NIH has issued NOT-OD-26-088, a Request for Information on proposed changes to how peer review outcomes are reported. Under the proposal, applicants, NIH program staff, and Institute leadership would no longer receive final overall impact scores or percentile rankings — only broad categories like "most competitive" or "competitive." Comments are due October 13, 2026.

ASCPT has submitted comments opposing the change; you may read it here. We emphasized that scores and percentiles help applicants interpret feedback and revise for resubmission, and give NIH staff and Councils the information they need for meaningful and transparent decision-making and oversight, particularly relevant for considering multidisciplinary and translational research like much of what our field produces.

We encourage our members to submit comments, especially from those who rely on scores and percentiles to interpret reviewer feedback and plan resubmissions. You can read the proposed rule and submit your own comment directly at NOT-OD-26-088: Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review.

Questions or want to share that you submitted a comment? Email us at members@ascpt.org.
 

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