Funder: [National Institutes of Health (NIH) - https://www.nih.gov]
Due Dates: August 18, 2023 (New applications) | August 18, 2023 (AIDS applications)
Funding Amounts: Up to $900,000 in direct costs for first 3 years; up to $600,000 for subsequent 2 years; total project period 5 years.
Summary: Supports exceptionally creative early stage investigators proposing highly innovative research with potential for broad impact across NIH mission areas.
Key Information: Applications must be new (no resubmissions); clinical trial optional; strong emphasis on innovation and investigator creativity; diverse applicants encouraged.
Description
The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program is designed to support early stage investigators (ESIs) who demonstrate exceptional creativity and propose highly innovative research projects with the potential for unusually broad and significant impact on biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences relevant to the NIH mission. Unlike traditional NIH grants, this award does not require extensive preliminary data and emphasizes the innovativeness of the research and the creativity of the investigator.
This program is part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program and complements other NIH efforts to support ESIs, such as R01 grants. The award provides substantial flexibility for investigators to pivot their research direction to maximize impact.
Applications are encouraged from individuals of diverse backgrounds and from a wide range of eligible institutions, including minority-serving and less research-intensive institutions, across all geographic locations in the U.S. Research topics may span behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences, and may involve basic, translational, or clinical research.
The award is for a total of five years, issued in two segments: a three-year initial award (up to $900,000 direct costs) followed by a two-year award (up to $600,000 direct costs), contingent on progress. Applicants must commit at least 25% effort (three person-months) annually to the project.
Due Dates
- New Applications: August 18, 2023, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization
- AIDS Applications: August 18, 2023
- No late applications accepted
- Earliest start date: August 2024
Note: This FOA has been reissued as RFA-RM-24-003 for future cycles.
Funding Amount
- Total direct costs up to $1.5 million over 5 years
- First segment (3 years): up to $900,000 direct costs
- Second segment (2 years): up to $600,000 direct costs
- Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs are additional
- No cost extensions allowed
NIH intends to fund approximately 35 awards in FY 2024, subject to availability of funds and meritorious applications.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Organizations:
- Public and private institutions of higher education (including minority-serving institutions)
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- State, county, city or township, special district, and tribal governments (federally recognized and others)
- Independent school districts, public housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized)
- Faith-based or community-based organizations
- Regional organizations
- Individuals:
- Must be Early Stage Investigators (ESI) as defined by NIH (within 10 years of terminal degree or end of clinical training)
- Must hold an independent research position at a U.S. institution by September 1, 2024
- Multiple PD/PIs are not allowed; only one PD/PI per application
- Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups, are strongly encouraged to apply
Ineligible Applicants
- Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply
- Foreign components are allowed
Registrations Required
- System for Award Management (SAM)
- eRA Commons (PD/PI must have an account)
- Grants.gov
- NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable)
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
Application Process
- Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov and tracked in eRA Commons
- Only new applications are accepted (no resubmissions or renewals)
- Follow SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and program-specific instructions in the FOA
- Use Forms Version H for application components
- Include two scientific area codes (primary and secondary) in the Agency Routing Identifier field and at the start of the Research Strategy essay
- The Research Strategy essay (up to 10 pages) must address:
- Project description and significance
- Innovativeness of the approach
- Investigator qualifications and creativity
- Suitability for the New Innovator Award
- Statement of commitment to 25% effort
- Preliminary data are not required but may be included
- Letters of support and consortium arrangements are not allowed
- Resource Sharing Plan is expected as Just-in-Time information if awarded
- Data Management and Sharing Plan must be included as per NIH policy
- Budget: Modular budget with two multi-year segments (3 years and 2 years) with specified direct cost limits
- Human subjects and clinical trials information must be provided if applicable
- Applications involving clinical trials must conform to NIH clinical trial policies and may include optional clinical trial research
Review Criteria
Applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by NIH peer review, focusing on:
- Overall Impact: Likelihood to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field
- Significance: Importance of the problem and potential impact on scientific knowledge or clinical practice
- Investigator: Creativity, innovation, and qualifications of the early stage investigator
- Innovation: Novelty and potential to shift current paradigms
- Approach: Feasibility, rigor, and robustness of the research plan, including plans to address risks and challenges
- Environment: Institutional support and resources available
- Additional for Clinical Trials: Study design, recruitment, data management, safety monitoring, and ethical considerations
Applications are scored and only those with highest merit are discussed and recommended for funding.
Award Administration
- Just-in-Time information will be requested prior to award
- Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorization to begin
- Clinical trials must be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and comply with reporting requirements
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) approval required
- Data and Safety Monitoring required for clinical trials
- Compliance with NIH Grants Policy Statement and federal regulations is mandatory
- Annual progress reports required; a special non-competing continuation report (PHS 2590) is required at year 3 for continuation of funding
- Reporting of subawards and executive compensation as per federal requirements
Additional Information
- The program encourages applications from diverse investigators and institutions
- Flexibility is provided to awardees to pivot research directions
- The award is part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program
- Applicants are encouraged to contact NIH staff for guidance and attend pre-application webinars
- The FOA has been reissued as RFA-RM-24-003 for subsequent cycles
External Links
Contact Information