Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 11 004
Apply for RFA RM 11 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2012 NIH Directors Pioneer Award Program (DP1)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 5, 2011 and posted on Aug 5, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 7, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses City or township governments Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) County governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) 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 allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2012 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1) is a high-profile NIH funding opportunity designed to support individual researchers who are willing to take big, unconventional swings at major biomedical or behavioral problems. It is meant to complement NIH's standard investigator-initiated grants by putting resources behind scientists with exceptional creativity who want to pursue ideas that could be truly transformative. The central theme is "pioneering" work: projects are expected to open up substantially new scientific directions rather than extend or incrementally advance what the applicant (or the broader field) is already doing. NIH is explicitly looking for proposals that could reshape thinking or methods across a broad area, not just generate the next logical dataset.
A key feature of this program is the emphasis on commitment and focus. Awardees are expected to devote the major portion of their research effort to the Pioneer Award project, defined here as at least 51 percent. That requirement signals that NIH views these projects as centerpiece efforts that need sustained attention, not side projects added onto an already full portfolio. In practice, this also reinforces that the award is built around the investigator and their vision, with the expectation that the funded work becomes the main driver of their research time and creative energy.
From a funding and scale standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-11-004) anticipated making about 7 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $6,000,000. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, indicating a substantial per-award cap for the budget period structure defined in the full announcement. The program is administered by the National Institutes of Health under the health funding activity category, and it is listed under CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which is consistent with many NIH research grant mechanisms and lowers barriers for applicants who might not have institutional capacity to provide matching funds.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations, reflecting NIH's intent to draw pioneering ideas from many corners of the research ecosystem. Eligible applicant types include private and public institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with certain distinctions), small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and a wide range of government entities such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts. The announcement also explicitly includes a variety of mission-focused institution types and community-based entities, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly excludes non-U.S. (foreign) institutions as direct applicants and excludes non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations from applying, although foreign components, as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. That structure supports international collaboration where scientifically justified while keeping the applicant organization and primary award administration within the U.S. framework.
In terms of timing, the opportunity was posted and created on August 5, 2011, with an original and current closing date of October 7, 2011, and an archive date of November 7, 2011. The official details and full instructions were provided through the NIH posting at the linked RFA page. For access or technical issues with the electronic announcement, the listed point of contact is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster via FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Overall, this opportunity targets researchers who can credibly argue that their proposed work breaks from existing trajectories and could change the landscape of biomedical or behavioral research. It is positioned as a selective, high-impact mechanism: relatively few awards, substantial funding, and a strong expectation that the investigator will center their research effort around a bold, potentially field-shifting idea.
FAQs: 2012 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1) - RFA-RM-11-004
What is the 2012 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1)?
The 2012 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1) is an NIH funding opportunity designed to support individual researchers pursuing bold, unconventional, and potentially transformative biomedical or behavioral research ideas. The program is positioned to complement standard NIH investigator-initiated grants by backing exceptionally creative scientists whose work could open substantially new scientific directions.
What kind of research does NIH want to fund through this program?
NIH is looking for "pioneering" projects that open new scientific directions rather than extend, refine, or incrementally advance existing work. Proposals are expected to be field-shifting in concept, approach, or potential impact, with the goal of reshaping thinking or methods across a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research.
How is this program different from typical NIH investigator-initiated grants?
This program emphasizes high-risk, high-reward ideas and places strong weight on exceptional creativity and transformative potential. It is explicitly meant to complement standard NIH grants by supporting projects that could change a field, rather than producing the next logical step or incremental dataset within an established research trajectory.
Is the award focused on the project or the investigator?
The program is built around the investigator and their vision. NIH expects the funded work to become a centerpiece effort and the main driver of the awardee's research time and creative energy.
What is the required level of effort for awardees?
Awardees are expected to devote the major portion of their research effort to the Pioneer Award project, defined as at least 51 percent.
Why does the program require at least 51 percent effort?
The 51 percent minimum signals that NIH views these projects as central, sustained efforts rather than side projects. The intent is to ensure the investigator remains deeply committed and focused on executing a bold research vision.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-RM-11-004.
How many awards did NIH anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipated making about 7 awards.
What was the estimated total funding level for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding level listed for the opportunity was $6,000,000.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, reflecting the per-award cap within the budget period structure described in the full announcement.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Which NIH category and CFDA listing does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health under the health funding activity category and is listed under CFDA 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicant types include private and public institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with certain distinctions), small businesses, and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses). A wide range of government entities are also eligible, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts.
Are mission-focused and community-based institutions included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The announcement explicitly includes institution types and community-based entities such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) institutions allowed to apply as direct applicants?
No. The opportunity clearly excludes non-U.S. (foreign) institutions as direct applicants.
Can non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations apply?
No. The opportunity excludes non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations from applying.
Are foreign components allowed at all?
Yes. While foreign institutions cannot apply directly, foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) are allowed. This supports international collaboration when scientifically justified while keeping the applicant organization and award administration within a U.S. framework.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted and created on August 5, 2011.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed is October 7, 2011.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is November 7, 2011.
Where can applicants find the official details and full instructions?
The official details and full instructions were provided through the NIH posting at the linked RFA page for RFA-RM-11-004.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the electronic announcement?
For access or technical issues with the electronic announcement, the listed point of contact is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What is the main goal of the program in terms of scientific impact?
The program targets projects that could change the landscape of biomedical or behavioral research by opening new directions and reshaping thinking or methods across a broad area, not simply advancing the next logical step in an established line of work.
How selective is this program described to be?
It is described as selective and high-impact, with relatively few anticipated awards, substantial funding, and a strong expectation that the investigator will center their research effort around a bold, potentially field-shifting idea.
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