NIH Directors New Innovator Award Program (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)
ID: 358873Type: Posted
Overview

Buyer

National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)

Award Range

$0 - $475K

Eligible Applicants

Others

Funding Category

Health

Funding Instrument

Grant

Opportunity Category

Discretionary

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement

Yes
Timeline
    Description

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the Directors New Innovator Award Program (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional), aimed at supporting early-stage investigators with exceptional creativity who propose innovative research projects that could significantly impact health and biomedical fields. This program encourages applications from a diverse range of scientific areas, emphasizing creativity without the necessity for preliminary data, and is part of the NIH's High-Risk, High-Reward Research initiative. Approximately $23 million is available for about 30 awards in FY 2026, with each award providing up to $475,000 annually in direct costs over a five-year project period. Eligible applicants include various educational institutions, non-profits, and governmental bodies, while foreign organizations are not permitted to apply. Interested parties can find more information and application guidelines at the NIH Grants website and should direct inquiries to grantsinfo@nih.gov. The application deadline is August 19, 2025.

    Point(s) of Contact
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    Please provide the text you would like me to summarize.
    The NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program aims to support exceptionally creative early-stage investigators in conducting bold and innovative research with potential major impacts in health and biomedical fields. It is part of the NIH's High-Risk, High-Reward Research program and welcomes applications from diverse scientific areas, emphasizing creativity without the need for preliminary data. This NOFO invites institutions to submit multiple applications, though each individual is restricted to one. Approximately $23 million is available for about 30 awards in FY 2026, with a five-year project period and awards offering up to $475,000 annually in direct costs. Eligible organizations include various educational institutions, non-profits, for-profits, and governmental bodies, but foreign organizations are not permitted. The application process requires adherence to specific guidelines outlined in the How to Apply - Application Guide, focusing on the significance, innovativeness, and the applicant's qualifications. The review process evaluates proposals based on their scientific merit, originality, and the potential for impactful research, ultimately guiding funding decisions while promoting a robust environment for innovation in health research.
    Similar Opportunities
    NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional), aimed at supporting early-stage investigators with innovative research proposals that have the potential for significant impact in health-related fields. This grant program encourages applications from individuals demonstrating exceptional creativity, with no preliminary data or detailed experimental plans required, allowing for bold and high-risk research initiatives. The estimated total funding for this program is $37,700,000, with approximately 30 awards expected to be made, and interested applicants should prepare their proposals ahead of the anticipated Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) release on June 19, 2025, with applications due by August 19, 2025. For further inquiries, applicants can contact Patricia Labosky, Ph.D., at NewInnovatorAwards@mail.nih.gov or by phone at 301-594-4863.
    NIH Directors Pioneer Award Program (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIH Directors Pioneer Award Program (DP1), a federal grant opportunity aimed at supporting individual scientists who propose innovative and high-impact research projects relevant to NIH's mission. This program encourages bold and creative research that diverges significantly from existing work, with a focus on advancing health-related fields. Approximately $8 million is anticipated for funding up to eight awards in FY 2026, with each award providing $700,000 annually for a maximum of five years. Interested applicants must submit their proposals by September 9, 2025, and can direct inquiries to NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov. For more details, visit the official announcement at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-25-001.html.
    NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2), a federal grant aimed at supporting exceptionally creative postdoctoral and early-stage investigators in biomedical research. This funding opportunity encourages innovative research proposals that challenge existing paradigms and may lead to significant advances in the fields of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. Eligible applicants can request up to $300,000 in direct costs per year for a maximum of five years, with the application period open from September 13, 2023, to October 11, 2025. For further inquiries, applicants can contact NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov, and additional details can be found at the provided link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-198.html.
    NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards, a federal grant opportunity aimed at supporting innovative and groundbreaking research that has the potential to significantly alter scientific paradigms or improve clinical approaches. This program encourages applications from individual scientists or groups proposing bold research across various disciplines relevant to the NIH mission, with no preliminary data required for submission. Approximately $8 million is available for Fiscal Year 2026, targeting around seven awards, each with a maximum project period of five years, and key deadlines include an opening date on August 3, 2025, and a submission deadline of September 4, 2025. Interested applicants can find more information and guidelines at the NIH Grants website or contact NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov for inquiries.
    Funding Opportunity for NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a funding opportunity through the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program, aimed at supporting innovative research projects with significant potential impact in health-related fields. This grant is designed for individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose bold and high-risk research initiatives, emphasizing the investigator's qualities and the innovativeness of their proposals. The program anticipates awarding approximately $8.1 million across seven grants, with applications expected to open in June 2025 and close in September 2025. Interested applicants can reach out to Dr. Patricia Labosky at PioneerAwards@mail.nih.gov or by phone at 301-594-4863 for further information.
    NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is set to announce the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards, a federal grant opportunity aimed at supporting innovative and unconventional research projects. This program encourages individual scientists or collaborative teams to propose groundbreaking research that has the potential to redefine scientific paradigms or develop transformative technologies, without the need for preliminary data or detailed experimental plans. With an estimated total funding of $8 million and the expectation of awarding seven grants, interested applicants should prepare their proposals in advance, as applications will be solicited starting June 20, 2025, with a closing date of September 3, 2025. For further inquiries, potential applicants can contact Dr. Patricia Labosky at TransformativeAwards@mail.nih.gov or by phone at 301-594-4863.
    Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators, a federal grant aimed at fostering innovative biomedical research that integrates engineering with life sciences. This funding opportunity, under the R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant mechanism, allows for up to $400,000 in direct costs over a three-year period for projects that require minimal preliminary data, encouraging high-risk, high-reward research. The initiative is designed to enhance diversity within the research community and is open to a wide range of eligible applicants, including various educational institutions and community organizations. Interested parties should note that the application submission period opens on January 16, 2025, and closes on January 8, 2026; for further inquiries, applicants can contact NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov.
    Small Grants for New Investigators to Broaden Participation in Health-Related Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a funding opportunity titled "Small Grants for New Investigators to Broaden Participation in Health-Related Research (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)." This initiative aims to support new investigators from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research, enabling them to conduct small-scale projects that align with the scientific mission areas of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other participating institutes. The grants, with a maximum budget of $125,000 per year for a project period not exceeding three years, are intended to facilitate the transition of these researchers toward independence while addressing health disparities. Interested applicants must demonstrate that they have had less than $125,000 in direct costs from combined active research funding and can submit proposals starting in early 2025. For further inquiries, applicants can contact NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov, and additional details can be found at the provided link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-097.html.
    NIDDK Catalyst Award (DP1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIDDK Catalyst Award (DP1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) to support pioneering biomedical research focused on critical scientific challenges related to diabetes, digestive diseases, and kidney diseases. This grant aims to fund individual scientists proposing innovative and high-impact studies that diverge from their existing research, encouraging bold ideas and unconventional hypotheses within the domains of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases and the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition. The award has a budget ceiling of $500,000 per year for a maximum project period of five years, with a total funding commitment of $4.8 million for FY 2026 to support up to six awards. Interested applicants must adhere to NIH registration requirements and submit their proposals by July 18, 2025, with further inquiries directed to grantsinfo@nih.gov.
    NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
    National Institutes of Health
    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) to support innovative early-stage research projects that may lead to significant advancements in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical fields. This grant is designed to encourage high-risk, high-reward research, providing funding for projects that are distinct from traditional R01 grants, with a maximum budget of $275,000 over a two-year period, and no more than $200,000 in any single year. Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and tribal governments, with applications undergoing a rigorous peer review process to assess their innovation and feasibility. Interested parties should note that the application submission period begins on January 16, 2025, with the opportunity closing on January 7, 2028; for further inquiries, applicants can contact NIH Grants Information at grantsinfo@nih.gov.