NIH Outlines Temporary Peer Review Adjustments to Address Shutdown Backlog

NIH outlines how it will manage the significant backlog of peer review meetings caused by the October–November 2025 government shutdown. More than 370 cancelled meetings, involving 11,000 reviewers and 24,000 applications, must now be rescheduled to ensure all applications for the January 2026 Council are reviewed.

Despite the disruption, NIH remains committed to:

• Completing three full review rounds in FY 2026
• Maintaining high-quality peer review, even with necessary process modifications

Because the January and May 2026 review cycles now overlap, NIH will use temporary emergency measures through the May 2026 Advisory Council.

Key Temporary Modifications to Peer Review

• Reduced discussion load:
  Committees will sort applications into three groups:
  • Top third (30–35%) — discussed and considered for funding
  • Middle third — competitive but not discussed, still considered for funding
  • Bottom third — not competitive and not discussed
• Simplified summary statements:
  Summary statements will now include:
  • A brief sentence on reviewer consensus
  • Bullet points describing key score-driving factors
  • Written critiques from three assigned reviewers
  • Overall impact score (for discussed applications)

This approach enables most meetings to be completed in one day and expedites reviewer recruitment.

NIH will release scores within three business days, while summary statements will arrive later in the Council round.

Impact on Applicants

• Your application’s funding chances are not reduced. Both discussed applications and those designated as “competitive but not discussed” will be considered by ICOs.
• Full reviewer critiques remain available, and program staff will continue advising applicants.

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