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

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award is a federal grant opportunity administered by the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opportunity is part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program and is identified as RFA-RM-28-002. The program supports exceptionally creative early-stage investigators who are pursuing bold and innovative research with the potential to transform important areas of science relevant to the NIH mission. Applications are welcomed across all fields relevant to NIH, and the New Innovator Award complements other NIH programs that support early-stage investigators. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, uses a grant funding instrument, and falls within the Health category of funding activity under Assistance Listing 93.310, Trans-NIH Research Support. The forecast anticipates approximately 30 awards and estimated total program funding of 22700000 dollars. The stated award ceiling is 475000 dollars and the stated award floor is also 475000 dollars. The source does not provide additional details concerning whether the stated award amount is annual or represents the total project award, nor does it provide a period of performance, indirect cost limitation, subaward limitation, or other detailed spending rules. Cost sharing or matching is explicitly not required. Because this is a forecast rather than the final funding announcement, applicants should rely on the subsequently posted opportunity for any additional funding conditions, allowable cost provisions, restrictions, or project period requirements that are not included in the forecast. Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants listed in the forecast include federally recognized Native American tribal governments, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, private institutions of higher education, state governments, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, county governments, special district governments, small businesses, city or township governments, independent school districts, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and public and state controlled institutions of higher education. Additional eligible applicants include Indian or Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized governments, eligible agencies of the federal government, U.S. territories or possessions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and non-domestic or non-U.S. entities, including foreign institutions. The opportunity is currently forecasted rather than open for applications. Grants.gov reports a forecast date and last updated date of September 3, 2026. The estimated posting date is March 15, 2027, which is treated as the expected application opening date based on the information currently available. The estimated application due date is August 19, 2027. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating deadline is identified in the supplied forecast. The source also does not identify specific required application questions, narrative sections, forms, attachments, registration steps beyond the general Grants.gov environment, or other submission components. Those requirements may be provided when the full opportunity is posted. The program's stated focus provides the clearest available guidance regarding competitive alignment. Proposed work should reflect exceptionally creative research by an early-stage investigator, be bold and innovative, and demonstrate the potential to transform an important area of science relevant to the NIH mission. The supplied forecast does not provide formal scored review criteria, detailed evaluation factors, application review procedures, or selection methodology. Accordingly, no additional evaluation criteria should be inferred from the forecast. Applicants may pursue research across fields relevant to NIH, consistent with the broad scientific scope described for the New Innovator Award. The estimated award date is August 30, 2028, and the estimated project start date is September 30, 2028, for fiscal year 2028. No recurring or annual application schedule is explicitly stated in the supplied forecast, so recurrence is not assumed and no next-cycle date is generated. Questions regarding the opportunity may be directed to the NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program at NewInnovatorAwards@mail.nih.gov. No individual grantor contact person or telephone number is provided. Because this is a forecasted opportunity, the dates, funding information, application requirements, and other details should be treated as estimates until the final funding opportunity is posted.

Emphasize exceptionally creative, bold, and innovative research with the potential to transform an important area of science relevant to the NIH mission. The opportunity welcomes applications across all fields relevant to NIH and specifically supports early-stage investigators.