Questions and Answers Table of Contents
General
R03 -- Small Research Grant Program
R21 -- Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award
General
Where can I find basic information on small grant awards?
For guidance on small grant program announcements, visit the Web sites listed in NIH Guide announcements, and contact a program officer in your area of interest. Also see the Small and Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants SOP.
What are the basic requirements for a small grant?
Look at the Applicants section of the Small and Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants SOP for basic requirements.
What kinds of projects are suitable for small grants?
See the Procedure section of the Small and Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants SOP for examples of suitable R03 grant projects. For R21 grants, read the research objectives listed in the Guide notice.
What types of small grants does NIAID support?
NIAID supports Small Research Grants and Exploratory/Developmental Grants Phase I. Both are non-renewable awards that give principal investigators limited support for the early-stage development of new projects.
As a new
investigator, should I always ask for the smallest grant type?
No. Although new PIs can use R03 and R21 grants to gather preliminary data for larger research projects, most investigators start with an R01. See Which Award Type Suits You Best? for guidance.
What are the types of small grant announcements?
There are two types of announcements. NIAID funds small grants under the broad NIH-wide NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03) and NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21). NIAID also issues small grant PAs aimed at our high-priority areas of science, which you can find on the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID.
Is it better to apply under one of the broad NIH PAs or an Institute-specific one?
Though NIAID funds small grants under the two broad NIH program announcements for any topic in its mission, other PAs aimed at our high-priority areas often come with higher paylines or funding levels.
If you have a choice between targeting your application to a broad NIH
PA or an Institute-specific one, we suggest you go for the latter.
Why do small grant PAs state that some ICs accept investigator-initiated small grant applications?
At NIH, PAs fund investigator-initiated research. NIH
requires a program announcement number because many institutes don't support research under
the two broad small grant PAs but may accept applications under institute-specific initiatives in defined topics.
When applying under the broad PAs for small grants, make sure you do
not target your application to a non-participating IC. For more information,
see How does NIH define investigator-initiated research? in Awards Types questions and answers.
How do I find active initiatives?
To find active initiatives, check the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID. The Reference Number, Title, and Link box tells you the activity codes
supported, e.g., R03 or R21.
How do I apply for an R03 or R21
grant?
You must apply electronically; see the R03 Guide notice and
the R21 Guide notice.
For other application details, read the Small
and Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants SOP.
How much time and money can I get with these awards?
For both award types, you can get up to two years of support. R03 grants limit direct costs to $50,000 a year, while R21 grants provide up to $275,000 in direct costs for the entire project.
If my application is not funded, how many times can I reapply?
You can reapply twice. Read Part 11b. Not Funded, Reapply in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal for more on revising an application.
Can
R03s and R21s be renewed?
No. NIH does not accept renewal applications for
R03s or R21s.
Do small grant awards receive annual budget increases?
Most small grant awards are modular, so they wouldn't. (Foreign institutions submit a detailed budget.)
If I have a subaward agreement, what budget information must I send for the partner organization in my application?
For modular grants such as the R03 and R21, we require the name and
total cost each year for consortium partners. You don't
need to send a detailed budget.
Must a subaward partner provide a detailed budget if the primary applicant prepares a modular budget?
If the application is modular, include only the name of the subaward partner and total cost for each year in the budget justification. Be sure to include subaward partners in the list of performance sites.
On the other hand, nonmodular applications proposing subawards must include a list of performance sites and complete budget pages for each subaward partner.
R03 -- Small Research Grant Program
Is a subaward with a foreign institution allowed under an R03?
Yes, you may have a foreign subaward under an R03. That holds true for the parent R03 funding opportunity announcement as well as Institute-specific FOAs. As always, however, please read your FOA carefully for any restrictions.
R21 -- Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award
Is NIAID soliciting any R21 grants that are not in the biodefense or emerging infectious diseases areas?
Yes. You'll find several other initiatives using the R21. The Reference Number, Title, and Link column in the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID shows the award mechanisms used for each initiative.
Do new investigators receive any special consideration when applying for an R21?
Both new and experienced investigators apply for the smaller, two-year R21 to introduce novel scientific ideas, model systems, and technologies that have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research.
However, as a new investigator, you do get some special consideration in that reviewers take into account you'll have fewer resources and publications than more established researchers do.
Data show that new and experienced investigators fare equally well in obtaining an R21.
I am resubmitting an R21 application. How long should my introduction
be?
With the switch to electronic application, the introduction for resubmitted
R21s has been trimmed from three pages to one.
Can I see an example of a successful R21 application?
We don’t have an example of an R21 application. However, our Annotated R01 Research Plan and Summary Statement is a good reference to use as guide. You should also consider the following points:
- Include limited preliminary data.
- Use the same approach as an R01 application but propose less.
- Carefully follow the instructions in R21 Guide notice.
What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?
Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. We answer questions by email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base. |
