§ Federal grant opportunity · RFA-RM-27-002

    NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)

    National Institutes of Health is accepting applications for NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional). The deadline is August 17, 2026 and the published award range is $475K.

    Key facts

    Funder
    National Institutes of Health
    Application deadline
    August 17, 2026
    Award range
    $475K
    Eligibility
    Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
    Geography
    United States
    Focus areas
    Health
    Opportunity number
    RFA-RM-27-002

    Program overview

    The NIH Director"s New Innovator Award supports early-stage investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH. Applications in any area within the biomedical sciences are welcome; topics may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. The NIH Director's New Innovator Award complements other ongoing efforts by NIH and its Institutes and Centers to fund early-stage investigators. The NIH Director"s New Innovator Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) program of the NIH Common Fund.

    How to apply

    1. Confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria above.
    2. Read the full funding opportunity announcement from National Institutes of Health.
    3. Draft your narrative against the funder's stated priorities and review criteria.
    4. Submit before August 17, 2026, allowing time for registration and validation.

    View the official funding announcement

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