Formatting

No specific format required;

• however, include PMCID when citing applicable papers that you authored or arose from your NIH-funded research

Electronic Signatures are not allowed.

• Instead, all documents with signatures should be printed, signed, scanned, and attached in PDF format.

• Filenames should be descriptive, 50 characters or less (including spaces), and unique for each attachment.
• Use no more than 1 space between words and characters, and do not begin your filename with a space, nor include a space immediately before the .pdf extension.
• Finally, avoid using ampersand (&).

• Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, and Palatino Linotype are recommended fonts, but other fonts (serif and sans-serif) that meet the below requirements are acceptable.
• Font size must be 11 points or higher for written text.
• In figures, graphs, diagrams, and charts, smaller font sizes are acceptable, provided the text is legible when the page is viewed at 100%.
• Type density must be no more than 15 characters per linear inch (including characters and spaces).
• There can be no more than 6 lines of text per vertical inch.

• Do not included headers or footers in your attachments, as NIH will add headers, footers, page numbers, bookmarks, and a table of contents upon grant assembly.
• However, headings within the text of your attachments (e.g. Significance, Innovation) are highly encouraged.
  • *Some FOAs and form instructions include specific headings that must be present.

• Hyperlinks and URLs are allowed only when specifically noted in FOA and form field instructions and is typically limited to citing relevant publications in biosketches and publication lists.
• They cannot be used to provide information necessary to review, as reviewers are not obligated to view linked sites and are warned to not directly access a website as it could compromise their anonymity.
• However, when allowed, hyperlink the actual URL text so it appears on the page, rather than hiding it behind a word or phrase.

• Images are permitted only within the page limits of the Research Strategy, and figures must be legible when the page is viewed at 100%.
• Images must be in jpeg or png format.

• Paper size should be 8½” by 11” with at least one-half inch margins on top, bottom, left, and right.
• No applicant information can appear in the margins.