Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 16, 2025 (New) | July 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | September 7, 2025 (AIDS) | October 16, 2025 (New) | November 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | January 7, 2026 (AIDS) | [Full schedule through Jan 2028]
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000 in direct costs per year, for a maximum of 2 years.
Summary: Supports small, short-term research projects (e.g., pilot studies, secondary data analysis, methodology/technology development); clinical trials are not allowed.
Key Information: Carefully check which NIH Institutes/Centers participate; clinical trials are not permitted.
Description
The NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03) provides support for small, discrete, well-defined research projects that can be completed in a short period of time with limited resources. This mechanism is ideal for pilot and feasibility studies, secondary analysis of existing data, small self-contained research projects, development of research methodology, or development of new research technology.
Clinical trials are not allowed under this opportunity. Projects must align with the mission of a participating NIH Institute or Center (IC); not all NIH ICs participate in this parent announcement, so applicants should confirm IC participation and research priorities before applying.
Due Dates
- Standard NIH due dates apply. Upcoming cycles include:
- June 16, 2025 (New applications)
- July 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
- September 7, 2025 (AIDS-related applications)
- October 16, 2025 (New)
- November 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
- January 7, 2026 (AIDS)
- See full schedule through January 2028 in the NIH opportunity announcement
- All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Funding Amount
- Direct costs: Up to $50,000 per year.
- Project period: Maximum of 2 years.
- Total possible direct costs: $100,000 over two years.
- Indirect costs (F&A) are in addition to direct costs, as per NIH policy.
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
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and foreign components of U.S. organizations
Note: Applicant organizations must complete all required registrations (SAM, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, etc.) before applying.
Application Process
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
- Instructions: Follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
- Page limits: Adhere to NIH page limits for R03 applications.
- Data Management and Sharing Plan: Required for all applications.
- Appendix: Only limited materials allowed (e.g., blank surveys/questionnaires).
- No clinical trials: Applications proposing clinical trials will not be accepted.
- Multiple applications: Allowed if each is scientifically distinct.
- Cost sharing: Not required.
Additional Information
- Participating Institutes/Centers: Not all NIH ICs participate in this parent R03. Check the R03 IC-Specific Scientific Interests and Contact page to confirm your research area is supported.
- Review criteria: Emphasis on significance, innovation, approach (rigor and feasibility), investigator(s), and environment. Preliminary data are not required.
- Award administration: NIH policies and terms apply. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
- Expiration date: January 8, 2028.
External Links
Contact Information