To track an NIH application after submission, sign in to eRA Commons and open the Status module. For new NIH funding opportunity announcements (NOFOs) in fiscal year 2026, search Grants.gov; use the NIH Guide for policy and informational notices.
Where to check an NIH application after submission
Application tracking moves through two systems. Grants.gov receives the application first, assigns a tracking number, and sends processing notifications to the submitting organization’s authorized organization representative (AOR). NIH then processes the submission through its eRA systems. Messages from NIH go to the contact addresses entered on the application.
Cross-system processing can take a few minutes to a few hours, according to NIH guidance. That is an estimate, not a service guarantee. If expected email has not arrived after several hours, check the application directly rather than relying on email alone.
Find the submission in eRA Commons
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Sign in to eRA Commons and open Status.
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Choose the route that fits what you need to locate:
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- Recent/Pending eSubmissions: find recent or pending electronic submissions.
- List of Applications/Awards: browse applications and grants associated with your account.
- Search by Grants.gov Tracking Number: look up a specific submission using the tracking number assigned by Grants.gov.
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Open the application record to review the status and any available processing, review, or award information.
The NIH help pages How Does a PI Track Submission Status? and eRA Commons Status describe these options.
How to interpret errors and warnings
After Grants.gov checks a submission, NIH eRA performs additional validation. Treat errors and warnings differently:
- Errors are showstoppers: they must be corrected and the application resubmitted before the deadline for it to proceed.
- Warnings do not stop processing, but may flag an issue worth reviewing. A warning alone does not mean the application was rejected.
For the official explanation of the submission sequence and validation messages, see NIH’s application submission process.
Why your Status view may differ from someone else’s
What appears in Commons depends on the user’s role and permissions. PI and signing official (SO) views differ. A PI can authorize a Commons user with an assistant role to access Status. Depending on access and the grant record, Status may show application history, assignment and review details, summary statements, Notices of Award, and other records. If a record is missing, confirm that you are signed in with the appropriate account and have the necessary role or delegation; visibility is not the same for every user.
NIH’s Status module help describes the available functions and role-dependent access.
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Where to find NIH funding opportunity notices
Application tracking and funding discovery are separate tasks. Starting in fiscal year 2026, Grants.gov is NIH’s official source for grant and cooperative agreement NOFOs, and it supports opportunity searches and subscriptions. NIH announced this change on August 14, 2025, in NOT-OD-25-143.
The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts remains useful for NIH policy and informational notices, but it no longer posts NOFOs. Use Grants.gov when you need to find or follow an active funding opportunity; consult the NIH Guide for policy updates and other informational announcements.
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