NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards (DP5 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the NIH Director's Early Independence Awards (DP5 Clinical Trial Optional), aimed at supporting promising investigators who wish to pursue independent research shortly after completing their terminal doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training. Eligible applicants must be in a non-independent research position at the time of application and are limited to submitting two applications per institution, with significant institutional commitment required. This funding opportunity, which has an estimated total program funding of $5,100,000 and expects to award approximately nine grants, is part of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program and encourages applications across all topics relevant to NIH's mission. Interested applicants can reach out to Becky Miller, Ph.D., at earlyindependence@od.nih.gov or by phone at 301-594-9979, with the application process expected to open on September 10, 2025, and close on October 10, 2025.