NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 23 198

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 198

The NIAID New Innovator Award (DP2; Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity (PAR-23-198) designed to help exceptionally creative researchers launch bold, high-impact projects early in their careers. It is aimed at postdoctoral scientists and other applicants who are still in non-independent positions, as well as newly independent Early Stage Investigators, with the central expectation that the proposed work is genuinely novel and has the potential to substantially shift thinking or practice in areas that matter to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The emphasis is less on incremental progress and more on original ideas that could test existing scientific paradigms, introduce entirely new approaches, or accelerate key concepts on broad and important biomedical problems aligned with NIAID priorities.

The program strongly encourages proposals that break from standard lanes, including projects that bring together disciplines that do not typically intersect, open up new scientific directions, or rely on novel tools, platforms, analytic strategies, or methodologies. In practical terms, applicants are being invited to take well-justified intellectual risks, as long as the ideas are insightful and the work is grounded in a compelling scientific rationale relevant to NIAID’s mission space (which broadly includes allergy, immunology, infectious diseases, and related areas). Applications are also welcomed from individuals with diverse backgrounds, and the topic area can be any area that fits NIAID’s scope.

As indicated by the title and mechanism, this specific DP2 opportunity does not allow clinical trials. That means the application should not propose a study in which human participants are prospectively assigned to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes. Applicants can still often work with human-derived materials or data depending on the specific design and NIH definitions, but the project must be structured so it does not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial under this announcement.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many types of domestic entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other qualifying organizations. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones, and U.S. territories or possessions.

There are important restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant organization may be able to include certain clearly justified foreign elements within the project under NIH policy.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity from NIH within the health funding category, associated with CFDA number 93.855. The opportunity record lists an original closing date of 2025-10-10 and a creation date of 2023-06-02. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, so applicants typically need to consult the full funding opportunity announcement and NIH/NIAID budget and program guidance for current limits, budgeting expectations, and review considerations.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2 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): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for PAR 23 198

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