Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
NIH programme staff review a year-2 RPPR, find progress consistent with the approved plan, and issue a satisfactory continuation decision that leads to a Type 5 continuation award.
- Is an instance
A Horizon Europe project's periodic review flags underdelivered work-package milestones and results in a satisfactory-with-comments decision requiring a revised work plan before the next reporting period.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A competing renewal application, which restarts full peer review for support beyond the current project period, is not a continuation decision -- it is a separate, competitive process.
Editorial commentary
A continuation decision is the review determination a sponsor makes after reading a project’s periodic or annual report: does the project continue into its next budget period as planned, continue with corrective action, or face funding restriction? It is the decision; the resulting mechanism that actually releases the next budget period’s funds is the separate continuation award — the decision comes first and the award follows from it.
How the decision is reached
For NIH awards, program staff conduct an administrative review of the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) — not a new scientific peer review — confirming the report is complete and progress is consistent with the approved plan; a satisfactory outcome leads directly to a Type 5 non-competing continuation award reflected in an updated Notice of Award. Horizon Europe issues continuation decisions through its periodic technical and financial review process on the Funding & Tenders Portal, tied to the project’s defined reporting periods rather than an annual cycle.
Possible outcomes
Most continuation decisions are routine and satisfactory. A “satisfactory with comments” outcome continues funding but flags specific concerns the recipient must address in the next reporting cycle. An “unsatisfactory” outcome can trigger a corrective action plan, partial or conditional funding for the next period, increased reporting frequency, or — rarely, and usually only after correction has already failed — termination or a remedy under suspension.
Not the same as a competing renewal
A continuation decision governs whether an already-funded project keeps moving forward inside its current, already-awarded project period. It is unrelated to a competing renewal application, which restarts the entire competitive and peer-review process for support beyond the current award’s project period once that period actually ends.
References
- NIH Grants Policy Statement (non-competing continuation review); Horizon Europe periodic review process, Funding & Tenders Portal guidance.
Also known as
Continuation determination · Annual continuation decision
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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