NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) provides funding for small, focused research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. The program, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies, secondary analysis of existing data, small self-contained research projects, development of research methodology, and development of new research technology. This opportunity does not accept applications proposing clinical trials. The application deadline is January 7, 2028.

Recent federal grant awards under this program have ranged from smaller exploratory grants around $100,000 to larger multi-year awards exceeding $14 million in total costs, with typical project durations spanning 1-5 years. The research is expected to be performed at the applicant organizations' facilities throughout the United States.