| Office of Research Services: Loyola University Chicago

NIH NCE News

NIH has temporarily disabled the No-Cost Extension (NCE) functionality in eRA Commons for Grantee-approved NCE (first request for an extension). Therefore, effective immediately, all NCE request must be submitted by completing the detailed process through the Prior Approval module. This process requires more detailed information of the current status of the grant, including the unobligated balance, budget, budget justification, programmatic or scientific rationale justification, etc. If you need to submit a request to the NIH, please contact the Office of Research Services (ORS) with ample time to ensure a smooth submission process.

NIH centralizes peer review to improve efficiency and strengthen integrity

On March 6, 2025, the National Institutes of Health announced plans to centralize the peer review of all applications for grants, cooperative agreements, and research and development contracts within the agency’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR). The proposed approach is expected to save more than $65 million annually by eliminating duplicative efforts across the agency and making the review process more efficient.

NIH’s Adoption of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support

For all grant applications, just-in-time (JIT) requests, and progress reports (RPPRs) due May 25, 2025, and beyond, all senior/key personnel must use the new Common Forms for both their Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents. Compliance is mandatory. As of May 25, 2025, the current versions of the forms will not be accepted. (Until implementation, continue to use the current forms.)

NIH: Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies Page Now Available

NIH has posted an Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies page on the NIH Grants & Funding Website to pull together the latest information on recent and upcoming changes that impact applications and grants administration.