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To check an NIH application after submission, sign in to eRA Commons and open Status. For new NIH funding opportunity announcements (NOFOs) in fiscal year 2026, search Grants.gov; the NIH Guide remains useful for policy and informational notices, but no longer posts NOFOs.
Where to check an NIH application after submission
Use eRA Commons Status for NIH-side processing, validation, review, and award records. Grants.gov handles the initial submission stage and provides a tracking number; Commons is where applicants can follow what happens after the application reaches NIH.
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Find a recent or pending submission
After signing in to eRA Commons, open Status and look at Recent/Pending eSubmissions for recent or pending electronic applications.
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Use List of Applications/Awards to find applications and grants associated with your Commons account.
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Search by tracking number
If you have the Grants.gov tracking number, use Search by Grants.gov Tracking Number in Status to locate a specific submission. NIH’s instructions for these routes are in its eRA Commons Status help and submission status guidance.
How submission processing moves between systems
- Grants.gov receives the application. It assigns a tracking number and sends processing notifications to the submitting organization’s authorized organization representative (AOR).
- NIH eRA systems validate it. If the application passes the Grants.gov stage, NIH performs its own validation. NIH emails go to the contact addresses entered on the application.
- Check Commons directly if email is delayed. NIH says cross-system processing can take a few minutes to a few hours. That is an operational estimate, not a guaranteed service time. If expected email has not arrived after several hours, check Status rather than relying on inbox notifications alone. See NIH’s submission status guidance.
How to interpret errors and warnings
- Errors: These are showstoppers. NIH says they must be corrected and the application resubmitted before the deadline for processing to continue.
- Warnings: These do not stop processing, but they can flag a potential issue worth reviewing. A warning alone is not proof that NIH rejected the application.
Review the details shown in Commons and follow the applicable application instructions. Do not treat an error as resolved until the corrected submission has been accepted through the required systems.
Which Commons users can see status information?
What appears in Status depends on the user’s Commons role and any delegation. PI and signing official (SO) views are not identical. A PI can authorize a Commons user with an assistant role to access Status. Depending on permissions and the grant record, the module may include status history, assignment and review details, summary statements, Notices of Award, and other records. NIH describes the role and access options in its eRA Commons Status help.
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Where to find NIH funding opportunity notices
Application tracking and funding discovery are separate tasks. For NIH grant and cooperative agreement NOFOs in fiscal year 2026, Grants.gov is the official posting source and offers search and subscription services. The NIH Guide continues to publish policy and informational notices, not NOFOs.
NIH announced this change on August 14, 2025, with implementation beginning in FY2026. Its notice, NOT-OD-25-143, states: “Grants.gov will serve as NIH’s single official source for grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities.”
Quick Recap
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Quick reference: application tracking or funding search?
| Your task | Where to go | What to use or expect |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm initial receipt and get a tracking number | Grants.gov | Initial submission stage; notifications go to the organization’s AOR. |
| Follow NIH processing, review, or award records | eRA Commons > Status | Use Recent/Pending eSubmissions, List of Applications/Awards, or search by Grants.gov tracking number. Access depends on role and delegation. |
| Find NIH NOFOs in FY2026 | Grants.gov | Official NIH posting source; search and subscription services are available. |
| Find NIH policy or informational notices | NIH Guide | Continues for policy and informational notices; it no longer posts NOFOs. |
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