NIH Director's Early Independence Award

The NIH Director's Early Independence Award sits inside the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research portfolio and is meant to let exceptional junior scientists move directly into independent research. Established in 2011, it is reserved for researchers who completed their terminal research degree or postgraduate clinical training within the previous 16 months, or who will complete it within the next 12 months. The award goes to a single principal investigator, requires the applicant to be in a non-independent research position at the time of application, and limits each institution to two submissions per cycle. It provides $250,000 a year for five years, for a total of $1.25 million in direct costs. The annual cycle generally opens in spring and closes in fall, and the award is limited to U.S. institutions and research organizations that can host the project. This program favors unusually self-directed early-career researchers who already have the judgment to lead a line of work without a postdoctoral step. A strong application usually has a sharp idea, a host institution willing to support independence, and a case for why the candidate is ready sooner than the usual career ladder would expect.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.