Introduction
Submitting your NIH SBIR application is a major milestone—but it’s only the beginning of your journey. Once your proposal is in, your attention should shift to monitoring its progress through the complex NIH review and award pipeline. Tracking your application status isn’t just about curiosity; it’s about catching critical errors early, understanding review timelines, and responding promptly when required. Fortunately, NIH offers dedicated systems like Grants.gov and eRA Commons to help applicants stay informed every step of the way.
Immediate Steps After Submission
Once you’ve submitted your NIH SBIR application, you should immediately receive a tracking number from Grants.gov. This number is your first sign that the application entered the federal system successfully. You’ll also receive a submission receipt email, which confirms that the package was received.
Shortly after, a validation message from Grants.gov will follow. This indicates whether your submission passed initial checks or was flagged with errors or warnings. Errors are critical and will prevent your application from moving forward until corrected. Warnings are less severe but should still be reviewed—sometimes they point to issues that, while not technically disqualifying, could raise concerns with reviewers.
After Grants.gov forwards your application to NIH, it transitions to NIH’s internal system. At this point, your next step is to confirm that the application was successfully received by eRA Commons. If this transfer is successful, you’ll get a confirmation email from NIH. If no email arrives within 24 hours, log in to Grants.gov and verify the status using your tracking number.
Monitoring Application Status in eRA Commons
After the NIH has acknowledged receipt of your application, you’ll use eRA Commons to monitor its journey through the review and award pipeline. Start by logging into eRA Commons with your Principal Investigator (PI) credentials. Navigate to the “Status” module—this is your dashboard for tracking the progress of all NIH applications linked to your profile.
Here, you’ll see a list of submitted applications. Click on the application ID to view detailed status information. NIH uses a series of standardized labels to indicate progress. Common statuses include:
- Application Received – NIH has your application and it’s queued for assignment.
- Pending Verification – Waiting for system checks or internal NIH review.
- Verified – The application passed basic checks and is progressing.
- Rejected with Errors – Requires immediate correction and resubmission.
- Assigned to Study Section – Peer review assignment is complete.
Each status tells you something important—and knowing what to expect at each stage helps you plan and respond strategically. If your application is marked as “Rejected,” act quickly to resolve the issue before the deadline. If it’s “Verified,” you’re on track, but don’t stop checking. Status changes may occur weeks or even months later as your application is routed to study sections and advisory councils.
Reviewing the Assembled Application
Within two business days of NIH receiving your application, eRA Commons generates an “assembled application” — a single PDF that combines all submitted materials into the format reviewers will see. It’s crucial that you inspect this document carefully.
To access it, log in to eRA Commons, navigate to the “Status” module, and click on your application ID. Look for the PDF link labeled “e-Application” or similar under “Other Relevant Documents.” Open this file and examine every page.
Ensure that no sections are missing or garbled. Common issues include broken formatting, truncated figures, or missing appendices. Supporting documents like the cover letter, data sharing plan, or letters of support may be linked separately — make sure those are also intact.
Check your assembled application immediately
You only have two business days to report problems—after that, errors become final and uncorrectable.
If you spot an error, you may reject the application within eRA Commons and resubmit a corrected version—provided you’re still within the submission window. If everything looks good, no further action is needed and the application automatically advances to review.
Understanding Notifications and Next Steps
Throughout the post-submission process, you’ll receive multiple notifications from both Grants.gov and NIH’s eRA Commons. These updates are essential for staying informed and avoiding processing delays.
From Grants.gov, expect two key emails:
- Submission Receipt – Confirms your application entered the system.
- Validation Notice – Indicates whether the application passed format and content checks.
From NIH, watch for emails confirming:
- Successful import into eRA Commons.
- Application assignments to study sections or Institutes.
- Availability of the assembled application and, later, your summary statement.
Keep your contact information up to date in both systems to ensure delivery of these critical messages.
Where do notifications come from?
Grants.gov handles submission receipts and validations; NIH’s eRA Commons manages all updates after receipt.
Read each notification carefully. A message about “warnings” may not block your application, but it could hint at potential issues during review. Always resolve errors immediately, and don’t hesitate to consult your program officer for clarification on unusual messages.