Synopsis

The NIH Director"s Pioneer Award supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH. To be considered pioneering, the proposed research must reflect substantially different scientific directions from those already being pursued in the investigator"s research program or elsewhere. Applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome. Research may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. The NIH Director"s Pioneer Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) program of the NIH Common Fund.
Response Date	Sep 09, 2026 12:00:00 AM EDT
Posting Date	Jun 29, 2026 12:00:00 AM EDT
Archive Date	Nov 08, 2026 12:00:00 AM EST
Award Ceiling	700,000
Award Floor	700,000
Cost Sharing	No

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

County governments, Special district governments, Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification), City or township governments, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Private institutions of higher education, Independent school districts, For profit organizations other than small businesses, State governments, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Small businesses

Additional Info on Eligibility:

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Additional Information

Agency Name	National Institutes of Health
Link to Additional Information:	N/a
Grantor Contact Information:	If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: GrantSolutions Help Desk Phone: 301-402-2541

CFDA Program(s)

• 93.310: Trans-NIH Research Support