Funder: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Due Dates: Expired (Last due date January 8, 2025) | Check NIH Guide for current opportunities
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000 direct costs per year | Project period up to 2 years
Summary: Supports small, short-term research projects such as pilot studies, secondary data analysis, methodology development, and new technology development; clinical trials not allowed.
Key Information: This specific FOA has expired; applicants should refer to the NIH Guide for active funding opportunities and updated announcements.
Description
The NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03) is designed to support small, discrete research projects that can be completed within a short timeframe (up to two years) and require limited funding (up to $50,000 direct costs per year). This program is ideal for:
- Pilot and feasibility studies
- Secondary analysis of existing data
- Small, self-contained research projects
- Development of research methodology
- Development of new research technology
Importantly, this funding opportunity does not accept applications proposing clinical trials.
Applications are assigned to participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on research focus and referral guidelines. Applicants are encouraged to identify and contact relevant ICs to discuss their research interests and potential support.
Due Dates
- This specific funding announcement expired on January 8, 2025.
- Standard NIH application due dates applied while active (e.g., June 16, 2020, for initial submissions).
- Applicants should consult the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for current and upcoming deadlines and funding opportunities.
Funding Amount
- Application budgets are limited to $50,000 in direct costs per year.
- The total project period may not exceed two years.
- The number of awards depends on NIH appropriations and the quality of applications received.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Public and private institutions of higher education, including minority-serving institutions (Hispanic-serving, HBCUs, TCCUs, AANAPISIs, etc.)
- Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
- For-profit organizations, including small businesses
- State, county, city, township, and special district governments
- Federally recognized and other Native American tribal governments and organizations
- Independent school districts, public housing authorities, faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations
- Foreign institutions and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are eligible
- Individuals with the necessary skills and resources to carry out the research may serve as Principal Investigators
Required Registrations
Applicants must complete and maintain registrations prior to submission, including:
- Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
- System for Award Management (SAM) registration
- eRA Commons account for PD(s)/PI(s) and Signing Officials
- Grants.gov registration
Application Process
- Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov and tracked through eRA Commons.
- Applicants must follow the Research (R) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and any program-specific instructions.
- Page limits and formatting requirements must be strictly followed.
- Data Management and Sharing Plans are required for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.
- Limited appendix materials allowed (only blank questionnaires or surveys).
- Clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA.
- Applications undergo NIH peer review based on significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, and environment.
- Resubmissions and revisions are allowed under specific conditions.
Additional Information
- This FOA has been reissued as PA-25-302 effective January 8, 2025.
- Applicants should consult the R03 IC-Specific Scientific Interests and Contact page to identify participating NIH Institutes and Centers and their research priorities.
- NIH grants are subject to federal civil rights laws and policies on nondiscrimination, accessibility, and harassment-free environments.
- Awardees must comply with NIH policies on data sharing, human subjects protections, and reporting requirements.
- Foreign institutions must follow NIH Grants Policy Statement provisions for foreign entities.
External Links
Contact Information