NIH has issued a notice with important reminders affecting grant applications submitted on or after January 25. The NIH policy on page limits means that reviewers need not consider text or materials that have been inappropriately placed in the Appendix or other sections without page limits, particularly when they circumvent page limitations for the Specific Aims and Research Strategy sections. In some instances, NIH may withdraw the application from review or funding consideration. For a reminder of what’s acceptable in the Appendix, see NOT-OD-10-077. Also, post-submission application materials must adhere to new restrictions on timing and content; see NOT-OD-10-091. As I previously posted on August 20 and October 8, other application policy changes also on the way for submissions on or after January 25 include:

1. Elimination of the error correction window from the application process for electronic and paper-based submissions; see NOT-OD-10-123.
2. Resubmission deadlines of no more than 37 months after the receipt date of the initial application; see NOT-OD-10-140.
3. New application forms for F, K, T and D series applications, which will apply to all other applications as of May 7, 2011; see NOT-OD-11-007 and NOT-OD-11-008.