The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Exploratory/Developmental Grant program supports exploratory and developmental research projects that fall within the NICHD mission by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
The evolution and vitality of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences require a constant infusion of new ideas, techniques, and points of view. These may differ substantially from current thinking or practice and may not yet be supported by substantial preliminary data. Through the NICHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program, we seek to foster the introduction of novel scientific ideas, model systems, tools, agents, targets, and technologies that have the potential to substantially advance biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research within the NICHD scientific mission.
This program is intended to encourage new exploratory and developmental research projects. For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research. Another example could include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area.
Applications submitted to this program should be exploratory and novel. These studies should break new ground or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications. Projects of limited cost or scope that use widely accepted approaches and methods within well-established fields are better suited for the R03 small grant activity code. Information on the R03 program can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r03.htm
Specific Areas of Research Interest
The NICHD supports research in areas relevant to normal and abnormal human development, including: contraception, fertilization, pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal development; childhood development through adolescence; intellectual and developmental disabilities; and rehabilitation medicine. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/areas-research/Pages/default.aspx.
Research projects must fall within the scientific missions of the twelve Scientific Branches of the NICHD Division of Extramural Research (DER) or the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). Information about those scientific missions and program staff contacts may be found on the web pages for the DER scientific branches at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der/branches/Pages/index.aspx and the NCMRR at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview.aspx. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read these webpages for any updates in response to recent scientific advances or emerging public health topics.
NICHD encourages applications that address its extramural program priorities and will consider how well research projects align with one or more of those priorities when making award decisions. A detailed list of NICHD high priority research areas may be found at https://www.nichd.nih.gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/areas-research/Pages/priorities.aspx
No history of funding is available.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact one of the program staff contacts early planning stages of their application.
Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s).