Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NHLBI K01/K08/K23/K25 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees seeking R03 support to expand their research or launch a new study.
Current K awardees may apply starting in year three of their award period. Recently completed K awardees may apply if the R03 award start date falls within two years of their K award end date.
Applicants must be domestic U.S. organizations or U.S. entities. Foreign organizations and foreign components are not eligible. All applicants must maintain at least 40% protected research effort during the award period.
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Program description
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a Limited Competition that invites applications from eligible organizations to apply. Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the applications will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious applications will be considered. The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit current or recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees for small grant support to expand their current research objectives or to branch out to a new study emerging from their K award research. This NOFO is intended to facilitate the transition to research independence for these NHLBI K awardees. Current NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees may apply for this R03 support starting in the third year of their K award Project Period. Recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 award recipients are eligible to apply or resubmit A1 applications if the earliest potential R03 award start date is within two years of the end of their K award Project Period.The R03 grant mechanism supports research projects that can be completed within two years and with limited resources. These projects are expected to generate preliminary data to bolster a subsequent R01-equivalent application. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, pilot or feasibility studies; proof of concept studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of new research methodologies or technologies, or creation of novel experimental model systems.Applicants are required to maintain a minimum of 40% protected research effort during the R03 award period. This requirement can be fulfilled through a combination of effort on the proposed R03 project and other research projects, irrespective of funding source.For current and former K23 awardees, the research proposed in the R03 application may or may not include patient-oriented research.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Community College
- County Government
- Hospital
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Researcher (independent)
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) Application Form
- Project Narrative and Specific Aims
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketch (NIH format)
- Research Strategy (limited page length)
- NHLBI K Award documentation (proof of current or recent award)
- Institutional Certification of Research Effort
- Vertebrate Animals or Human Subjects approval (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 NHLBI_R03@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.840 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$9,471,643
-
$8,728,007
-
$7,692,108
-
$4,748,073
-
$4,329,292
-
$3,974,800
-
$3,945,932
-
$3,945,135
-
$3,943,028
-
$3,868,722
Top States by Funding
- MA 7 awards $24.6M
- NY 5 awards $17.8M
- WA 5 awards $16.2M
- CA 8 awards $14.1M
- PA 6 awards $14.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.840). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $68,908,737 | |
| 2025 | $72,174,672 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Only current or recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees. Current awardees must be in year three or later of their K award period.
Can foreign organizations apply?
No. Only domestic U.S. organizations and U.S. entities are eligible. Foreign components are not permitted.
What research projects qualify for R03 support?
Projects that can be completed in two years with limited resources. These include pilot/feasibility studies, proof-of-concept studies, secondary data analysis, and development of new methodologies or technologies.
What is the required research effort commitment?
Applicants must maintain at least 40% protected research effort during the award period. This can be fulfilled through a combination of the R03 project and other research, regardless of funding source.
What is the funding range and timeline?
Total program funding is $3,900,000 with individual awards up to $85,000. The deadline is November 7, 2028.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start planning early if you are in year two of your K award. Eligibility begins in year three, so prepare your preliminary data and research direction now.
- Frame your R03 project as a stepping stone to R01 funding. Show how this small grant will generate preliminary data for a larger, independent grant.
- Document your 40% research effort clearly in the application. Show how effort on the R03 project and other research (funded or unfunded) combine to meet the minimum.
- Keep your research scope tight and realistic. R03 projects must be completable in two years with limited resources—avoid overambition.
- For K23 awardees, clarify whether your proposed research is patient-oriented or basic science. The NOFO allows either approach, but clarity strengthens your application.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants fail to document their K award status and timeline. Ineligible applicants apply before year three of their K award period or more than two years after K award completion. Applications propose overly ambitious projects that cannot be completed in two years with limited resources.
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