No-Cost Extension (NCE) for NIH Grants

NIH Standard Terms of Award include the provision for grantees to extend the final budget period of a previously approved project period one time for a period of 1 to 12 months, without additional NIH funds, and without prior approval. This action, called a No-Cost Extension (NCE), must be taken before the project period ends. The NCE request triggers an automated email notification to the grants management specialist and no further action is required by the recipient.

AHRQ Award Recipients - see AHRQ-specific NCE topic.

IMPORTANT: AHRQ Recipients: Recipients of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awards can use the Status module in eRA Commons to request a No-Cost Extension. However, the specific terms of the AHRQ NCE are different from those for an NIH grant. If you are a AHRQ grantee, please see the alternate topic No-Cost Extension (NCE) for AHRQ Grants for the requirements and steps to request an NCE.

The NCE is initiated in the Status module by using the Extension action, which appears:

• For signing officials (SOs) only

• 90 days before the project end date--it is removed at midnight on the project end date

• ONLY if the project period was NOT previously extended by the awarding office

IMPORTANT: NIH requires awardees who need an award extension to use the No-Cost Extension action in Status (for automatic approvals) or the Prior Approval module. Requests via any other methods are not accepted. Use the Status module if your award is eligible for an automatic NCE, in which case an Extension link appears in the Actions menu of Status search for SOs. If not eligible for an automatic extension, an SO can still request a NCE in Prior Approval if the award meets certain conditions, described in Prior Approval - No Cost Extension.

Policy: Extension of Final Budget Period of a Previously Approved Project Period without Additional NIH Funds

Awardees may extend the final budget period of the project when the following conditions are met:

• If no additional funds are required from the NIH awarding office
• If there will be no change in the project’s originally approved scope
• If no term of award specifically prohibits the extension

In order to mandate an extension, one of the following criteria must be applicable:

• Additional time beyond the established expiration date is required to ensure adequate completion of the originally approved project
• Continuity of NIH grant support is required while a competing continuation application is under review
• The extension is necessary to permit an orderly phase-out of a project that will not receive continued support

NOTE: The fact that funds remain at the expiration of the award is not, in itself, sufficient justification for an extension without additional funds.

To submit a No-Cost Extension:

1. Search for a particular award using the Status - General Search option.
2. Select the Extension action from the three-dot ellipsis menu on the Status Result - General Search screen.
   The Extension action does not appear if the project period was previously extended by the awarding office. Any additional project period extension beyond the one-time extension of up to 12 months requires using the Prior Approval module to request an extension.
   

   The Request One-time Project Extension screen opens.

   

   Figure 15: Request a One-time Project Extension Screen

3. Select the number of months by which to extend the award by selecting an option from the Months for Extension drop-down list. Selecting an option updates the date in the This will extend the project to text box.
4. Mark the checkbox acknowledging the terms of the extension. In extending the final budget period of the project period, the awardee agrees to update all required certifications, including human subjects and animal welfare, in accordance with applicable regulations and policies.

5. Click the Request Extension button.

A green success message appears letting you know that the extension request was submitted successfully.

NOTE: When an extension without cost is submitted but cannot be processed due to an internal business error, the action Extension Error will appear under the three-dot ellipsis menu of a grant in Status search results. This action will continue to display until the error has been corrected. Instructions will be given on whom to contact if you need to have the error corrected before resubmitting. Once the error has been corrected, the No-Cost Extension will be processed, and the appropriate notifications sent.