Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for ORIP Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) K01 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 176

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 176

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, is offering a limited-competition small grant opportunity designed specifically for ORIP-supported Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) K01 recipients. The intent is to provide an extra boost to investigators who are partway through their mentored career development period and are preparing to move toward full research independence. This funding is positioned as a transition-support tool: it helps SERCA K01 awardees strengthen their research trajectory, generate additional results, and build momentum toward the next stage of independent funding and leadership.

This announcement uses the NIH R03 Small Grant mechanism, meaning it is aimed at focused projects that are modest in scope, budget, and duration. The program supports research activities that can reasonably be completed within a two-year project period and that do not require large-scale resources. The types of projects ORIP highlights include pilot and feasibility studies, secondary analyses of existing datasets, small and self-contained research projects, and efforts aimed at developing research methods or new research technologies. In practice, this structure favors clearly defined aims, efficient study designs, and projects that produce tangible outputs (for example, preliminary data, a validated method, or a proof-of-concept technology) within a short timeframe.

Eligibility is limited to ORIP SERCA K01 recipients who have completed the first two years (24 months) of their K01 award, reinforcing that this is not an open R03 for the general research community. The program is therefore “limited competition” because only a defined group of investigators can apply. While the applicant organization can come from a broad range of institution types, the key gating factor is the applicant being an eligible SERCA K01 awardee at the appropriate point in their award period.

A central restriction is that clinical trials are not allowed under this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applications proposing one or more clinical trials will not be accepted, which signals that the work should remain in the realm of non-clinical-trial research, such as preclinical studies, basic or translational research that does not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, analyses of existing human data that do not involve prospective assignment to an intervention, or research methods/technology development that is not structured as a clinical trial.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a grant funding instrument. The activity aligns with NIH’s health-related research portfolio and is listed under CFDA 93.351. The award ceiling is $75,000, reflecting the small-grant nature of the R03 and reinforcing expectations for a tightly scoped plan and lean budget. The original closing date provided for this opportunity is May 7, 2026, and the funding opportunity number is PAR-25-176, with a creation date of November 18, 2024.

Eligible applicant organizations include a wide range of domestic entities, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The announcement also calls out additional eligible organization types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, along with certain tribal governments and tribal organizations.

Foreign participation is explicitly restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. These limits mean the applicant institution and the work supported by the award must remain fully within eligible U.S.-based organizational structures and components.

Overall, this ORIP R03 is best understood as a targeted, time-limited, and budget-limited supplement-style opportunity (though it is a distinct grant mechanism) meant to help SERCA K01 awardees strengthen their research footing during a critical career transition period. Competitive projects will typically be sharply focused, feasible within two years, aligned with ORIP’s research infrastructure mission areas, and designed to produce near-term outcomes that materially support the investigator’s next step toward independence, without involving clinical trial activity.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for ORIP Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) K01 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

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