The NIH Common Fund announces the FY2022 funding opportunity for the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award in the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. The program provides unique opportunities for creative scientists throughout the nation to pursue highly innovative approaches to address major challenges in any topic within the broad mission of NIH.
FY2022 NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award (R01 – Clinical Trial Optional): RFA RM-21-017

Supports individuals or teams proposing that are inherently risky and untested but have the potential to create or overturn fundamental paradigms.

  • Open to all career stages
  • Accepts single-PI or multi-PI applications
  • No preliminary data or detailed experimental plan required
  • Anonymized Specific Aims page and Research Strategy section
  • Flexible budget
  • Application deadline: September 1, 2021

NOTE: The Transformative Research Award is piloting an anonymized review process. Applicants should carefully read and follow the instructions in the funding opportunity to ensure responsiveness.
NIH especially encourages applications from women and members of groups that are underrepresented in NIH-funded research. Researchers from diverse backgrounds (see NOT-OD-20-031), including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and women are strongly encouraged to work with their institutions to develop applications for this Funding Opportunity Announcement. It encourages applications from the full range of eligible institutions, including those serving primarily underrepresented groups, those that may be less research-intensive, and from all domestic geographic locations. Applications are welcome in all research areas broadly relevant to the mission of NIH. These areas include, but are not limited to, the behavioral, medical, natural, social, applied, and formal sciences. Research may be basic, translational, or clinical. The primary requirements are that the research be highly innovative and have the potential for unusually broad impact.
The High-Risk High-Reward Research Program and other Common Fund programs are managed by the Office of Strategic Coordination, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the NIH Office of the Director, in partnership with the component NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs.

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