Resources

Find out what is NIH interested in funding in the immediate future. What specific solicitations can one expect?

A unique resource prepared by mvBiomed!

In addition to investigator-initiated/unsolicited research applications, one should always be on the lookout for Requests for Application (RFAs) and Program Announcements (PAs). There is a better chance of obtaining funding when submitting an application in response to an RFA or PA.

Periodically, mvBiomed searches the websites of all the NIH institutes and centers (ICs) that are authorized to fund research activity and looks for scientific areas that are of programmatic interest to the ICs. We do this so that you don’t have to spend your valuable time to do it. This is also to bring to your attention, well in advance, initiatives that NIH ICs are planning to develop into Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs).

Usually, one has to respond to such FOAs within a very limited time after their publication in the NIH Guide. Don’t you think you will have an advantage if you have prior knowledge of specific FOAs that are soon to be published? You could use that advance knowledge to plan your application well ahead of the application deadline and use the time to generate enough preliminary data to convince reviewers of the project’s feasibility.

Concepts represent early planning stages for initiatives: program announcements, requests for applications, notices of special interest, and solicitations. These concepts are formally presented to Council members of each NIH IC, for approval, before they are developed into initiatives.

Concepts often turn into initiatives. Initiatives that do move on become Request for Applications (RFAs) and Program Announcements (PAs) published in the NIH Guide and funding opportunity announcements in Grants.gov, or contract solicitations.

Concepts listed by NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs)

NIH> National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH> National Eye Institute (NEI)

NIH> National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

  • September 2020 (After the page opens, click “Recap” at the bottom, and go to “REPORTS FROM WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS” for areas that NHLBI may be interested in funding in the future)
  • June 2020 Concepts (After the page opens, click “Recap” at the bottom)

NIH> National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Have to laboriously go over each council meeting summary, to identify concept clearances.

NIH> National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH> National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

NIH> National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

NIH> National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIH> National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Have to search for the concept clearances in the Council meeting minutes.

NIH> National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Have to search for the concept clearances in the Council meeting minutes.

NIH> National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

NIH> National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIH> National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 

NIH> National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

NIH> National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Have to search for concept clearances within the minutes of each NIGMS council meeting.

NIH> National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH> National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

NIH> National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) 

Have to open each of the past Council meetings listed by date at the bottom of the page, and then click on “Event Minutes” on the top right of each meeting to find out the Concept Clearances presented to that Council meeting for approval.

NIH> National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Extremely hard to find concept clearances. Have to search through the Minutes of each Council meeting.

NIH> National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Only very few concepts presented to their Council. Have to search through the Minutes of each Council meeting laboriously to find them. E.g., see page 6

NIH> Fogarty International Center (FIC) 

NIH> National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

NIH> National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) 

How to prepare an application to the NIH:
Helpful do’s and don’ts

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