Clinical Research Study Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers planning large-scale clinical studies in vision science and eye disease. NIH R34 grants support study design, feasibility work, and protocol development—not full clinical trials themselves.
Eligible applicants typically include academic institutions, medical schools, research hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations with NIH institutional infrastructure. Some for-profit entities may apply but are less common. Applicants must have institutional affiliation and access to study populations.
The program funds planning activities: protocol development, feasibility testing, preliminary data collection, and statistical planning. It does not support conducting the actual full clinical trial or patient enrollment at scale. Study populations must focus on vision and eye disease areas within NEI's mission.
This grant is for researchers planning large-scale clinical studies in vision science and eye disease. NIH R34 grants support study design, feasibility work, and protocol development—not full clinical trials themselves.
Eligible applicants typically include academic institutions, medical schools, research hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations with NIH institutional infrastructure. Some for-profit entities may apply but are less common. Applicants must have institutional affiliation and access to study populations.
The program funds planning activities: protocol development, feasibility testing, preliminary data collection, and statistical planning. It does not support conducting the actual full clinical trial or patient enrollment at scale. Study populations must focus on vision and eye disease areas within NEI's mission.
Program description
The NEI supports large-scale clinical vision research projects, including randomized clinical trials and epidemiologic studies on eye/vision conditions. At the time of submission, applications requesting support for these activities are expected to provide detailed information regarding the study rationale, design, analytic methods, protocols and procedures, facilities and environment, organizational structure, and collaborative arrangements. This information is best conveyed in a study protocol and Manual of Procedures (MOP), the development of which represents a costly and time-consuming activity. This clinical research planning grant funding opportunity supports applicants in their planning efforts to conduct collaborative clinical research. The grant may be used to support the development of a study protocol and MOP, as well as to conduct preliminary studies to refine study procedures or document recruitment potential. The grant must not be used to generate data on the effects of a proposed intervention. This NEI NOFO is applicable to both epidemiologic and clinical trial research studies.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Details
This grant is for researchers planning large-scale clinical studies in vision science and eye disease. NIH R34 grants support study design, feasibility work, and protocol development—not full clinical trials themselves.
Eligible applicants typically include academic institutions, medical schools, research hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations with NIH institutional infrastructure. Some for-profit entities may apply but are less common. Applicants must have institutional affiliation and access to study populations.
The program funds planning activities: protocol development, feasibility testing, preliminary data collection, and statistical planning. It does not support conducting the actual full clinical trial or patient enrollment at scale. Study populations must focus on vision and eye disease areas within NEI's mission.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) Form
- Project Narrative (research plan)
- Budget and budget justification
- Biographical sketches (NIH format)
- Current and pending support documentation
- Institutional review board (IRB) approval or certification
- Letters of support from collaborating institutions
- Data management and sharing plan
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.867 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$73,768,606
-
$60,555,044
-
$35,143,434
-
$27,603,179
-
$22,003,615
-
$19,986,536
-
$18,103,377
-
$17,077,254
-
$16,012,672
-
$15,913,078
Top States by Funding
- MA 13 awards $156.3M
- FL 4 awards $152.1M
- CA 11 awards $119.8M
- PA 8 awards $110.1M
- NY 10 awards $108.8M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.867). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $696,472,579 | |
| 2025 | $702,696,370 | |
| 2026 est. | $863,753 |
FAQ
Who can apply for an R34 grant?
Researchers at accredited academic institutions, hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations can apply. You must have institutional affiliation and an active NIH eRA Commons account.
What can I use R34 funding for?
Planning and designing a clinical study. This includes protocol development, feasibility work, and preliminary data collection. You cannot conduct a full clinical trial with R34 funds.
How long does an R34 grant typically last?
R34 grants usually fund 1-2 years of planning work. They prepare you to apply for larger R01 or R03 funding to run the actual trial.
What is the typical funding amount?
R34 grants typically range from $100,000 to $300,000 total. The exact amount depends on your budget justification and scope.
When is the application deadline?
The next deadline is January 7, 2028. Applications open January 10, 2025.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Show that your clinical trial idea is scientifically sound but needs planning before full funding. Highlight gaps your R34 will address.
- Include preliminary data or feasibility evidence to demonstrate your team's capacity to design and conduct the study.
- Clearly describe your target study population and how you will recruit and retain participants.
- Build in specific milestones and deliverables for the planning phase. Reviewers want to see concrete outputs by grant end.
- Engage your institutional research office early. NIH grants require strong administrative and compliance infrastructure support.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposing a full clinical trial instead of planning work. R34s are for study design and feasibility, not patient enrollment or intervention testing.
Underestimating the resources needed for regulatory compliance and IRB approval. Reviewers expect realistic timelines and staffing for protocol development.
Weak or missing preliminary data. Applicants must demonstrate feasibility and institutional capacity to execute the proposed trial design.
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