Research Software Engineer (RSE) Award (R50 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research software engineers and related professionals at research institutions seeking funding to support dedicated software engineering work on NIH-funded research projects. Applicants must be employed by or affiliated with an eligible institution (typically universities, medical centers, research institutes, or other research organizations that receive NIH funding). The award supports salary, benefits, and related costs for RSE positions focused on developing, maintaining, and improving research software. Clinical trials are explicitly not supported under this mechanism. Funding is available to U.S. institutions and their staff; international collaborators may participate but the lead applicant organization must be U.S.-based and NIH-eligible.
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Program description
The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to provide salary support for exceptional Research Software Engineers (RSEs) that contribute their skills to the development and dissemination of biomedical, behavioral or health related software, tools, and algorithms as well as to the training of prospective users of these tools.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- R&R Application (forms SF-424, R&R Subaward Budget Attachment Form if applicable)
- Project Narrative (typically 5-10 pages describing the RSE role, qualifications, and research needs)
- Biosketch of the proposed RSE or RSE lead (NIH format, 5 pages max)
- Budget and Budget Justification (salary, fringe, institutional costs)
- Institutional commitment letter or endorsement from research leadership
- Letters of support from PIs or research groups that will benefit from the RSE position
- Current and pending support information
- Facilities and resources documentation
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.113 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$200,640,187
-
$49,163,443
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$47,446,509
-
$44,785,560
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$33,491,440
-
$32,623,202
-
$31,263,603
-
$30,390,185
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$30,320,471
-
$29,228,555
Top States by Funding
- NC 10 awards $369.0M
- NY 11 awards $187.6M
- CA 11 awards $177.3M
- MA 7 awards $127.8M
- MD 5 awards $52.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.113). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $445,816,844 | |
| 2025 | $465,862,818 | |
| 2026 est. | $40,301,265 |
FAQ
Who can apply for the NIH RSE Award?
Research software engineers, computational scientists, and bioinformaticians employed by or affiliated with NIH-eligible research institutions (universities, medical centers, national laboratories, research organizations). You must be nominated or supported by your institution.
What research projects can be supported?
RSE salaries and support for software development on any NIH-funded research project, except clinical trials (which are excluded under the R50 mechanism).
What is the typical funding level and project duration?
R50 awards typically provide salary support for 1-3 years, with amounts varying based on the role, institution, and scope of work. Renewal or extension may be possible through competing continuation applications.
How competitive is this award?
Competition is moderate. Preference is typically given to applicants with strong computational skills, evidence of contributing to team science, and clear alignment with ongoing NIH-funded research priorities.
Can this award support multiple RSE positions or equipment?
The award primarily supports salary and benefits for RSE positions. Equipment and supplies may be included if justified as essential to the RSE role, but the focus is on personnel costs.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly articulate the specific software engineering needs of your research group and how the RSE position will enhance research productivity and reproducibility.
- Emphasize how the RSE will support collaborative, team-based research and contribute to the broader research mission, not just one PI's work.
- Highlight the RSE's technical qualifications, training in software best practices, and experience with relevant programming languages or research domains.
- Align the proposed role with NIH's emphasis on reproducibility, rigor, and resource sharing in computational research.
- Include letters of support from PIs or research leaders whose projects will benefit from the RSE's contributions, demonstrating institutional commitment to sustainable research software practices.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications fail to clearly demonstrate how the RSE position meets a genuine institutional need beyond supporting a single PI's research—NIH favors proposals that show team science and broader research impact. Applicants often underestimate the importance of showing the RSE's role in promoting reproducibility, code sharing, and best practices; generic descriptions of software development work are less competitive than those tied to NIH's open science and rigor priorities. Finally, insufficient institutional commitment or vague plans for how the RSE's time will be allocated across projects can weaken an application.
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