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Applying for Funding in the United States from entities such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or American foundations requires specialised technical assistance to ensure compliance with strict procedural guidelines. The type of support needed, offered by the technical assistance office, includes: 

1. Pre-Award Support

  • Understanding the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and eligibility criteria;
  • Developing a detailed and justified budget, including staff salaries, equipment, and indirect costs;
  • Understanding U.S. financial regulations;
  • Preparing institutional letters of support;
  • Ensuring compliance with the NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS) or the specific rules of the foundation;
  • Preparing biosketches and CVs in formats compliant with NIH requirements. 


2. Administrative and Application Submission Support

  • Assistance with registrations in relevant systems, such as:
  • Grants.gov
  • eRA Commons (for NIH)
  • SAM.gov (for federal funding)
  • Ensuring timely submission of applications;
  • Reviewing the application to ensure completeness and correct errors before the final submission. 


3. Post-Award Administration

Once funding has been awarded, subawardees must comply with financial and regulatory obligations for reporting and billing:

  • Submit invoices according to the agreed schedule;
  • Ensure expenses are allowable and properly documented;
  • Monitor subaward spending to avoid over- or under-spending;
  • Document staff effort on the project in accordance with NIH guidelines. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Private Foundations and Research Institutes

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research.
With an annual budget of $32 billion, the NIH aims to expand knowledge of the natural world and the behavior of living systems in order to improve health, extend life, and reduce illness and disability.

The funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) come in various formats, and use activity codes (e.g., R01, R03, etc.) to categorise the wide variety of research programs.

For a non-U.S. institution to be eligible to apply for a given FOA, it is essential that the eligibility criteria explicitly state: 
"Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply."

Non-U.S. applicants are encouraged to:

  • Contact the NIH and/or the relevant departments (Institutes/Centers);
  • Collaborate with U.S.-based colleagues;
  • Clearly highlight how the proposed project aligns with the goals of the NIH and its Institutes and Centers (ICs), and how it will advance medical science in the United States. 

Research Grant Types Eligible for Foreign Institutions (R Series)

Foreign institutions are generally eligible to apply for the following R-series research grant types:

Proposals can be submitted via the two associated portals:
Grants.gov and eRA Commons

Participation in Private U.S. Foundations and Institutes

Our researchers also actively participate in calls promoted by U.S.-based private foundations and research institutes that support medical scientific research. Examples include:

  • Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF)
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

Contacts

Simona Scalas
Research and the Territory Division
Via San Giorgio 12 – Entrance 3 (second floor) – 09124 Cagliari
Tel. +39 070 6758441
Email: simona.scalas@unica.it

Margherita Marascia
Research and the Territory Division
Via San Giorgio 12 – Entrance 3 (first floor) – 09124 Cagliari
Tel. +39 070 6756481
Email: margherita.marascia@unica.it

Monica Marini
Research and the Territory Division
Via San Giorgio 12 – Entrance 3 (second floor) – 09124 Cagliari
Tel. +39 070 6756526
Email: monica.marini@unica.it