PAR-26-087: NEI New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Forecast
This forecast is out of date. Its expected dates have passed and the agency has not posted the opportunity on Grants.gov. It may be delayed or cancelled; check the program's other opportunities below.
National Institutes of Health plans to offer grants to colleges and universities. It expects to make about 4 awards. It is a forecast: the notice is expected around December 1, 2025, with applications due around May 25, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed September 23, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Expected awards4
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeDP2
- Clinical trialsNot allowed
- DP2, NIH Director's New Innovator Award. Support for an early-stage investigator's highly innovative project. Other open DP2 notices.
Application due dates, page limits and budget limits are set in the notice. Read PAR-26-087 in the NIH Guide.
Key dates
| Forecast posted | September 23, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Expected posting | December 1, 2025 |
| Expected deadline | May 25, 2026 |
| Expected award date | August 2, 2026 |
Add the deadline to your calendar or it to My grants.
Who can apply
This opportunity is open to colleges and universities.
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the program's money (76% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The NEI New Innovator Award supports postdoctoral and other candidates in non-independent equivalent positions or newly independent Early Stage Investigators of exceptional creativity who propose novel, original and insightful research studies within the mission of NEI. Applications responding to this NOFO should have the potential to produce a major impact in vision research, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research of priority to NEI. Applications proposing unexpected convergence of disciplines, new scientific directions, or the use of novel methodologies are encouraged.
Who has won Vision Research grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Vision Research (93.867) awarded $3.4 billion across 3,275 grant awards, an average of $1.0 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 137 | $139 million |
| The Leland Stanford Junior University | California | 87 | $96.5 million |
| The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | California | 78 | $89.9 million |
| Duke University | North Carolina | 79 | $75.5 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 57 | $73.9 million |
How to apply
- Read the full notice and attachments on Grants.gov. The notice is the official source for deadlines and requirements.
- Make sure your organization has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID; registration can take several weeks.
- Register on Grants.gov and submit through Workspace before the deadline and time given in the notice. Our application guide walks through each step.
Questions go to Ed Clayton, Ph.D., Ed.clayton@nih.gov, 240-987-8255.
Questions people ask
Is PAR-26-087 still open?
Not yet. It is a forecast: expected deadline May 25, 2026.
Who can apply for NEI New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
National Institutes of Health accepts applications from colleges and universities. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for NEI New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)?
Expected deadline May 25, 2026. Confirm the date and time in the official notice on Grants.gov.
Who has won Vision Research grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were The Johns Hopkins University, The Leland Stanford Junior University, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco. The program made 3,275 awards worth $3.4 billion in that time.
Similar open grants
- Change of Recipient Organization (Type 7 Parent Clinical Trial Optional)
- NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)
- Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
- Single Source for the Continuation of the Caring for OutPatiEnts after Acute Kidney Injury (COPE-AKI) Scientific and Data Research Center (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
- Single Source for the Continuation of the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) Study Research Center (Collaborative U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- Data Coordinating Center for the Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Brain Atlas (AD-MBA) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)