Federal Proposal Guidelines

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH Grants Policy Statement - The National Institutes of Health Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) is a single document that outlines the policy requirements and serves as the terms and conditions for NIH grant awards. This document is also designed to be useful to those interested in NIH grants by providing information about NIH—its organization, its staff, and its grants process.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) - Part I of the document covers NSF’s proposal preparation and submission guidelines, and Part II covers NSF’s award, administration and monitoring guidelines.

The most recent version of the NSF PAPPG was updated and implemented for all proposals submitted on or after May 20, 2024.

Uniform Guidance

In December 2014, OMB together with Federal awarding agencies issued an interim final rule to implement the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). This guidance and implementing regulations delivers on President Obama’s second term management agenda and his first term directives under Executive Order 13520, the February 28, 2011 Presidential Memorandum, and the objectives laid out in OMB Memorandum M-13-17 to better target financial risks and better direct resources to achieve evidence-based outcomes. The final guidance, originally published on December 26, 2013 (available at 78 FR 78589) simultaneously improves performance, transparency, and oversight for Federal awards.

The reforms that comprise the Uniform Guidance aim to reduce the administrative burden on award recipients and, at the same time, guard against the risk of waste and misuse of Federal funds. Among other things, the OMB's Uniform Guidance does the following:

Removes previous guidance that is conflicting and establishes standard language;

Directs the focus of audits on areas that have been identified as at risk for waste, fraud and abuse;

Lays the groundwork for Federal agencies to standardize the processing of data;

Clarifies and updates cost reporting guidelines for award recipients.

*The Guidance was drawn from OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, A–110, and A–122 (which have been placed in past OMB guidances); Circulars A–89, A–102, and A–133; and the guidance in Circular A–50 on Single Audit Act follow-up.