Atom | Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NHLBI K01/K08/K23/K25 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Funding Amounts: Up to $75,000 direct costs per year, max 2 years; typical total award up to $150,000 direct costs.

Summary: Small grant for current or recent NHLBI K01/K08/K23/K25 awardees to expand research or launch new studies, supporting transition to independent investigator status.

Key Information: Applicants must have at least 40% protected research effort during the R03 period; only K01/K08/K23/K25 awardees (current or within 2 years of project end) are eligible.

Description

This limited competition opportunity provides small grant (R03) support to current or recently completed recipients of NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awards. The program is designed to help these early-career investigators expand their current research objectives or initiate new studies that build on their K award work, with the goal of generating preliminary data for future R01-equivalent applications and facilitating the transition to independent research careers.

The R03 mechanism supports short-term, well-defined projects that can be completed within two years and require limited resources. Eligible research includes pilot or feasibility studies, proof-of-concept projects, secondary data analyses, development of new methodologies or technologies, and novel experimental models. Both clinical trial and non-clinical trial applications are accepted.

Due Dates

May 7, 2025: AIDS-related New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision applications
June 13, 2025: New applications
July 15, 2025: Renewal/Resubmission/Revision applications
September 7, 2025: AIDS-related New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision applications
October 15, 2025: New applications
November 13, 2025: Renewal/Resubmission/Revision applications
January 7, 2026: AIDS-related New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision applications

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

Funding Amount

Direct Costs: Up to $75,000 per year
Project Period: Maximum of 2 years
Total Direct Costs: Up to $150,000 over two years
Number of Awards: NHLBI anticipates funding up to 20 new awards per year

Budgets must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Eligibility

Who Can Apply: Only current or recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, or K25 awardees are eligible.
- Current awardees may apply after the Notice of Award (NoA) for their first type-5 K award has been issued.
- Recently completed awardees are eligible if the earliest possible R03 start date falls within 2 years of their prior NHLBI K award project period end date.
Effort Requirement: Applicants must have a minimum of 40% protected overall research effort during the R03 award period (can be met through a combination of the R03 and other research projects, regardless of funding source).
Ineligibility: Individuals who have already received a substantial NIH independent research award (e.g., R01) are not eligible.
Applicant Organizations: U.S.-based higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, state/local/tribal governments, and other eligible organizations. Foreign organizations and non-domestic components are not eligible.

Application Process

Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
Required Attachments:
- Current K awardees: 3-page summary of K award progress.
- Recently completed K awardees: 3-page summary of K award and current research efforts.
- Letters of Support:
  1. Mentor’s letter (for current K awardees only)
  2. Department/Division Head letter
  3. Institutional Commitment letter (must document 40% protected research time)
Research Plan: Must describe how the R03 project builds on or diverges from the K award, feasibility for a 2-year timeline, and how it will enhance competitiveness for future independent funding.
Data Management and Sharing Plan: Required for all applications generating scientific data.
Human Subjects/Clinical Trials: Complete the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form if applicable.

Refer to the NIH Research Application Guide for detailed instructions.

Additional Information

Clinical Trials: Both clinical trial and non-clinical trial applications are accepted.
Concurrent Support: K awardees may receive concurrent salary support from a K award and a research grant under certain circumstances.
Review Criteria: Emphasis on significance, innovation, feasibility, and the applicant’s path to independence.
No Cost Sharing Required.
No foreign components allowed.

External Links

Contact Information

Topic	Contact Name/Office	Email/Phone
General Grants Info	NIH Grants Information	GrantsInfo@nih.gov
		301-480-7075
Application Submission	eRA Service Desk	eRA Helpdesk
		301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552
Grants.gov Support	Grants.gov Customer Support	support@grants.gov
		800-518-4726
Scientific/Research Contact	Qing Lu, Ph.D. (NHLBI)	Qing.Lu@nih.gov
		301-480-9158
Peer Review Contact	Director, Office of Scientific Review (NHLBI)	nhlbichiefreviewbranch@nhlbi.nih.gov
Financial/Grants Management	Laurel Kennedy (NHLBI)	laurel.kennedy@nih.gov
		301-827-4777

For additional details, see Section VII. Agency Contacts in the full announcement.