NIH Research Project Grants (Foreign and International Organizations)

NIH Research Project Grants (Foreign and International Organizations) is a funding program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that supports biomedical and public health research conducted by foreign institutions or through international collaborations. Foreign organizations may apply as the prime recipient of a direct foreign award, or as a subrecipient on a domestic award with a foreign component.

Foreign components include activities such as human subjects research, animal studies, or data collection conducted outside the United States. Applications from foreign organizations are evaluated on the same criteria as domestic applicants. Award amounts vary by grant mechanism and notice of funding opportunity.

Eligibility may be restricted by individual funding announcements.

Information for Foreign Grants | Grants & Funding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Information for Foreign Grants Applications for research grant support from foreign organizations are treated as if they were applications from domestic organizations.

So, the information found on our Information for Researchers and Information for Research Administrators pages apply to both foreign and domestic applicants and recipients. This page provides additional information specifically for foreign applicants and recipients. Types of Foreign Collaborations Most foreign collaborations fall into two types Direct foreign award.

The foreign organization is the prime recipient and receives the Domestic award with foreign component. The domestic organization is the prime recipient, but a significant element or segment of the project is performed outside of the United States, either by the recipient or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended. Requires a formalized written agreement.

Activities that meet the definition of a foreign component include, but are not limited to: Involvement of human subjects or animals Extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities Any activity of recipient that may impact U.S. foreign policy through involvement in affairs or environment of a foreign country Examples of other grant-related activities that may be foreign components: Collaborations with investigators at foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship Use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site Receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity Foreign travel for consultation is not considered a foreign component Location and Time Zone of the NIH The NIH main campus is located in Bethesda, Maryland on the East Coast of the U.S., just 10 miles from the center of Washington, D.

C. From early November until March, this is GMT – 5 hours, and from March until November this is GMT – Daylight Time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. To confirm what time it is at our offices, visit Time.

gov and click on Maryland (or any state on the East Coast). All grant applications are due at 5 pm on the specified due date based on the address provided in the Applicant Information section (item #5) of the SF424 R&R form. When you submit your application, Grants.

gov provides timestamps in U.S. Eastern Time. Agency staff will translate the timestamp to your local time prior to determining on-time submission. Submitting an Application center's intent to award grants or cooperative agreements in certain programmatic areas.

All NIH funding opportunities are published on Grants. gov . Use the NIH-specific search filters at Explore NIH Opportunities to quickly identify an opportunity of interest.

In general, foreign and international organizations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants but are not eligible to apply for institutional training, program project, center, resource, small business, or NIH Grants Policy Statement: Foreign Eligibility provides general eligibility information Section III.

Eligibility Information of each funding opportunity provides detailed organization and individual (PD/PI) eligibility requirements including a section for Foreign Organization eligibility Applicants from foreign and international organizations must fulfill some additional requirements to register for electronic submission of grant applications.

Use the same organization name and unique entity identifier (UEI) for all registrations to avoid application and award issues. If awarded, the organization name used must also match the name on the bank account linked to your PMS registration for payment. Registration can take six weeks or more.

Start well in advance of your target due date. Foreign applicants need a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code prior to registering with the System for Award Management (SAM). See NCAGE Code Request Tool .

Read the How to Apply – Application Guide carefully before applying and follow all instructions. Application form package and instructions are the same as those required for domestic applicants. The forms needed to apply are customized to each funding opportunity.

You must use the forms linked to the announcement to apply. Use one of the submission options (NIH ASSIST, Grants. gov Workspace, or a system-to-system solution) indicated in the funding opportunity to access, prepare, and submit your application forms.

Tips specific to foreign applicants Item 6, Employer Identification Number (EIN) : If you don't have an EIN, enter 44-4444444 Item 13, Congressional District : Enter 00-0000 Foreign applicant organizations must submit detailed (non-modular) budgets using the R&R Budget form.

Funds must be requested in U.S. dollars Foreign organizations may request funds for limited Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs (8 percent of modified total direct costs less equipment) to support the costs of compliance with NIH requirements Examples: Protection of human subjects, animal welfare, invention reporting, other post-award reporting requirements, financial conflict of interest, and research misconduct See NIH Grants Policy Statement: Foreign Grants - Allowable and Unallowable Costs R&R Other Project Information form Item 6, Does this project involve activities outside of the United States or partnerships with international collaborators?

If the applicant organization is foreign or if the project includes a foreign component, then check yes and add an attachment titled “Foreign Justification” in the Other Attachments field Item 6a, Identify countries : Enter the countries; 55-character limit; abbreviations are acceptable Item 6b, Optional explanation : 55-character limit PHS 398 Research Plan form Item 6, Select Agent Research : Provide the names of the countries where select agent research will be performed Project/Performance Site Location form Project/Performance Site Congressional District : Enter 00-0000 Reaching Out to NIH Staff Scientific/research contact(s) (usually a program officer) who can answer questions about the scientific and/or technical aspects of the announcement Financial/grants management contact(s) who can answer questions about the administrative and budget aspects of the announcement Peer review contact(s) who can answer questions about the peer review aspects of the announcement.

Applicants are encouraged to email these individuals to discuss their applications. NIH encourages email communication when possible. Check Plan to Apply for more information.

There are many public policy requirements for applications from foreign organizations. When an application is submitted to NIH, the Authorized Organization Representative assures NIH that the organization will follow the applicable public policy requirements, and the terms and conditions documented in the NIH Grants Policy Statement .

Resources of particular interest to foreign collaborators NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) Section 16: Grants to Foreign Organizations, International Organizations, and Domestic Grants with Foreign Components Office for Human Research Protections: International Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare: Foreign Assurance Financial Conflict of Interest Important Highlights of FCOI Regulatory Requirements for Foreign Institutions Small Business Funding: Foreign Disclosure and Risk Management In addition to standard review criteria, applications from foreign and international organizations are assessed on the following 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 United States or that augment existing U.S. resources.

Whether the proposed project has specific relevance to the mission and objectives of the ICO and has the potential for significantly advancing the health sciences in the United States. Extensive information on all stages of the NIH grant process, including peer review, can be found at Grants Process Overview .

Post Award Issues for Foreign Recipients When NIH awards a grant or cooperative agreement, it is formalizing its partnership with the recipient to ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations and policies. This protects the integrity of the overall scientific endeavor. Acceptance of a grant award from NIH carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of the Notice of Award (NoA).

By drawing funds from the payment system, the recipient agrees to the terms and conditions of an award. The NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) is a term of award and provides valuable information about the pre- and post-award requirements for NIH grants and cooperative agreements.

NIH GPS Chapter 16: Grants to Foreign Institutions, International Organizations, and Domestic Grants with Foreign Components provides information specific for awards to foreign organizations. The application budget, requests for funds, and financial reports must be stated in U.S. dollars. Awards to foreign and international organizations are paid through the Payment Management Services (PMS).

PMS is a centralized grants payment and cash management system. It is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Support Center (PSC). Refer to NIH GPS 16.

5: Funding and Payment . When a foreign component participates in a consortium arrangement, the funding and payment information should be reflected in the formal written agreement. Learn more in NIH GPS Chapter 15: Consortium Agreements .

NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIH GPS) is the policy source for terms and conditions NIH awards made to domestic and foreign organizations. 3 Overview of Terms and Conditions (nih.

gov) Chapter 4: Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates 16: Grants to Foreign Organizations, International Organizations, and Domestic Grants with Foreign Components Clarification of Implementation of the NIH SBIR and STTR Foreign Disclosure Pre-award and Post-Award Requirements , November 2023 Reminders of NIH Policies on Other Support and on Policies related to Financial Conflicts of Interest and Foreign Components , July 2019 Financial Conflict of Interest: Investigator Disclosures of Foreign Financial Interests , March 2019 NIH Subaward Requirements: Domestic and Foreign (youtube.

com) , January 2024 NIH Update Regarding Oversight of Foreign Subawards (youtube. com) , September 2023 Understanding International Collaborations (youtube. com) , November 2022 Partnering with International Research Organizations (youtube.

com) , November 2021 International Collaborations: Policies, Processes, & Partnerships Webinar, November 2022 Requirements for Disclosure of Other Support, Foreign Components and Conflicts of Interest NIH eRA - Electronic Research Administration Home Page provides the tools necessary for the electronic processing of applications and awards NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare: PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) | HHS.

gov NIH Institute and Center webpages for foreign recipients: Fogarty International Center – Foreign Grant Information National Heart Lung and Blood Institute – Global Health Programs and Activities National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – International Awards Need Help? – Find the best contact for your question. This page last updated on: November 21, 2025 For technical issues E-mail OER Webmaster