Just-in-Time (JIT) is the point in the NIH award process where the agency asks an applicant institution for a specific set of updated documents — not because the application is incomplete, but because the application is now being seriously considered for funding and NIH needs current information before it can issue an award. It sits between peer review and the Notice of Award, and it is triggered by NIH, not initiated by the applicant. This guide covers what triggers a JIT request, exactly what NIH asks for, how and when to submit it, and how it differs from adjacent eRA Commons processes that are easy to confuse it with. For where JIT fits inside the full annual award timeline, see CASRAI’s NIH Grant Cycle guide; this page is the deep-dive on the JIT step itself.
What triggers a Just-in-Time request
NIH does not request JIT information from every applicant. A request is triggered when an application has been through peer review (including, for R01s and similar mechanisms, both a study section impact score and, where applicable, second-level Advisory Council review) and falls within a range the funding Institute or Center considers potentially fundable. Historically, NIH sent an automated JIT email notification once an application’s impact score reached 30 or better, but as of October 1, 2024, NIH retired that automated blanket notification. Institutes and Centers now send targeted JIT requests only for the specific applications they are actually considering funding, rather than triggering the process purely off a score threshold. In practice this means an applicant should not treat ‘no JIT request yet’ as a signal either way about funding likelihood, and should not submit JIT materials speculatively — NIH’s own guidance is explicit that JIT information should be submitted only after a specific request is received (typically by email to the Signing Official and/or PD/PI), not proactively alongside or shortly after the original application.
Being asked for JIT information is a meaningful positive signal — it means the application is in the range NIH is actively considering — but it is not an award decision. Council concurrence and a final funding determination by the Institute or Center still have to happen after JIT is submitted and reviewed. Only the Notice of Award is a binding commitment of funds.
What NIH requests in a JIT submission
The exact list can vary by Institute/Center and by the specifics of the project, but a JIT request commonly includes some combination of:
| Item | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Other Support | Required for every individual designated as senior/key personnel; must be current as of submission and follow NIH’s required Other Support format |
| IRB approval | Required if the project involves human subjects research and institutional review board approval was not already on file at application |
| IACUC approval | Required if the project involves vertebrate animals and institutional animal care and use committee approval was not already on file |
| Human subjects training certification | Required for key personnel on human subjects research where current training documentation is not already on file |
| Updated budget | Requested if the Institute/Center needs a revised budget reflecting a different funding level than originally proposed |
| Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan revisions | Requested where NIH’s DMS Policy applies and the Plan on file needs updating before award |
Other Support is usually the most administratively demanding item, since it has to be assembled fresh for every senior/key person and follows a specific NIH-mandated format and set of disclosure rules, including foreign support disclosure. CASRAI covers that piece in full in NIH Other Support Template: Foreign Disclosure and Certification Rules and the Other Support (NIH format) dictionary entry — this JIT guide does not repeat that content, since Other Support is only one of several items a JIT request can include, not the whole of JIT itself.
Note also that as of May 8, 2026, NIH began hard-enforcing its Common Forms requirements (SciENcv-generated biosketches and ORCID linkage for senior/key personnel) at the eRA validation layer — a JIT submission that includes non-compliant biosketch or Other Support forms can now be rejected outright rather than merely flagged. See CASRAI’s NIH Begins Enforcing Common Forms for what changed and why it now matters at the JIT stage specifically, not just at initial application.
How to submit JIT information
JIT information is submitted electronically through the JIT feature in eRA Commons, not through ASSIST or Grants.gov — those systems handle the original application package, while JIT is a post-review, pre-award exchange that only exists inside Commons. The JIT link typically becomes available on the application’s Status screen within about 24 hours of the impact score being released, but the presence of that link is not itself a request for information — applicants should wait for an explicit request before uploading anything. In most institutions, the Signing Official (or another user with the appropriate eRA Commons role) uploads and submits the requested documents through the Status screen’s JIT function; a PD/PI typically cannot submit JIT materials directly without that institutional role. For how ASSIST and Commons registration relate to each other more generally, see CASRAI’s NIH ASSIST: What It Is and How It Differs from eRA Commons Registration and the eRA Commons vs. Grants.gov comparison.
Timing: when to submit
NIH’s guidance directs applicants to submit JIT information at least 60 days before the proposed project start date, or sooner if the specific request from the Institute/Center asks for a faster turnaround. Because JIT is requested on a compressed, funding-decision timeline rather than a fixed annual date, institutions that wait to assemble Other Support, IRB/IACUC documentation, or a revised DMS Plan until after the request arrives risk missing that window — the practical lesson research offices generally draw from this is to keep senior/key personnel Other Support and compliance approvals close to current year-round for any application in a plausible fundable range, rather than starting from scratch the day a JIT request lands.
What a JIT request does — and doesn’t — mean
A JIT request means the application is being actively considered and NIH needs specific documents before it can move to a funding decision. It does not mean funding is guaranteed: Advisory Council concurrence (where applicable) and the Institute/Center’s own portfolio and budget decisions still occur after JIT materials are reviewed. The only document that constitutes a binding commitment of federal funds is the Notice of Award; JIT submission is a necessary step toward that decision, not the decision itself.
Common mistakes that slow the process down
- Submitting before being asked. Uploading JIT materials speculatively, before a specific request is received, is against NIH’s own guidance and can create confusion about which version of a document is current.
- Stale Other Support. Other Support must reflect the current state of every senior/key person’s support at the time of JIT submission, not the state at the time of original application — projects awarded or ended in the interim need to be reflected.
- Missing Common Forms compliance. Since May 2026 enforcement, biosketches and Other Support submitted in non-compliant formats, or without required ORCID linkage for senior/key personnel, can be rejected at validation rather than simply flagged for correction later.
- Treating the JIT request as a formality. Institutions sometimes under-resource JIT turnaround because peer review already happened; in fact JIT sits on a tight pre-award clock and institutional approvals (IRB, IACUC) can take weeks to obtain if they are not already in place.
Frequently asked questions
What does JIT stand for in NIH grants?
Just-in-Time. It refers to specific supporting information NIH requests from an applicant institution shortly before a funding decision, rather than requiring that information with the original application.
When does NIH request JIT information?
After peer review, when an application falls within a range the funding Institute/Center is actively considering for an award. There is no fixed date — it depends on when the Institute/Center reaches a funding decision point for that specific application.
Does a JIT request mean my grant will be funded?
It is a strong positive signal, but not a guarantee. Council concurrence and the Institute/Center’s own funding decision still occur after JIT materials are submitted and reviewed. Only the Notice of Award is binding.
Where do I submit JIT information?
Through the JIT feature on the application’s Status screen in eRA Commons, typically by the institution’s Signing Official or another user with the appropriate eRA Commons role — not through ASSIST or Grants.gov.
How far in advance should JIT be submitted?
NIH directs applicants to submit at least 60 days before the proposed project start date, or sooner if the specific request asks for it.
What’s the difference between JIT and the Other Support requirement?
Other Support is one item that a JIT request commonly asks for, not a synonym for JIT itself. A JIT request can also include IRB/IACUC approvals, human subjects training certification, an updated budget, and DMS Plan revisions, depending on the project.
