NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)

Summary

This is a Parent R21 funding opportunity announcement (FOA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting exploratory and developmental research projects that involve clinical trials. The R21 mechanism is intended to encourage new, exploratory, and developmental research by providing support for early and conceptually innovative studies. Clinical trial inclusion is a required component of this award. The opportunity is broadly open across NIH-participating institutes and centers, and remains active through early 2028.

What they want

How they evaluate

• Scientific and technical merit (peer review by NIH Scientific Review Groups)
• Significance and innovation of proposed research
• Approach and rigor of clinical trial design
• Qualifications and experience of investigators
• Environment and available resources

Eligibility & certifications

Risks & flags

• Extremely long open window (over 3 years) is standard for NIH Parent FOAs but means specific deadline depends on target receipt dates published separately
• No dollar values stated — actual award sizes vary by institute and are not disclosed in this synopsis