NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award addresses two important goals: stimulating bold and highly innovative research and supporting promising Early Stage Investigators, as defined by NIH policy. Early Stage Investigators may have exceptionally innovative research ideas but not the preliminary data required to fare well in the traditional NIH peer review system. As part of NIH's commitment to increasing opportunities for Early Stage Investigators, it has designed the NIH Director's New Innovator Award to support exceptionally creative Early Stage Investigators who propose bold and highly innovative research projects with the potential for unusually high impact. This award complements ongoing efforts by the NIH and its Institutes and Centers to fund Early Stage Investigators through R01 grants and other mechanisms. 

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award is different from traditional NIH grants in several aspects. It is specifically designed to support unusually creative investigators with bold and highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career when they may lack the preliminary data required for a conventional R01 grant application. The emphasis is on innovation and creativity; preliminary data are not required but may be included. The review process emphasizes the individual's creativity, the innovativeness of the research approaches, and the potential of the project, if successful, to have a significant impact on an important biomedical research problem. Given the highly innovative nature of the research, New Innovator Award recipients are given unusual flexibility to pivot research directions as they see fit to maximize research impact.

Applications are welcome in all research areas broadly relevant to the mission of NIH. Research may be basic, translational, or clinical. The primary requirements are that the research be highly innovative and have the potential for unusually broad impact.

Investigators who were not selected for an award in prior years may submit applications for this competition as long as they meet eligibility requirements (including Early Stage Investigator status) described in this NOFO; however, all applications must be submitted as "new" applications, regardless of any previous submission to the initiative. No reference to any prior application may be included. Any reference to a prior application may be grounds for administrative withdrawal.

NIH program staff will hold a pre-application webinar to explain the program and answer questions about the application and review process. Check the NIH Calendar of Events for more information. Questions should be sent to NewInnovatorAwards@mail.nih.gov. More information, FAQs, application guide, contacts for clinical trials, and webinar recording are on the Common Fund website.

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award is part of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) program funded through the NIH Common Fund, which supports cross-cutting programs that are expected to have exceptionally high impact. All Common Fund initiatives invite investigators to develop bold, innovative, and often risky approaches to address problems that may seem intractable or to seize new opportunities that offer the potential for rapid progress.