Notice of Award

The Notice of Award (NoA) is the official grant award document notifying the grantee and others that an award has been made. The NoA contains all terms and conditions of the grant award. Learn more about what the NoA includes.

Understanding the Notice of Award

A recipient indicates acceptance of an NIH award and its associated terms and conditions by drawing or requesting funds from the designated HHS payment system or office. If the recipient cannot accept the award, including the legal obligations to perform in accordance with its provisions, NINDS should be notified immediately upon receipt of the NoA. If resolution cannot be reached, NINDS will void the grant.  

Once the award is accepted by the recipient, the contents of the NoA are binding on the recipient unless and until modified by a revised NoA signed by the grants management officer (GMO). 

Awardees should spend time reviewing the full Notice of Award upon receipt. Often, answers to many frequently asked questions regarding the length of an award, the amount of an award, how transition/phased mechanisms are handled, and any specific milestones or terms and conditions can be found in the later sections of the NoA as outlined below.

Viewing the Notice of Award 

NoAs are sent to the email address specified by the grantee organization when the eRA Commons registration process was completed. The signing official can update this email address through the Institutional Profile section in eRA Commons. The NoA can also be viewed from the Status Information page in eRA Commons, in the Other Relevant Documents section. 

Detailed instructions on how to access your Notice of Award can be found on the eRA View Notice of Award page.

Components of the Notice of Award

Each section of the Notice of Award contains information necessary to understanding the terms of your award. Important information contained within each section is highlighted below.

Page One - General Information Including Budget and Project Start and End Dates

Effective October 1, 2020, HHS implemented a standardized page one of the NoA that serves as the first page of every HHS NoA for all discretionary awards. The following elements are incorporated: 

  • HHS Operating Division (in the case of NINDS awards, this will be NINDS) 
  • Federal award identification number 
  • Federal award date 
  • Recipient information 
  • Federal agency information  
  • Federal award information 
  • Budget period start and end date (Note that for certain grant mechanisms, such as RF1s or phased awards, you may not see the full project duration and funding amount reflected here. See Section IV which will include all the details regarding the full duration and amount of the award. You may also see a budget end date for the first year earlier than expected. Learn more about "recycling" of budget periods on our Negotiate Your Award page). 
  • Project period start and end date
  • Authorized treatment of program income 
  • Grants management officer signature 
  • Remarks 

Section I - Award Calculations and Other Fiscal Information

Section I includes all relevant award data. Recipients can look at this section to locate the following: 

  • Cumulative award calculations, including detailed budget breakdowns, F&A costs 
  • Summary of anticipated future-year commitments (if applicable) 
  • Fiscal information, including the Institute/Center (IC), entity identification number (EIN), document number, payment management system (PMS) account type, and the fiscal year. 

Section II - Payment and Inspector General Hotline Information

Section II includes payment and the HHS Office of Inspector General hotline information.

Section III - Standard Terms Including Reporting, Carryover, Closeout Information

Section III includes all the NIH standard terms and conditions, incorporated either by reference or inclusion. Important information in this section may include: 

  • Streamlined non-competing award process (SNAP) status and Reporting (RPPR) requirements 
  • Carryover authority status 
  • Public Policy requirements 
  • Treatment of program income 
  • Closeout information 

Section IV - Specific Terms Including Restrictions, Milestones, Multi-year Funding, Revisions

Section IV includes NINDS specific terms and conditions of award. This section includes content that is very specific to your award and is best consulted first for addressing any questions. Examples of critical information found in Section IV may include: 

  • Restrictions on spending, such as those related to human or animal subjects and more 
  • Milestones 
  • Funding terms 
  • If any personnel besides the PD/PI have been identified as senior/key personnel by NINDS staff. If so, prior approval requirements apply for significant changes in effort.  
  • Phased/Transition/Type 4 extension and transition information (what is needed, when it is needed, and how to submit
  • Multi-year Funding information (MYF) 
  • Revision information (Any revision to the initial NoA or subsequent NoA will be detailed here. Examples can include approved carryover, no cost extension approvals, administrative supplement information) 

 

Need Additional Assistance?

If you have further questions after reviewing your Notice of Award, reach out to your grants or sponsored projects office or administrator. They will be able to assist you in understanding the terms and content in your NoA. If after that questions remain, contact the grants management specialist and program officer identified on Page One of the NoA under items 9. and 10.