Atom | Pilot Projects Investigating Understudied Proteins Associated with Rare Diseases (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 in direct costs for a 1-year project; non-renewable; no cost sharing required.

Summary: Supports pilot projects generating preliminary data or tools to study eligible understudied proteins associated with rare diseases; clinical trials are not allowed.

Key Information: Project must focus on one or more eligible proteins (see list); must address a rare disease (≤200,000 U.S. prevalence); clinical trials are not permitted.

Description

This opportunity provides funding for pilot projects that aim to elucidate the role of understudied proteins in rare diseases. The program is designed to jumpstart research by supporting the generation of preliminary data and/or research tools focused on eligible proteins that are members of druggable protein families with a known association to rare diseases. The intent is to catalyze new research directions and provide a foundation for future grant applications or drug discovery projects.

Projects may include, but are not limited to:

Pilot or feasibility studies
Development of research methodologies or assays
Creation of human cell or animal models
Isolation, purification, and initial characterization of proteins
Development of reagents (e.g., antibodies, peptide fragments)
Data mining and experimental validation of protein function
Structure determination (e.g., x-ray crystallography, cryo-EM)

Clinical trials are not permitted under this funding opportunity.

Due Dates

Letter of Intent (LOI): 30 days prior to each application due date (e.g., May 17, 2025 for June 16, 2025 deadline)
Application Deadlines:
- June 16, 2025 (New)
- July 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
- October 16, 2025 (New)
- November 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
- Additional cycles: February, June, October annually through November 16, 2027
Expiration Date: November 17, 2027

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

Funding Amount

Maximum Direct Costs: $100,000 for a one-year project period (excluding subcontract F&A)
Project Duration: 1 year (non-renewable)
No cost sharing or matching required
Number of awards: Contingent on NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants:

Public/State and Private Institutions of Higher Education
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
State, county, city, township, and special district governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized and other)
Faith-based and community-based organizations
Regional organizations
U.S. territories and possessions
Eligible agencies of the federal government

Ineligible:

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations)
Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations

Foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed.

Principal Investigators: Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research. Early-stage investigators are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

Application Mechanism: NIH R03 Small Grant Program
Submission: Electronic submission via NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions.
Required Registrations: SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov (may take 6+ weeks; start early)
Application Guide: Follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
Page Limits: As specified in the NIH Table of Page Limits
Required Attachments: Project Summary/Abstract, Project Narrative, Research Strategy, Budget, Biosketches, Facilities & Other Resources, Data Management and Sharing Plan, and others as specified.

Key Application Requirements:

Project must focus on one or more eligible proteins (see full protein list in the NOFO)
Must address a rare disease (≤200,000 U.S. prevalence; see GARD database)
Preliminary data are not required, but strong justification for the approach is expected
Clinical trials are not allowed

Additional Information

Non-responsive applications (will not be reviewed):
- Projects proposing clinical trials
- Projects not focused on eligible proteins
- Projects not addressing a rare disease as defined by NIH
- Applications proposing clinical drug development studies
Data Management and Sharing: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan per NIH policy.
Review Criteria: Emphasis on significance, innovation, approach, investigator(s), and environment. See full review criteria.
Resource Sharing: Plans for sharing model organisms and research tools are expected.

External Links

Contact Information

Topic	Contact Name/Email	Institute/Center	Phone
General Grants Info	GrantsInfo@nih.gov	NIH Office of Extramural Research	301-480-7075
Application Support	eRA Service Desk	NIH eRA Service Desk	301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552
Grants.gov Support	support@grants.gov	Grants.gov	800-518-4726
Scientific/Research	Karlie Sharma, Ph.D. DruggableGenome@mail.nih.gov	NCATS	301-451-4965
	Enrique Michelotti, Ph.D. michelottiel@mail.nih.gov	NIMH	301-443-5415
	Maggie Morris Fears, Ph.D. maggie.morrisfears@nih.gov	NIAID	301-761-5444
	Janet Cyr cyrj@mail.nih.gov	NIDCD	301-402-3458
	Severn Borden Churn, Ph.D. severn.churn@nih.gov	NINDS	301-827-5828
	Alicia Chou, M.S. alicia.chou@nih.gov	NIDCR	301-594-487
Grants Management	Yuping Burr yuping.burr@nih.gov	NCATS	301-480-7622
	Heather Weiss weissh@mail.nih.gov	NIMH	301-443-4415
	Tamia Carter tamia.powell@nih.gov	NIAID	240-669-2982
	Samantha J Tempchin tempchins@mail.nih.gov	NIDCD	301-435-1404
	Gabriel Hidalgo, MBA gabriel.hidalgo@nih.gov	NIDCR	301-827-4630

For additional contacts, see Section VII. Agency Contacts in the NOFO.