Should I include a Cover Page with my R01, R03 or R21?

If you are applying for an NIH Parent Announcement, the submission of the Cover Letter component of the application package is optional. (In some cases this letter is required, such as if you are applying for an R01 and have received permission to request $500,000 or more in direct costs per year. See below in this post for more information.)

So, why should you submit a cover letter? After all, you have already been working on writing your research plan, resources section, and all of the other required components. Why include something that is optional? In short- because NIH suggests it, that's why!

The Cover Letter section of the SF424 instructions states:

Applicants are encouraged to include a cover letter with the application. The cover letter is only for internal use and will not be shared with peer reviewers. The letter should contain any of the following information that applies to the application:
1. Application title.
2. Funding Opportunity (PA or RFA) title of the NIH initiative.
3. Request of an assignment (referral) to a particular awarding component(s) or Scientific Review Group (SRG). The PHS makes the final determination.
4. List of individuals (e.g., competitors) who should not review your application and why.
5. Disciplines involved, if multidisciplinary.
6. For late applications (see Late Application policy in Section 2.14) include specific information about the timing and nature of the cause of the delay.
7. When submitting a Changed/Corrected Application after the submission date, a cover letter is required explaining the reason for the Changed/Corrected Application. If you already submitted a cover letter with a previous submission and are now
submitting a Changed/Corrected Application, you must include all previous cover
letter text in the revised cover letter attachment. The system does not retain any previously submitted cover letters until after an application is verified; therefore, you must repeat all information previously submitted in the cover letter as well as any additional information.
8. Explanation of any subaward budget components that are not active for all periods of the proposed grant.
9. Statement that you have attached any required agency approval documentation for the type of application submitted. This may include approval for applications $500,000 or more, approval for Conference Grant or Cooperative Agreement (R13 or U13), etc.

If it can help to direct your application to the correct institute or center, and help to get it into the hands of the most appropriate review group, why not take the extra half hour to write it?