NIH Director's Pioneer Award (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)

The NIH Director's Pioneer 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 number is RFA-RM-28-001, and the Assistance Listing is 93.310, Trans-NIH Research Support. The award is part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program. Its purpose is to support exceptionally creative scientists pursuing bold and innovative research with the potential to transform important areas of science relevant to the NIH mission. The opportunity is currently identified by Grants.gov as a forecast rather than an open funding announcement. The Pioneer Award is intended for research that explores new scientific directions. Proposed projects must differ substantially from the investigator's current research and from existing work in the field. Applications are welcomed across all areas of research relevant to NIH. The source emphasizes exceptionally creative scientists, bold and innovative research, transformative potential, and new scientific directions. No additional allowable-cost rules, prohibited-cost rules, indirect cost limitations, subaward restrictions, or detailed project-period requirements are stated in the provided forecast. Estimated total program funding is $8,200,000, with seven awards expected. Both the stated award floor and award ceiling are $700,000. The source therefore identifies a single stated award level of $700,000 rather than an award range. Cost sharing or matching is explicitly identified as not required. The forecast does not provide further details concerning whether the $700,000 amount is annual or cumulative, the duration of individual awards, indirect cost treatment, or other budget conditions. Eligibility is broad. Grants.gov lists nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, for profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. 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 entities or foreign institutions. The forecast does not identify a U.S. state-specific restriction. The opportunity was forecast on September 3, 2026 and was last updated on September 3, 2026. The estimated posting date is March 15, 2027, and the estimated application due date is September 9, 2027. Because the opportunity is forecasted and its estimated posting date is in the future, it is in an early engagement stage rather than currently accepting applications. The source does not identify a letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement. It also does not provide application questions, required proposal components, submission forms, evaluation criteria, or detailed submission mechanics beyond the Grants.gov opportunity context. No recurring or rolling application schedule is explicitly stated. NIH estimates an award date of August 30, 2028 and an estimated project start date of September 30, 2028, for fiscal year 2028. These dates are estimates because the opportunity remains a forecast. No archive date is listed. The source does not state that this opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no recurrence or next-cycle date is inferred. Questions concerning the program may be directed to the NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program by email at PioneerAwards@mail.nih.gov. No individual grantor contact name or telephone number is provided in the source.

Emphasize exceptionally creative, bold, innovative research with the potential to transform an important area of science relevant to the NIH mission. The proposed project must explore a new scientific direction that differs substantially from the investigator's current research and from existing work in the field.