NIH Directors Early Independence Awards (DP5 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA RM 19 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 19 008

The NIH Director's Early Independence Award (DP5, clinical trial optional) is a competitive NIH grant designed for unusually talented early-career scientists who are ready to launch an independent research program almost immediately after finishing a terminal doctoral or research degree, or after completing postgraduate clinical training. The central idea is to let exceptional investigators skip the traditional postdoctoral phase and move straight into running their own research, which can speed up the path to scientific independence and leadership. This opportunity sits within the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, which signals an emphasis on bold, potentially transformative research directions rather than incremental extensions of existing work.

In terms of what research can be proposed, the announcement is intentionally broad. NIH welcomes applications across the full span of its mission, including behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences. Projects may be basic, translational, or clinical in nature, and the "clinical trial optional" label indicates that applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial when appropriate, but a clinical trial is not required. The emphasis is less on fitting into a narrow topic area and more on the strength of the investigator and the promise, originality, and impact potential of the proposed research program.

A major theme of this funding opportunity is expanding and supporting diversity in the research workforce. NIH explicitly encourages applications that reflect the full diversity of researchers and institutions, including applicants from a wide range of geographic locations and organizational settings. Alongside the typical range of eligible U.S. applicants (such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and multiple levels of government), the announcement highlights additional categories that are strongly encouraged and eligible, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and certain tribal governments and regional organizations.

Eligibility and foreign involvement rules are clearly delineated. While many U.S.-based organizations can apply, non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply directly, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may, when justified, include certain aspects of the work to be carried out in collaboration with foreign entities or in foreign settings under NIH's established policies.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the health funding category (CFDA 93.310). The funding opportunity number is RFA-RM-19-008, and the original closing date listed for the opportunity was September 13, 2019, with a creation date of March 28, 2019. The posted source information does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details would normally be confirmed in the full Funding Opportunity Announcement text or related NIH program materials.

Overall, the DP5 Early Independence Award is best understood as an NIH mechanism for recruiting and backing exceptionally promising researchers at the earliest possible stage of independence, giving them the resources and credibility to establish a lab or independent research program quickly, while also broadening participation across institutions and communities that have historically been underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research funding.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIH Directors Early Independence Awards (DP5 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA RM 19 008

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