Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 5, 2025 (New) | July 5, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | September 7, 2025 (AIDS) | October 5, 2025 (New) | November 5, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | January 7, 2026 (AIDS) | Additional standard NIH due dates through January 7, 2028
Funding Amounts: No budget cap; budgets must reflect actual project needs. Maximum project period: 5 years.
Summary: Supports discrete, investigator-initiated research projects aligned with NIH Institutes’ missions; clinical trials are not allowed.
Key Information: Applicants requesting ≥$500,000 in direct costs in any year must contact NIH at least 6 weeks before submission.
Description
This opportunity supports investigator-initiated research projects in scientific areas that align with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). The grant is intended for discrete, specified, and circumscribed projects representing the specific interests and competencies of the investigator(s). Applications proposing clinical trials are not permitted under this announcement.
Projects must be relevant to the programmatic interests of at least one participating NIH IC. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the IC-specific interests and contacts to ensure alignment and to consult with NIH staff before applying.
Due Dates
-
Standard Due Dates (New Applications):
- June 5, 2025
- October 5, 2025
- February 5, 2026
- June 5, 2026
- October 5, 2026
- February 5, 2027
- June 5, 2027
- October 5, 2027
-
Renewal/Resubmission/Revision:
- July 5, 2025
- November 5, 2025
- March 5, 2026
- July 5, 2026
- November 5, 2026
- March 5, 2027
- July 5, 2027
- November 5, 2027
-
AIDS-Related Applications:
- September 7, 2025
- January 7, 2026
- May 7, 2026
- September 7, 2026
- January 7, 2027
- May 7, 2027
- September 7, 2027
- January 7, 2028
-
Expiration Date: January 8, 2028
All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Funding Amount
- Budget: No specific budget limit; budgets must be well-justified and reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
- Project Period: Up to 5 years.
- Note: Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year must contact a relevant NIH Scientific/Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submission.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- 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)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized)
- Faith-based and community-based organizations
- Regional organizations
- U.S. territories and possessions
- Eligible federal agencies
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and foreign components of U.S. organizations
Individuals: Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as PD/PI(s) may apply.
Application Process
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
- Required Registrations: Applicant organizations must register with SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. PDs/PIs must have an eRA Commons account.
- Instructions: Follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
- Page Limits: Adhere to the NIH Table of Page Limits.
- Data Management: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan.
- Appendices: Only limited appendix materials are allowed; see the Application Guide for details.
Additional Information
- Clinical Trials: Applications proposing clinical trials are not allowed.
- Multiple Applications: Organizations may submit more than one application, provided each is scientifically distinct.
- Review Criteria: Applications are evaluated for significance, innovation, approach, investigator(s), and environment, as well as additional review considerations (e.g., human subjects, vertebrate animals, biohazards).
- Cost Sharing: Not required.
- Award Administration: All NIH grants are subject to the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional contacts, see Section VII of the full announcement.