NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional) 2026-2029
NIH PA-26-002 supports funded international research collaborations led by a U.S. domestic prime organization, with foreign work proposed as linked International Project components under the PF5 mechanism.
NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional) 2026-2029
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) PA-26-002 is an open Parent PF5 funding opportunity for research projects that need a funded international collaboration. The application is led by a domestic U.S. prime organization, while the foreign work is proposed through one or more International Project components. NIH reviews the submitted project as a coordinated whole. If an application is selected for funding consideration, each funded International Project can be separated from the main application and issued as a linked RF2 award to the foreign organization.
This is an active recurring-cycle opportunity. The first standard application due date, May 25, 2026, has passed. The next listed standard due date is September 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM local time for the applicant organization. Later standard dates are also listed in the announcement. The opportunity remains available until its published expiration date of May 8, 2029, subject to NIH appropriations, application quality, and any later agency notice. This page therefore uses the next upcoming due date rather than treating the May round as the end of the program.
At a glance
| Field | Current information |
|---|---|
| Funding opportunity | PA-26-002, NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional) |
| Agency | National Institutes of Health |
| Funding instrument | Grant |
| Status | Open for recurring NIH standard application dates |
| Next listed standard due date | September 25, 2026, by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization |
| Earliest submission date | April 25, 2026 |
| Published expiration date | May 8, 2029 |
| Budget | Not limited by a fixed amount in the announcement; request the actual project needs |
| Project period | Generally up to 5 years for projects without clinical trials, or up to 7 years for projects with clinical trials |
| Clinical trials | Optional; applications may propose clinical trials or may not propose them |
| Required components | Overall, Research Project, and at least one International Project |
| Applicant structure | Domestic U.S. prime applicant with funded foreign collaboration components |
| Cost sharing | Not required by this NOFO |
| Submission route | NIH ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution using Grants.gov and eRA Commons |
What PF5 supports
PF5 is designed for a collaboration in which the foreign organization performs funded scientific work that is integral to the project. The proposal should explain why the international site contributes unusual talent, resources, populations, environmental conditions, or other capabilities that are not readily available in the United States or that add materially to U.S. resources. The international work should fit the scientific aims and the mission of one or more participating NIH Institutes, Centers, or Offices.
The mechanism is not intended for a foreign consultant, a purchase from a foreign vendor, or an international relationship that does not involve NIH funding. A foreign activity that would previously have been described as a foreign subaward must instead be represented by an International Project component when it requests monetary support. Each International Project corresponds to one foreign organization. A proposal with multiple funded foreign organizations should include a separate International Project component for each one.
The domestic and foreign pieces are submitted together. NIH evaluates the overall project and the contributions of the linked components. The PF5 structure does not guarantee that every component will be funded. NIH may fund all, some, or none of the disaggregated components after considering scientific merit, just-in-time information, available funds, and agency priorities. A foreign organization receives a separate linked RF2 award only if that part of the application is selected for funding and the required award conditions are satisfied.
Current deadline and timeline
The announcement was posted on January 20, 2026, and opened for submission on April 25, 2026. Its first standard due date was May 25, 2026. Because that date has passed while the announcement continues to list later standard cycles, applicants preparing now should plan for September 25, 2026. Applications are due by 5:00 PM in the local time of the applicant organization, and NIH advises submitting early enough to identify and correct errors before the deadline.
The announcement lists these additional standard application dates after the first round:
- September 25, 2026
- January 25, 2027
- May 25, 2027
- September 25, 2027
- January 25, 2028
- May 25, 2028
- September 25, 2028
- January 25, 2029
The announcement also lists the associated AIDS-related dates separately. Those dates should not be substituted for the ordinary PF5 deadline unless the application is eligible for that application category. Renewal, resubmission, and revision applications are allowed only where the PF5 rules permit them. New applications are also allowed. The published expiration date is May 8, 2029, so applicants should confirm that a chosen due date remains available and review any later NIH notice before preparing a package.
Who may apply
The primary applicant must be a domestic organization located in the United States. The eligible organization categories listed by NIH include public and private higher education institutions; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; small businesses and other for-profit organizations; state, county, city or township, and special district governments; federally recognized and other tribal governments; eligible federal agencies; U.S. territories or possessions; independent school districts; public housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations; faith-based or community-based organizations; and regional organizations.
Non-domestic entities are not eligible to apply as the applicant. A non-domestic component of a U.S. organization is also not eligible to apply as the applicant. Foreign components are allowed, but at least one International Project is required. The application must show a real funded collaboration rather than an international activity that is only advisory or a procurement arrangement.
Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources to conduct the proposed research may serve as Program Directors or Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) when working through an eligible organization. All PDs/PIs must have eRA Commons accounts. If a PD/PI also serves as the organizational Signing Official, NIH requires separate eRA Commons accounts for those roles. A Project Leader named for an International Project should be capable of serving as the PD/PI of the linked international award. Before award, that leader must have a PD/PI Commons role affiliated with the foreign organization.
Funding and project period
There is no single award amount or fixed budget ceiling stated in PA-26-002. NIH says that application budgets are not limited, but they must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The number of awards depends on NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Applicants should therefore build a defensible, component-level budget rather than rely on a published minimum, maximum, or typical award size.
The proposed scope determines the project period. NIH generally permits a maximum project period of up to 5 years for projects without clinical trials and up to 7 years for projects with clinical trials. Clinical trials are optional under this announcement. A project that includes clinical research must follow the applicable NIH application and human-subjects requirements; choosing the clinical-trial option does not change the need to explain the scientific role of the international collaboration.
Cost sharing is not required by this NOFO. That does not remove the need for a realistic budget justification. Domestic and international activities should be separated clearly enough for reviewers and NIH staff to understand who performs each task, which organization incurs each cost, and how each expense supports the approved aims. Foreign costs must be requested through the International Project structure rather than through a foreign subaward line in a domestic component.
Required application structure
Every PF5 application must include at least three component types:
- Overall: the project-wide objectives, the reason international collaboration is critical, and the plan for coordinating the domestic and foreign sites.
- Research Project: the domestic-led scientific and technical work, including its significance, innovation, and approach. At least one Research Project is required.
- International Project: the foreign organization’s scope of work, distinctive contribution, and connection to the Overall and Research Project aims. At least one International Project is required.
The announcement gives the Overall component a 12-page limit, each Research Project a 12-page limit, and each International Project a 6-page limit. Optional Core components have a 6-page limit, and optional Institutional Career Development and Training (ICDT) components have a 25-page limit. These optional components should be included only when they serve a clear role in the proposed project and comply with the applicable multi-project instructions.
The Overall component should make the collaboration legible as one scientific plan. It should identify the project goals, explain why the foreign setting or expertise is necessary, and describe coordination across sites. The domestic Research Project should provide enough detail for review of the scientific and technical merit. Each International Project should define the foreign team’s aims and approach, show how its work integrates with the overall project, and explain the special resources or conditions that justify performing the work internationally.
For each International Project, use the required component type for the specific foreign organization requesting monetary support. The foreign organization’s information belongs on that component’s applicant information form. The foreign organization should provide the required letter of support from its Authorized Organization Representative acknowledging that it will serve as recipient of the disaggregated award if the application is selected. The foreign component also needs the required foreign justification and other attachments described in the announcement and the NIH application guide.
Registrations and submission steps
Registration work should start before the narrative is complete. NIH requires applicant organizations to maintain active registrations in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov by the time of submission. SAM.gov registration includes a Unique Entity Identifier, and domestic organizations without one should allow time for the related CAGE-code process. Foreign organizations that may receive linked awards should also begin their registration work early; NIH states that the necessary registrations must be complete at just-in-time if the project is selected.
The practical submission sequence is:
- Confirm that the U.S. organization is eligible and that the proposed foreign work requires a funded International Project rather than a consultant or vendor arrangement.
- Confirm the participating NIH Institute, Center, or Office mission fit and identify the domestic PD/PI and each International Project leader.
- Establish or verify the organization’s SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons registrations. Create eRA Commons accounts for all PDs/PIs and make sure each International Project leader can be affiliated with the foreign organization for the linked award.
- Read the NIH Multi-Project (M) Instructions and the program-specific instructions in PA-26-002. The announcement states that compliance is strictly enforced and that noncompliant applications may be delayed or not accepted for review.
- Build the application in NIH ASSIST or through an institutional system-to-system solution. Use the Overall, Research Project, and International Project component types required by PF5, and add optional Core or ICDT components only when justified.
- Assemble the research plans, budgets, foreign justifications, letters of support, data-management materials, senior/key-person information, and other forms required by the announcement and application guide.
- Submit through the selected electronic route to Grants.gov and track the application in eRA Commons. Check the submission for errors and warnings early enough to make any required corrections by the due date.
Applications are not submitted by sending a proposal to an NIH contact or by uploading a standalone document to the announcement page. The forms package must be accessed through ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution. The applicant should work with its institutional research office on the exact workflow, roles, and internal approval deadlines.
Review and award considerations
Reviewers assess the scientific merit of the Overall project, the Research Project components, and the International Project components. A strong application makes the international contribution necessary and concrete. It should identify the resource, population, environment, or expertise that the foreign organization provides and explain why the same work could not be performed as effectively in a domestic setting. The domestic and foreign aims should reinforce each other rather than read as separate proposals placed under one cover.
Review also considers whether the investigators are suited to the work, whether the leadership and governance model is workable, whether the project is feasible, and whether the budget and period are justified. NIH can request just-in-time information from the domestic and foreign organizations independently. If funded, each International Project is disaggregated and assigned a unique grant number, with the Project Leader becoming the PD/PI of the linked award and the foreign organization becoming its recipient.
Bottom line
PA-26-002 is currently usable for a U.S.-led research collaboration with a genuine funded foreign component. The May 25, 2026 due date is a past round, not the end of the announcement. The next listed standard date is September 25, 2026. Teams that need more preparation can use later listed cycles through January 25, 2029, while checking the official announcement for any changes. Before committing to a submission, confirm eligibility, complete registrations, select the correct NIH component structure, and verify the current application package in ASSIST or through the institution’s system-to-system route.