The NIH Directors New Innovator Award Program provides support for early-stage investigators with exceptional creativity to pursue bold, highly innovative research. Projects can span any area aligned with the NIH mission—including biomedical, clinical, behavioral, social, and applied or basic sciences—with potential for major impact. Clinical trial–optional approaches may be included.

The NIH Directors New Innovator Award Program supports early stage investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH. For the program to support the best possible researchers and research, applications are sought which reflect the full diversity of the research workforce. To support innovative and novel research across the vast NIH mission, individuals from diverse backgrounds (including those from underrepresented groups; see Notice of NIHs Interest in Diversity) and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are encouraged to apply to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome, including, but not limited to, behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences and topics that may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. The NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program complements other ongoing efforts by NIH and its Institutes and Centers to fund early stage investigators. The NIH Directors New Innovator Award Program is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund.