Primary sources: NIH Format Attachments, the current FORMS-I Senior/Key Person instructions, and NIH Guide notices NOT-OD-26-018 and NOT-OD-26-079.
Also read the instructions for the exact form and funding opportunity. NIH places current Guide notices first, then the funding opportunity, then the general Application Guide when instructions differ.
Start with the governing instructions
An attachment can be technically clean and still be wrong for its form field or opportunity. Before editing, name the attachment, identify the form field it belongs to, and collect the current instructions that apply to that field. If the funding opportunity or an NIH notice gives a different page or content instruction, follow the more specific instruction.
This avoids a common late-stage mistake: perfecting a PDF before confirming what the attachment needs to contain. Keep the source links and a short record of the instruction version with the working files so the team is reviewing the same target.
Review the exported PDF in order
- Open the exact upload file. Do not rely on the word-processing view. Read the first, middle, and last page of the final PDF at normal viewing size.
- Confirm that the attachment stands on its own. NIH says information in a combined attachment must be directly visible in the PDF. Avoid relying on linked files or portfolio-style bundles to carry material into review.
- Check readable presentation. NIH specifies minimum formatting requirements and calls for legibility at normal scale. Review converted text, tables, figures, and captions, especially after a software update or a change of export method.
- Check attachment identity. Use a descriptive, unique filename and compare it with the attachment slot. NIH publishes filename guidance, including a 50-character maximum.
- Apply the handling rule for the exact attachment. NIH generally requires layered PDFs to be flattened and security features to be disabled. Do not flatten the digitally certified SciENcv Common Form PDFs required for a Biographical Sketch and NIH supplement or for applicable Current and Pending (Other) Support. Preserve the certification and follow the current form instruction, NIH Guide notice, and funding opportunity for any exception.
Use page limits and links in context
Page limits are not a universal attachment setting. NIH directs applicants to the applicable table, funding opportunity, and NIH Guide notices. Treat those materials as the decision source, particularly when a page-limited attachment contains figures, tables, or content from multiple contributors.
Likewise, a link that is useful in a draft can be inappropriate in an application attachment. NIH states that hyperlinks and URLs are permitted only when the funding opportunity or form instructions specifically allow them, and that review materials should be self-contained. Check the exact attachment instruction before leaving a link in the final document.
Make the handoff reviewable
Before a signing official or submission owner uploads the attachment, provide the final PDF, its intended slot, and the instructions used for the review. If a change is made after that handoff, repeat the final-file review. A visual pass catches conversion surprises that may not be visible in the source document.
What this guide does not decide
This guide is preparation guidance, not an NIH determination. It does not decide scientific merit, eligibility, whether a form is complete, or whether an application will be accepted or funded. The official instructions and the receiving systems remain authoritative.