Building Sustainable Software Tools for Open Science (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 18, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers seeking to develop sustainable, reproducible research software tools. Applicants must be affiliated with institutions eligible for NIH funding, including universities, research institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The grant supports software development in biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and health-related research domains aligned with the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science. R03 activity code limits award scope to smaller projects; clinical trials are explicitly excluded from this track.
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Key dates
- Feb 5, 2026 Applications open
- Jun 16, 2026 Application deadline
- Apr 13, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 13, 2027 Project start
Program description
The Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) along with other NIH Institutes and Centers NEI, NHLBI, NHGRI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAMS, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIDA, NIEHS, NIMH, NINDS, NIMHD, NLM, NCCIH, and NCI intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for renewal of the funding opportunity for Building Sustainable Software Tools for Open Science (RFA-OD-24-010).
This funding opportunity is intended to provide a flexible mechanism to support the use of best practices and design principles for scientific software development/engineering and to promote community engagement for open science. Successful grants will enable and/or enhance biomedical, clinical, behavioral, social, and health-related research endeavors by (1) developing robust, sustainable, scalable, and reproducible research software tools and workflows, (2) extending the impact of research software by broader dissemination to the scientific community, (3) supporting collaborations between scientists and software engineers to leverage modern, best practices in research software development, and (4) enhancing software skills of the research workforce. This initiative is aligned with the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science, which describes actions aimed at building a better data infrastructure and a modernized data ecosystem.
No applications are being solicited at this time. Given the early expiration of RFA-OD-24-010, this notice will allow for potential applicants the opportunity to continue developing high-impact research software projects. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of research software development are encouraged to consider applying for this new NOFO that will use the R03 activity code.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&D) form
- Project Narrative (specific page limit determined in NOFO)
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Biographical Sketches (NIH format)
- Facilities and Administrative Costs statement
- Letters of Support from collaborators (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS)
- 📧 sustainablesoftware@nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via email
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.310 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$383,462,829
-
$198,364,987
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$190,396,050
-
$179,737,926
-
$169,422,678
-
$148,383,140
-
$143,679,156
-
$115,739,255
-
$108,778,286
-
$90,799,903
Top States by Funding
- NC 4 awards $446.4M
- WA 1 awards $383.5M
- MD 2 awards $317.8M
- NY 3 awards $207.3M
- CA 1 awards $198.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.310). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,174,839,078 | |
| 2025 | $1,062,277,534 | |
| 2026 est. | $28,100,048 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Researchers at NIH-eligible institutions can apply. This includes universities, nonprofits, hospitals, and research organizations. Your institution must have an active Federal-wide Assurance (FWA) or equivalent NIH eligibility status.
What types of software projects are funded?
Grants support development of robust, sustainable research software tools and workflows. Projects must focus on open science, reproducibility, and best practices in software engineering. Clinical trial software is excluded under the R03 activity code.
What is the R03 activity code?
R03 is a small grant mechanism designed for limited-scope projects. It typically supports exploratory work, pilot projects, or smaller research efforts with lower budgets than R01 grants.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is June 16, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling. Applicants should verify the final NOFO publication date before submitting.
What makes a competitive application?
Strong applications demonstrate clear software sustainability plans, team expertise in both science and engineering, community engagement strategy, and alignment with open science principles. Reproducibility and scalability must be central to the proposal.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build a team with both domain scientists and professional software engineers. Software expertise is essential for this mechanism.
- Develop a sustainability and dissemination plan from the start. Explain how your tool will remain viable and reach the broader research community.
- Focus on reproducibility and best practices in your proposal. Emphasize modern software development methods and clear documentation.
- Address how your project aligns with the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science. Reference specific data infrastructure goals and open science priorities.
- Plan for community engagement early. Show how researchers will adopt and contribute feedback to your software tool.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposals lacking a clear sustainability plan or underestimating the importance of software engineering expertise. Applications that treat software as secondary to research rather than as a primary deliverable. Projects without adequate community engagement or dissemination strategy.
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