OPEN CFDA 93.859 ↗ Competitive Grant Competitive ~100h typical effort

National Centers for Cryo-electron Tomography (cryoET) (R24 -Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)

✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 17, 2026

⏰ Deadline
Jan 26, 2027 in 192 days
📍 Scope
National

Can you apply?

This grant is for research institutions and organizations seeking to establish national centers for cryo-electron tomography research. Eligible applicants include academic institutions, research hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations with strong biomedical research capacity. The program supports infrastructure development, researcher training, and scientific collaboration across the cryo-ET field nationwide. Awards fund center operations, equipment, personnel, and research activities that advance cryo-electron tomography methodology and applications.

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Program description

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for support of National Centers for Cryoelectron Tomography (CryoET) to provide nationwide access to advanced cryoET instrumentation and technical support, and to assist investigators in acquiring the skills needed to perform cryoET studies.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants

How to apply

Application links

Key dates & requirements

  • Project period: 60 months

Required documents

  • SF-424 (Research & Related Projects)
  • Project Narrative (including Specific Aims and Research Strategy)
  • Budget and Budget Justification
  • Biographical Sketches (Key Personnel)
  • Letters of Institutional Support and Commitment
  • Facilities and Equipment Description
  • Data Management and Sharing Plan
  • Timeline and Milestones
  • Letters of Collaboration (if applicable)

Program contact

Funding track record

Recent awards under CFDA 93.859 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.

73
awards (3 yrs)
$2.2B
total funded
56
unique recipients
$29.9M
average award

Top 10 Largest Recent Awards

  1. $59,464,779
  2. $57,271,194
  3. $56,019,458
  4. $54,912,096
  5. $53,329,877
  6. $52,858,544
  7. $52,347,059
  8. $52,026,661
  9. $50,897,104
  10. $49,349,731

Top States by Funding

  • ME 4 awards $143.3M
  • MS 4 awards $135.1M
  • NY 5 awards $131.6M
  • CA 5 awards $129.3M
  • RI 4 awards $126.3M

Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.

Funding history

Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.859). How funding has trended year over year.

2024 $3,085,929,426
2025 $3,092,472,727
2026 est. $3,093,422,000

FAQ

Who can apply for this grant?

Academic medical centers, research universities, and nonprofit research institutions with institutional NIH support are eligible. Your institution must demonstrate research capacity in structural biology or related fields.

What is the application deadline?

The application opens February 5, 2026, and closes January 26, 2027. Plan to submit several weeks before the deadline.

What activities does this grant support?

Funding supports center infrastructure, equipment acquisition, personnel costs, and collaborative research training programs focused on cryo-electron tomography technology.

How competitive is this program?

R24 awards are highly competitive. You need strong preliminary data, institutional commitment, and a clear plan to build a resource that benefits the broader research community.

What is the typical funding range?

NIH R24 awards typically provide significant funding for multi-year center operations, but exact amounts vary based on scientific scope and institutional needs.

💡 Tips for applicants

  • Build a strong collaborative team with expertise in cryo-ET methodology, microscopy, and data analysis across your center.
  • Emphasize how your center will serve the national research community through training, method development, and resource sharing.
  • Include detailed letters of institutional support showing commitment to long-term funding and infrastructure maintenance.
  • Develop a clear plan for disseminating tools, protocols, and training materials to benefit researchers beyond your institution.
  • Address sustainability: explain how the center will maintain operations and relevance after initial grant funding ends.

⚠️ Common mistakes

Unclear community benefit. Reviewers reject applications that focus narrowly on your institution's research rather than serving a national research community. Weak letters of support. Missing or generic institutional commitment letters significantly reduce competitiveness. Underestimating infrastructure needs. Failing to justify equipment, personnel, and facility costs in detail weakens the proposal.

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192 days left Jan 26, 2027
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