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After an application has completed the peer review process it is evaluated by AHRQ staff for possible funding. Several factors are taken into consideration, including:

• Reviewers' priority or percentile score for the application.
• Reviewers' recommendations.
• Relevance of the proposed project to AHRQ research objectives.
• Fit with the existing Agency portfolio.
• Availability of funds.

After careful review, an application may be presented for funding consideration along with other applications deemed competitive. AHRQ executive management determines which applications are selected for award.

After funding decisions are made and funding approval is documented, AHRQ grants management (GM) staff conduct an administrative review and cost analysis of the application. GM staff may contact the applicant organization to request additional and/or updated information regarding such things as the requested budget/justification, other sources of support for key personnel, resolution of human subjects issues such as the need for the negotiation of an Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)-approved Assurance and/or the need for Institutional Review Board approval, overlap issues, etc.

Once all administrative issues have been satisfactorily addressed, GM staff prepare a Notice of Award (NOA) indicating, among other things, the approved period of funding, the amount of funds awarded for the first year of the project, the amount of funds committed for any future years of the project, and terms and conditions of the award. The Grants Management Officer reviews the NOA and, if there are no concerns, certifies and issues the NOA. The NOA is sent to the grantee institution either electronically or by mail. The grantee is responsible for distributing the NOA internally as appropriate, including sending a copy to the Principal Investigator. The grantee obtains funds for the project via the Payment Management System. (For more information, select Grants and Contracts, Grant Post Award Management, Payments.)