Leveraging National Institutes of Health Funding Pathways to Strengthen Your Community-Based Organization

Recommendations

Explore the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.

• Begin the search for federal funding by using the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, applying filters such as activity code, funding institute, and relevant keywords to identify aligned opportunities.
• Subscribe to the NIH Guide Listserv to receive regular updates on new funding announcements. 
• Before applying, carefully review each funder’s mission, past grants, and eligibility criteria to ensure alignment with community-engaged research priorities, such as health outcomes, structural change, or community-based participatory research (CBPR). 
• When a potential funding opportunity is identified, review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in detail to confirm all application requirements and determine organizational readiness to apply. 

• Reflection Question: Does your organization have the capacity and established partnerships to successfully pursue and manage a federally funded opportunity?

  When assessing readiness to pursue NIH funding, consider whether you have the staff capacity, administrative infrastructure, and leadership support needed to develop and manage a federally funded project. It is also important to evaluate the strength and equity of existing partnerships with experienced research institutions, including clarity around roles, compliance responsibilities, and financial management. Finally, reflect on whether pursuing NIH funding aligns with your organization’s mission and will contribute to long-term capacity building and sustainability.

Partner With Like-Minded Institutions and Organizations

• Engage institutions and organizations with varying perspectives and lived experiences in the early stages of project development. Collaborate with partners to co-design the research, gather feedback, and prepare the application to ensure the proposal is multifaceted, reflects community priorities, and enhances its overall impact and competitiveness 

• Reflection Question: Who could you partner with on a research project to ensure your community’s priorities are heard and reflected?

  To ensure the community’s priorities are heard and reflected, partner with trusted community leaders or advocacy groups who can further strengthen the partnership by grounding the research in lived experience and shared decision-making.

Calculate a Six- to Twelve-Month Lead Time (Prewriting)

• Plan to take at least three months to prepare a federal grant application, noting that more complex grants may take up to a year. During this time, identify the right funding opportunities, build a team that includes researchers and community members, read the grant guidelines carefully, and register your organization in the required federal systems. 
• Begin drafting your project plan and any necessary agreements, such as partnership agreements, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or data use agreements (DUAs). Make sure to collect all required materials from partners at least one month before the deadline. Grant writing takes time and coordination, so start early, communicate often, and use support from academic institutions that share your mission to strengthen your application. 

• Reflection Question: What additional skills, resources, or partnerships does your organization need to successfully plan, write, and manage a federal grant? 

  To successfully plan, write, and manage a federal grant, your organization may need additional skills in grant writing, budgeting, and federal compliance, as well as stronger systems for financial management, reporting, and data collection. Access to technical assistance, grant-writing consultants, or training opportunities can help build internal capacity.

Foster Relationships With Program Officers to Advance Community Impact

• Program officers (POs) are valuable contacts at the NIH who provide guidance before submission, clarify application requirements, and help ensure your proposal aligns with the priorities of the relevant NIH Institute or Center.
• The Principal Investigator (PI) from the applying organization or institution should contact the appropriate PO four to six months before the application deadline. This early outreach not only allows time for meaningful feedback, but also signals that you are serious and well-organized. POs want to hear from applicants during the planning phase and can be instrumental in strengthening your proposal. 
• To identify the right PO, review the “Scientific/Research Contact” listed at the end of the funding opportunity announcement or use NIH RePORTER to find similar projects and view the associated PO. When reaching out, e-mail a brief summary of your project along with specific questions to help the PO assess alignment and offer guidance. 

• Reflection Question: In what ways can you directly and effectively communicate with NIH institutes aligned with your project?

  Your organization can strengthen communication with the NIH by identifying and engaging relevant POs to discuss project alignment, appropriate funding mechanisms, and application expectations. Participating in NIH-hosted webinars, technical assistance sessions, conferences, and virtual office hours provides opportunities to ask clarifying questions and build relationships. 

Key Terms

Eligibility criteria: The legal requirements an organization must meet to apply for and receive a federal grant. These criteria primarily define the type of organization eligible to apply and may also include requirements related to project purpose; geographic location; organizational financial health; and compliance with legal, tax, and reporting standards, depending on the specific application, institute, or center (Grundy, 2025;*Grants.gov).

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): A public announcement from a federal agency that shares details about available grant funding and how to apply, including important information like who can apply, what the funding supports, and what deadlines to follow (NINDS, n.d.).

Organizational [grant] readiness: The degree to which an organization has the capacity, infrastructure, leadership, and systems in place to successfully apply for, manage, and implement grant-funded projects. It includes having clear, documented goals; capable and qualified staff; sound financial management and data system capabilities; and credible partnerships that position the organization to meet grant requirements and achieve measurable, successful results (Jacob, 2025*).

Activity code: A three-character code used by NIH to identify the type of research or program being funded. The first letter indicates the main funding category (e.g., “R” for research, “T” for training, “F” for fellowship, and “K” for career development). Each NIH Institute or Center uses a subset of these codes, so applicants should check the specific funding opportunity for details (NIH Grants & Funding, n.d.).

This resource was developed by CEACR, as part of a webinar supported by the NIH Common Fund. The development of this resource was funded by NIH CEAL under contract number OT2HL158287. The opinions expressed are those of CEACR and do not represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, the NIH, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Government.