NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)

About this grant

The  NIH Director’s Pioneer Award  supports individual scientists 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. To be considered pioneering, the proposed research must reflect substantially different scientific directions from those already being pursued in the investigator’s research program or elsewhere. Applications in any area within the biomed Grant Number: RFA-RM-26-001. Expected awards: 8.

What the funding covers

• Award Range: $700K to $700K
• Expected Number of Awards: 8
• Total Program Funding: $8.1M

How to apply

1. 1Check eligibility: Confirm your organization type (e.g., nonprofit, state government), project alignment, and deadlines from the opportunity synopsis.
2. 2Register: Create a Grants.gov account via Login.gov, complete SAM.gov and UEI registration, and authorize organization representatives (takes 2-4 weeks).
3. 3Prepare application: Select "Apply" to open Workspace, download forms (e.g., SF-424), complete offline/online with validation checks, and upload supporting docs like budgets and narratives.
4. 4Submit and track: Check package for errors, sign/submit via Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and monitor status with your tracking number
5. 5Applications must be submitted through grants.gov
6. 6Grant Number: RFA-RM-26-001
7. 7Posted: 2025-12-11

Application tips