The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invest more than $32 billion annually in medical research to enhance life, and to reduce illness and disability. More than 80% of the NIH's funding is awarded through almost 50,000 competitive grants to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions. NIH funded research has led to breakthroughs and new treatments, helping people live longer, healthier lives, and building the research foundation that drives discovery.
NIH uses activity codes (e.g. R01, R43, etc.) to differentiate the wide variety of research-related programs they support. NIH Institutes and Centers may vary in the way they use activity codes; not all Institutes and Centers accept applications for all types of grant programs or they apply specialized eligibility criteria.
The major grant awards of the NIH are divided into Research Grants (R series), Career Development Awards (K series), Research Training and Fellowships (T & F series), Program Project/Center Grants (P series), and miscellaneous programs. There are various requirements for grants. Some grants are specified for "new investigators", which is defined as someone who has not received a prior NIH grant other than a career award or specific small grants (R15, R21, R56, etc.). An "early stage investigator" is someone who has received their PhD or MD or has finished residency within the past 10 years. Learn more about the various types of programs at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding_program.htm.
The most common research grant mechanism is the R01. It is the oldest funding mechanism of the NIH. R01s are generally awarded for 3–5 years, and are used to support a "discrete, specified, circumscribed research project". R01s can be renewed by competitive application. The application cycle has 3 sets of application dates each year. Standard due dates for new grant applications are February, June, and October 5, and for renewal, resubmission, and revision grant applications are March, July, and November 5. AIDs-related grants have separate due dates. All grant-awarding institutes and centers award R01s. Applications for R01s are complex and are typically over 100 pages by submission.
In financial year 2016, the NIH received 26,187 applications for new R01 grants. 17.3% were funded, for a total of $2.2 billion. The average annual budget was $460,000.
For basic research advancing beyond the academic realm, the NIH provides non-dilutive federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The two programs award over $2.7 billion in R&D funding annually to qualified small businesses developing game-changing technologies.
Do you think your research might qualify for an NIH award of one kind or the other? If so, you may want to participate in two upcoming FREE WEBINARS facilitated by the experts at BBCetc and supported by the WMed Innovation Center through its Growth Accelerator Fund award from the Small Business Administration.
On Thursday, May 7, 2020, a short program titled “NIH Grant Program Overview” will be offered from 12:00 – 2:00 pm. This session will provide an overview of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) grant programs. In addition to up-to-date information on the SBIR/STTR programs, it will cover:
• Different NIH grant mechanisms and where to find them - navigating the NIH website
• A review of research projects qualities that would be considered Basic vs Translational
• How to find the program officers, how to approach them, what questions to ask
• How to do research using the web tools available (eReporter, SBIR.gov, etc.)
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them, and much more.
Registration at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9129355402248727819.
On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, a longer full-day workshop webinar will be offered from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm. This workshop will focus on the SBIR/STTR program for the National Institutes of Health and all its divisions. In this workshop participants will review the program requirements, eligibility, reviewers’ expectations, and the nuts and bolts of the proposal and budget development. Register at https://bbcetctraining52020.eventbrite.com.