Grant Programs

Research Support

Grants are available for fundamental and applied research in biomedical informatics and data science. Areas of research interest include: representation, organization and retrieval of biomedical and biological data and images; enhancement of human intellectual capacities through virtual reality, dynamic modeling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning; medical decision-making; linguistic analyses for natural language processing and understanding; informatics topics relevant to public health and informatics for disaster management.

• NLM Express Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics (R01) (PAR-16-404)
  Support for rigorous scientific research in biomedical informatics and data science.
• Research Project Grant (NIH Parent R01) (PA-18-484)
  For investigators whose needs are not met by NLM Express Research Grants (PAR-16-404).
• Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (NIH Parent R21) (PA-18-489)
  Support for early and conceptual work and feasibility test in biomedical informatics and health sciences library and information science.
• Data Science Research: Personal Health Libraries for Consumers and Patients (R01) (PAR-17-159)
  Support for novel informatics and data science approaches that help individuals gather, manage and use data and information about their personal health.
• NLM Informatics Conference Grants (R13) (PA-16-294)
  Support for scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops that are relevant to biomedical informatics and bioinformatics.
• NIH Director's Transformative Research Awards (R01) (RFA-RM-17-007)
  Support for collaborative investigative teams or individual scientists who propose innovative research projects, which, if successful, would have a major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research.
• NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1) (RFA-17-005)
  Support for cross-cutting programs that are expected to have an exceptionally high impact.
• NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program (DP2) (RFA-17-006)
  Support unusually creative investigators with highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career when they may lack the preliminary data required for an R01 grant application.
• NIH Director's Early Independence Awards (DP5) (RFA-17-008)
  Support for exceptional junior scientists to accelerate their entry into an independent research career by forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period.
• Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) (R15) (PA-16-200)
  Support for faculty at educational institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH grants.
• Simulation Modeling and Systems Science to Address Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PAR-18-331)
  Support for research that incorporate innovative biomedical informatics and data sciences approaches into simulation modeling and systems science to reduce health disparities.
• NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Grants Expired
  Support for research, implementation, and training in data science and other relevant fields to enhance the use of biomedical Big Data.
• Administrative Supplement for Research on Sex/Gender Influences (Admin Supp) (PA-17-078)
  Support for research highlighting the impact of sex/gender influences and/or sex and gender factors in human health and illness, including basic, preclinical, clinical and behavioral studies. 
• Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities Grants (R01 and R21) (PAR-13-292 and PAR-13-288)
  Support for behavioral and social science research on the causes and solutions to health and disability disparities in the U.S. population. 

Resource Support

Resource grants are designed to improve the dissemination, management and use of biomedical knowledge. Resource grants support the development and deployment of knowledge management tools, resources, and services that address identified, unmet needs for a broad audience.

• Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health (G13) (PAR-16-417)
  Support for the preparation of book-length manuscripts and other scholarly works of value to U.S. health professionals, public health officials, biomedical researchers and historians of the health sciences.
• NLM Information Resource Grants to Reduce Health Disparities (G08) (RFA-LM-17-002)
  Support for projects to bring useful, usable health information to health disparity populations and their health care providers.
• NLM Administrative Supplements for Informationist Services in NIH-funded Research Projects (Admin Supp) (PA-17-090)
  Supplements to supported research and center grants to enhance storage, organization, management and use of electronic research data through the involvement of informationists. 
• NNLM Funding Opportunities
  Support for outreach, improvement, professional development and exhibit projects through the NNLM.  If you are interested in these opportunities, contact NNLM staff. 

Career Development Support

NLM offers an early career development award to help informatics trainees make the transition to a successful independent research career. A loan repayment program provides for the repayment of educational loan debt of qualified health professionals.

• NLM Career Development Award in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (K01) (PAR-16-204)
  Career development support for biomedical informaticians, leading to research independence.
• NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) (PA-18-398)
  Career transition assistance for biomedical informaticians moving from mentored research to their first independent research program.

Training Support

To assure an adequate national pool of informatics researchers and health information specialists, training is offered through formal programs and individual fellowships.

• University Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Research Training Programs (T15)
  Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research training in biomedical informatics and data science is available at University-based Biomedical Informatics Research Training Programs supported by NLM.
• Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F30/F31) (PA-16-306, PA-16-309 and PA-16-308)
  Support for individualized mentored research training in biomedical informatics and data science. 
• Research Grant Supplement (Diversity) (PA-16-288)
  Supplements to existing NLM research grants to promote diversity in health-related research.
• Research Grant Supplement (Reentry) (PA-16-289)
  Supplements to existing NLM research grants to promote reentry into biomedical and behavioral research careers.

Small Business Research & Development Support

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grants are made to U.S. small businesses that seek to undertake informatics research and development leading to commercialization. The STTR program requires a small business applicant organization to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II.

• Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) (R43/R44) (PA-17-302) and STTR (R41/42) (PA-17-303)
  Support for small businesses that seek to undertake informatics research and development leading to commercialization. Phase I, Phase II and Fast-Track.
• Early Stage Development of Technologies in Biomedical Computing, Informatics, and Big Data Science (SBIR) (R43/R44)(PA-14-154) and STTR (R41/R42) (PA-14-157)
  Support innovative technologies in biomedical computing, informatics, and Big Data Science in biomedical research. Phase I, Phase II and Fast-Track.