Stage Two of NIH Proposal Submission: Just-in-Time
Receiving a Just-in-Time (JIT) email from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after proposal submission is a good sign. A JIT email is neither a Notice of Award (NOA) nor an informal head's up that funding is nigh. But it means that the proposal has done well in peer review, earning an overall impact score below 30,* which automatically prompts the JIT notice.
JIT procedures are stage two of proposal submission, reserved for those who shone well in stage one. They allow select proposal-related documentation to be submitted later than the initial proposal, reducing the initial burden of the applicant and the NIH reviewers. The new JIT deadline, however, is as serious as the initial one and is subject to the standard NIH requirement that the applicant verify the accuracy of all submitted documentation. If facts related to JIT documentation change subsequent to their submission, they must be also be reported.
If funding is likely, you will receive a request from the specific NIH agency to which you applied, which may include additional documentation requirements.
*Each individual reviewer score ranges from 1, the highest, through 9 (poor). The best possible score is 10; the lowest is 90.
JIT Components
JIT Components
The sponsor may request additional information on a case-by-case basis, such as revised budgets. The standard application components include:
- Current Other Support for all Key Personnel, electronically signed by them, and, as applicable
- Certification of IRB approval
- Verification of IACUC approval,
- Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) Certification
- Genomic Data Sharing Institutional Certification, and
- Related required training documentation.
See the NIH's Other Support page for instructions and required page formatting.
Roles and Responsibilities
Principal Investigator/Program Director (PI/PD) and Department Administrator (DA)
- Handle all direct communication with sub-recipients
- Review JIT requirements and guidelines.
- Prepare, gather, and review required documentation from all collaborators and sub-sites (if applicable), and
- Route documentation in final format to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) for review, approval, and submission.
Co-Investigators and Subcontract-PIs, as applicable
- Review JIT requirements and guidelines
- Prepare required documentation, and
- Prepare and gather all required documentation and forward to PI/PD/DA
Sponsored Programs Administration
- Serves as an advisor and facilitator throughout the preparation, review, and submission process
- Assists with policy interpretation, sponsor requirements, and facilitates means of satisfying all
- Reviews documents provided by PI/PD/DA
- Submits documents in accordance with sponsor guidelines by the sponsor’s deadline, and
- Facilitates submittal of official BMC requests and communications with sponsor and other external parties.
Process
Step 1: The JIT request is received by the PI/PD and SPA.
Step 2: SPA routes request to the PI/PD/DA within one (1) business day.
Step 3: The PI/PD/DA review JIT guidelines and prepare documentation for SPA review.
Step 4: The PI/PD/DA route final documentation to their assigned SPA Grants and Contracts Administrator (GCA). For standard NIH requests at least five (5) full business days prior to the deadline/or intended submission date. For agency/institute requests with shorter deadlines, the PI/PD/DA routes documents to the GCA at least two (2) full business days of the sponsor’s deadline. All documents routed to SPA should be in final format for upload, such as flattening all PDF documents, compiling all Other Support documents into one single PDF, etc.).
Step 5: The GCA reviews documentation, uploads it to relevant portal if applicable, submits it on behalf of the PI/PD in accordance with sponsor requirements by the sponsor's deadline, and confirms submission with PI/PD/DA.
Step 6: The GCA uploads final documentation and communications to the project’s InfoEd record.