Assay development and screening for discovery of chemical probes, drugs or immunomodulators (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions and organizations seeking funding to identify and develop chemical probes or drug candidates through assay development and screening. Eligible applicants include universities (HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, AANAPISIs), federal agencies, faith-based and community organizations, tribal institutions, and foreign organizations. Research activities focus on early-stage discovery: developing assays for biological targets, conducting high-throughput or phenotypic screening, validating hits with secondary assays, and optimizing lead compounds. Clinical trials are not supported. Funding supports basic research to advance knowledge of disease biology or generate pre-therapeutic leads.
This grant is for research institutions and organizations seeking funding to identify and develop chemical probes or drug candidates through assay development and screening. Eligible applicants include universities (HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, AANAPISIs), federal agencies, faith-based and community organizations, tribal institutions, and foreign organizations. Research activities focus on early-stage discovery: developing assays for biological targets, conducting high-throughput or phenotypic screening, validating hits with secondary assays, and optimizing lead compounds. Clinical trials are not supported. Funding supports basic research to advance knowledge of disease biology or generate pre-therapeutic leads.
Program description
Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits applications for identification of small molecules that function to elucidate the biology of disease as chemical probes or function as agonists or antagonists of disease target(s) for therapy or immunotherapy. The NOFO is intended to support discovery research for the identification of validated hits relevant to health-related outcomes of participating NIH Institutes. Stages of discovery research covered by this NOFO include: 1) assay development for specific biological targets and disease mechanisms relevant to the mission of participating NIH Institutes with the intent to screen for small molecule compounds that show potential as probes for use in advancing knowledge about the known targets, identifying new targets, or as pre-therapeutic leads; 2) screen implementation high throughput target-focused approaches or moderate throughput phenotypic- and fragment-based approaches to identify initial screening hits; 3) hit validation, including implementation of secondary assays that are orthogonal to the primary assay, advanced cheminformatics analysis and initial medicinal chemistry inspection to prioritize the hit set, and follow-up assays to characterize mode and mechanism of action of the validated hits; 4) hit-to-lead optimization, including SAR to optimize target engagement, selectivity and to minimize chemical liabilities, ADME, PK and PD studies, and, if appropriate, in vivo modeling to test efficacy or biological effects.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Faith-based Organization
- HBCU
- HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution)
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Details
This grant is for research institutions and organizations seeking funding to identify and develop chemical probes or drug candidates through assay development and screening. Eligible applicants include universities (HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, AANAPISIs), federal agencies, faith-based and community organizations, tribal institutions, and foreign organizations. Research activities focus on early-stage discovery: developing assays for biological targets, conducting high-throughput or phenotypic screening, validating hits with secondary assays, and optimizing lead compounds. Clinical trials are not supported. Funding supports basic research to advance knowledge of disease biology or generate pre-therapeutic leads.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R)
- Project Narrative
- Biosketch (all key personnel)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Supporting Documents (letters of collaboration, preliminary data)
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.395 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$333,720,995
-
$226,323,195
-
$180,463,644
-
$148,820,579
-
$130,290,027
-
$125,672,442
-
$124,513,663
-
$112,462,142
-
$110,600,870
-
$96,205,648
Top States by Funding
- CA 9 awards $710.7M
- PA 5 awards $513.3M
- NY 7 awards $462.6M
- MA 7 awards $282.8M
- IL 3 awards $274.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.395). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,298,551,504 | |
| 2025 | $1,414,965,434 | |
| 2026 est. | $926,626,977 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Universities (including HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions), federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, tribal institutions, and foreign organizations. For-profit companies are not eligible.
What types of research does this grant support?
Assay development, high-throughput or phenotypic screening, hit validation, and hit-to-lead optimization. Clinical trials are not allowed.
Can I conduct in vivo studies?
Yes, in vivo studies are allowed in later stages for efficacy testing or characterizing biological effects, but human clinical trials are prohibited.
What is the application deadline?
The fixed deadline is September 7, 2026.
Is cost-sharing required?
No, cost-sharing is not required for this grant.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly articulate how your assay or screening approach fills a gap in the field. Use preliminary data or published evidence to support feasibility.
- Detail your hit validation strategy with orthogonal assays and cheminformatics analysis. Reviewers prioritize rigorous secondary validation.
- Connect your work to health-related outcomes and the specific mission of participating NIH institutes. Show clinical relevance beyond basic discovery.
- Budget realistic timelines for each stage: assay development typically takes 6–12 months, screening 3–6 months, and hit optimization 12–18 months.
- If proposing in vivo studies, justify why they are essential and include a realistic plan for compound synthesis and pharmacokinetic assessment.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications lack clear connection between the target and disease relevance. Hit validation plans are vague or rely solely on the primary assay without orthogonal approaches. Budget and timeline are unrealistic for multi-stage discovery work.
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