NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) — PA-25-304

Two-year exploratory/developmental grant for early-stage, higher-risk projects: novel ideas, new methods or measures, or feasibility work that would break new ground. Preliminary data are not required. Clinical trials are not accepted under this announcement.

Indicative award

up to $275k (total award)Combined direct costs may not exceed $275,000 over the two-year period, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs in any single year.

Timing

Several times a yearSeveral times a year · Feb, Jun, OctPublished deadline: 2026-10-16 — 18 days awayStandard due dates of February 16, June 16 and October 16 each year through October 16, 2027. Announcement expires January 8, 2028.

Who can apply

Early-career faculty, Any faculty rank, Mid-career & senior, Postdoctoral

Eligibility

All organization types eligible, including higher education institutions, non-profits with or without 501(c)(3), small businesses, for-profits, state/local/tribal governments and community-based organizations. Foreign organizations may apply but cannot include funded international subcontracts. PI must hold an active eRA Commons account with linked ORCID.

SSWR clusters

Topics

exploratory research · novel methods · feasibility · high-risk pilot

Apply at

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-304.html

This entry

Curated by the working group. Written 2026-08-07. Funder link last confirmed to resolve on 2026-09-25.

Amounts and dates on this page are indicative and are maintained by people rather than scraped. Funders change ceilings, windows and eligibility without notice; confirm all details at the source above before applying.

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NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) — PA-25-304

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