A Blizzard Ate My Application! What Can I Do?

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NIH has your back. We have a standing natural disaster policy that can protect you in the event a natural disaster such as a hurricane or blizzard closes your institution close to an application due date. Periodically we issue reminder notices, such as the one we issued in response to Winter Storm Jonas which affected many institutions on the east coast of the United States, but even if we don’t issue a notice, the policy is still there to protect you from missing your deadline. If your institution closes due to an emergency, keeping you from being able to get your application in on time, document the reason in the cover letter of your application. Keep in mind that the delay in the submission should not exceed the time period of your institution’s closure. Reasons for late applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and no one at NIH can grant permission in advance for a late application.

4 Comments

  1. Could you please clarify what the policy is for applicant medical institutions that remain open during storms because medical staff are exempted from travel bans, but where AORs and other grants staff are not medical staff and are under government orders not to travel.

    1. Thanks for your question. If an applicant organization is considered officially closed, except for exempted personnel as defined by the organization, the NIH late submission policy may apply if the closure interferes with the organization’s ability to meet an application due date. Application submission delays must still follow the NIH policy, and should not exceed the time period that the applicant organization is closed. Applicants must be sure to include a cover letter indicating the reason for the delay, and note whether the applicant organization’s staff were unable to work due to the weather, natural disaster, or other emergency situations. We will update our FAQs on this topic with this information, as well.

  2. What are the considerations for the lost months in personnel salaries on an active grant when the labs are closed (and access is not allowed) due to emergency situation which is limited to an Institution? What would you recommend?

    1. We recommend you speak with your assigned NIH Grants Management Officer (identified on the Notice of Award) for guidance based on the specific circumstances of the emergency and its impact on the institution.

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