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Funding Opportunities for Scientists at All Career Stages with Innovative and Novel Research Ideas
The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program supports exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences within the NIH mission. Preliminary data are not required. The program's four constituent NIH Director's awards provide a diverse set of funding opportunities. See the individual award websites for more information and application help.
View Current Funding Opportunities
The Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program was created to accelerate the pace of biomedical, behavioral, and social science discoveries by supporting exceptionally creative scientists conducting highly innovative research. The program seeks to identify scientists with high-impact ideas that may be risky or at a stage too early to fare well in the traditional peer review process. The program encourages creative, outside-the-box thinkers to pursue exciting and innovative ideas in any area of biomedical, behavioral, or social science within the NIH mission . Four initiatives were created for this purpose:
The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, established in 2004, challenges investigators at all career levels to pursue new research directions and develop groundbreaking, high-impact approaches within broad areas of biomedical, behavioral or social science.
The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, established in 2007, supports unusually innovative research from early career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or post-graduate clinical training and have not yet received a research project grant or equivalent NIH grant.
The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award, established in 2009, promotes cross-cutting, interdisciplinary approaches and is open to individuals and teams of investigators who propose unconventional research that could create or challenge existing paradigms.
The NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, established in 2011, provides an opportunity for exceptional junior scientists who have recently received their doctoral degree or completed their post-graduate clinical training to skip traditional post-doctoral training and move immediately into independent research positions.
Learn more about the different award requirements in our comparison table.
| Pioneer Award | New Innovator Award | Transformative Research Award | Early Independence Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Group | Individuals of exceptional creativity proposing pioneering approaches | Individual early-stage investigators of exceptional creativity proposing bold and highly innovative research with high impact potential | Individuals or teams proposing transformative research that may require very large budgets | Promising, newly-graduated scientists wishing to "skip the postdoc" and immediately begin independent research |
| Multiple PIs | Single PD/PI only | Single PD/PI only | Multiple PD/PIs allowed | Single PD/PI only |
| Eligibility | Open to all career stages | Must be an Early Stage Investigator who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training (whichever date is later) within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award. | Open to all career stages | Must complete terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training within previous 16 months or expect to do so within following 12 months of application submission date Maximum of two applications per institution (or grant submitting entity) Must be in non-independent position at time of application |
| Preliminary Data | Not required; may be included | Not required; may be included | Not required; may be included | Not required; may be included |
| Research Strategy | 5-page limit; respond to questions about the challenge, potential impact, suitability for the award, investigator's innovativeness, and how the research qualifies as new research direction | 10-page limit; respond to questions about significance and potential impact, innovativeness of approach, how risks and challenges will be addressed, suitability for the award, and investigator qualifications | 12-page limit; respond to questions about the challenge, innovativeness of approach, potential impact, and appropriateness for the award | 12-page limit; respond to questions about the challenge, innovativeness of approach, investigator's qualifications, and plans for development; in addition, host institution must provide details of commitment |
| Reference Letters | 3 letters required | None accepted | None accepted | 3-5 letters required |
| Effort | Major portion (at least 51%) of research effort must be devoted to activities supported by the award for first 3 years, followed by 33% effort in year 4, and 25% effort in year 5 | Minimum of 25% research effort must be devoted to activities supported by the award | Effort should be commensurate with project needs and follow general guidelines for other NIH projects of similar size, complexity, and duration | 9.6 person-months (80% effort) must be devoted to award project for first 2 years, followed by 9.6-person months towards independent research in general |
| Budget | No detailed budget information submitted Awards of $700,000 per year for each of 5 years, plus standard indirect costs | Minimal budget information submitted Awards of $475,000 per year for each of 5 years, plus standard indirect costs | No limit on budget up to maximum funds available for the entire initiative No prior approval required for budgets over $500,000 in direct costs in any year 5 year project period | Awards up to $350,000 per year for 5 years, plus standard indirect costs |
| Review Format | Multi-phased, "editorial board," interview of finalists | Multi-phased, "editorial board" | Multi-phased, "editorial board" | Multi-phased, "editorial board" |
| Website | commonfund.nih.gov /pioneer | commonfund.nih.gov /newinnovator | commonfund.nih.gov /TRA | commonfund.nih.gov /earlyindependence |
| Contact Email | PioneerAwards@ mail.nih.gov | NewInnovatorAwards@ mail.nih.gov | Transformative_Awards@ mail.nih.gov | EarlyIndependence@ od.nih.gov |
NIH Director's Pioneer Award
For scientists with outstanding records of creativity pursuing pioneering approaches to major challenges
- Open to all career stages
- Single PI only
- Must be new research direction
- Requires at least 51% research effort
- $700,000/year for 5 years
NIH Director's New Innovator Award
For exceptionally creative early career scientists proposing innovative, high-impact projects
- Must be an Early Stage Investigator
- Single PI only
- Requires at least 25% research effort
- $475,000/year for 5 years
NIH Director's Transformative Research Award
For individuals or teams proposing groundbreaking, unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms
- Open to all career stages
- Open to individuals or teams
- Research effort commensurate to project needs
- Flexible budget for 5 years
NIH Director's Early Independence Award
For exceptional junior scientists bypassing postdoctoral training to launch independent research careers
- Recipient of terminal research degree or completed postgraduate clinical training within previous 16 months or expectation to do so within following 12 months of application submission date
- Single PI only
- Must be in non-independent research position
- Limit of 2 applications per institution
- $350,000/year for 5 years
Health Relevance
Research that aims to transform science is inherently difficult and risky but necessary to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and advance human health. While all Common Fund programs encourage risk-taking to overcome significant challenges in biomedical research, most programs designate funds for particular high-risk objectives or methods. The High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) program takes a different approach by supporting exceptionally creative scientists proposing innovative and transformative research in any scientific area within the NIH mission through four complementary initiatives: the NIH Director's Pioneer Award, New Innovator Award, Transformative Research Award, and Early Independence Award. The NIH Director's Pioneer Award supports extraordinarily creative scientists who propose bold approaches to addressing major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research. The NIH Director's New Innovator Award supports exceptionally creative, early career investigators who propose innovative, high-impact projects. The NIH Director's Transformative Research Award supports unconventional, paradigm-shifting research projects that are inherently risky and untested, and allows teams of principal investigators when appropriate. The NIH Director's Early Independence Award bypasses the traditional post-doctoral training period by helping establish independent scientific careers for newly graduated scientists with the intellect, creativity, drive, and maturity to flourish independently.