Question: I am applying for an F31 Diversity Grant for Predoctoral studies to support my 3-5 year of PhD studies. There is no mention of needing to submit transcript of grade with the application. Is this true? Does the NIH not require transcripts for F31 applications? Are applications solely graded on the merit of the proposal or do student grades also considered?

Answer: 
The Program Announcement (I believe the current one) for this Program is probably <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-148.html#_Section_IV._Application>

These announcements tell you (or point you to) *ALL* the info you need to apply. This one states: 

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> Note that scores for standardized exams (e.g., MCAT, GRE) as well as a listing of the applicant’s courses and grades must be included in the Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch, and NOT in this attachment.
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So yes, if this is the announcement, you need to provide this info, and it needs to go into your BioSketch. Whether you need to use the (ugh) new biosketch format or not, I can't tell you.

The best advice is to ask the office at your school that coordinates sponsored research, as well as have a chat with the program officer involved with this PA at the institute you would be applying to.
Each NIH grant comes with extensive guidance. For the [Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research](http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-148.html) the guidance says

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> Note that scores for standardized exams (e.g., MCAT, GRE) as well as a listing of the applicant’s courses and grades must be included in the Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch, and NOT in this attachment.
> 
> 
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The guidance also says

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> Follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate “optional” forms.
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[SF424 (R&R)](http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/SF424_RR_Guide_Fellowship_VerC.pdf) refers you back to PA-14-148.

In general, it is advisable to talk to the Program Officer at the NIH whenever you are considering applying for a grant/fellowship. They are more than happy to help navigate you through the submission process and generally can provide you with invaluable insight about how to improve your application. Each institute at the NIH and each funding mechanism has a different Program Officer, but they are generally pretty easy to find online.