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ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-RM-28-003

NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) 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 September 3, 2027; forecast dates can change. 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 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).

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

Key facts

  1. Sep 3, 2026Forecast posted
  2. Mar 15, 2027 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
  3. Sep 3, 2027 (est.)Application deadline
  4. Aug 30, 2028 (est.)Est. award date
Posted
Sep 3, 2026
Est. close date
Sep 3, 2027
Est. award date
Aug 30, 2028
Award floor
Not specified
Award ceiling
Not specified
Est. total funding
Not specified
Expected awards
6
Cost sharing
Not required
Funding instrument
Grant
Opportunity category
Discretionary
Fiscal year
FY2028

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 93.310, not this notice): $3,000 to $27,999,994 with the average being $640,952.

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 NIH Director's Transformative Research Award supports individual scientists and research teams pursuing bold, groundbreaking, and unconventional research with the potential to transform science, create new scientific paradigms, establish new clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. The Transformative Research Award is part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program.

How to apply

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Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 93.310

Historical data · not a prediction
FY24$1.17B
FY25$1.06B
FY26$28.1M est.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.310. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.310

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 5,175 grant awards had funding actions under Trans-NIH Research Support, with 7,955 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

  1. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE$96.5M
  2. THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA$95.5M
  3. THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY$95.3M
  4. YALE UNIV$81.2M
  5. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY$76M
Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

NIH Director's Transformative Research Award Program
Transformative_Awards@mail.nih.gov
Please contact via email.

Quick answers

Is “NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)” 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 March 15, 2027. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)”?

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 do I apply for “NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-RM-28-003), 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.