Genomic Innovator Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA HG 18 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HG 18 006

The Genomic Innovator Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional), funding opportunity number RFA-HG-18-006, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program in the health funding category (CFDA 93.172) designed to back highly innovative, high-impact research in genomics. Its central purpose is to give promising investigators the space and stability to pursue bold ideas that address important genomics problems, with enough flexibility to pivot as new opportunities or discoveries emerge during the project period. The “Clinical Trial Optional” designation indicates that applicants may propose work that includes a clinical trial if it fits their scientific goals, but a clinical trial is not required.

This opportunity specifically targets principal investigators (PIs) who are early in their careers and who have already demonstrated strong potential to make meaningful contributions to genomics. A key theme is team science: the program is geared toward investigators who are part of consortia, large research groups, or other collaborative, multi-investigator environments. In practice, that means NIH is looking for researchers who can thrive in collaborative settings while still driving original, creative lines of inquiry. The award is structured to support innovation rather than narrowly constrained aims, so recipients are expected to have room to explore new directions, test emerging hypotheses, and capitalize on fast-moving developments in genomics.

Eligibility is broad across many organization types. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Academic institutions are eligible as well, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. A wide range of organizational entities may apply, including federally recognized Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, as well as nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status. The program also allows applications from for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and from small businesses, along with other categories captured under NIH’s general eligibility framework.

The announcement highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH often calls out to encourage participation from diverse institutions and communities. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); eligible federal agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; certain Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones; regional organizations; and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals that NIH welcomes proposals from institutions that serve underrepresented populations and from community-connected organizations that may contribute to genomics research capacity and impact.

On foreign involvement, the rules are specific. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components,” as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. In practical terms, a U.S.-based applicant organization can include certain types of international collaboration or activities when they meet NIH’s definition and requirements for a foreign component, but the primary applicant must be an eligible U.S.-based entity.

Key administrative details provided in the source data include an award ceiling of $300,000 and an original closing date of October 30, 2020, indicating the specific competition window tied to this announcement. Overall, the Genomic Innovator Award is positioned as a flexible, investigator-centered mechanism to accelerate creative genomics research by rising investigators embedded in collaborative scientific ecosystems, with NIH explicitly signaling openness to a broad spectrum of eligible institutions while maintaining clear limits on foreign organizations serving as applicants.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Genomic Innovator Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.172.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-10-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA HG 18 006

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