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Table of Contents
Are You Ready for This Part?
Part 1. Qualifying for a Grant explains how to qualify for different grant types, fit in at NIH and elsewhere, and meet your institution's expectations.
Before reading this page, be sure that you . . .
Where Does Your Research Belong?
Do some homework, and find an institute that is enthusiastic about your project before you apply. |
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Let's start at NIH. You can potentially qualify for NIH funding as long as your topic meets the NIH Mission.
But fitting in is complex. NIH is made up of 27 semiautonomous institutes and centers, each with a defined research focus.
 Our Advice: Check Around NIH, NIAID, and Other Funding Sources
NIH. It can be advantageous to do some homework and find an institute that is enthusiastic about your project before you apply. Requesting assignment to an institute that is enthusiastic about your research may give your application a funding leg up.
Then when you apply, you can request assignment there. Alternatively, NIH will direct your application to an appropriate institute.
To gauge an institute's interest, do the following:
- Start by checking the areas in which an institute is actually soliciting applications by participating in a program announcement or request for applications.
- Next contact program officers in institutes that best match your research interests to glean their level of enthusiasm for your research area and how you might fit into any initiatives you found.
- Then ask about possible topics for investigator-initiated research:
NIH program staff are there to help you at each step of your funding quest; find them at Institutes,
Centers and Offices.
NIAID. Might your research belong at NIAID? We support basic and applied research to understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
Contact the program
officer for your area of science:
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- Search on the Web for scientific areas NIAID supports. Go to Research by Topic.
- Get help from NIAID program officers in DAIDS, DAIT, or DMID. Go to the links in the box at right.
- Follow the steps under the NIH header above.
Other places. Look for other potential funding sources. You can submit an application to NIH and other organizations at the same time. Just tell us that you will accept only one.
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Does your research fit NIH's mission?
- No. Find other grant sources online at Grants.gov.
- Yes. Continue reading.
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Does your research belong at NIAID?
- No. The advice in the NIH Grant Cycle will help you even if you're applying elsewhere. Continue reading.
- Yes. Continue reading.
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Does Your Institution Qualify for NIH Support?
Most organizations qualify for research project grants. |
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NIH awards most grant types to institutions.
Most types of institutions including universities, small and
large businesses, and foreign institutions qualify for
research
grants,
such as the standard R01.
For some grants types, NIH limits eligibility; for example, foreign institutions may not apply for small business awards. If you are applying as a foreign institution or investigator, see Does NIH Fund Foreign Institutions and Investigators?
Federal institutions. U.S. federal organizations may receive NIH grants, but those in the Public Health Service may get NIH funds under exceptional circumstances only. See Part II, Subpart B, File 5 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement for more information.
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Does your institution qualify for NIH support?
- No. Find other grant sources online at Grants.gov.
- Yes. Continue reading.
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You and Your Institution
Ask your institution: at what career level may you apply for independent funding? |
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Our Advice: Get to Know Your Institution's Expectations and Contacts
Talk to people in your institution's business office (e.g., Office of Sponsored Research) to learn expectations. And find out who are your contacts since you'll be interacting with them before and during application.
Get answers to the following questions:
- What level of investigator may apply for independent funding?
- What are the internal procedures and deadlines for applying?
- What level of institutional support can you expect?
- You may need two to three years of funding support while you apply
and possibly reapply.
- Even if you get a grant, you may need to supplement that money.
- Before accepting a job is the best time to negotiate institutional support. Some people get two to three years of support from their institutions to carry them over while they're waiting for grant support.
- What types of resources does your institution have?
- Make sure you plan research that matches the equipment and facilities in your institution or that of any collaborators.
- If you'll need additional support, will you get it? What can you expect in terms of staff, supplies, equipment, and other resources?
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Will your institution allow you to apply for an independent grant, such as an R01?
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Are you a non-U.S. citizen or legal resident or representative of a foreign institution?
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Does NIH Fund Foreign Institutions and Investigators?
You do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship for most grant types. |
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Though most NIH grants go to
domestic institutions, you do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship to
become either a grantee institution
or a PI for most grant types.
The main exceptions are small business awards, which require U.S. citizenship, and fellowships, career development awards (with one minor exception), and training awards, for which you must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident (have an Alien Registration Receipt Card).
Foreign investigators working on NIH-funded grants have the following requirements:
- If you are a non-U.S. citizen working at a U.S. institution, you will need to remain there long enough to
finish your project.
- If you
do not have a permanent visa, state in your application that your
visa will allow you to remain in the U.S. long enough for you to
be productive
on the project.
- Your institution ensures that
you have an appropriate visa.
- Persons from countries listed as State Sponsors of Terrorism cannot work with any agent covered by the USA Patriot Act. For lists of relevant pathogens, go to HHS and USDA Select Agents and Toxins.
- We recommend that you read Foreign Applications Have an Extra Review Step.
For foreign institutional applicants, NIH requires additional steps to register for electronic application. Go to Grants.gov Registration Instructions for Domestic and Foreign Institutions.
Find more information online:
Do You Qualify for an Independent NIH Grant?
R01s generally go to scientists who are assistant professors or higher. |
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You should meet the following criteria before you seek an independent research grant, such as an R01:
- Hold a Ph.D. or M.D.
- Have a faculty-level position, usually assistant professor or higher.
- Have a publication record in the field in which you are applying.
- Work in a research institution that will provide the resources, e.g., equipment and lab space, you will need to complete the project.
You will also need preliminary data for an R01. If you don't have preliminary data, read Which Award Type Suits You Best?
NIAID supports scientists at various stages in their careers, from pre-doctoral fellowships to investigators with extensive experience who run large research centers.
If you are at an early stage or have questions, contact our training director, Dr. Milton Hernández, at 301-496-3775 or mh35c@nih.gov. Also see Starting a Research Career in our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding.
Find more information online:
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Do you qualify for an independent NIH grant?
- No. If you are a U.S. citizen, read about Training and Career Awards; contact Dr. Milton Hernández, NIAID's training director. At this point, this tutorial is mainly for investigators applying for an R01.
- Yes. Continue on to Part 2. Game Plan.
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Help us improve our outreach to you by emailing deaweb@niaid.nih.gov. |
