How does the timeline builder work?
It takes the standard NIH due dates for the award type you pick, moves any that land on a weekend or federal holiday to the next business day, and then schedules your preparation milestones backward from the date you choose. Everything runs in your browser.
Which dates does it use?
| Award type | Standard due dates |
|---|---|
| Institutional training (T32, T34, T35) and R25 | January 25, May 25, September 25 |
| Individual fellowships (F30, F31, F32) | April 8, August 8, December 8 |
| Career development (K99/R00, K01, K08, K23, K25) | February 12, June 12, October 12 |
| Research project grants (R01, new) | February 5, June 5, October 5 |
| Scientific conferences (R13) | April 12, August 12, December 12 |
Federal holidays come from the OPM schedule rules: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, with weekend holidays observed on the nearest weekday.
What are review cycles?
| Due dates in | Peer review | Advisory council | Earliest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late January to early May (Cycle I) | June–July | August–October | About December |
| Late May to August (Cycle II) | October–November | January | About April |
| September to December (Cycle III) | February–March | May | About July |
These are typical. Some programs differ: NIGMS predoctoral T32 and MSTP awards start July 1 regardless of cycle, so NIGMS recommends applying a year to eighteen months before your current award ends.
Are the milestone lead times fixed?
They are sensible defaults, not rules. A renewal with good records can start later; a first-time training grant should start earlier. Export the schedule as CSV or an .ics calendar file and adjust it to your institution. For what goes into each milestone, see writing a training grant application.
Questions people ask
What happens when an NIH due date falls on a weekend?
NIH moves it to the next business day. The same applies to federal holidays. For example, May 25, 2026 was Memorial Day, so that deadline became May 26, and September 25, 2027 is a Saturday, so that deadline becomes September 27.
What time are NIH applications due?
5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization on the due date. Your sponsored programs office will set an earlier internal deadline, often about five business days before.
Do all NIH announcements use the standard dates?
No. Many do, but some announcements set their own dates. Choose "A different date" and enter the date from the announcement; the builder still back-plans milestones.