Through NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), NIH institutes and centers (ICs) support conferences and scientific meetings on research topics related to their missions. Apply to receive funding for a symposium, seminar, workshop, or any other organized and formal meeting, where individuals meet to exchange technical information and views or explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.
Through this notice of funding opportunity, you can receive funding to pay for national, international, and regional conferences, meetings, and workshops. Keep in mind, this award is not meant to fund an individual’s travel to a conference; rather, the funds are provided to the conference organizer.
An Emphasis on Diverse Perspectives
NIAID recognizes that one key to a successful conference is that participants from diverse backgrounds and perspectives meet in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment of any kind.
Further, NIH ICs encourage conference grant applicants to enhance diversity by increasing the number of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, involved in the planning and implementation of the conference, as well as in attendance.
When applying for conference grant awards, you must include a plan to enhance diversity in all aspects of conference planning and implementation. If you do not include a Diversity Plan, we will consider your application nonresponsive and not review it.
Conference Safety
Additionally, NIH expects all conference organizers to establish strategies to prevent or mitigate the effects of discrimination and harassment. Conference grant applicants must submit a “Plan to Promote Safe Environments” as part of the just-in-time process, which details how conference organizers will ensure a safe and respectful environment for conference and meeting attendees. You will need to describe how you will communicate your safety plan to conference attendees as well as planned procedures for documenting allegations and any resulting actions.
Below are some examples of strategies that conference organizers can take to support a safe environment:
- Establishing a conference code of conduct with clearly stated expectations of behavior, systems of reporting, and procedures for addressing inappropriate behavior. The code of conduct and reporting mechanisms should be clear and accessible to all meeting attendees.
- Providing resources to support individuals who report incidents of harassment, including:
- Personnel trained in advocacy and counseling.
- Referrals to legal or health care resources.
- Procedures in place to ensure the safety of all attendees, up to and including removal of a perpetrator from the conference.
- Conducting conference climate surveys specifically related to sexual harassment and professional misconduct.
U13 Cooperative Agreements
For an R13 grant, the grant recipient is solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. Under the U13 mechanism, the recipient retains primary responsibility of planning, directing, and executing the proposed project, but NIH staff will be substantially involved and contribute meaningfully to the conduct of the award.
A Matter of Timing
As highlighted in NIAID’s Conference Awards SOP, applicants must request NIAID’s written permission to apply for conference award grants at least 6 weeks before the submission deadline. Requests should be emailed to the NIAID Receipt and Referral Officer at NIAIDReceiptReferral@niaid.nih.gov. NIAID must issue an award before the conference starts.
Receipt Dates for Conference Grants
The standard due dates for R13s are April 12, August 12, and December 12 in consecutive years, from 2024 through 2026. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. local time of applicant organization. The AIDS receipt dates are January 7, May 7, and September 7.
More Resources
Refer to Developing Your Conference Grant Application on NIH Support for Scientific Conferences (R13 and U13) for a full list of what to include in your conference application, and tune into NIH’s All About Grants Podcast March 30, 2022 episode, “Safety Plans for Conference Applications” as experts from the NIH Office of Extramural Research discuss safety plans for conferences.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding conference awards, reach out to the appropriate Division Conference Grant Coordinator below:
- Division of AIDS (DAIDS)—Martin Gutierrez
- Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation (DAIT)—Adelina Bartels
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID)—Barbara Mulach and Patricia Strickler-Dinglasan
- Division of Extramural Activities (DEA)—Diane Adger-Johnson
Those same points of contacts will review and approve your request for permission to apply, as described in the SOP linked above.