Technology Development Research for Establishing Feasibility and Proof of Concept (R21 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding for early-stage technology research with high impact potential in biomedical fields, supporting proof of concept development.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 16, 2025 (New) | September 7, 2025 (AIDS) | October 16, 2025 (New) | January 7, 2026 (AIDS) | February 16, 2026 (New) | May 7, 2026 (AIDS) | June 16, 2026 (New) | September 7, 2026 (AIDS) | October 16, 2026 (New) | January 7, 2027 (AIDS) | February 16, 2027 (New) | May 7, 2027 (AIDS) | June 16, 2027 (New) | September 7, 2027 (AIDS) | October 16, 2027 (New) | January 7, 2028 (AIDS)
Funding Amounts: Up to $275,000 direct costs over 2 years; no more than $200,000 in any single year; 2-year maximum project period.
Summary: Supports high-risk, early-stage exploratory research to establish feasibility and proof of concept for new technologies broadly relevant to biomedical research within the NIGMS mission.
Key Information: Applications must not include preliminary data or proof-of-concept results; focus strictly on technology development, not biological questions.
Description
This opportunity from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at NIH funds exploratory research to establish feasibility and proof of concept for new technologies that could significantly advance biomedical research. The program is designed for high-risk, high-novelty projects at the conceptual stage, where feasibility has not yet been demonstrated in the literature or with preliminary data. The goal is to support the development of innovative tools, methods, or techniques that address broad needs in biomedical research, rather than incremental improvements or applications to specific biological questions.
Projects may include, but are not limited to:
- Laboratory instruments and devices
- Algorithms and software
- Chemical reagents and processes
- Engineered biological molecules or systems for use as research tools
Key requirements:
- The project must focus solely on new technology development.
- No preliminary data or proof-of-concept results (published or unpublished) may be included.
- The technology must not be a repurposing or incremental improvement of existing tools.
- Applications that address specific biological questions or include feasibility data will be withdrawn without review.
For more details, see the full program announcement.
