Pilot Projects to Enhance the Human Virome Program (R03 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health, administered by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, is soliciting applications for Pilot Projects to Enhance the Human Virome Program under solicitation RFA-RM-27-024. This initiative seeks to support small pilot projects that characterize the healthy human virome and develop tools, models, and methods to study its composition and influence on health and disease. Eligible applicants include small businesses and other for-profit organizations, with a strong encouragement for those outside the current Human Virome Program consortium to apply. The program intends to commit approximately 2 million dollars in FY2027, with individual award direct costs capped at 100,000 dollars per year. Applications are due by November 10, 2026, for a potential July 2027 start date, or October 22, 2027, for a potential July 2028 start date. Awards are granted based on scientific and technical merit evaluated through the NIH peer review system, focusing on the importance of the research, rigor and feasibility of the approach, and the expertise of the investigators and their environment. Successful projects must produce unbiased, reproducible data and validated tools while adhering to strict regulatory standards, including 45 CFR Part 46 for human subject protections and various federal cybersecurity requirements, such as multifactor authentication and 48-hour incident notification. Applicants must maintain active registrations in the System for Award Management, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, and all Principal Investigators must be registered with ORCID. Compliance with intellectual property management under Executive Order 10096 and federal regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200 is mandatory.