Notice of funding opportunity (NOFO)
Definition
A notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is a federal agency's formal announcement that grant funding is available, with the eligibility rules, deadlines, award details, and review criteria applicants must follow. NIH called these funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) until 2023.
How it works
A NOFO works as the binding instructions for a federal funding competition, and the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) defines it to cover announcements however an agency labels them: program announcements, solicitations, broad agency announcements, and so on. A NOFO typically includes:
- Program purpose and the research the agency wants to fund.
- Eligible organizations and individuals, including any limited submission cap.
- Award amounts, number of awards, and project length.
- Due dates, including any letter of intent or pre-application.
- Required application sections and page limits.
- Review criteria and how applications will be scored.
Federal NOFOs post on Grants.gov, and many are previewed first as forecasted opportunities. Since a 2024 update, the Uniform Guidance asks agencies to write NOFOs in plain language with a short executive summary.
FOA, RFA, PA, and PAR explained
NIH replaced the term "funding opportunity announcement (FOA)" with "notice of funding opportunity (NOFO)" in 2023, so older guidance and many university pages still say FOA. NIH NOFOs come in several types:
- PA (program announcement). Describes a broad area of interest and accepts applications on NIH's standard due dates. Parent announcements, such as the parent R01, are PAs.
- PAR. A PA with special receipt dates, referral, or review arrangements.
- PAS. A PA with funds set aside.
- RFA (request for applications). A narrowly defined initiative with money set aside, usually a single due date.
NSF calls its NOFOs program solicitations, and other agencies use broad agency announcements (BAAs), especially in defense research. In 2025 NIH also retired Notices of Special Interest and began publishing Highlighted Topics, which describe research interests but are not funding opportunities themselves.
Why it matters for research offices
The NOFO matters because it overrides general agency guidance when the two conflict, so reviewers and staff check applications against it, not against memory of past cycles. Research offices pull the key terms (eligibility, caps, page limits, budget limits, deadlines) from each NOFO early so faculty can decide whether to apply.
NOFO vs RFP
A NOFO is the federal term for a grant announcement, while a request for proposals is the common term for the same kind of document from foundations, companies, and states.
Common mistakes
- Following a parent announcement's rules when a specific NOFO sets different ones.
- Missing an amendment or reissue posted after the original NOFO.
- Assuming eligibility from the program name instead of reading the eligibility section.
How Atom helps
Atom reads every NOFO end to end and checks eligibility per researcher, including career stage, citizenship, institution type, and prior awards, so faculty only see calls they can apply to. It tracks every federal agency, re-checks them daily, and flags changed deadlines and cancelled calls automatically.
Frequently asked questions
NOFO stands for notice of funding opportunity, the formal announcement a federal agency publishes when grant funding is available. It explains who can apply, what will be funded, and how to apply.
They are the same thing. NIH replaced the term funding opportunity announcement (FOA) with notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) in 2023 to match the government-wide term.
An RFA targets a narrowly defined initiative with funds set aside and usually one due date. A PA describes a broad area of interest and accepts applications on standard NIH due dates.