updated August 2026

Per NOT-OD-26-094, the NIH is replacing Letters of Support with Letters of Collaboration. This change brings the NIH into alignment with the NSF. The change takes effect with the implementation of NIH Forms J in January 2027.This change only applies to Letters of Support, not general reference letters or letters of recommendation. When Forms J are implemented, applicants should disregard any NOFO-specific instructions regarding content pertaining to Letters of Support as those instructions are superseded by the new guidance. Applications that continue to include letters of support after the implementation date may be returned without review. 

Letters of Collaboration serve the single purpose of documentation of any collaborative relationships with individuals that are not identified in the application as senior/key personnel or other significant contributors. They can also be used to document Materials Transfer Agreements.

Senior/Key Personnel and other significant contributors provide biosketches, which should now include information formerly included in a Letter of Support. Examples of the type of information that can be included in a biosketch include a description of expertise relevant to the topic of the grant, a description of the type of support/equipment to be provided, any history of previous successful collaborations, and any other info that reviewers can use to help understand how the individual will be contributing to the project.

Structure of the Letter

Letters of Collaboration are significantly reduced in scope compared to Letters of Support. Letters of collaboration should only state the intent to collaborate or provide material support as described in the application. Each letter must be no more than 100 words. The NIH suggests the following template sentences:

For all applications except for fellowships:

"If the application submitted by [Organization Name and with PD/PI Name] as Program Director/Principal Investigator entitled [Grant Application Title] is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application."

For fellowship applications: 

"If the fellowship application submitted by [Fellow Name] entitled [Fellowship Application Title] is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application."

Letters that simply endorse the application are no longer permitted. Letters should not come from trainees (postdocs, grad students, etc) in the lab of the applicant PI.

Requesting a LOC for a grant

First, whenever emailing a faculty member for an administrative document, always cc their administrative assistant (if they have one) on the email. In your request email, include: proposal title and mechanism, 2–3 bullet points of what you’d like them to state they’ll provide, the due date (and internal deadline), and a draft letter they can edit. Then, let them be. If you have not received the letter two days before the grant is due, send your writer a reminder, again including the draft letter, copying their administrative assistant, and requesting confirmation that they still intend to supply the letter. Be direct, succinct and polite in all communications, but do ensure that your email clearly conveys the urgency. Remember to thank your colleague via an email once the letter is received, and again should your grant be funded. 

Attaching LOC to a NIH grant application

All LOC should be combined into a single pdf and uploaded to your grant application in Section 9 of the Research Plan form on ASSIST.  Order them in the order that the letters are referenced in the grant research strategy. If you are submitting a complex grant with many LOS, you can include a table at the beginning of the combined pdf of letters documenting the number of letters attached, their order, and (for some grants) a brief description of their importance.