Frequently Asked Questions

Answer:

Most NIH applications are investigator-initiated, not responding to a specific, tailored FOA.  Since the grants.gov website requires every applicant to enter an FOA number, investigator-initiated applications typically cite one of the “parent” FOAs, which can be found here: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm (in the chart called Research Grants, look for the "See parent FOA" link for each grant type (e.g., R01, etc.))

Simply citing an FOA does not guarantee that your application will be assigned to a particular institute, nor even that it will be accepted by NIH.  If you are unsure, check with a Program Officer or Director whose portfolio most closely aligns with your research interest (listed under each NIA division).