Limited Competition: Small Research Grant Program for NIAID K01/K08/K23 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 290

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 290

The Limited Competition: Small Research Grant Program for NIAID K01/K08/K23 Recipients (PAR-20-290) is a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funding opportunity that lets investigators who already hold certain NIAID-supported career development awards add a small, targeted research project while they are finishing their mentored K award period. Specifically, it is designed for current NIAID K01, K08, and K23 recipients to apply for an NIH Small Research Grant (R03) during the final two years of their K award. The main purpose is to strengthen the awardee's research trajectory and help them build the kind of evidence, productivity, and technical footing that supports a successful transition to full independence, often represented by a later R01 or similar major research application.

The mechanism used here is the R03, which is meant for short-duration, limited-budget research that still produces meaningful outputs. NIAID highlights the kinds of projects that fit this scope: pilot and feasibility studies that test whether a larger approach will work, secondary analyses of existing datasets, small and self-contained research projects that can be completed without a large infrastructure, and work focused on developing research methods or new research technology. In practical terms, the R03 under this announcement is meant to generate preliminary data, refine approaches, and reduce risk for a subsequent larger proposal, rather than to fund an expansive multi-year research program. A key boundary is built into the title itself: clinical trials are not allowed under this R03 opportunity, so applicants need to structure their aims accordingly and avoid proposing a study that meets NIH's definition of a clinical trial.

This is a limited competition opportunity, meaning the applicant pool is intentionally restricted: it is not broadly open to all investigators, but rather targeted to individuals who already have the relevant NIAID-supported K award and who are in the appropriate timing window (the last two years of the K project period). The applicant organization types are broad in the sense that many kinds of U.S.-based institutions and entities can submit applications on behalf of eligible investigators, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), along with independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The announcement also explicitly calls out a range of mission-serving institutions and community-connected organizations as eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and certain tribal entities (including Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized, as well as federally recognized tribal governments listed in the general eligibility section).

There are clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In effect, the work supported under this announcement must be fully domestic in the NIH sense, with no foreign institutional applicant and no foreign component arrangements.

From an administrative standpoint, this is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding category, associated with CFDA number 93.855, and it was created on September 14, 2020. The listed award ceiling is $50,000, consistent with the R03 mechanism's emphasis on small, focused projects, and the original closing date shown is September 7, 2023. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a bridge: it gives late-stage K awardees a chance to run a modest, well-scoped study that sharpens their independent research niche, produces publishable results or preliminary data, and strengthens the scientific foundation for the next step toward independent NIH research support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Small Research Grant Program for NIAID K01/K08/K23 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 20 290

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: