Get answers to common questions about steps to take once an application has gone through the review process. Use the links above to quickly navigate to a section on this page.
How are funding decisions made after review?
All applications are reviewed in study sections of peer scientists. Based on the results of peer review, preliminary funding plans are developed by NINDS program staff and leadership. These are then reviewed by the NINDS Advisory Council prior to their approval. The Council generally meets three times per year, and meeting dates are posted in the Federal Register. Once Council-approved grants are designated for funding by the NINDS Director, staff work with the investigator and their Institution to establish the ground rules under which the research can occur.
The latter are codified in the Notice of Grant Award (NoA). Many applications that are larger and more complex require additional negotiations prior to award. These can include budgetary negotiations, as well as milestone negotiations and can take some time to negotiate before an award can be made. It is important that you and the Business Official in your institution respond to requests from your PO and Grants Management Specialist in a timely manner. Such requests could include revised JIT, IRB or IACUC certification, or revised milestones. Delayed responses can significantly impact the release of your award, particularly towards the end of the FY. All official documentation for your grant award should be sent through your Institution’s Business Office.
The only way to definitively know if NINDS will obligate funds to an application is through a Notice of Award. Obligated funds need to be released by the government’s Payment Management System to be used by the Institution for the proposed research. Grants are funded incrementally, i.e.., one year at a time depending upon the availability of future year funds, or multi-year funding in which funds are obligated for more than one year. Of note, grants are always awarded to eligible Institutions and not to individual scientists.
Learn more about funding decisions and an overview of the application process
My application is an R01 or R21 with a percentile, what does that mean?
NINDS will no longer fund to a specific published payline, but for percentiled applications, NINDS primarily relies on expert advice provided by peer review panels. NINDS expects to invest a similar proportion of its funds for investigator-initiated research in FY 2026 as it did in FY 2025. The number of grants funded in 2026 will be affected by the average cost per grant and HHS guidance on funding strategy, ex., multi-year (sometimes referred to as "upfront") funding vs. incremental funding.
Applications receiving special consideration for NINDS awards include:
- R01 applications from Early-Stage Investigators (probability of funding is generally doubled)
- 1-year bridge awards (R56) for labs without other funding (vulnerable investigators)
- Research in scientific areas publicly announced in “Highlighted Topics (HTs)” or “Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFOS)"
My application only has an impact score and does not have a percentile, what does that mean?
Some applications do not receive a percentile score, i.e., non-percentiled applications. Due to the heterogeneity of review for applications across Notices of Funding Opportunities, these applications are difficult to compare. In general, non-percentiled applications are funded based on its merit score, critiques from peer review as well as programmatic considerations as listed in a NOFO or HT or announced in other public venues.
Who can I contact with further questions?
When seeking additional information about the status of your award, it is usually best to start with the business official in the sponsored research office at your institution. Post review, your main point of contact is the Program Officer (PO) assigned to your application. The name of your PO is listed on your summary statement and within eRA Commons. Your PO can help you assess whether your application is likely to be funded, advise you on whether you should revise and resubmit, and provide an idea of when you might expect to receive your award.
What to do if my application is unlikely to be funded?
If your application seems unlikely to be funded, consider the options below.