Last verified: August 16, 2026, against NIH Guide notices and grants.nih.gov policy pages cited throughout. NIH occasionally issues notices adjusting specific receipt dates for individual funding opportunities — always confirm the exact date against the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) you are applying under, since a specific NOFO can override the standard schedule.
NIH does not set a single grant deadline. Instead, most research, training, and fellowship mechanisms cycle through three standard due dates per year, with the exact day of the month depending on the activity code and whether the application is new, a renewal, a resubmission, or a revision. This page gives the full 2026-27 standard due date schedule by activity code family, explains how the AIDS-specific due date category is being phased out, and covers the submission mechanics — weekend/holiday handling, the late application policy, and the end of continuous submission — that determine what actually happens when a deadline is missed or a PD/PI qualifies for an exception.
NIH Standard Due Dates by Activity Code (2026-27)
The dates below are the recurring, calendar-fixed standard due dates NIH publishes for its major grant mechanisms. They repeat every year unless superseded by a Guide notice for a specific fiscal year. Application Due Date, Scientific Review, Advisory Council Review, and earliest possible Start Date each follow roughly two, four, and five months after the receipt date, respectively — see NIH’s own Standard Due Dates page for the full review-cycle calendar tied to each receipt date.
| Activity code family | New applications | Renewal / Resubmission / Revision |
|---|---|---|
| R01 (Research Project Grant) | February 5, June 5, October 5 | March 5, July 5, November 5 |
| R03, R21, R33, R34, R36 (Small Grant, Exploratory/Developmental, Planning, Dissertation) | February 16, June 16, October 16 | March 16, July 16, November 16 |
| R15 (Academic Research Enhancement Award / Research Enhancement Award Program) | February 25, June 25, October 25 | Same dates — February 25, June 25, October 25 apply to new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications alike |
| K series (career development — K01, K08, K23, K99/R00, and related mentored/independent awards) | February 12, June 12, October 12 | Same dates apply to all submission types; K mechanisms do not use a separate one-month-later resubmission date the way R01/R03/R21/R34 do |
| F series (individual NRSA fellowships — F30, F31, F32, F33) | April 8, August 8, December 8 | Same dates apply to all submission types |
| T series (institutional training grants — T32 and related) | January 25, May 25, September 25 | Same dates apply to all submission types |
| SBIR / STTR (Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer) | January 5, April 5, September 5 | Same three-cycle schedule; check the current PHS SBIR/STTR Omnibus Solicitation for any cycle-specific adjustments |
A note on individual Institutes and Centers: several ICs run their own T-series and K-series deadlines that differ from the NIH-wide standard shown above — for example, some Institutes use dates outside the January/May/September T32 pattern. Always check the awarding IC’s own training or career-development page in addition to the standard schedule before relying on a single date.
New vs. Renewal vs. Resubmission vs. Revision: Why the Dates Differ
For R01, R03, R21, R33, R34, and R36 applications, NIH schedules new applications on one date and renewal, resubmission, and revision applications one month later on the same cycle. A resubmission (an application previously reviewed and not funded, revised and resubmitted as an A1) is treated administratively the same as a renewal or revision for due-date purposes — it uses the later date, not the ‘new application’ date, even though it is not literally new. K, F, T, R15, and SBIR/STTR mechanisms do not split the calendar this way: the same date applies regardless of submission type.
AIDS and AIDS-Related Due Dates: A Major 2026 Policy Change
Historically, HIV/AIDS and AIDS-related research applications used a separate set of receipt dates, offset from the general standard schedule, to route them into dedicated AIDS-specific review. That separate schedule is being retired. Per NOT-OD-26-029, NIH is aligning HIV/AIDS receipt dates with the general standard receipt dates to simplify the application process. The final dedicated HIV/AIDS-specific application receipt date was May 7, 2026, corresponding to the August/October 2026 Advisory Council round. HIV/AIDS-related applications submitted after that date follow the general standard application receipt dates shown in the table above, corresponding to the January 2027 Council round onward.
Practical takeaway for 2026-27: if you are preparing an HIV/AIDS or AIDS-related application, do not look for a separate ‘AIDS due date’ — as of the applications reviewed from the January 2027 Council round forward, there isn’t one. Use the standard activity-code schedule above and confirm against the specific FOA, since some AIDS-related FOAs may carry transitional language during the changeover.
Weekend and Federal Holiday Rule
When a standard due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, the deadline automatically moves to the next business day. This is applied by NIH’s electronic submission system (Grants.gov / NIH eRA) without any action needed from the applicant, but it’s still worth checking the calendar year for your specific cycle rather than assuming the nominal day-of-month always applies — October 5 and February 16, for instance, don’t fall on a weekday every year.
Late Application Policy (Updated for Due Dates On or After May 25, 2026)
NOT-OD-26-064, issued March 31, 2026, tightened NIH’s Late Application Submission Policy effective for due dates on or after May 25, 2026:
- Fellowship (F-series), Small Business (SBIR/STTR), and International Collaboration applications no longer have any late-submission allowance. These must be submitted by the standard due date; there is no grace period.
- For other mechanisms, late submissions are accepted only in narrow, PD/PI-specific circumstances, and the window has been shortened to within two calendar weeks of the original due date — not the longer windows some applicants may remember from earlier NIH policy.
- One specific, still-standing reason for late submission: a named PD/PI who has served on an NIH peer review study section or Special Emphasis Panel within four calendar weeks before or after the due date may submit late, referencing that service.
Because this policy changed mid-2026, don’t rely on older guidance (including older sponsored-programs office FAQs) that describes a longer or more permissive late window — confirm against the current notice.
Continuous Submission Is Ending in 2026
NIH has historically allowed an alternative to standard due dates — Continuous Submission — for R01, R21, and R34 applications where a designated PD/PI is an appointed member of an NIH chartered standing study section, Board of Scientific Counselors, Advisory Board or Council, or Program Advisory Committee. Eligible PD/PIs could submit at any time rather than waiting for the next standard date. This policy does not, and never did, apply to F (fellowship) or K (career development) mechanisms.
Per NOT-OD-26-064, Continuous Submission is being discontinued. Applications submitted under Continuous Submission are accepted only through August 10, 2026 — the end of the receipt period tied to the June/July standard due dates. After that date, PD/PIs who previously qualified for Continuous Submission must submit on the standard schedule like everyone else. See CASRAI’s news coverage of the end of Continuous Submission for the policy background and what eligible reviewers should do differently starting with the fall 2026 cycle.
FY2026 Appropriations Status: Enacted, Not a Continuing Resolution
Correction (last verified August 16, 2026): FY2026 began under continuing appropriations, but that period ended months ago. Full-year FY2026 Labor-HHS appropriations, which fund NIH, were enacted February 3, 2026 via the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75). NIH is not currently operating under a continuing resolution.
For context: NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-26-011 (issued November 21, 2025) confirmed NIH was operating under the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-37), funding activities at the FY2025 enacted level through January 30, 2026. NIH’s own notices also document a subsequent lapse in federal government funding, with guidance on reopening extramural activities (see NOT-OD-26-012 and NOT-OD-26-036). That sequence ended with enactment of P.L. 119-75: per Congressional Research Service reporting (CRS Report R43341), FY2026 enacted appropriations (P.L. 119-75 together with P.L. 119-74) set NIH’s total program level at approximately $47.493 billion, about $458 million (1.0 percent) above the FY2025 final level.
What this does not change, and never did: the standard due dates published above are a standing NIH policy, not something set annually by appropriations. They applied without interruption through the CR period, the funding lapse, and enactment of the full-year budget. A continuing resolution or lapse in appropriations does not, by itself, cancel or move a standard receipt date — and neither does the return to full-year funding.
What appropriations status can still affect: while the CR was in effect, Institutes and Centers had discretion to issue non-competing research grant awards at a level below the most recent Notice of Award, and release of new FOAs, paylines, and award timing were all affected by the uncertainty — even though the submission calendar itself was not. With full-year appropriations now enacted, that specific constraint no longer applies, though normal fiscal-year budgeting and award-timing considerations continue. Appropriations status is a per-fiscal-year question: check NIH’s Fiscal Policy Notices page directly for the current status rather than assuming either a CR or full-year funding is in effect for a future fiscal year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next NIH R01 standard due date?
R01 new applications are due February 5, June 5, and October 5 each year; renewals, resubmissions, and revisions are due one month later on March 5, July 5, and November 5. Check the current calendar year for weekend/holiday shifts before finalizing your submission date.
Do R03 and R21 have the same due dates as R01?
No. R01 uses the 5th of the standard months; R03, R21, R33, R34, and R36 use the 16th — February 16, June 16, and October 16 for new applications, one month later for renewals/resubmissions/revisions.
Is there still a separate AIDS due date for 2027 applications?
No, as of the January 2027 Advisory Council round. NIH’s last dedicated HIV/AIDS receipt date was May 7, 2026; HIV/AIDS and AIDS-related applications submitted after that date use the general standard schedule for their activity code.
What happens if I miss a standard due date?
For due dates on or after May 25, 2026, Fellowship, Small Business, and International Collaboration applications have no late-submission allowance at all. Other mechanisms allow late submission only in narrow, PD/PI-specific circumstances (such as recent NIH study section service), and only within two calendar weeks of the original date. There is no general grace period for a missed standard due date.
Can I still use NIH’s continuous submission policy?
Only through August 10, 2026. NIH is discontinuing Continuous Submission for eligible standing study section/council/board members; after that date, everyone submits on the standard schedule.
Related CASRAI Reference Pages
- NIH Activity Codes — what the R, K, F, T, and other code prefixes mean
- NIH ASSIST and NIH ASSIST vs. eRA Commons Registration
- NIH Payline
- R21 (Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant)
- R34 (Planning Grant)
- R03 (Small Grant Program)
- R15 (Academic Research Enhancement Award / AREA)
- T32 (Institutional Research Training Grant) and T32 vs. F32 Compared
- F31, F32, and F31 vs. F32 Compared
- K01 (Mentored Research Scientist Development Award)
- SBIR, SBIR vs. STTR, and SBIR/STTR Reauthorization
- NIH Ends Continuous Submission: Late-Application Deadline Tightens August 10, 2026
- Grants Management overview
