NIH Proposes Changes to Grant Review—Tell NIH What You Think

The White House has published another Request for Information (RFI), this time asking for comments on a proposal that will change the grant review process at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Comments are due October 13, 2026.

Under this new proposal NIH would 1) not release overall impact scores to grant applicants and 2) group scored applications into three categories. Applications in the top 25% would be classified as “Most Competitive,” those in the 26th–50th percentiles as “Competitive,” and those below the 50th percentile as “Not Discussed.”

The two parts of this RFI could make the scientific process more difficult. If a grant applicant doesn’t know the score of their grant, how can they determine how their proposal was received by reviewers? How can they decide whether to revise and resubmit the application, make substantial changes, or move on to a different research idea?

The creation of broad categories would make it much harder for applicants to understand where their application actually stands when it comes to being funded. These changes could make it harder for researchers to understand where their previous research stands and provide less information to help determine the course of future research.

The NIH is asking for your thoughts on this RFI. Explain how these proposed changes could affect your research. Consider explaining why it is important for grantees to know their final overall impact score, understand the comments of reviewers, and know how their applications compare with other applications.

How Do I Make Comments?

• Comments on this RFI may be submitted here.
• You can draft your comments right on the website or submit as an attachment.
• Once you complete your comments, the website also asks you for some information, including your name and email address. Remember, you can submit anonymously.
• Click “Submit.”