Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 12 017
Apply for RFA RM 12 017
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01)" 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 Jun 29, 2012 and posted on Jun 29, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 21, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $15,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Special district governments City or township governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- 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 NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01) funding opportunity (RFA-RM-12-017) was a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program designed to sit alongside, and intentionally differ from, NIH's more traditional investigator-initiated mechanisms. Its purpose was to back high-risk, high-reward biomedical or behavioral research that is truly unconventional: ideas that aim to change the way a field thinks, not just add another incremental step. NIH framed the award around work that could create entirely new scientific paradigms, introduce fundamentally new or improved clinical approaches, or produce genuinely transformative technologies. A key theme is that applications should make a compelling case for major impact across a broad area of research, rather than a narrow or highly specialized niche.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its openness to proposals with little or no preliminary data. In many standard NIH competitions, extensive pilot data and strong proof-of-concept are often expected to reduce risk. This program explicitly accepted (and in practice encouraged) the kind of early-stage, bold thinking that might not yet have the evidence base to compete well in conventional review settings. The expectation was not that the project is "safe," but that the underlying concept is exceptionally innovative and that, if successful, it would meaningfully redirect scientific understanding or practice.
The funding instrument was an R01 research project grant within NIH's "Trans-NIH Research Support" umbrella (CFDA 93.310), meaning it was relevant across NIH institutes and centers rather than tied to a single disease area or discipline. The estimated total funding listed for the opportunity was $15,000,000. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which lowers barriers for organizations that may not have discretionary resources to contribute.
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizational types. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where applicable in the listing); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and independent school districts. The announcement also explicitly included a range of mission-driven and capacity-building institution types and community-based entities, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, and regional organizations, along with certain eligible federal agencies. At the same time, the opportunity restricted foreign participation in a specific way: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply, but foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) were allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant could potentially include a foreign element when justified and compliant with NIH policy.
From an applicant's perspective, the core standard to meet would have been demonstrating transformative potential: the proposal needed to read as more than "innovative" in the everyday sense and instead present a credible path to a major, field-shaping outcome. That typically implies a well-argued rationale for why prevailing approaches are limited, what radically different strategy is being proposed, and why the approach could succeed despite uncertainty. Because preliminary data were not a centerpiece, the strength of the conceptual framework, the clarity of the scientific leap, and the plausibility of the execution plan would have carried extra weight.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on June 29, 2012, with an original and current closing date of September 21, 2012, and an archive date of October 22, 2012. The sponsor agency was the National Institutes of Health. The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants website (via the listed Additional Information link). For access or technical linking issues, the notice directed applicants to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact provided in the announcement.
FAQs: NIH Director's Transformative Research Awards (R01) - RFA-RM-12-017
What is the NIH Director's Transformative Research Awards (R01) opportunity?
This was a discretionary National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program that used the R01 research project grant mechanism and was intentionally designed to differ from more traditional, investigator-initiated NIH funding routes. It focused on supporting bold, unconventional biomedical or behavioral research with the potential to change how an entire field thinks or operates.
What was the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose was to support high-risk, high-reward research that is truly unconventional. NIH framed it as work that could create entirely new scientific paradigms, introduce fundamentally new or improved clinical approaches, or produce genuinely transformative technologies.
What kinds of projects were considered a good fit?
Projects were expected to aim for major, field-shaping impact rather than incremental advances. A strong fit would be an idea that could redirect scientific understanding or practice across a broad area of research, not just advance a narrow or highly specialized niche.
How did this program differ from standard NIH funding mechanisms?
It was intended to sit alongside traditional NIH mechanisms but differ in its tolerance for uncertainty and risk. Unlike many standard NIH competitions that often expect extensive proof-of-concept, this program accepted and encouraged early-stage, bold ideas that might not be competitive in conventional review settings due to limited preliminary evidence.
Was preliminary data required to apply?
No. A defining feature of this opportunity was its openness to proposals with little or no preliminary data. The emphasis was not on a "safe" project, but on a concept that was exceptionally innovative and could be transformative if successful.
If preliminary data were not central, what would reviewers likely focus on?
Based on the program description, extra weight would have been placed on the strength of the conceptual framework, the clarity of the scientific leap being proposed, and the plausibility of the execution plan. Applicants would also need to make a compelling case for major impact across a broad research area.
What grant mechanism and NIH category did this opportunity use?
The funding instrument was an R01 research project grant. It was listed under NIH's "Trans-NIH Research Support" umbrella (CFDA 93.310), indicating relevance across NIH institutes and centers rather than being tied to a single institute, disease area, or discipline.
How much funding was available under this opportunity?
The estimated total funding listed for the opportunity was $15,000,000.
Did the opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizational types. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding higher education institutions where applicable in the listing), and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits).
Were government entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and independent school districts.
Were mission-driven and community-based institutions explicitly included?
Yes. The announcement explicitly included organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, and regional organizations, along with certain eligible federal agencies.
Could foreign organizations apply as the main applicant?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities were not eligible to apply.
Could a U.S. applicant include a foreign component in the project?
Yes, as described in the opportunity summary: while non-domestic entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply, foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) were allowed when justified and compliant with NIH policy.
Was the award limited to a particular disease area or discipline?
No. It was positioned as "Trans-NIH," meaning it was intended to be relevant across NIH institutes and centers rather than focused on one disease area or a single disciplinary lane.
What does "transformative" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this program, "transformative" meant more than everyday innovation. The proposal was expected to present a credible path to a major, field-shaping outcome, such as creating a new scientific paradigm, enabling fundamentally new or improved clinical approaches, or producing truly transformative technologies.
How should an applicant have made the case for transformative impact?
The opportunity description suggests an applicant would need to clearly explain why prevailing approaches are limited, what radically different strategy is being proposed, and why the approach could succeed despite uncertainty. The proposal would need to read as a compelling argument for broad, major impact rather than incremental progress.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on June 29, 2012. The original (and current) closing date was September 21, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was October 22, 2012.
Which agency sponsored this funding opportunity?
The sponsor agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where could applicants find the full announcement and additional details?
The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants website via the Additional Information link referenced in the notice.
Who should applicants contact if they had trouble accessing the announcement link?
For access or technical linking issues, the notice directed applicants to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact provided in the announcement.
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