NIH Common Fund Venture Program

The NIH Common Fund Venture Program launched in FY 2024 as a framework for short-term initiatives that respond quickly to shared priorities across NIH Institutes, Centers, and the Office of the Director. It sits inside the Common Fund portfolio and is built for bold, focused work rather than long-running exploratory research. Venture initiatives are capped at three years and up to $5 million annually. The active FY26 portfolio includes Oculomics, SysBio, NIOI, NBSxWGS/BEACONS, and TRDNT, with a FY26 budget of about $4.0M and a governance path that runs from ICO Directors through the Office of Strategic Coordination, a Venture Board, and then the NIH Director. The program suits proposals that can show a specific goal, a short runway, and a high expected payoff across NIH priorities. It is not meant for pilot programs designed only to prepare a larger Common Fund investment, for single-ICO priorities, or for open-ended research without milestones, so successful applicants usually arrive with a clear scope and a strong case for cross-cutting impact.

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