Last Updated on February 19, 2026 by J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS
Hyperlinks provide a clean, efficient way to offer readers additional information or clarifications of key ideas in our prose, and they allow us to keep our missives targeted and brief. However, the NIH holds two things sacrosanct–page limits and reviewer anonymity–and both are potentially violated by the use of hyperlinks in grant applications.
By linking to additional information outside of the text, writers using hyperlinks can dramatically foreshorten their text. For the NIH, limiting application length not only keeps the review process manageable, but it is also an issue of fairness—everyone has an equal number of pages in which to present their proposal. Hyperlinks to supplemental information are considered, like the inappropriate inclusion of materials as appendices, attempts to subvert the process, and applications circumventing the page limits can be considered non-responsive and removed from consideration prior to peer review.
Hyperlinks can also expose reviewers and agency administrators to privacy and security threats, like malware. Use of a hyperlink may also expose the identity of reviewers, another potential issue.
The Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan is/was a narrow exception. The NIH has provided leniency on hypertext in DMS Plans during the implementation period and they were to reassess that leniency…in FY2024. So if you feel you must use, then follow the rules for when use is allowed: “. . . you must hyperlink the actual URL text so it appears on the page rather than hiding the URL behind a specific word or phrase (hypertext).” Example: NIH (https://www.nih.gov/)
And your Biosketch–another narrow exception when using SciENcv. NIH will accept SciENcv-generated Biographical Sketch Common Forms that include hyperlinks generated through MyBibliography or ORCID (see Hyperlinks within Common Forms FAQs for clarification).
The upshot? NIH advises applicants to follow opportunity-specific guidelines outlined in the instructions and FOA. Biosketches and publication list attachments may have links, but follow the instructions for appropriate use and targets.
For more information about when and how to use hyperlinks in your next application, check out:
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The NIH official policy notice: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-174.html
NIH Format Attachments page (current, updated September 2024): https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/write-application/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-attachments#hypertext,-hyperlinks,-and-urls
A helpful explainer from the NIA: https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/blog/2021/04/missing-links-why-nih-doesnt-allow-hyperlinks-grant-applications
