Open NIH NOFOs: Due Dates, Institutes & Funded Projects

A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO, formerly FOA) is the announcement NIH publishes in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts to invite applications. It sets the activity code, participating institutes, eligibility, budget, due dates, and review criteria. Every NIH grant application is submitted under a NOFO number such as PA-25-301.

A PA (Program Announcement) is an ongoing invitation, usually with standard due dates; parent announcements such as the parent R01 are PAs. A PAR is a program announcement with special receipt, referral, or review, often with its own due dates and a dedicated review panel. An RFA (Request for Applications) is a one-time solicitation with set-aside funds and usually a single due date.

After posting, NIH changes a NOFO through separate notices in the NIH Guide: another institute joining (a participation notice), due-date changes, early expiration, or policy updates. Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) are attached separately to signal topics an institute wants to fund through it. Each GotGrant NOFO page lists the related notices and active NOSIs together.

Funded projects come from NIH RePORTER, which records the NOFO number every award was made under. GotGrant counts distinct projects and award dollars for FY2022–FY2026. A new NOFO that reissues an older one shows the older NOFO's funding until awards appear under the new number.

The NOFO list, notices, and NOSIs are refreshed from the NIH Guide every week, most recently on October 19, 2026. Funding counts from NIH RePORTER are refreshed every four weeks, most recently on October 16, 2026. Open or expired status and next due dates are recalculated daily. NOFOs posted after a refresh appear at the next one, so always confirm details in the NIH Guide before applying.