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ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity PAR-27-109

Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of March 4, 2027; forecast dates can change. Individual awards are listed as $300K – $600K, with about 4 awards expected. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.846 (Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

  1. Jun 10, 2026Forecast posted
  2. Sep 1, 2026 (est.)Full notice expected
  3. Mar 4, 2027 (est.)Application deadlinenext date
  4. Mar 4, 2027 (est.)Est. award date
Posted
Jun 10, 2026
Est. close date
Mar 4, 2027
Est. award date
Mar 4, 2027
Award floor
$300,000
Award ceiling
$600,000
Est. total funding
Not specified
Expected awards
4
Cost sharing
Not required
Funding instrument
Grant
Opportunity category
Discretionary
Fiscal year
FY2027

Who can apply

  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public colleges & universities
  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • Public & Indian housing authorities
  • Native American tribal organizations
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofits
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
  • Private colleges & universities
  • For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
  • Small businesses
  • Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for Exploratory Clinical Trials Grants Program in the mission areas of NIAMS. The goal of the NIAMS clinical trial program is to support research leading to the prevention or reduction of symptoms and improve outcomes and function in patients with rheumatic, musculoskeletal, or skin conditions or diseases. The purpose of the Exploratory Clinical Trials Grants Program is to foster clinical trials that will lead to clinically meaningful improvements in prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of these conditions or diseases.

This Exploratory Clinical Trials Grants Program is designed to facilitate the execution of short-term, interventional studies. The Program is intended to support a range of exploratory studies, from proof-of-concept/first in human to Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. Such studies must meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial and be feasible within the time and budget constraints of this NOFO. A high priority is the use of such studies to stimulate the translation of promising research developments from laboratory, preclinical, and early human testing into clinical practice.

Examples of research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Conducting early-stage clinical trials, such as but not limited to; first in human, dose-finding or escalation/tolerability/safety/efficacy studies with drugs, biologics, devices, behavioral interventions, and/or physical therapy for treatment of arthritis, musculoskeletal, or skin conditions or diseases.
  • Clinical trials to provide data required to support a future, more robust clinical trial whose aim is to help establish the safety and efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention.
  • Clinical trials in rare diseases where the number of potential study participants is limited.
  • Clinical trials to determine the predictive value of a potential biomarker. 

How to apply

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Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 93.846

Historical data · not a prediction
FY20$506M
FY21$509M
FY22$500M
FY23$548M
FY24$546M est.
FY25$542M est.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.846. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.846

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 3,169 grant awards had funding actions under Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research, with 1,360 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

  1. TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE$72.2M
  2. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE$60.4M
  3. BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL INC$54.4M
  4. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE$48.9M
  5. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN$48.1M
Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
NIAMS_NOFOs@mail.nih.gov
Please contact via e-mail.

Quick answers

Is “Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around September 1, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $300k – $600k and the agency expects to make about 4 awards.

How do I apply for “Exploratory Clinical Trial Grants in Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity PAR-27-109), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.