Letter of Intent for NIH Grant Application Collaboration

LETTER OF INTENT: NIH GRANT APPLICATION COLLABORATION

DOCUMENT CONTROL

• Effective Date: [Date]
• Version: 1.0
• Jurisdiction/Scope: United States / National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) [Insert FOA Number]

1. LEGAL NOTICE & DISCLAIMER

This Letter of Intent (LOI) is intended to provide notice of intent to submit an NIH grant application. This document is non-binding, except for provisions regarding confidentiality and intellectual property rights, which shall survive the termination of this LOI. Parties acknowledge that this document does not constitute a formal subaward or financial obligation until a Notice of Award (NoA) is issued by the NIH and a formal Subaward Agreement is executed.

2. PARTIES & DEFINITIONS

• Lead Applicant Institution: [Full Legal Name of Institution] ("Lead Institution")
• Collaborating Partner: [Full Legal Name of Institution/Company] ("Collaborating Partner")
• Project Title: [Full Project Title]
• Principal Investigator (PI): [PI Full Name]
• Proposed Budget Period: [Start Date] to [End Date]

3. OPERATIVE CLAUSES & TERMS

1. Intent to Collaborate: Both Parties agree to collaborate on a research proposal for submission to the NIH in response to [FOA Number].
2. Roles and Responsibilities: The Lead Institution shall act as the primary point of contact with the NIH. The Collaborating Partner agrees to provide [Brief description of core services/data/materials] in support of the Specific Aims.
3. Intellectual Property (IP): All pre-existing intellectual property remains the sole property of the originating Party. Any IP developed jointly during the period of performance shall be governed by a separate Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) to be negotiated in good faith upon receipt of funding.
4. Confidentiality: Parties agree to treat all shared technical, financial, and proprietary data as Confidential Information. This obligation persists for [Number, e.g., 3] years from the date of disclosure.
5. Budgetary Allocation: The Collaborating Partner shall provide a detailed scope of work and budget (including F&A costs) to the Lead Institution by [Submission Deadline Date] to ensure timely assembly of the NIH application package.
6. Termination: Either Party may terminate this LOI upon written notice if the other Party fails to meet internal submission deadlines or if the collaborative scope changes significantly.

4. SIGNATURES & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

For Lead Institution: Signature: __________________________ Date: [Date] Printed Name: [Name] Title: [e.g., Authorized Organizational Representative]

For Collaborating Partner: Signature: __________________________ Date: [Date] Printed Name: [Name] Title: [e.g., Authorized Signatory]

5. STEP-BY-STEP EXECUTION GUIDE

• Review Internal Compliance: Ensure that the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for each institution reviews the scope of work and budget parameters prior to signature to ensure alignment with institutional indirect cost (IDC) policies.
• Attachment Requirement: Append the draft "Specific Aims" and the preliminary budget breakdown as Exhibit A to this document to ensure both parties have a shared technical understanding of the effort required.
• Distribution: Once signed, electronically distribute the executed PDF to the respective Offices of Sponsored Research (OSR) of both institutions.
• Transition to Subaward: Upon receipt of the NIH Notice of Award, immediately initiate the formal Subaward/Subcontract negotiation process using the financial figures ratified in this LOI as the baseline.