How does the NIH application review process work?
The grants peer review system used by NIH–often referred to as the “dual review system”–is based on two sequential levels of review for each application. The initial or first level of review is conducted by panels of experts drawn from the national pool of scientists actively engaged in research. These panels render impartial reviews and evaluations of each grant application. They consider not only the scientific merit of the proposal, but also the background and experience of the principal investigator, the research facilities available for the project, and the appropriateness of the direct costs requested. The NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) routinely handles the first level of review for investigator-initiated applications for Research Project Grants (R01s), Academic Research Enhancement Awards (R15s), Exploratory/Developmental Research Awards (R21), Small Grant Research Awards (R03), Small Business Technology Transfer Grants (R41s and R42s), Small Business Innovation Resea
