NOT-OD-26-094
Announces that Letters of Support will be replaced by Letters of Collaboration with the implementation of Forms J in NIH Fiscal Year 2027. The change is intended to reduce administrative burden and align NIH requirements more closely with the format currently used by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Letters of Collaboration will document collaborative relationships with individuals who are not identified as senior/key personnel or other significant contributors, as well as commitments of resources or materials described in the application. Individual letters will be limited to 100 words and should only confirm an intent to collaborate and/or commit resources. They should not include endorsements, evaluations, or additional information about the proposed project.
Letters submitted solely to endorse an application will no longer be permitted. Once Forms J are implemented, the new guidance will supersede NOFO-specific Letters of Support instructions, and applications that continue to include Letters of Support may be returned without review.
NIH will update its application forms and instructions and provide additional implementation details before Forms J take effect.