Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)
The MIRA grant supports early-stage investigators to conduct a cohesive research program aligned with NIGMS' mission to enhance funding efficiency.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
National Institutes of Health has archived this opportunity.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: October 3, 2025 | February 3, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to $250,000 direct costs per year for up to 5 years; total annual costs (including indirects) may reach $275,000.
Summary: Supports early stage investigators in establishing a cohesive, NIGMS-aligned research program with flexible, stable funding.
Key Information: Applicants must devote at least 51% of total research effort to the award; only single PD/PI applications allowed.
Description
The Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) provides substantial, flexible support for early career researchers to establish and maintain a research program within the mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The program is designed to increase funding stability, encourage scientific creativity, and reduce administrative burden by supporting a broad, evolving research agenda rather than a single project.
MIRA awards are intended to:
- Enable early career investigators to secure funding earlier and sustain productive research careers.
- Allow flexibility to pursue new research directions as opportunities arise.
- Reduce time spent on grant writing and reviewing, freeing more time for research and mentoring.
- Distribute funding more broadly among promising investigators.
The program supports basic, translational, and certain clinical research areas relevant to NIGMS, including mechanistic clinical trials (but not efficacy/safety trials or large multi-site studies).
