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Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NHLBI K01/K08/K23/K25 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity number RFA-HL-27-004

View the official notice on Grants.gov
753 days left (deadline Nov 7, 2028)

Details summarized from the official notice as of Oct 16, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.

Independent platform. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Data from public federal sources.

Key facts

Opportunity numberRFA-HL-27-004
AgencyNational Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA)93.840, 93.838, 93.233, 93.837, 93.839
PostedMay 12, 2026
DeadlineNov 7, 2028
Award ceiling$85,000
Expected number of awards29
Estimated total program funding$3,900,000
Cost sharing or matching requiredNo
Funding typeGrant
CategoryHealth
Last updated hereOct 16, 2026

Summary from the notice

This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a Limited Competition that invites applications from eligible organizations to apply. Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the applications will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious applications will be considered. The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit current or recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees for small grant support to expand their current research objectives or to branch out to a new study emerging from their K award research. This NOFO is intended to facilitate the transition to research independence for these NHLBI K awardees. Current NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees may apply for this R03 support starting in the third year of their K award Project Period. Recently completed NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 award recipients are eligible to apply or resubmit A1 applications if the earliest potential R03 award start date is within two years of the end of their K award Project Period.The R03 grant mechanism supports research projects that can be completed within two years and with limited resources. These projects are expected to generate preliminary data to bolster a subsequent R01-equivalent application. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, pilot or feasibility studies; proof of concept studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of new research methodologies or technologies, or creation of novel experimental model systems.Applicants are required to maintain a minimum of 40% protected research effort during the R03 award period. This requirement can be fulfilled through a combination of effort on the proposed R03 project and other research projects, irrespective of funding source.For current and former K23 awardees, the research proposed in the R03 application may or may not include patient-oriented research.

Who can apply

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:

  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Small businesses
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • Public and state colleges and universities
  • County governments
  • State governments
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • Other Native American tribal organizations
  • Independent school districts
  • Public and Indian housing authorities
  • Private colleges and universities

Who should take a closer look

  • Small businesses
  • Nonprofits
  • Colleges and universities
  • State governments
  • Local governments
  • Tribal governments and organizations
  • Larger for-profit companies

Not listed as eligible

  • Individuals

Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.

Eligibility details from the notice

Only the following NHLBI K01, K08, K23, and K25 awardees are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Registrations you will likely need

Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.

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