← Grant listing · GrantsDue Pro

Developing novel theory and methods for understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-256 · Deadline: January 7, 2027

Program-level history — this opportunity doesn't publish per-opportunity awards, so these numbers describe its parent program (CFDA 93.172, Human Genome Research), not this competition alone. Labeled that way on purpose.

Program volume ~170 awards/yr

190 unique recipients in the sample; 80 repeat winners.

Actual award size (program) $747k median

range $9k – $28.7M

Draw-down reality (program)

Across 185 completed awards in this program (FY2021+ sample, USAspending outlay records), grantees ultimately drew a median 96% of obligated funds. A median well under 100% means underspend or early closure is common here — worth knowing before promising a spend-down timeline.

Listing summary

The goal of this NOFO is to support R21 applications for novel theory and methods development that better delineate how genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to complex trait variation across individuals, families, and populations. Approaches should be interdisciplinary across the natural and social sciences, account for interdependencies across scales of biological, social, and ecological organization, and make extensive use of theory, simulations, and validation using available large-scale datasets

Eligibility: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other), Nonprofits with 501(c)(3), other than higher education, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3), Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others · Categories: Education, Health · official listing ↗

This is the free preview

The full brief adds winner tables, recipient breakdowns, the printable "prepared for your client" version, and CSV export — plus a matched-grants list for your client's profile. Client Packet $79 or Pro subscription →

Sources: NIH RePORTER (opportunity-exact) and USAspending (program-level), labeled per section. GrantsDue computes summaries only; verify anything critical against the originals. Methodology.