Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 16, 2026 (Resubmission) | February 16, 2027 (New) | March 16, 2027 (Resubmission) | June 16, 2027 (New) | July 16, 2027 (Resubmission) | October 16, 2027 (New) | November 16, 2027 (Resubmission) | January 7, 2028 (Listing closes)
Funding Amounts: Up to $275,000 in direct costs over two years, with no more than $200,000 in any year
Summary: Supports exploratory bioengineering research demonstrating feasibility or potential utility of new or improved biomedical research and care capabilities.
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; projects must develop, modify, or adapt technology rather than simply use existing technologies.
Description
This engineering-oriented NIH R21 program supports early feasibility testing and exploratory development of capabilities for biomedical research, clinical care delivery, and access to care. Participating institutes are the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Projects may improve quality, speed, efficacy, operability, cost, or accessibility within their missions.
Research may be hypothesis-driven, discovery-driven, developmental, or design-directed, drawing on engineering, physical sciences, biomedical sciences, mathematics, informatics, or machine learning. Examples include novel intervention tools, biological-system models, integrated technologies, and preliminary evidence for transformative bioengineering approaches. Preliminary data are not required. Innovation means a credible strategy for early steps toward delivering a new capability to end users. Stated goals also include identifying cancer risks, risk-reduction strategies, causes, and preventive interventions.
