The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award supports exceptionally innovative research projects with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. This initiative encourages applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH, including behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences. The application deadline is September 03, 2025.

Funding Opportunity Details

This funding opportunity, RFA-RM-25-003, is a reissue of RFA-RM-24-004. The purpose is to support individual scientists or groups proposing bold, groundbreaking research. No preliminary data are required; projects must demonstrate 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.

The goal is to accelerate fundamental biomedical discovery and translation of that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. Applications are encouraged in all research areas broadly relevant to the mission of NIH, including basic, translational, or clinical focus. The primary requirements are that the research be highly innovative and have the potential for unusually significant impact.

NIH intends to commit approximately $8 million in FY 2026 and make approximately 7 awards, depending on the size and scope of the most meritorious awards. The maximum project period is five years. Application budgets are not limited but must be commensurate with the scope of the proposed research.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include Higher Education Institutions, Nonprofits, For-Profit Organizations, Local Governments, State Governments, Federal Governments, and others. Foreign Organizations and Non-domestic components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain registrations in SAM, NCAGE (if applicable), UEI, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. These registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.

• Higher Education Institutions
• Nonprofits
• For-Profit Organizations
• Governments (Local, State, Federal)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

Application and Submission Information

Applicants must follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed otherwise in the NOFO. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance may be delayed or not accepted for review.

The application forms package must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution. The Specific Aims section should describe the overall project and why it is well aligned with the objectives of the Transformative Research Award initiative. Use two sections entitled "Significance, Innovation, and Impact" and "Insight and Rationale."

The Research Strategy should be organized as a single document with sections for Overview of research project, Approach, Innovation, Appropriateness for the Transformative Research Award, and Timeline. No detailed experimental plan or substantial preliminary data should be provided. A timeline within the project period for the proposed research should be included.

Review Process and Criteria

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system. A three-stage review process will be used: an Editorial Panel, Mail Reviewers, and a peer review panel. Reviewers will emphasize the strength of the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our understanding or capability in a field relevant to NIH.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score based on the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved. Scored review criteria include Importance of the Research (Significance and Innovation), Rigor and Feasibility (Approach), and Expertise and Resources (Investigator(s) and Environment).

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center and will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Funding decisions will consider scientific and technical merit, availability of funds, relevance to program priorities, potential for scientific breakthroughs, cross-cutting science, scientific balance, and potential to invigorate innovative science.

Potential Research Topics

Given the broad scope of this funding opportunity, here are some potential research areas that could be relevant:

• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Advanced Material Science for Biomedical Applications
• Novel Approaches in Life Science Research
• Innovative Techniques in Microbiology and Immunology
• Transformative Technologies in Cancer Research
• Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Public Health