NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program is designed to support early-stage investigators who demonstrate exceptional creativity and propose bold, highly innovative research projects with the potential to significantly impact important areas aligned with the NIH mission. This award welcomes applications from any area within the biomedical sciences and aims to complement other NIH efforts to fund early-stage investigators. As part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, it seeks to foster groundbreaking research that could transform biomedical knowledge and health outcomes. The program is managed by the National Institutes of Health under the Department of Health and Human Services. Although specific solicitation details such as NAICS code or set-aside type are not provided, the opportunity was posted in December 2025 and is open to eligible applicants from across the United States. Interested parties can reach out through the provided NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program contact email for further information. The program’s emphasis on creativity and high-impact projects underscores its role in advancing innovative biomedical research at early career stages.