Frequently Asked Questions


General Information

1.  What is the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award?

2.  What distinguishes the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award from a standard R01?

3.  How does the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award differ from other awards in the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program?

4.  How many awards will be made?

5.  Are women and members of underrepresented minority groups encouraged to apply?

6.  I don’t see any Transformative Research Awards in my area of research. Does this mean that the program is not interested in this area?

7.  My institution is not research intensive. Will this be an issue?

8.  Will another funding opportunity be available for the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award next year?

9.  Can someone at NIH review my idea and let me know if it is a good fit for this award?

10.  Are applications proposing clinical research appropriate for this award?

11.  What issues should be considered when thinking about an application to the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award?

12.  What is the competition timeline?

13.  Have evaluations of the Transformative Research Award initiative been conducted?

14.  What is the success rate for the Transformative Research Award?

Eligibility Requirements

1.  May two or more scientists apply as a team for an NIH Director's Transformative Research Award?

2.  Are individuals at all stages of their careers eligible?

3.  Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to apply?

4.  Are foreign institutions eligible?

5.  Are scientists in the NIH Intramural Program eligible?

6.  Are individuals employed by government agencies, non-academic, and/or for-profit organizations eligible?

7.  Are postdoctoral fellows eligible to apply?

8.  Is there a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by an institution?

9.  What scientific areas are eligible to apply?

10.  Will technology development be allowed or just hypothesis-driven research?

11.  If I am not successful this year, may I reapply next year?

12.  Is the award transferable if I change institutions?

13.  Can I submit an application that has overlapping aims with an application currently under review?

14.  Can I resubmit an earlier, unsuccessful NIH Director's Transformative Research application?

Application & Submission

1.  What are the important dates for applications?

2.  Will late applications be accepted?

3.  Can I receive a submission extension if serving as an NIH peer reviewer or in an NIH Advisory Group?

4.  Can I receive a submission extension or use my continuous submission privileges if serving as an NIH peer reviewer or in an NIH Advisory Group?

5.  Is a letter of intent (LOI) required to apply for this award?

6.  What must be done before I submit an application to Grants.gov?

7.  Where can I find help registering for Grants.gov?

8.  Where can I find help in submitting my application to Grants.gov?

9.  Where can I find help in registering for the eRA Commons?

10.  How should documents be formatted?

11.  Is there a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by an individual?

12.  Is there a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by an institution?

13.  Should I submit Letters of Reference?

14.  How does the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award application content differ from a conventional R01 application?

15.  I have multiple PIs for my project. How do I show this on the application?

16.  Do I need to submit a Specific Aims page?

17.  Do I need to include preliminary data in my NIH Director's Transformative Research Award application?

18.  Should I include preliminary data if I have any?

19.  Are citations (references) allowed?

20.  May I include figures and illustrations?

21.  May I include movies, either as a link to a website or as a CD, with my application?

22.  May I include additional information in an appendix?

23.  May I submit new data after submitting my application?

24.  May I submit new data after submitting my application?

25.  Can I revise and resubmit if my application is not funded?

26.  Where do I learn more about the anonymized review process?

27.  How can I assess whether my Specific Aims page and Research Strategy essay comply with anonymization requirements?

28.  In my application, I intend to refer to something I developed or am proposing to further develop work I’ve already published on. How do I make sure that my application is still anonymized?

29.  Does my application require a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan?

30.  My application should not result in a large amount of data. Do I still need a Data Management and Sharing Plan?

31.  I have a Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Plan for my application. Can that substitute for a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan?

32.  Can I see a Sample Data Management and Sharing Plan?

33.  How do I submit the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan?

34.  Can I ask for additional funds for Data Sharing and Management?

Budget

1.  What budget and project period should I request?

2.  Do I need NIH approval before submitting a budget exceeding $500,000 in annual direct costs?

3.  Are indirect costs provided in the award?

4.  How much time/effort are recipients expected to devote?

Review & Selection

1.  How will applications be reviewed?

2.  Why is anonymized review be piloted for the review of the Transformative Research Award applications?

3.  Why isn't my submitted Transformative Research Award application showing up in my eRA Commons account?

4.  When will my application be reviewed and by whom?

5.  Can I update my submitted application before it is reviewed?

6.  Will applications be reviewed by experts in my field?

7.  May I suggest specific reviewers for my application?

8.  How will reviewers judge the likelihood that the project will be completed during the funding period?

9.  How will the review process accommodate the potential dissimilarity in complexity of competing NIH Director's Transformative Research Award applications?

10.  Will I receive a summary statement or other comments?

11.  How will awards be selected for funding?

12.  When will awardees be announced?

13.  Can the decision of the review panel be appealed?

Award Administration

1.  What requirements must I fulfill during the term of the award?

2.  How will the award be administered?

3.  Do I need to submit an annual progress report?

4.  Should I mention NIH support in journal articles that pertain to research supported with my NIH Director's Transformative Research Award?

5.  Should I notify the NIH of any note-worthy publications or media coverage of my research?

6.  Am I required to submit my journal manuscripts to PubMed Central?

7.  Are there annual meetings I am required to attend?

8.  Are these awards renewable?

9.  Is it possible to request a no-cost extension at the end of the grant period if there are unexpended funds?

10.  Is the award transferable if I change institutions?

This page last reviewed on March 28, 2023