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NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity PA-25-306

Deadline January 7, 2028 485 days left
Award range Not stated
Total program funding
PostedDecember 18, 2024

Who can apply

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

About this opportunity

The NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant supports exploratory and developmental research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. This Parent Notice of Funding Opportunity requires that at least 1 clinical trial be proposed. The proposed project must be related to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on their scientific missions.Applicants should note that some ICs (see Related Notices) only accept applications proposing mechanistic studies that meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial through this funding opportunity announcement.

Award history — this exact opportunity

NIH RePORTER lists 31 funded awards under PA-25-306 across 29 organizations.

Awards by fiscal year 2026: 31
Award size (min / median / max) $195k / $410k / $477k

Total award obligations, not per-year amounts.

Recent awardees include: NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ARLINGTON.

Source: NIH RePORTER, matched on the exact opportunity number. NIH publishes success rates by institute and activity code — source.

Portfolio context — this listing covers more than this opportunity

This opportunity is funded under Assistance Listing 93.113 (“Environmental Health”), a broad federal program that made about 246 new awards per year over the last five fiscal years (median award $468k). Those figures describe that whole portfolio — not this specific solicitation, so we don't show them as if they were this opportunity's track record.

Applicant counts per solicitation are not published by any federal agency — no one can honestly sell you that number. NIH publishes success rates by institute and activity code — source.

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