HRSA-26-019 FAQs.pdf

FAQs for LEND NOFO

Budget

1. Do I submit a full year budget for year 1, or a 9-month budget?

The LEND NOFO describes a budget period of 9/30/26 – 6/30/31. Applicants should submit a budget for year 1 based on the full amount of their proposed funding tier. On the SF 424 R&R Budget Form, the budget period for year one should be 9/30/2026 – 6/30/3027, year 2 will be 7/1/2027 – 6/30/2028, and so on. Changes to the year 1 budget to prorate to a 9-month budget period amount will be made by HRSA and reflected in the Notice of Award.

2. Will awards be prorated or reduced for year 1 due to the shorter budget period?

Yes, the new budget period for Year 1 will be a 9-month period from September 30, 2026- June 30, 2027 and will be prorated accordingly by HRSA.

3. Will competitive supplements, if awarded, be prorated to a 9-month amount, too?

No, the LEND supplements will not be prorated for the 9-month Year 1 budget period.

4. The stipend levels established by Kirschstein-National Research Service Awards for LEND trainees and fellows are currently higher than what was published in the NOFO. Can we use the current higher amounts?

Yes, you may use the higher stipend amounts that were published here on March 18, 2026.

5. In the Funding Tier Calculation, you are instructed to round the average. Please describe the rounding rule.

Please round up for 0.5 and above, and down for 0.49 and below to determine your tier level.

6. Attachments 7 and 9, optional supplement applications, require a line-item budget and a budget justification. Do these count toward the page limit?

As with the main application, the line-item budget form does not count toward the page limit but the budget justification does count toward the page limit.

7. Is there a specific format or form required for the biographical sketch?

HRSA does not have a required form or format for the biographical sketch. The content that must be included is listed in the NOFO on page 46.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-044.html

8. Will the minimum recruitment requirements by tier be modified for the first year given the delayed start date?

Any requests for modifications can be made to the HRSA Project Officer upon award. The application should reflect plans to implement the program as it is described in the NOFO.

9. Will funded programs be required to submit a non-competing continuation progress report, as required in the past?

Yes, the recipient must submit an annual progress report narrative to HRSA in the EHBs. The report should address progress against program outcomes (e.g., accomplishments, barriers, significant changes, plans for the upcoming budget year). Full reporting expectations can be found in the NOFO in the Reporting section (page 66).