General. NIFA may request or require that prospective applicants notify program staff of their intent to submit an application, identified as “letter of intent”. If applicable, the request or requirement will be included in the RFA, along with directions for the preparation and submission of the letter of intent, the type of letter of intent, and any relevant deadlines. There are two types of letters of intent: optional and required.

Optional letter of intent. Entities interested in submitting an application for a NIFA award should complete and submit a “Letter of Intent to Submit an Application” by the due date specified in the RFA. This does not obligate the applicant in any way, but will provide useful information to NIFA in preparing for application review. Applicants that do not submit a letter of intent by the specified due date are still allowed to submit an application by the application due date specified in the RFA, unless otherwise specified in the RFA.

Required letter of intent. Certain programs may require that the prospective applicants submit a letter of intent for specific programs. This type of letter is evaluated by the program staff for suitability to the program and in regard to program priorities, needs, and scope. Invitations to submit a full application will be issued by the Program Officer or his or her representative. For programs requiring a letter of intent, applications submitted without prior approval of the letter of intent by the program staff will be returned without review. Programs requiring a specific letter of intent will be specified in the RFA.