Opportunity Listing - NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

There has been a lapse in appropriated federal funds as of February 1, 2026. Grants.gov and Simpler.Grants.gov will still be available, but service may be delayed with reduced Federal support staff presence.

For those programs affected by the funding lapse, the Grants.gov and Simpler.Grants.gov systems will accept and store applications until such time as the responsible awarding agency has the authority and funding to return to normal business operations.

NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

Agency: National Institutes of Health

Assistance Listings: 93.310 -- Trans-NIH Research Support

Last Updated: January 6, 2026

View version history on Grants.gov

Description

The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing bold, groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original, and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. Applications in any area within the biomedical sciences are welcome. No preliminary data are required. Projects must clearly demonstrate, based on the strength of the logic, a compelling potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of relevance to the NIH. The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Government

City or township governments
Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
State governments
County governments
Special district governments

Business

For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses

Education

Private institutions of higher education
Public and state institutions of higher education
Independent school districts

Miscellaneous

Other

Nonprofit

Other Native American tribal organizations
Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Additional information

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government, excluding the NIH Intramural Research Program (NIH IRP);U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

Grantor contact information

Description

Email

Transformative_Awards@mail.nih.gov

Documents

No documents are currently available.

Link to additional information

Forecasted

Estimated Post Date:

July 3, 2026

Estimated Application Due Date:

September 3, 2026

Estimated Due Date Description:

Not available

Estimated Award Date:

August 30, 2027

Estimated Project Start Date:

September 30, 2027

Fiscal Year:

2027

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.

Award

$8,000,000

Program Funding

Expected awards

$--

Award Minimum

$--

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

RFA-RM-26-003

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

Funding instrument type:

Grant

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

Category of Funding Activity:

Health

Category Explanation:

History

Version:

Forecast posted date:

January 6, 2026

Archive date: