 7, 2024

The website for the NIH terms is the NIH Grants Policy Statement

As with all Federal awards, OMB’s Uniform Guidance applies, except as modified by the sponsor-specific terms.

  • Period of Performance extensions:
    • may incur pre-award costs 90 days prior to award without prior approval.
    • may extend award one time up to 12 months at no additional cost: notification of extension must be submitted prior to award expiration. 
    • Subsequent extensions, or extensions requested after award has expired, require NIH prior approval, and must be submitted in writing.
  • Personnel Changes
    • Applies to PI or other Senior/Key Personnel named in the Notice  of Award
    • Prior approval required to reduce effort by 25% or more from the approved level
    • Prior approval required for absence or disengagement of 3 months or more
    • Prior approval required to change PI or named Senior/Key Personnel
  • Restrictions on Allowable costs
  • Rebudgeting authority:
    • Prior approval is required for
      • reduction of PI effort by 25% or more
      • transfer of funds budgeted for Participant support to other categories
      • Any adjustment to cost sharing commitments
    • Under expanded authorities,  NIH allows for automatic carry over unobligated balances. Certain award instruments, grant programs, and types of recipients are routinely excluded from the authority to automatically carry over unobligated balances. This includes centers (P50, P60, P30, and others); cooperative agreements (U); Kirschstein-NRSA institutional research training grants (T).
    • Rebudgeting is usually allowable between otherwise reasonable, allocable, and allowable costs is allowed, unless it represents a change in scope or is prohibited in the notice of award
  • Equipment/Property
    • General purpose equipment typically not eligible for support. 
    • Title to property vests in MIT
  • Travel
    • Use of US Carriers required per the Fly America Act; exceptions may be made for certain airlines and routes under “Open Skies” agreements.
  • Subcontracting
    • Prior Approval required for any subcontracting that would be a change in scope or is to a foreign entity
  • Reporting
    • Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) due annually 45 days prior to award anniversary date. 
    • A financial status report is due annually for awards that do not fall under expanded authorities (i.e., P50, P60, P30, T32 and others)
    • At the close, three reports are due 90 days after award expiration: Final Technical Report, Final Invention Statement, Final Financial Report.  The PI should upload the Final Technical Report directly to eRA Commons.
  • Publications:
    • Acknowledgment required:  Research reported in this [publication/press release] was supported by [name of the Institute(s), Center, or other NIH offices] of the National Institutes of Health under award number [specific NIH grant number(s) in this format: R01GM987654].
    • Disclaimer required: "The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."
    • Copies to Sponsor: The PI is responsible for the submittal of all peer reviewed manuscripts, resultant from this award, to NIH's PubMed Central within 12 months of publication.