NIH Continues Peer Review Modifications After Funding Lapse
Summary
NIH announces continuation of modified peer review practices for the October 2026 Advisory Council following a 2025 lapse in appropriations. The percentage of applications discussed in meetings remains reduced to 30-35% (down from the usual ~50%), and summary statements will continue to be simplified with narrative paragraphs removed. Applications voted in the middle third remain designated as "competitive but not discussed" and will still be considered for funding alongside discussed applications.
What changed
NIH is continuing modified peer review practices implemented during the 2025 funding lapse. Key changes include: (1) reducing the percent of applications discussed in peer review meetings to 30-35% (down from ~50%); (2) designating applications in the middle third as "competitive but not discussed" while still considering them for funding; and (3) simplifying summary statements by removing narrative paragraphs summarizing committee discussion. These modifications were originally implemented for January and May 2026 Advisory Councils due to missed peer review meetings during the funding lapse and will now extend through October 2026.
Research institutions and investigators applying for NIH grants should note that summary statements will continue to include written critiques from assigned reviewers and consensus descriptions, but without narrative discussion summaries. Applications in the middle third that are not formally discussed will still be eligible for funding consideration. No specific compliance actions are required of applicants; however, those with pending applications should monitor for updates on review timelines and funding decisions.
What to do next
- Monitor NIH announcements for updates to peer review procedures
- Direct inquiries to NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Continuation of Modifications to Peer Review Practices Notice Number: NOT-OD-26-069
Key Dates
Release Date: April 15, 2026
Related Announcements
- November 24, 2025 – Updated Guidance on Reopening of NIH Extramural Activities Following the October 1, 2025 – Lapse in Appropriations. See Notice NOT-OD-26-012.
- October 1, 2025 – Information for the NIH Extramural Community During the Lapse of Federal Government Funding. See Notice NOT-OD-26-004.
Issued by
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
Purpose
This notice is to provide NIHs extramural community with information on the continuation of select peer review practices implemented following a lapse of appropriations in 2025.
To address the large volume of peer review meetings that were missed during the lapse in appropriations, modifications were made to peer review practices for applications submitted for the January 2026 and May 2026 Advisory Councils. The following modifications will remain in place for the October 2026 Advisory Council:
- The percent of applications discussed in most meetings will be reduced to 30-35%, instead of the usual ~50%.
- Applications voted by the committee to be in the middle third will be designated as competitive but not discussed and applications in the lowest third will be designated as not competitive and not discussed. Applications in the middle third will be considered for funding, along with the discussed applications.
- Summary statements will be simplified. Narrative paragraphs summarizing committee discussion will not be used. Instead, summaries will have a sentence describing the degree of consensus in the committee vote, plus bullets listing the main score driving points. Summaries for all applications will contain the written critiques from the 3 assigned reviewers, as is currently the case. Summaries for applications that are discussed will have the overall impact score.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration
[email protected]
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