The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional) to provide stable and flexible funding support for individual investigators aligned with the scientific mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). This grant aims to enhance funding stability, foster innovative research projects, and reduce administrative burdens, allowing researchers to focus more on their scientific endeavors and mentorship of junior scientists. Eligible applicants include NIGMS-funded investigators and New Investigators, with specific guidelines for Early-Stage Investigators to apply through a separate notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). The application deadline is May 26, 2028, and interested parties can reach out to NIGMS at NIGMS_EINIMIRA@nigms.nih.gov for further information. The typical budget for New Investigator MIRA grants is set at $275,000 annually in direct costs.

PAR-26-121-Full-Announcement.html

The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) announced the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-26-121). This reissued funding opportunity aims to provide stable, flexible, and efficient research support for individual investigators within NIGMS’s scientific mission. The MIRA grant seeks to increase funding stability, foster creative and ambitious projects, distribute funding more broadly, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance mentorship. Eligible applicants include NIGMS-funded investigators and New Investigators, with specific guidelines for Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) to apply through a separate NOFO. The award offers longer grant periods, higher renewal rates, and budget adjustments based on prior funding and other commitments, with New Investigator MIRA budgets typically set at $275,000 annually in direct costs. The application process requires adherence to specific instructions, including the omission of Specific Aims and detailed experimental plans, focusing instead on a broad overview of the research program and future directions. Clinical trials are optional, with specific restrictions on the types of trials permitted. The MIRA is designed to consolidate NIGMS funding, requiring adjustments for overlap with other grants. Submissions are due by 5:00 PM local time on specified dates, with the expiration date of May 27, 2028.

The Maximizing Investigators&apos; Research Award (MIRA) provides support for individual investigators for research within the scientific mission of NIGMS via a single grant to achieve the following:Increase the stability of funding for NIGMS-supported investigators, which could enhance their ability to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively;Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions within the NIGMS mission as opportunities arise, rather than being bound to specific aims proposed in advance of the studies;More widely distribute funding among the nation&apos;s highly talented and promising investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs;Reduce the time spent by researchers writing and reviewing grant applications, allowing them to spend more time conducting research;Reduce the administrative burden associated with a PD/PI managing multiple NIGMS research grants; andEnable PD(s)/PI(s) to devote more time and energy to mentoring junior scientists in a more stable research environment.This NOFO invites applications from eligible NIGMS-funded investigators and from New Investigators proposing research that is aligned with NIGMS&apos; scientific mission. The NOFO also allows renewal applications from all current MIRA grantees (including those previously funded as Early-Stage Investigators). Current Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) should apply through the ESI MIRA NOFO, not this NOFO.

NIGMS EINI MIRA&lt;br/&gt;NIGMS_EINIMIRA@nigms.nih.gov

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