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Support for high-quality conferences and meetings relevant to the public health and to the scientific mission of the participating institutes and centers.
Purpose
Conference Grants are awarded to organizations (not individuals) to provide support for meetings, conferences, and workshops to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate research information. NIH provides this assistance in recognition of the value to members of the research community in supporting such forums. That value is enhanced when attendees are assured of a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment free from discrimination, harassment, and other barriers that might prevent or inhibit one’s participation.
A conference is defined as a symposium, seminar, workshop, or any other organized and formal meeting, whether conducted face-to-face or via the internet, where individuals assemble (or meet virtually) for the primary purpose to exchange technical information and views or explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge, whether or not a published report results from such meeting.
With the posting of NOT-OD-26-040: NIH No Longer Requires Advanced Permission for Conference Grant Applications on February 10, 2026, conference grant applicants are no longer required to request written permission form the ICO and/or document receipt of permission as part of the Cover Letter attachment on the SF424 (R&R) form.
For many institutes and centers, funding for conferences and meetings is extremely limited. Though not required, reaching out to explore potential interest prior to submission is encouraged.
As a reminder, applications can communicate specific assignment preferences to the Division of Receipt and Referral using the PHS Assignment Request Form.
Search for Conferences and Meetings Funding Opportunities
Use the Explore NIH Grant Opportunities tool to search Grants.gov.
View Current Funding OpportunitiesReview Criteria
To find the criteria reviewers will use to evaluate your application, see Section V of your funding opportunity.
Still looking for a funding opportunity? Check out the Conference Parent Announcement, which is a broad funding opportunity allowing applicants to submit investigator-initiated applications. Parent Announcements include the minimum standard review criteria appropriate for their program.