RFA-RM-21-017: NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Closed
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 2021.
National Institutes of Health offered grants to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. Applications closed on September 1, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 4, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
About this NIH notice
- Activity codeR01
- Clinical trialsOptional
- Funded byNIMH, NCI, NIAID
- Median yearly award$782,586
- Typical project length5 years
- R01, Research Project Grant. NIH's standard grant for a defined research project led by a named investigator, usually for up to five years. Other open R01 notices.
Projects funded under RFA-RM-21-017 were run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 5 projects), National Cancer Institute (NCI, 2 projects), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, 1 project) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, 1 project), and 2 more. 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 RFA-RM-21-017 in the NIH Guide.
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFA-RM-25-003 | June 16, 2025 | Closed September 3, 2025 | Closed |
| RFA-RM-24-004 | March 18, 2024 | Closed September 3, 2024 | Closed |
| RFA-RM-23-006 | March 27, 2023 | Closed September 1, 2023 | Closed |
| RFA-RM-22-020 | May 12, 2022 | Closed September 1, 2022 | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | June 4, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | September 1, 2021 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | October 7, 2021 |
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
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
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.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the program's money (72% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The NIH Directors Transformative Research Award Program supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing 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. For the program to support the best possible researchers and research, applications are sought which reflect the full diversity of the research workforce. Individuals from diverse backgrounds and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are strongly encouraged to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. In addition, applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome, including, but not limited to, topics in the behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences and topics that may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. 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 Directors Transformative Research Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program of the NIH Common Fund.
Funded under RFA-RM-21-017 so far
NIH funded 11 projects under RFA-RM-21-017 in fiscal 2022 to 2026, at 9 institutions. The median yearly award was $782,586.
Who has won Trans-NIH Research Support grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Trans-NIH Research Support (93.310) awarded $5.9 billion across 4,433 grant awards, an average of $1.3 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | North Carolina | 66 | $219 million |
| The Leland Stanford Junior University | California | 104 | $176 million |
| University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education | Pennsylvania | 82 | $154 million |
| The Johns Hopkins University | Maryland | 95 | $152 million |
| Yale Univ | Connecticut | 85 | $149 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 RFA-RM-21-017 still open?
No. It closed on September 1, 2021.
Who can apply for NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01 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 NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)?
Closed September 1, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
Who has been funded under RFA-RM-21-017?
NIH RePORTER lists 11 projects funded under RFA-RM-21-017 in fiscal 2022 to 2026, at 9 institutions. The most were at University of Notre Dame, Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Oregon.
Who has won Trans-NIH Research Support grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Duke University, The Leland Stanford Junior University, University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. The program made 4,433 awards worth $5.9 billion in that time.
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