Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers proposing transformative, high-impact research projects. Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, and independent research organizations with access to NIH-eligible facilities. Applicants must have appropriate qualifications and institutional support. The grant supports innovative research across all NIH scientific areas. Clinical trials are optional, allowing flexibility for basic, clinical, or translational research approaches. Applicants must comply with all NIH eligibility requirements and have institutional backing through their grants and contracts office.
Key dates
- Jan 6, 2026 Applications open
- Sep 3, 2026 Application deadline in 93 days
- Aug 30, 2027 Award announced
- Sep 30, 2027 Project start
This grant is for researchers proposing transformative, high-impact research projects. Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, and independent research organizations with access to NIH-eligible facilities. Applicants must have appropriate qualifications and institutional support. The grant supports innovative research across all NIH scientific areas. Clinical trials are optional, allowing flexibility for basic, clinical, or translational research approaches. Applicants must comply with all NIH eligibility requirements and have institutional backing through their grants and contracts office.
Program description
The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing bold, groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original, and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. Applications in any area within the biomedical sciences are welcome. No preliminary data are required. Projects must clearly demonstrate, based on the strength of the logic, a compelling potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of relevance to the NIH. The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Details
This grant is for researchers proposing transformative, high-impact research projects. Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, and independent research organizations with access to NIH-eligible facilities. Applicants must have appropriate qualifications and institutional support. The grant supports innovative research across all NIH scientific areas. Clinical trials are optional, allowing flexibility for basic, clinical, or translational research approaches. Applicants must comply with all NIH eligibility requirements and have institutional backing through their grants and contracts office.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&D)
- Research Strategy (including Specific Aims, Research Design, and Impact sections)
- Biographical Sketches (PI and key personnel)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Detailed Budget Narrative for Year 1
- Institutional Support Letter
- Letters of Collaboration (if applicable)
- NIH Grant Application Form Pages (PHS 398 or SF-424)
Program contact
- 👤 NIH Director's Transformative Research Award Program
- 📧 Transformative_Awards@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail.
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
-
$973,507,476
-
$383,462,829
-
$190,396,050
-
$179,743,190
-
$169,422,678
-
$167,922,818
-
$143,679,156
-
$134,358,531
-
$115,739,255
-
$91,722,927
Top States by Funding
- NC 5 awards $1,419.5M
- WA 1 awards $383.5M
- MD 2 awards $303.8M
- NY 3 awards $192.1M
- NJ 1 awards $179.7M
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?
Research institutions, universities, and nonprofit organizations with NIH-eligible research capacity. Applicants need institutional affiliation and appropriate research credentials.
What types of research does this grant support?
High-impact, transformative research across all NIH scientific areas. Clinical trials are optional; basic science and translational research are equally supported.
What is the typical funding range?
Amounts vary by institute and scientific area. Check your specific NIH institute's funding cap for R01 awards.
How competitive is this grant?
Very competitive. Proposals must demonstrate genuine innovation and transformative potential beyond incremental advances.
What is the application timeline?
Application opens January 6, 2026. Confirm your institute's specific deadline through Grants.gov or your NIH program officer.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize the transformative nature of your research, not just the quality of proposed work.
- Show how your project will change a field or research paradigm fundamentally.
- Build strong institutional support and demonstrate access to necessary research resources.
- Engage your NIH program officer early to align your proposal with institute priorities.
- Use your biosketch and research strategy to clearly articulate the innovation and impact potential.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposals focus on incremental improvements rather than transformative innovation. Insufficient evidence of how the work will reshape the research landscape. Weak institutional support or unclear access to required facilities and equipment.
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