FORECAST · GRANT
NIH Director's Early Independence Award (DP5 Clinical Trial Optional)
- Expected deadline
- Not stated
- Who can apply
- Others
- Award range
- Up to $350,000
- Expected awards
- 10
- Total program funding
- $5.7 million
- Your own money required
- No cost sharing or matching required
- Opportunity number
- RFA-RM-28-004
- Posted
- Sep 3, 2026
- Assistance listing
- 93.310
More on who can apply
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).
What it funds
The NIH Director's Early Independence Award supports outstanding early-career investigators who are ready to pursue independent research soon after completing their doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training, without following the traditional postdoctoral path. The award is designed to accelerate the transition to an independent research career. Applications are welcome across all fields relevant to the NIH mission. The Early Independence Award is part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program.
Open the official notice on Grants.gov ↗What to do next
- This is a forecast: the agency expects to post the full notice later. Open it on Grants.gov and subscribe there to be told when it posts.
- Get your SAM.gov registration ("all awards") and Grants.gov account active now; both take time.
- Use the forecast's award range and eligibility to decide whether to prepare.
- Watch for the notice; the dates here are estimates and can change.
New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: EarlyIndependence@od.nih.gov
From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.