NIH’s grant application process can be overwhelming for new and returning investigators, and sample applications serve as useful guides for the research community. NIAID recently posted two R01 sample applications and one K08 sample application to serve as examples of outstanding grantsmanship and demonstrate a successful approach to presenting a research plan.
The R01 is NIH’s most used grant award for independent research projects and the K08 is a mentored clinical scientist research career development award.
| PI and Recipient Institution | Application Resources |
| Emily Troemel, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego “Innate immunity against viral infection in intestinal epithelial cells of C. elegans,” (R01, FORMS-G) | Full Application Summary Statement |
| George Liu, Ph.D. of the University of California, San Diego “Interrogating human anti-staphylococcal antibody responses for S. aureus vaccine insights” (R01, FORMS-H) | Full Application Summary Statement |
| David Al-Adra, M.D., Ph.D., of University of Wisconsin-Madison “Targeting Donor Regulatory Dendritic Cells During Normothermic Ex Vivo Liver Perfusion to Overcome Rejection after Liver Transplant” (K08, FORMS-F) | Full Application Summary Statement |
We post sample applications with permission from grant recipients and are grateful to them for allowing us to share their work.
A Valuable Resource
On our Sample Applications and More page, you’ll also find additional examples of R01 and K08 applications as well as R03, R15, R21, R21/R33, R41, R42, R43, R44, K01, K23, F31, G11, and U01 applications. These typically include summary statements, sharing plans, leadership plans, and more.
When reviewing sample applications, consider the following:
- How did the applicants present project goals, plans, and milestones in an appealing and clear way?
- What evidence and support did the applicants provide? How technical were the explanations?
- Where and how did the application effectively address each review criterion?
- What strong points (or potential weak points) did the reviewers highlight in the summary statements?
These and other similar considerations will help strengthen your own application.
Don’t Just Copy/Paste
Note that these samples may not reflect the latest NIH rules, policies, or formatting, so it’s imperative you follow the latest official NIH How to Apply SF 424 instructions when writing your own application. For example, NIH’s Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy came into effect with the introduction of FORMS-H; thus, you’ll not find a DMS Plan in earlier sample applications.
NIH will transition to the FORMS-I set for applications due on or after January 25, 2025. The policy changes that will take effect with the introduction of FORMS-I are not reflected in any of our existing sample applications; you’ll need to account for them separately. Refer to High-Level Summary of Form Changes in FORMS-I Application Packages.
Additional Resources
In addition to reviewing our extensive list of sample applications, also check out NIAID’s Apply for a Grant guidance, NIH’s General Grant Writing Tips, and NIH’s Write Your Application.