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Research Project Grant (R01) | NIH

NIH R01 overview with current standard due-date cycles, registration requirements, and application workflow guidance.

JJ Ben-Joseph
JJ Ben-Joseph
💰 Funding Varies by institute and FOA; many parent R01s use modular budgeting up to $250,000 direct costs per year, with additional approvals for larger requests
📅 Deadline Jun 5, 2026
📍 Location United States, Global (institution and FOA dependent)
🏛️ Source National Institutes of Health
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Status Update (February 2026)

This page has been refreshed using current NIH Grants & Funding guidance.

For opportunities that use NIH standard due dates, R01 new applications typically use:

  • Cycle I: February 5
  • Cycle II: June 5
  • Cycle III: October 5

NIH due date policy now states that for applications due on or after May 25, 2026, NIH no longer uses separate AIDS and AIDS-related due dates. Always confirm key dates in your selected NOFO.

What the R01 Is

The R01 is NIH’s flagship investigator-initiated research mechanism for mature, hypothesis-driven projects. It is used across many institutes and centers and supports work in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and health services research.

R01s are highly competitive and generally best for teams with:

  • a clear scientific question,
  • credible preliminary support,
  • an executable multi-year approach,
  • and institutional infrastructure for federal award management.

Budget and Project Scope

There is no single universal dollar amount for all R01s. Budget structure is controlled by each NOFO and institute policy.

In practice, many parent R01 applications use modular budgets up to $250,000 direct costs per year. Larger requests are possible, but often require additional institute permissions and stronger budget justification. Some institutes also have program-specific limits or expectations.

Because budget policy varies, applicants should validate limits with the assigned program officer before finalizing their submission package.

Current Parent R01 Tracks

NIH’s parent announcements table currently lists R01 tracks that separate clinical-trial status (for example, clinical trial not allowed, clinical trial required, and basic experimental studies with humans required). Choosing the wrong track is a frequent avoidable issue; verify trial-status fit before you begin drafting.

Eligibility and Readiness Checklist

Before writing full proposal sections, verify:

  1. Organizational registrations are current in SAM.gov and Grants.gov.
  2. PD/PI and key personnel have correct eRA Commons IDs.
  3. The target NOFO actually accepts your proposed science and activity code.
  4. Your institution can support all required compliance workflows.
  5. You have sponsor/co-investigator commitments documented early.

Most avoidable submission failures are administrative, not scientific.

How to Apply

  1. Select a specific R01 NOFO (or parent announcement route) aligned to your science.
  2. Contact the NIH program officer named in Section VII to confirm fit.
  3. Build your application package using current NIH forms and instructions.
  4. Finalize core sections: Specific Aims, Research Strategy, biosketches, budget, facilities, and compliance forms.
  5. Route internal approvals through your sponsored programs office before submission.
  6. Submit through Grants.gov and confirm status in eRA Commons.
  7. Resolve any post-submission errors immediately within NIH correction windows.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying to an institute or NOFO that does not match project scope.
  • Using old due-date assumptions instead of current standard or NOFO-specific dates.
  • Underestimating registration lead time for institutional systems.
  • Submitting budgets that conflict with institute-level guidance.
  • Treating the application as science-only and neglecting compliance narrative quality.

Official Sources