Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Assay Development and Neurotherapeutic Agent Identification (R61/R33 Clinical Trial 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 early-stage biomedical researchers and organizations seeking support to develop diagnostic assays and identify novel neurotherapeutic agents. Applicants typically include academic institutions, research hospitals, nonprofit research organizations, and small businesses (including minority-owned and woman-owned enterprises). The NIH awards these grants to support translational research that bridges basic science and clinical applications, with a focus on innovative approaches that are not yet mature enough for full clinical trials. Funding supports exploratory research, assay development, compound screening, and preliminary efficacy studies. International organizations are generally not eligible, though foreign components may be permitted under specific conditions. Funding is restricted to U.S. domestic research institutions and their researchers.
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Program description
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages research grant applications to develop in vitro and/or ex vivo assays and conduct iterative screening efforts to identify and characterize potential therapeutic agents for neurological or neuromuscular disorders. This FOA is part of a suite of Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) to advance projects to the point where they can meet the entry criteria for the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) or other translational programs.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance
- Project Narrative (typically 6-12 pages describing background, innovation, specific aims, research design, and go/no-go milestones)
- Detailed Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches of key personnel (NIH format, 4-5 pages each)
- Facilities and Resources description
- Letters of Support from collaborators or institutions if applicable
- Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Profiles)
- Protection of Human Subjects and Animal Care documentation if applicable
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Authentication of Key Research Resources (reagents, cell lines, antibodies, etc.)
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.853 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$56,144,651
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$40,959,789
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$35,655,349
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$35,655,116
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$35,335,145
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$34,183,297
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$32,294,153
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$32,234,840
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$31,739,294
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$27,282,286
Top States by Funding
- MA 5 awards $123.9M
- OH 4 awards $112.5M
- CA 4 awards $101.3M
- FL 3 awards $100.3M
- MI 3 awards $85.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.853). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $2,362,835,459 | |
| 2025 | $2,345,500,401 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this IGNITE grant?
Academic research institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, small businesses, and other U.S. entities conducting biomedical research are eligible. Individuals must hold a valid U.S. institution affiliation. Federal intramural researchers may apply if appropriately sponsored.
What types of research activities are supported?
Assay development, neurotherapeutic target identification, compound screening, lead optimization, and preliminary proof-of-concept studies. The grant explicitly excludes clinical trials, so applications must focus on pre-clinical and translational discovery phases.
What is the typical funding timeline and award amount?
IGNITE grants typically feature a two-stage structure with initial exploratory funding (R61 phase) followed by potential continuation funding (R33 phase) based on achievement of go/no-go milestones. Award amounts vary by research scope but typically range from $400,000 to $1.2 million over the project period.
How competitive is this grant?
This is a highly competitive NIH program. Success requires innovative research ideas, strong preliminary data, feasible milestones, and demonstrated team capacity. Approximately 10-20% of applications are funded, depending on the specific funding cycle and scientific priority.
When is the next deadline and how often does this program accept applications?
This program typically has annual or semi-annual deadlines. The next deadline shown is October 20, 2027. Check the NIH funding opportunity announcement for current and future deadline dates.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize innovation and novelty in your approach: clearly articulate what makes your assay platform or neurotherapeutic strategy different from existing methods, and why that difference matters for the field
- Develop clear, measurable go/no-go milestones for the R61 phase that will definitively test your central hypothesis and guide the decision to proceed to R33 funding
- Include strong preliminary data demonstrating feasibility; even early-stage research benefits from proof-of-concept experiments that show the approach is scientifically sound
- Build a multidisciplinary team with complementary expertise in assay development, chemistry/pharmacology, neurobiology, and if applicable, biostatistics or computational biology
- Address potential pitfalls proactively in your research design section, explaining how you will handle anticipated technical challenges and alternative approaches if your primary strategy encounters obstacles
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications fail because they lack sufficient preliminary data or present preliminary findings without robust methodology. Applicants often propose research that resembles a clinical trial in structure or intent—even if patients are not directly enrolled—which violates the stated exclusion. Additionally, poorly defined milestones that are either too vague or unachievable undermine reviewer confidence in the two-stage funding model.
Similar grants
- OPEN Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Neurotherapeutic Agent Characterization and In vivo Efficacy Studies (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) — National Institutes of Health
- OPEN Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Therapeutic Agent Characterization and Preclinical Efficacy Studies — National Institutes of Health
- OPEN Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Assay Development and Therapeutic Agent Identification — National Institutes of Health
- OPEN Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Development and Validation of Model Systems to Facilitate Neurotherapeutic Discovery (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) — National Institutes of Health
- OPEN Translational Efforts to Advance Gene-based Therapies for Ultra-Rare Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders (U01 – Clinical Trial Optional) — National Institutes of Health