Research Program Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA NS 22 038

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 22 038

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Research Program Award (R35, Clinical Trial Optional) is designed to give NINDS-funded investigators longer-term, more flexible support so they can spend less time writing and juggling multiple grant applications and more time actually doing science. Rather than funding a single narrowly defined project with fixed specific aims, this award supports an investigator's broader research program, giving the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) room to adapt as new findings, technologies, or opportunities emerge. The overall intent is to create a more stable funding environment that helps investigators pursue ambitious, longer-horizon neuroscience research, explore higher-risk or ground-breaking directions, and devote more attention to mentoring students and postdoctoral researchers in alignment with the NINDS mission.

A key feature of the opportunity is its duration and stability: RPAs can provide support for up to 8 years, with an award level generally tied to the PD/PI's recent NINDS funding history (the detailed budgeting approach is referenced in the announcement as Part 2, Section II). This structure is meant to reduce the administrative load that comes with maintaining several overlapping grants while still sustaining a strong, productive laboratory. The award is also described as "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants may propose clinical trial activities if appropriate for their program, but a clinical trial is not required.

The program is mission-focused. NINDS emphasizes that proposed research must fit within the NINDS neuroscience and neurological disorders mission area. Activities that fall outside that mission or that are more typically supported by another NIH Institute or Center are not intended to be supported through this mechanism. In practice, that means applicants should be prepared to show that the core themes of their overall research program align clearly with NINDS priorities, even though the funding is flexible and not constrained to a single set of rigid aims.

The opportunity also highlights NINDS priorities around mentorship and workforce development, especially the goal of improving diversity and inclusion in neuroscience. The announcement frames mentoring as a meaningful benefit of the R35 structure: by reducing constant grant-writing cycles and providing longer support, investigators can invest more time in training, building a supportive lab environment, and helping develop a diverse pipeline of scientists. NINDS explicitly links a diverse scientific workforce to innovation, competitiveness, stronger learning environments, and higher-quality research outcomes.

From an eligibility standpoint, the funding opportunity is broad and is open to many organization types, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as eligible tribal governments and tribal organizations. The notice also calls out categories of institutions and organizations that NIH often encourages to apply, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations and certain federal agencies.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a specific way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which generally means certain parts of the research may be carried out outside the U.S. under NIH rules when well-justified and appropriately managed, even though the applicant organization itself must be domestic.

Administrative details from the listing include the opportunity title Research Program Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number RFA-NS-22-038, agency National Institutes of Health (NIH) with NINDS as the sponsoring institute, and CFDA number 93.853 (neuroscience-related NIH assistance). The funding instrument is a grant under the Health activity category. The original closing date shown is 2024-07-15, which is the key deadline reference in the provided source information. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided fields, so applicants typically need to consult the full announcement for details on budget expectations, scope, and any institute-specific limits or guidance.

In plain terms, this R35 is meant for investigators who already have a strong NINDS-supported track record and who would benefit from consolidating support into a single, longer award that backs their overall program. The tradeoff for that flexibility is the expectation of a coherent, high-impact NINDS-aligned research vision and a commitment to strong research stewardship, including mentoring and fostering a productive and inclusive laboratory environment.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Program Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-15. (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 RFA NS 22 038

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