Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 16, 2026 (Resubmission/revision) | February 16, 2027 (New) | March 16, 2027 (Resubmission/revision) | June 16, 2027 (New) | July 16, 2027 (Resubmission/revision) | October 16, 2027 (New) | November 16, 2027 (Resubmission/revision) | January 7, 2028 (Closing date)
Funding Amounts: Up to $275,000 in direct costs over two years, with no more than $200,000 in any year
Summary: Supports novel, early-stage exploratory and developmental research with potential for major biomedical, behavioral, or clinical advances.
Key Information: Clinical trials and foreign subawards/subcontracts are not allowed.
Description
The NIH Parent R21 supports the early and conceptual stages of exploratory and developmental research. It encourages novel scientific ideas, model systems, tools, agents, targets, and technologies that could substantially advance biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. Projects may test a new area’s feasibility, develop a new experimental system, or apply existing methods in innovative ways. Considerable scientific risk is acceptable when balanced by the potential for major advances.
Projects should break new ground or extend discoveries toward new directions or applications. Long-term projects and work that primarily increases knowledge in well-established areas are not appropriate. Preliminary data are not required, although applicants may include them. Research must fit a participating NIH Institute or Center’s mission; nonparticipating Institutes and Centers will not consider applications.
