NIH Collaborative International Research Projects (PF5)

The NIH recently released a parent announcement titled, Collaborative International Research Project (PF5), which supports international research collaborations. This opportunity implements an award structure of prime domestic awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to the prime. This structure provides NIH with oversight capacity for international collaborations, and allows NIH to track international funding, as identified in NOT-OD-25-104. 

The leadership structure for the PF5 must include at least one PD/PI from the primary applicant organization, and at least one individual from each of the International Projects, who will serve as the PD/PI of the disaggregated Linked International Research Project award.

Application and Submission Information

PF5 uses a multi-component application structure. At a minimum, PF5 applicants will be expected to provide an Overall Component that addresses the project's overall objectives as a collaboration, a Research Project component that addresses the scientific and technical directions of the project, and an International Project component that addresses the foreign collaborator's role on the project. Each funded foreign component should have a unique International Project component; therefore, an application with multiple foreign collaborators at different institutions would submit an application with multiple International Project components.

Applications must include a letter from each foreign organization's AOR acknowledging that they will fill the role of recipient organization for the disaggregated award. The first application due date for the PF5 mechanism is May 25, 2026.  

Related Notices

• NOT-OD-25-155: New Application Structure for NIH-Funded International Collaborations (September 12, 2025)
• NOT-OD-25-104: Updated NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards (May 1, 2025)

NIH Requires Use of the eRA Prior Approval Module for the Submission of ALL Prior Approval Requests

NIH will require that all prior approval requests be submitted in eRA Commons Prior Approval Module for all grant and cooperative agreement awards. This requirement is effective 30-days from the date of this Notice.

All prior approval requests must be initiated and submitted by a Signing Official (SO) for the recipient organization. Below are the prior approval request types that are available in eRA Commons for NIH applicants and recipients:

• Withdrawal Request
• Carryover Request
• Change of PD/PI on a Grant
  • Note: Change of PD/PI requests for multi-component/multi-project awards must use the “Other Request” type.
• No Cost Extension
• DMS Request (See NOT-OD-24-176)
• Other Request- Common types of "Other" Prior Approval requests may include the following:
  • Change in Scope or Objectives
  • Change in Key Personnel
  • Adding a new subaward (See NOT-OD-24-149)

University of Iowa Prior Approval Requests
Please send requests and required attachments to nih@uiowa.edu.  DSP staff will review the information and initiate the prior approval request in the eRA Commons.  If you have questions, please email nih@uiowa.edu.  

Full notice
National Institutes of Health
NOT-OD-26-026
January 21, 2026