Learn about the assignment and review process. Find out how you hear back about review results and your next steps.
Application Assigned to a Review Group
The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Division of Receipt and Referral (DRR) checks your application for administrative and formatting requirements. CSR also assigns your application to an NIH institute or center (IC) and a review group. Learn more about administrative checks and how applications are assigned to a review group.
First-Level Peer Review
Your application's most significant test is the initial peer review. Find out how your application is reviewed, the role of different reviewers, and what happens at a review meeting. Learn more about how first-level peer review works.
Scoring and Summary Statements
Your overall impact score is the key review outcome, the main basis for a funding decision by an NIH IC. Your summary statement provides information about the review, the reviewers’ critiques, and your score. Learn more about scoring, how to interpret your summary statement, and the next steps after receiving your summary statement.
Second-Level Review: Advisory Council
The main NIAID Advisory Council must recommend an application for funding before we can award a grant, although the Institute makes the final funding decision. Our Council looks at administrative issues and applications that may receive special funding. Learn more about the second-level review by NIAID's Advisory Council.
Serving on a Peer Review Committee
To fund the most meritorious science, we need expert peer reviewers to assess the scientific and technical merit of grant applications. Find out why you might want to join the ranks and what you can do to get involved. Learn more about volunteering as a reviewer.