OpenNational Institutes of Health

Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NHLBI K01/K08/K23/K25 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

Opportunity number RFA-HL-27-004 · Assistance listing 93.838, 93.839, 93.233 and 2 more

Deadline
Nov 7, 2028 · 740 days left
Posted
May 12, 2026
Award size
Up to $85K
Total program funding
$3.9M
Expected awards
29
Cost sharing
Not required
Funding type
Grant
Category
Health
NIH R03: recently funded projects, typical award sizes and top institutions

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About this opportunity

This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a Limited Competition that invites applications from eligible organizations to apply. Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the applications will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious applications will be considered. The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit current or recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees for small grant support to expand their current research objectives or to branch out to a new study emerging from their K award research. This NOFO is intended to facilitate the transition to research independence for these NHLBI K awardees. Current NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees may apply for this R03 support starting in the third year of their K award Project Period. Recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 award recipients are eligible to apply or resubmit A1 applications if the earliest potential R03 award start date is within two years of the end of their K award Project Period.The R03 grant mechanism supports research projects that can be completed within two years and with limited resources. These projects are expected to generate preliminary data to bolster a subsequent R01-equivalent application. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, pilot or feasibility studies; proof of concept studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of new research methodologies or technologies, or creation of novel experimental model systems.Applicants are required to maintain a minimum of 40% protected research effort during the R03 award period. This requirement can be fulfilled through a combination of effort on the proposed R03 project and other research projects, irrespective of funding source.For current and former K23 awardees, the research proposed in the R03 application may or may not include patient-oriented research.

Who can apply

  • City or township governments
  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status
  • Small businesses
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations
  • State governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public and state universities
  • Private universities
  • Other (see eligibility)
  • Special district governments
  • Public and Indian housing authorities
  • Other Native American tribal organizations

Only the following NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Agency contact

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NHLBI_R03@nih.gov
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Details from Grants.gov, last updated Sep 3, 2026. Deadlines and requirements can change: always confirm them in the official notice.