Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)

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position-relative px-0 btn btn-primary rounded-0 text-lg-center text-uppercase fw-bold me-0 py-2 px-3 py-lg-3 d-flex collapsed justify-content-between d-lg-block" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#AboutUs" aria-expanded="false" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/597"> About Us <i class="bi bi-caret-down-fill"></i> </a> <div> <div class="container-fluid rounded-0 w-100 start-0 bg-white text-black shadow position-absolute collapse z-3" id="AboutUs" data-bs-parent="#block-nihod5-subtheme-main-navigation"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 px-4 p-lg-5"> <strong class="h4 d-none d-lg-block text-secondary">About Us</strong> <p class="d-none d-lg-block">Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides the corporate framework for NIH research administration, ensuring scientific integrity, public accountability, and effective stewardship of the NIH extramural research portfolio.</p> <a href="/aboutoer" title="Office of Extramural Research (OER) provides the corporate framework for NIH research administration, ensuring scientific integrity, public accountability, and effective stewardship of the NIH extramural research portfolio." class="btn btn-block btn-primary ms-0 my-3 my-lg-0 px-4" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/597">Explore About Us</a> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 px-4 pb-3 p-lg-5 ps-lg-0"> <div class="border-start ps-4"> <ul class="bg-white p-0 start-0 ps-lg-5 border-lg-start border-light h-100 menu-level-1"> <li class="nav-item d-flex flex-wrap flex-column position-static mb-2"> <a href="/aboutoer/oer-offices" class="1 nav-link position-relative px-0 py-2 py-lg-1 fw-bold" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/514">OER Offices</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </div> </header> <main role="main"> <a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"></a> <div class="container my-0 p-4 px-lg-0"> <div class="region region-breadcrumb"> <div id="block-nihod5-subtheme-breadcrumbs" class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav aria-label="breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/funding">Funding</a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/funding/activity-codes">Activity Codes</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="order-1 order-lg-2 syndicate col-12"> <div class="region region-content"> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> <div id="block-nihod5-subtheme-page-title" class="block block-core block-page-title-block"> <h1><strong>Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)</strong></h1> </div> <div id="block-nihod5-subtheme-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <div class="activity-code-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <p> <p> To encourage the development of new research activities in categorical program areas. (Support generally is restricted in level of support and in time.) </p> </p> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9"> <h3>Special Considerations</h3><ul><li><span><strong>Do you provide peer review service?</strong></span><ul><li><span>An alternative submission policy is available for R01, R21, and R34 grant applications where one or more of the designated PD/PIs serve as an appointed member of an NIH chartered standing study section, NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH Advisory Board or Council, or an NIH Program Advisory Committee. This policy allows applications to be submitted on a continuous basis, peer reviewed in a timely manner, and assigned to an Advisory Council per designated council round deadlines. See </span><a href="/grants-process/submit/submission-policies/continuous-submission"><span>Continuous Submission</span></a><span> to learn more.</span></li></ul></li></ul> <h2 class="mt-4"> Award Information </h2> <p> <ul> <li> <span class="fw-bold">Funding Instrument: </span> Grant</li> <li> <span class="fw-bold">Funding Category: </span> Research and Development</li> <li> <span class="fw-bold">Budget Mechanism Code: </span> RP - Research Projects</li> </ul> </p> <h2 class="mt-4"> Application and Submission Information </h2> <p> <h3>Parent Announcements</h3><p><a href="/funding/nih-guide-for-grants-and-contracts?ac=R21&pfoa=yes">R21 Parent Announcements</a> are available.</p><ul><li>Parent announcements are broad funding opportunities that applicants can use to submit investigator-initiated applications for a range of popular programs. They do not specify any particular area of scientific interest. They simply provide the standard forms and instructions needed to apply.</li><li>Not all NIH institutes and centers participate on all parent announcements. Check the participating organization in the funding opportunity before applying.</li></ul><h3>Application Characteristics</h3><p>Except when stated otherwise in the funding opportunity:</p><ul><li>Project period of up to two years</li><li>Budget for direct costs of up $275,000 in direct costs per year with no more than $200,000 in any year  </li><li>Cannot be renewed </li><li>No preliminary data are required, but most opportunities allow it if available </li><li>Research Strategy may not exceed 6 pages. The page limit may be different when combined with other activity codes, such as R21/R33</li></ul><p><strong>Investigators are strongly encouraged to consult with NIH Scientific/Research staff (see Section VII. Agency Contacts of the funding opportunity) during the concept development stage of the application to determine if an R21 application is appropriate.</strong></p> </p> <p> After identifying a funding opportunity, follow guidance in the <a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html">How to Apply – Application Guide</a> including any Research (R) instruction call-outs, except where instructed to do otherwise in the funding opportunity or related notices. </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3 mt-3"> <div class="foa-wrapper d-flex flex-column p-4 text-center"> <div class="bg-primary h1 mx-auto p-3 rounded-circle text-white"> <i class="bi bi-search d-flex"></i> </div> <div class="fs-5 fw-bold maroon mb-2">Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)</div> <div class="fs-6 fw-bold mb-2">Active Funding Opportunities</div> <div class="fs-6 mb-3">The NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts is NIH's official publication of notices of grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities.</div> <a href="/funding/nih-guide-for-grants-and-contracts?ac=R21" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary light-blue-bg">Search Now</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-5" id="due-dates-block"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="dates_wrapper p-5"> <h2 class="mb-3"> Due Dates </h2> <p class="mb-3" id="due-dates-scope">The Key Dates section of funding opportunities lists specific due dates. Many opportunities indicate <a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/due-dates.htm">Standard Due Dates</a> apply.</p> <table id="application_due_dates"> <tr class="dates_header"> <td colspan="3"> Standard Application Due Dates (when applicable) </td> <td colspan="3"> Review and Award Cycles </td> </tr> <tr class="subheader"> <td>New</td> <td>Renewal, Resubmission,<br/> Revision as Allowed</td> <td>AIDS and AIDS Related<br/> Grant Applications</td> <td>Scientific Merit Review</td> <td>Advisory Council<br/>Review</td> <td>Earliest Start Date</td> </tr> <tbody></tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-4"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="p-5 light-maroon"> <h2> Participating Funding Organizations </h2> <p>Each funding opportunity specifies the participating organizations. Applications must fit within the mission of at least one participating funding organization and meet all opportunity-specific requirements.</p> <p>The following funding organizations participate on at least one active funding opportunity.</p> <ul id="foa_list"> <li>Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Disease Prevention (<a href="https://prevention.nih.gov/">ODP</a>)</li> <li>Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (<a href="https://orip.nih.gov/">ORIP</a>)</li> <li>Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (<a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/">NICHD</a>)</li> <li>Fogarty International Center (<a href="https://www.fic.nih.gov/Pages/Default.aspx">FIC</a>)</li> <li>National Cancer Institute (<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/">NCI</a>)</li> <li>National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (<a href="https://ncats.nih.gov/">NCATS</a>)</li> <li>National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (<a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/">NCCIH</a>)</li> <li>National Eye Institute (<a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/">NEI</a>)</li> <li>National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">NHLBI</a>)</li> <li>National Human Genome Research Institute (<a href="https://www.genome.gov/">NHGRI</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (<a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/">NIAID</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (<a href="https://www.niams.nih.gov/">NIAMS</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (<a href="https://www.nibib.nih.gov/">NIBIB</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (<a href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/">NIDCR</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (<a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/">NIDDK</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (<a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/">NIEHS</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Mental Health (<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml">NIMH</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (<a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/">NINDS</a>)</li> <li>National Institute of Nursing Research (<a href="https://www.ninr.nih.gov/">NINR</a>)</li> <li>National Institute on Aging (<a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/">NIA</a>)</li> <li>National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (<a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/">NIAAA</a>)</li> <li>National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (<a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/">NIDCD</a>)</li> <li>National Institute on Drug Abuse (<a href="https://www.drugabuse.gov/">NIDA</a>)</li> <li>National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (<a href="https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/">NIMHD</a>)</li> <li>National Library of Medicine (<a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/">NLM</a>)</li> <li>Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (<a href="https://obssr.od.nih.gov/">OBSSR</a>)</li> <li>Office of Dietary Supplements (<a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/">ODS</a>)</li> <li>Office of Research on Women's Health (<a href="https://orwh.od.nih.gov/">ORWH</a>)</li> <li>Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (<a href="https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director">OD</a>)</li> <li>Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (<a href="https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/sgmro">SGMRO</a>)</li> <li>Tribal Health Research Office (<a href="https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/thro">THRO</a>)</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <p class="p-2"></p> <div class="border-2 border-secondary border-top container mb-5" id="contact-wrapper"> <div class="row"> <h3 class="border-5 border-secondary border-top col-12 col-md-3 pt-3 text-secondary">Contact</h3> <div class="border-5 border-top border-white col-12 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