Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Extension Request Process Moving to eRA Commons

NIH recognizes that a lot can happen to interrupt the ten-year eligibility window of your Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status, such as family care responsibilities, military service, medical concerns, and more. While you may currently request an extension of that ten-year period by completing an Extension Request Form, the process for requesting an extension of ESI status will soon be moving to the eRA Commons.

Beginning on August 22, 2019, investigators will be able to request an extension of their ESI eligibility directly through eRA Commons via an ESI Extension request button in the Education section of their personal profile. For step-by-step instructions, review the video tutorial ESI Status Extension Request on the eRA Videos page. 

For more information, check out the latest Guide Notice, the ESI Policies page, and the ESI FAQs page.