New for 2025! The ASHFoundation research grant review criteria has been updated similar to the National Institute of Health Simplified Peer Review Framework.
What changes did NIH make to review criteria for research grant applications?
NIH research project grants have been reviewed on five criteria:
- Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field?
- Innovation: Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions?
- Approach: Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the Specific Aims of the project?
- Investigators: Are the program director(s)/principal investigator(s) (PDs/PIs), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project?
- Environment: Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?
The new NIH review criteria will consolidate these five criteria into three factors:
- Factor 1: Importance of the Research (Significance and Innovation) – Scored 1-9
- Factor 2: Rigor and Feasibility (Approach) – Scored 1-9
- Factor 3: Expertise and Resources (Investigators and Environment) – Not scored
Changes to the ASHFoundation Review Criteria:
- Similar to the new NIH review criteria, the ASHFoundation review criteria will be consolidated into three factors.
- Unlike the new NIH review criteria, the ASHFoundation will assign scores for Factor 3: Expertise and Resources (including Investigators and Environment) on a scale of 1-9.
Why did NIH change the application requirements and review criteria?
The NIH wanted to improve the peer review process for applicants and reviewers by focusing the criteria on the scientific and technical aspects of research project grants and de-emphasizing investigator and institutional considerations to reduce the potential for reputational bias on the grant review process. For more information on the rationale for these changes, visit the NIH website.
When do these changes take effect?
The simplified application and review criteria will be in place for applications submitted after January 25, 2025.
Are the application requirements and reviewer criteria for other grant mechanisms changing?
The NIH will also make changes to the application and review criteria for Fellowship applications to align with the changes to research project grants (see overview here).
What resources are available to get more information on these changes?
NIH has released a notice (NOT-OD-24-084) outlining the specific changes, grant activity codes, and related changes to Reference Letters and Biosketch documents.
Additional Questions
For questions about ASHFoundation programs, please contact foundationprograms@asha.org.