Administrative supplements are additional funds provided to active awards to conduct or support further research within the scope1 and timeline of the current award. In the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), most investigator-initiated supplements come through the PA-26-001: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) announcement. There may be other investigator-initiated administrative supplement notices of funding opportunity and non-supplement announcements that can be found on NIH's Parent Announcements web page. For additional information regarding solicited administrative supplements, see the bottom of this page.
Eligibility
The award of an administrative supplement depends on several factors, including alignment with NCI expectations and priorities, documented need, gaps in the portfolio, addressing new findings in parent awards, and availability of funds.
Eligibility Criteria
- The grantee must have an active, funded NCI grant. DCCPS will also consider applications from grants that NCI has co-funded.
- The proposed supplement must be within the general scope of the peer-reviewed activities and aims approved for the parent grant (see What Constitutes a Change in Scope for more information).
- There must be sufficient time remaining on the parent grant to complete the work proposed. The proposed period for the supplement cannot extend beyond the project period of the parent grant.
DCCPS will not consider supplements with the following:
- Requests that include foreign subawards/subcontracts
- Grants that will be in a no-cost extension (or needing a no-cost extension to be eligible) at the time the award is to be made
- Grants that intend to use the supplement to
- Restore NCI standard policy reductions or Institutional Research Grant (IRG) recommended reductions
- Pay for increased costs due to an investigator's change of institution or promotion
- Support meetings/workshops
- Grants where the grantee can rebudget available funds to complete the work being proposed. Or if the program determines the grantee has sufficient funds in the current award, that can be rebudgeted to complete the work being proposed.
DCCPS Guidance on Supplement Budgets
Administrative supplements are for different types of work, including additional analysis, an unanticipated challenge or opportunity, or unexpected needs after the competing application (type-1 or type-2) was funded (e.g., replacing a freezer, computers). If your supplement request is to a DCCPS-funded grant and would exceed $150,000 in total costs, please contact your program director before starting your application. Within DCCPS, supplement requests should not include travel, publication costs, or costs to support specific aims originally proposed in the parent grant. DCCPS staff will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
DCCPS Timeline
DCCPS will accept and consider administrative supplement requests at any time through July 31. Requests received after July 31 will not be considered for funding. Earlier submission is strongly encouraged.
For specific questions regarding eligibility, timeline, or the science to be proposed, please contact the program director assigned to the parent grant. Please note that funding for supplements is highly competitive and limited.
DCCPS Submission Guidance
All supplement applications should be submitted electronically through grants.gov using NIH ASSIST, grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions. To submit, please follow the instructions provided in PA-26-001: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional).
DCCPS Additional Guidance for Administrative Supplement Application Review, Selection, and Funding
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Is the parent grant suitable for an administrative supplement? |
There will be additional scrutiny for grants that fall under following:
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What costs are generally not supported through an administrative supplement? |
These costs are generally not covered through an administrative supplement:
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How should the supplement applications be submitted? |
The supplement request must be submitted through the contact PI and the parent institution. Supplement requests must be submitted electronically through the PA-26-001: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional). Visit How to apply. |
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What should be included in the supplement application? |
The PI should follow the instructions in the PA-26-001: Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional). |
Solicited Administrative Supplements
There are also solicited administrative supplements developed to address specific priority gaps. Because these opportunities open and close frequently, interested applicants are encouraged to subscribe to grants.gov updates to keep track of what is active. In addition, each supplement NOFO will contain specific information about the submission and review process. For a specific solicited administrative supplement opportunity, the best way to get started is to search for active NOFOs, follow the specific instructions and requirements included in that opportunity, and email your program director or the scientific contact(s) listed in the opportunity when you have developed specific aims for potential discussion. In addition, each supplement NOFO will contain specific information about the submission and review process.
1 Scope is defined by the National Institutes of Health as “the aims, objectives, and purposes of a grant; as well as the methodology, approach, analyses or other activities; and the tools, technologies, and timeframes needed to meet the grant's objectives. This includes the research or training plan included with the original grant application, along with any approved modifications.”