Earlier this month, NIAID reissued the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2, Clinical Trial Not Allowed). Rather than soliciting research on a particular scientific topic, this NOFO seeks investigators at a particular career stage; specifically, postdoctoral and other candidates in non-independent positions or newly independent investigators.
Our Target Applicants
Through this initiative, our aim is to facilitate the movement of exceptional postdoctoral fellows into independent positions within an accelerated timeframe, and further support them as talented, newly independent faculty.
To be eligible, you must have already completed a research or clinical doctorate degree, or a combined research and clinical doctoral degree. You must currently have Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) Status. You are not required to have U.S. citizenship, although the grant recipient must be a U.S. institution.
For postdocs and other non-independent applicants who are selected for an award, each candidate must transition to an independent faculty position or equivalent at a U.S. institution within 1 year to activate the award. Newly independent applicants must be within the first year of a faculty position or equivalent at a U.S. institution at the time of submission.
Within the NOFO, Section III. Eligibility Information provides examples that can help you determine whether you would be considered an independent or non-independent investigator.
In your application, include one to three letters from current or previous mentors and supervisors that indicate your contributions to previously published work and describe qualities that indicate you are a strong NIAID DP2 program candidate (e.g., imagination, depth of knowledge).
We encourage researchers to apply if they are from groups underrepresented in NIAID research, such as women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Priority Research Topics
Propose novel, original, and insightful research concepts related to the NIAID Mission—to conduct and support basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases—with the potential to significantly impact important research areas, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research. We encourage applications that propose an unexpected convergence of disciplines, new scientific directions, or novel methodologies.
As you develop your application, keep in mind that peer reviewers will assess your distinct contributions to past research, potential to move in new scientific directions, and originality of the proposed research. Be sure that your proposed approaches are insightful and based on strong premise.
Notably, this NOFO does not require preliminary data. All the same, you should strive to demonstrate your potential as well as strong rationale that indicates the likely success of your proposed concepts.
Budget and Project Period
Application budgets are limited to $300,000 in annual direct costs. While the scope of the project should determine the project period, 5 years is the maximum duration you may request.
AIDS and non-AIDS applications are due October 13, 2023; October 11, 2024; and October 10, 2025. Optional Letters of Intent are due 30 days before the application due date.
For complete details, read the NOFO linked above. Also, check out Questions and Answers for PAR-23-198, NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), where we clarify common points of confusion about the initiative.
If you need additional guidance or have technical questions, email NIAIDDP2@mail.nih.gov or call one of the scientific/research contacts listed in Section VII. Agency Contacts. For inquiries related to application review, reach out to Dr. Vanitha Raman, our peer review contact, at vanitha.raman@nih.gov or 240-457-2783.
NIH Common Fund Also Supports Innovators
If you are ineligible for NIAID’s DP2 NOFO or your research does not fit within the Institute’s scientific priorities, we recommend you consider the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. Like NIAID’s DP2 NOFO, several Common Fund opportunities offer support to exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences.
Annual application deadlines for innovator awards through the Common Fund are fast approaching—with due dates ranging from August 18 to September 8, 2023—so it is imperative you check quickly if you think the program may be right for you.