NIOSH Investigator-Initiated Research Grants

NIOSH Small OSH Research Grant

Supports small grants for pilot studies secondary data analysis and methodology development in occupational safety and health.

The NIOSH Small OSH Research Grant, funded through the R03 mechanism under program announcement PAR-18-797, supports limited-scope occupational safety and health research projects. NIOSH — the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an institute within CDC/HHS — uses standard NIH grant mechanisms and administers R03 grants through the NIH ASSIST system with review by NIOSH/CDC Scientific Evaluation Panels. The R03 mechanism is specifically designed for pilot and feasibility studies, secondary analyses of existing data, development or refinement of research methods and instruments, and similarly bounded projects that do not require the scale of a full R01 research effort. Award amounts are capped at $100,000 in direct costs over a maximum two-year project period, per the NIH R03 standard mechanism.

Three submission cycles occur per year, with due dates falling approximately in February, June, and October, consistent with standard NIH cycles. Eligible applicants include domestic universities, research organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and individual investigators with institutional affiliation. An eRA Commons account and a registered institution are prerequisites for submission. All applications must address occupational safety and health topics within NIOSH's research mission; projects outside this scope would not qualify for NIOSH review panels. NIOSH periodically reissues PAR numbers, so applicants should verify the current active announcement identifier on the NIH Guide before beginning the application process.

The R03 mechanism serves as a practical entry point for investigators new to NIOSH funding or developing preliminary data to support a larger R01 submission. Because the budget ceiling is fixed by mechanism rather than by program announcement, applicants cannot request more than $100,000 in direct costs regardless of project complexity. The NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs administers all R-series grants and can be contacted for pre-application guidance on programmatic fit.