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Grants / Department of Health and Human Services / National Institutes of Health

PAR-23-145: Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Closed Closed February 3, 2026 Opportunity PAR-23-145

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of National Institutes of Health notices from 2023.

National Institutes of Health offered grants of up to $275,000 to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on February 3, 2026.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 10, 2024. Checked November 7, 2026.

About this NIH notice

Projects funded under PAR-23-145 were run by National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, 745 projects). Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your project before you apply; the notice lists them.

Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read PAR-23-145 in the NIH Guide.

Key dates

PostedApril 24, 2023
DeadlineFebruary 3, 2026
Archived by Grants.govMarch 11, 2026

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

All 15 applicant types the notice lists

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses.

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

The Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides support for a program of research in an early stage investigator's laboratory that falls within the mission of NIGMS. For the purpose of this NOFO, a program of research is a collection of projects in the investigator's lab that are relevant to the mission of NIGMS. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency and efficacy of NIGMS funding.

Category: Health.

Funded under PAR-23-145 so far

NIH funded 745 projects under PAR-23-145 in fiscal 2024 to 2026, at 204 institutions. The median yearly award was $395,387.

Most projects: University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania), 19, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (Michigan), 18, University of Florida (Florida), 15, University of California Los Angeles (California), 13, University of Chicago (Illinois), 13.

Recently funded projects
ProjectInstitutionFiscal yearAward
Biophysical mechanisms underlying Drosophila renal tubule morphogenesis R35University of Washington2026$388,750
Molecular mechanisms of ribosome biogenesis by force-producing enzymes R35Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences2026$392,500
Synthetic biology tools and strategies to streamline the sensing and responding to disease cues in engineered theragnostic bacteria. R35Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru2026$402,500
Mechanisms of chaperone-mediated proteasomal degreadation R35University of Missouri-Columbia2026$388,023
Characterizing the effect of transcription-replication conflicts on transcription and co-transcriptional processes R35Vanderbilt University2026$396,250
Reprogramming cells for repair of chronic wounds R35University of Michigan at Ann Arbor2026$409,941
Uncovering Morphogenetic Modularity with Data Science R35University of Michigan at Ann Arbor2026$400,881
Defining the role of linear and nonlinear forces in regulating cell metabolism R35University of California at Davis2026$432,417

From NIH RePORTER, which lists each project once per fiscal year it was funded. Amounts are the yearly award.

Who has won Biomedical Research and Research Training grants before

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Biomedical Research and Research Training (93.859) awarded $15 billion across 11,631 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
The Leland Stanford Junior UniversityCalifornia186$290 million
Regents of the University of MichiganMichigan226$268 million
University of California, San DiegoCalifornia198$264 million
Yale UnivConnecticut195$250 million
University of Wisconsin SystemWisconsin169$241 million

Top states: California ($2.1 billion), New York ($1.4 billion), Massachusetts ($971 million), Texas ($833 million), Pennsylvania ($680 million).

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.

Questions people ask

Is PAR-23-145 still open?

No. It closed on February 3, 2026.

Who can apply for Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)?

National Institutes of Health accepted applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)?

Closed February 3, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $275,000 each.

Who has been funded under PAR-23-145?

NIH RePORTER lists 745 projects funded under PAR-23-145 in fiscal 2024 to 2026, at 204 institutions. The most were at University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Florida.

Who has won Biomedical Research and Research Training grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were The Leland Stanford Junior University, Regents of the University of Michigan, University of California, San Diego. The program made 11,631 awards worth $15 billion in that time.

Similar open grants