Lana Oconnell
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioral research. While most of its funding goes to research organizations in the U.S., foreign and international organizations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants. However, they are not eligible for institutional training, program project, center, resource, small business, or construction grants. International students on temporary or student visas are not eligible for fellowships, training grants, or career development awards. However, PIs and other personnel supported by NIH research grants are generally not required to be U.S. citizens, although some programs have a citizenship requirement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can receive NIH grants? | Organisations and individuals can receive NIH grants. |
| Are international organisations eligible for NIH grants? | Yes, international organisations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants. However, they are not eligible for institutional training, program project, centre, resource, small business, or construction grants. |
| Are there any exceptions to the eligibility criteria for international organisations? | Yes, foreign components of US organisations are not eligible for SBIR/STTR awards. Only for-profit organisations with a majority of US citizens or permanent resident aliens as owners can apply for small business awards. |
| Are there any additional requirements for international applicants? | Yes, international applicants must meet additional requirements, such as registering for electronic applications and obtaining a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code. They must also submit detailed budgets and present their applications to the NIAID Advisory Council for approval. |
| Are there any citizenship requirements for individuals receiving NIH grants? | There is no US citizenship requirement for individuals receiving NIH research grants. However, some programs may have specific citizenship requirements, such as fellowships, training grants, and career development awards. |
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What You'll Learn
International students' eligibility for NIH grants
International students can receive NIH grants, but their eligibility depends on several factors. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary US federal government agency that supports biomedical and behavioural research. It funds grants and contracts to research organisations in the US and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of the world.
NIH has a mission to expand scientific knowledge and improve public health. It provides financial assistance for projects that advance its mission in a variety of broad research and research-related funding categories. It awards 80-85% of its budget to support extramural research conducted outside of NIH, and about 10% supports intramural scientists in its laboratories, mostly in Bethesda, Maryland.
Foreign and international organisations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants. However, they are not eligible for institutional training, program, centre, resource, small business, or construction grants. International students must meet specific criteria and requirements when applying for NIH grants. They should refer to the Foreign Eligibility section of the funding opportunity to determine their eligibility.
International applicants must designate a project director or principal investigator (PD/PI) to direct the project or program supported by the award. PD/PIs are generally not required to be US citizens, but some NIH programs have citizenship requirements. Applicants should carefully review the eligibility criteria for their chosen program. International applicants may also have additional steps to register for electronic applications and may need to obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code.
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Additional steps for foreign institutions
Foreign and international organizations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants. However, they are not eligible for institutional training, program project, center, resource, small business, or construction grants.
- Foreign institutions must register for electronic application.
- Foreign institutions must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code when applying electronically.
- The application budget, requests for funds, and financial reports must be stated in U.S. dollars.
- Foreign applicants are required to submit detailed budgets.
- Foreign applications must be presented to the NIAID Advisory Council as a special issue to obtain approval.
- Foreign institutions must fulfill additional requirements to register for electronic submission of grant applications.
- Domestic applications with foreign components require Council approval, but they are not presented as a special issue.
- A foreign component cannot be added to a grant without obtaining prior approval from the grants management officer (GMO).
- Foreign applications must receive Council review and approval from the Budget and Financial Management Branch.
- Foreign institutions must obtain administrative approvals for both foreign grants and domestic grants with foreign components.
- Additional administrative requirements must be met for India and Brazil.
- A Notice of Award cannot be issued without Council and administrative approvals.
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Foreign grants management
The NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) outlines the requirements for foreign institutions and organisations seeking NIH grants. Foreign applicants are required to submit detailed budgets in US dollars, and they may request limited Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, up to eight per cent of the modified total direct costs. Applications from foreign institutions must be accompanied by a “Foreign Justification” attachment, identifying the countries involved in the project.
To ensure compliance with NIH requirements, foreign grantees, investigators, and project leaders should familiarise themselves with grants management guidelines. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a subsidiary of NIH, provides resources such as the Template for Foreign Institutions—Manual of Operations for Research Awards, as well as in-person training workshops. NIAID also conducts site visits to review the administrative and financial systems of awardees with foreign entities.
It is important to note that foreign applicants cannot add a foreign component to a grant without prior approval from the Grants Management Officer (GMO). Additionally, grants are issued to institutions or organisations, not individual investigators. Foreign postdoctoral fellows may work on NIH-funded research grants but are restricted from specific award types, such as the National Research Service Award fellowship.
For business and policy issues, grantees can contact their grants management specialist through their eRA Commons account or summary statement. The NIAID Grants Management Program Contacts can assist in locating a specialist if one has not been assigned. Overall, foreign grants management entails understanding and adhering to NIH policies, maintaining effective grants administration, and ensuring compliance with budgetary and administrative requirements.
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Foreign postdoctoral fellows
The NIH supports scientists at various stages in their careers, from pre-doctoral students on research training grants to investigators with extensive experience who run large research centres. Generally, principal investigators and other personnel supported by NIH research grants are not required to be U.S. citizens, although some programs do have citizenship requirements. Prospective recipients should carefully read the eligibility criteria for their specific funding opportunity.
When applying from an international or foreign institution, both electronic and paper applications have a checkbox for foreign institutions and domestic institutions with a foreign component. There are also special budget requirements for applications from foreign institutions. Foreign institutions must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code when applying electronically. International organisations may use 44-4444444 for the Employer Identification field in the SF424 (R&R) Cover Component of the application package.
Applications from foreign institutions are evaluated and scored during the initial review process using standard criteria. They are also assessed on whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily available in the U.S. or that augment existing U.S. resources.
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Funding opportunities
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioural research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most of the NIH's funding goes towards grants and contracts for research organisations in the U.S., with a smaller proportion going to other parts of the world.
The NIH supports scientists at various stages in their careers, from pre-doctoral students on research training grants to investigators with extensive experience who run large research centres. Generally, those supported by NIH research grants are not required to be U.S. citizens, although some programs do have a citizenship requirement.
Foreign and international organisations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants but are not eligible for institutional training, program project, centre, resource, small business, or construction grants.
When applying from an international/foreign institution, there is a checkbox for foreign institutions and domestic institutions with a foreign component. There are also special budget requirements for foreign institutions. Foreign postdoctoral fellows may work on NIH-funded research grants but may not work on a National Research Service Award fellowship or training grant.
To obtain a grant award from the NIH, the research must meet the following criteria:
- It includes talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions not in the United States or that augment U.S. resources.
- It is relevant to the NIH's mission.
- It is not being done in the United States.
- Foreign applications must be presented to the NIH Advisory Council as a special issue to obtain approval.
Fellowships, training grants, and career development awards (except for the K99/R00) require either U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status. People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
NIH has three application, review, and award cycles per year. Funding opportunities with set-aside funds are designated as Requests for Applications (RFA) or Program Announcements with set-aside funds (PAS).
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Frequently asked questions
Generally, international students can receive NIH grants, but they are not eligible for institutional training, program project, centre, resource, small business, or construction grants.
International students must designate a project director or principal investigator to direct the program or project supported by the award. While some NIH programs require US citizenship or permanent residency status, it is not a general requirement for receiving an NIH grant.
International students must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code when applying electronically. They must also submit detailed budgets and indicate whether their project involves activities outside the US or partnerships with international collaborators.
International students' applications must include talent, resources, populations, or other resources not found in the US. Their projects must also be relevant to the mission and objectives of the NIH Institute and have the potential to significantly advance the health sciences in the US.
International students on temporary or student visas are not eligible for fellowships, training grants, and career development awards.
