National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

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Mission Statement

The NIGMS Mission is to support basic research that increases our understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS also supports research in specific clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems: anesthesiology and peri-operative pain; clinical pharmacology common to multiple drugs and treatments; and injury, critical illness, sepsis, and wound healing. NIGMS-funded scientists investigate how living systems work at a range of levels—from molecules and cells to tissues and organs—in research organisms, humans, and populations. Additionally, to ensure the vitality and continued productivity of the research enterprise, NIGMS provides leadership in supporting the training of future scientists and developing research capacity throughout the country.

Interest Areas

General Topics

NIGMS supports fundamental research to uncover the basic principles, mechanisms, and processes that underlie living organisms, without a focus on specific diseases, organs, life stages, or populations. NIGMS also supports the development of fundamental methods and new technologies to achieve its mission. Supported research may utilize specific cells or organ systems if they serve as models for understanding general principles. Research with the overall goal to gain knowledge about a specific organ or organ system or the pathophysiology, treatment, or cure of a specific disease or condition will, in most cases, be more appropriate for another institute or center. 

Scientific Topics

  • Multi-scale computational modeling, bioinformatics, and biostatistics
  • Technology development for biomedical research
  • Biophysics of proteins, nucleic acids, membranes and their complexes
  • Anesthesia, pain, drug metabolism, inflammatory responses, critical care, organ physiology, drug delivery, sepsis, and wound healing
  • Cellular and molecular processes
  • Chemical synthesis, catalysis, chemical probes, natural products, and glycosciences
  • Cells and cellular component structure and function
  • Mechanisms of inheritance
  • Gene expression and development
  • Clinical Trials (with limitations and further considerations) in:
    • anesthesiology
    • clinical pharmacology
    • injury and critical illness
    • sepsis
    • wound healing

Other Topics

  • Research, infrastructure improvements, and research workforce development in states and institutions across the U.S. that do not receive high levels of NIH funding
  • Training and biomedical research workforce development, including:
    • dual-degree clinician scientist research training
    • training opportunities at federally recognized Tribal entities
    • fellowship programs for clinician scientists
    • individual predoctoral and postdoctoral and institutional basic biomedical research training programs
  • Research, research training, and workforce development meetings and conferences 

Assistance Listing

Assistance listings are detailed public descriptions of federal programs used across government agencies that provide grants, loans, scholarships, insurance, and other types of assistance awards. They are maintained in the System for Award Management (SAM) and can be used to search for opportunities in Grants.gov.

View NIGMS Assistance Listing Numbers

  • 93.859 - Biomedical Research and Research Training

Highlighted Topics

Title Lead ICO Participating ICOs Posted Date Expiration Date

Funding Opportunities and Notices

Search for NIGMS’s funding opportunities and notices

ICO Funding Policies and Considerations

Visit NIH Fiscal Policies for NIH-wide information on appropriations and other budgetary information (salary limits, stipends, tuition/fees) and Funding Decisions to learn about NIH's consistent and unified approach for making funding decisions.

NIGMS Funding Policies and Considerations builds on that general information.

Additional Information by Funding Category

Administrative Supplements
In addition to our Administrative Supplements overview, consider the following NIGMS-specific information.
Administrative Supplement Interest Areas:
  • Acquisition of a single unit of equipment for the benefit of the project's research plan.
    • For RPGs, the direct costs may not exceed $250,000.
    • For centers and resources, direct costs should not exceed $250,000 without prior consultation with the assigned Program Officer (PO).
    • If requesting a partial amount of the purchase price, explain how the balance of funds will be provided from institutional/other sources via a letter of support.
    • This type of supplement cannot be made in the first year of a new award and generally will not be made in the final year.
  • Modernization of IDeA CTR clinical trial and human subjects management software systems, electronic health record systems interoperability .
  • Enhancements of the IDeA CTR practice-based research networks (PBRNs), particularly electronic health record systems.
  • Consolidation of core facilities supported by IDeA COBRE, INBRE, and CTR grants

For questions about eligibility, please contact your PO(s) prior to submitting applications.

Administrative Supplement Due Dates:

Applicants are encouraged to submit requests on or before April 18th to be considered for the current fiscal year. Requests received after April 18th may not be considered until the next fiscal year.

Administrative Supplement Contact:

Program Contact:

The Program Officer listed on the NoA of the most recent parent award.

 

Grants management Contact:

The Grants Management Specialist or Grants Management Officer listed on the NoA of the most recent parent award.

Conferences and Meetings
In addition to our Conferences and Meetings overview, consider the following NIGMS-specific information.
Conferences and Meetings Interest Areas:
  • NIGMS will only support conferences or meetings that:
    • Are focused on basic biomedical research and research training topics closely aligned with NIGMS’ central mission and interests, and
      • Include participants and speakers who do not frequently interact in other venues, and
      • Are held at domestic sites.
  • NIGMS will consider support for meetings that focus on research training and/or workforce development or are in support of programs that build research capacity.
  • NIGMS anticipates funding very few conference or meeting grants. Simply because a meeting falls within the general areas of science or training and workforce development supported by NIGMS does not mean that the Institute will support the meeting. NIGMS rarely supports an R13 application as a secondary assignment.
Conferences and Meetings Budget Considerations:
  • In general, NIGMS support for meetings and conferences is limited to under $10,000.
Conferences and Meetings Key Date Considerations:
  • The earliest start date for an award must be prior to the meeting start date.
  • Apply early to provide at least 10 months before the meeting start date.
Conferences and Meetings Project Period Considerations:
  • Meetings funded by NIGMS may be awarded for up to 5 years. NIGMS does not support recurring or potentially recurring meetings except for those that focus on research training, workforce development, or research capacity building.
Conferences and Meetings Contacts:

NIGMS DEA Mailbox

[email protected]

Individual Fellowship
In addition to our Individual Fellowships Overview, consider the following NIGMS-specific information.
Individual Fellowships Interest Areas:

NIGMS prioritizes applications relevant to all areas of its mission that demonstrate compelling training needs and propose strong plans to promote trainee skills and career development. NIGMS strongly encourages applications from IDeA-eligible states, HBCUs, TCUs, and resource-limited institutions that can support rigorous fellowship training (including institutions without NIGMS-funded institutional training awards).  

NIGMS only considers MD-PhD students at institutions without NIH-funded institutional predoctoral dual-degree training programs (F30). Additionally, NIGMS prioritizes:  

  • Predoctoral candidates from laboratories and institutions with limited other NIH support (F31).  
  • Predoctoral candidates who will conduct NIGMS mission research in the K00 phase (F99/K00). 
  • Postdoctoral candidates with less than 2 years of postdoctoral experience at the time of application (F32).  
  • Investigators for whom the experience will significantly enhance their research careers (F33). 
Individual Fellowships Project Period Considerations:
NIGMS may limit project periods for specific education activities, as follows:
  • F30: 4 years. 
  • F31: 3 years.  
  • F32: 3 years.    
  • F33: 1 year.  
  • F99/K00: Minimum of one-year F99 phase; up to 3 years K00 phase. 
Individual Fellowships Budget Considerations:
In addition to current NRSA stipends, tuition/fees, and other budgetary levels, NIGMS may apply the following limits to applicable awards:
  • F99  
    • Stipend: NRSA level 
    • Institutional allowance: NRSA + $2000 for travel for program related activities.  
  • K00 limits 
    • Salary: $70,000 
    • Research expenses: $5000 per year. 
    • Travel: $2000 per year. 

 

Individual Fellowships Contacts:
Research Education
In addition to our Research Education overview, consider the following NIGMS-specific information.
Research Education Interest Areas:

NIGMS programs cover a range of disciplines relevant to its mission and support participants who will significantly benefit, including those: 

  • Without substantial previous research experience, 
  • From resource-limited institutions, or 
  • With circumstances that would otherwise prevent them from pursuing biomedical research. Such circumstances might include but are not necessarily limited to:
    • Financial hardship
    • Return from military service
    • Career delay or change
    • Family responsibilities  

Programs that recruit participants from a single organization or focus on a single discipline – especially those in the mission of other ICs – will be low priority for funding. NIGMS encourages applications from IDeA-eligible states, HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603 (24).  

NIGMS Prioritizes:  

Research Experience programs focused on a single career stage that:  

  • Prepare cohorts of individuals to transition into and complete biomedical Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs, specifically: 
    • Summer undergraduate.  
    • Yearlong postbaccalaureate. 
    • Research-based master’s programs with clear and strong transition plans, typically to distinct institutions.   
  • Increase understanding of biomedical research and encourage awareness of and interest in biomedical careers among high school students.  

Mentoring Activities & Networks to: 

  • Equip cohorts of NIGMS-supported career awardees with the networks and professional skills to successfully transition to independent research careers. Awards should focus on a single career stage: predoctoral-to-postdoctoral (F99/K00), postdoctoral-to-faculty (K99/R00), or supporting postdoctoral/early career clinician scientists to research independence. NIGMS prioritizes cooperative agreements for mentoring activities and networks for NIGMS-funded career awardees.  
  • Address critical workforce needs as part of a formal mentoring structure.  

Courses for Skills Development, Curriculum or Methods Development 

  • Courses to equip participants with technical, operational, or professional skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce.   
  • Programs that develop and disseminate innovative curricular or instructional approaches to improve biomedical research education at multiple secondary or postsecondary organizations. 
Research Education Key Date Considerations:

NIGMS prioritizes funding: 

  • Research Experience applications during October council. 
  • Courses for Skills Development, Curriculum or Methods development applications during January council. 
  • Mentoring Activities & Networks applications during May council.  
Research Education Participants:
NIGMS prioritizes funding for participants in the following areas:
  • Undergraduate
  • Predoctoral
  • Postdoctoral/Residency
  • Early Career
  • Established Investigator
  • Other
    Participant Type

    Research experiences

    Mentoring Activities & Networks

    Courses for Skills for Development, Curriculum or Methods Development

    High School Student (at least 16-years-old at the time of appointment)

    X

     

     

    Undergraduate

    X

    X

     

    Postbaccalaureate

    X

     

     

    Master’s Student

    X

     

     

    Predoctoral

     

    X

    X

    Postdoctoral/Residency

     

    X

    X

    Early Career

     

    X

    X

    Established Investigator

     

    X

    X

    Secondary Educator (middle or high school teacher)

    X

     

    X

Research Education Project Period Considerations:
NIGMS may limit project periods for specific education activities, as follows:

NIGMS typically supports the following types of projects for up to 5 years: 

  • Research experiences 
  • Mentoring Activities and Networks 
  • Courses for Skills Development 
  • Curriculum and methods development. 

NIGMS also supports pilot curriculum and methods development projects for shorter periods (up to three years).  

Research Education Budget Considerations:
NIGMS may limit budgets for specific education activities, as follows:

Award budgets must reflect the actual costs of the proposed project.   

NIGMS will consider up to $500,000 direct costs per year for: 

  • Research experiences for postbaccalaureate or master’s students 
  • Mentoring activities & networks  
  • Courses for skills development  
  • Curriculum and methods development projects 

NIGMS will consider up to $250,000 direct costs per year: 

  • Research experiences for summer undergraduate students, high school students or secondary educators 
Research Education Personnel, Participant, and Other Program-Related Costs:
NIGMS may limit awarded budgets for personnel, participant, and other costs, as follows:

For Research Experiences  

Salary support: Depending on the number of participants in the program and the person-months devoted to administration of the program: 

  • Total PD(s)/PI(s) (including a combination of multiple PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to a total of 2.0 person-months effort per year.  
  • Total salary support for other administrative staff (for example, a program coordinator to assist the PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to 6 person-months.  

Participant Costs: Participants may only receive funding for the period they participate in the program. Remuneration is through salary and wages. There must be an employee-employer relationship between the participant and the institution. Per the cost principles, participant salary must be consistent with institutional salary policies for individuals in similar circumstances regardless of the source of support for the activity. 

Additionally, for postbaccalaureate and research-based master’s participants:  

  • Salary, fringe benefits, tuition and fees up to the maximum NIH-permitted annual graduate student support (NRSA level 0 for postdoctoral trainees) are allowable. 

Other program-related expenses: For research-based master’s participants, institutions may request up to a maximum of $12,500/student participant for Other Program-Related Expenses. 

For all Research Education Awards 

Limited program evaluation costs are allowed up to a maximum of 2% of direct costs per year for the 5-year project period. This includes salaries for evaluation consultants, if any. 

Research Education Funding Instruments:
  • NIGMS awards Research Education Cooperative Agreements (UE5)
  • NIGMS awards Research Education Grant Projects (R25)
Research Education Contacts:
Small Business
In addition to our Small Business overview, consider the following NIGMS-specific information.
Small Business Interest Areas:

NIGMS supports the development of technologies to address complex and interdisciplinary research questions in i) basic research, ii) clinical areas that impact multiple organs systems and iii) biomedical workforce development/training through educational activities, that may require additional resources.

Phase IIB & Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP):
NIGMS accepts Phase IIB SBIR projects
NIGMS accepts Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) projects
Clinical Trials:
NIGMS accepts clinical trials through the SBIR programs
NIGMS accepts clinical trials through the STTR programs
NIGMS accepts clinical trials through the Phase IIB SBIR program
NIGMS accepts clinical trials through the Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP)
Small Business Contact:

NIGMS Small Business Program
[email protected]

 

NIGMS Grants Administration Branch
[email protected]

See Also

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

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