NIH PF5 International Collaboration
Pre-Submission Checklist
NIH applications involving international research collaborators under PA-26-002, NIH Collaborative International Research Project (PF5) require a new application structure. International organizations may no longer participate through foreign subawards. Instead, each international organization must be included as an International Project Component and, if funded, will receive a separate linked RF2 award directly from NIH.
The Office of Research has developed a pre-submission checklist to help UC Irvine investigators and administrators identify required application components, institutional registrations, foreign collaborator documentation, budget requirements, and post-assembly submission checks.
Who is This Checklist For?
The checklist is intended for:
- UC Irvine principal investigators preparing a PF5 application involving one or more international organizations.
- Research administrators assisting with application development and submission.
- International collaborators who will lead an International Project Component and may become direct RF2 recipients if the application is funded.
| Checklist section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Pre-Submission Registrations & Administrative Readiness | Domestic and international organization registrations, eRA Commons accounts, UEI/SAM.gov requirements, Grants.gov registration, program officer contact, and restricted-party screening. |
| Overall Component | Overall application forms and attachments, foreign justification documentation, abstract/narrative, facilities and resources, biosketches, budget considerations, research plan, and data management requirements. |
| Research Project Component | Domestic research project materials, including the research strategy, budgets, letters of support when applicable, and human subjects/clinical trial information. |
| International Project Component | Documentation required for each international organization, including foreign justification, international project scope, biosketches, detailed budget, research strategy, and the foreign institution letter of support. |
| Post-Assembly & Submission Checks | Page limits, formatting, assembled application review, submission confirmations, and AOR responsibilities. |
The workbook also includes a Summary Tracker tab for monitoring completion status and a Legend & Instructions tab explaining responsibilities, status labels, and compliance warnings.
Key requirements for international project components
Applications involving an international organization should account for the following requirements:
- Each international organization must be presented as an International Project Component, rather than as a foreign subaward.
- Each International Project Component must include its own scope of work, research strategy, detailed budget, performance site information, facilities/resources information, and required senior/key personnel documentation.
- A foreign justification attachment is required for the overall application and for each International Project Component.
- The international institution must provide a letter of support from its Authorized Organizational Representative.
- If funded, each international organization will receive a separate linked RF2 award directly from NIH and will be responsible for its own award administration and reporting.
- International organizations must complete applicable registrations, including SAM.gov/UEI, NCAGE, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov requirements.
Resources
NIH PF5 Pre-Submission Checklist
Excel workbook
Use this checklist to track required forms, attachments, registrations, responsible parties, and submission readiness for PF5 applications involving international collaborators.
Sample International Institution AOR Letter of Support
Word document
Sample letter language for the international institution’s Authorized Organizational Representative acknowledging RF2 recipient responsibilities, required registrations, and institutional capacity to administer a direct NIH award.
Support
Please visit our Staff by Department Assignment webpage to look-up the Sponsored Projects staff assigned to your department/unit.