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NIH High Priority, Short-Term Project Award (R56)

Introduction

The High Priority, Short-Term Project Award, R56 grant will fund, for one or two years, high-priority new or competing renewal R01 applications with priority scores or percentiles that fall just outside the funding limits of participating NIH Institutes and Centers (IC). Investigators may not apply for R56 grants.  (See June 15, 2004 NIH Guide announcement.)

R56 grants will be awarded beginning in Fiscal Year 2005.

Initial review groups, NIH staff, and the institute and Center Advisory Councils and Boards will review submitted applications in the usual manner. Program administrators may identify creative and innovative approaches within the pool of applications that fall just beyond the established payline. Such applications will be considered for conversion to an R56 award by the IC.

Scope

The R56 Award will provide limited, interim research support based on the merit of the pending application. This support is designed to enable the Principal Investigator to gather additional data for revision of the current application. R56 funding will end after one or two years or when the applicant succeeds in obtaining a traditional research project grant.

These one- to two-year awards will underwrite highly meritorious applications and will be funded at levels set by the IC, which can range up to levels recommended by the initial review group and approved by Council.

The R56 award will help early career stage scientists trying to establish research careers as well as experienced scientists who can benefit from interim funding while they revise their applications.

Guidelines for Conversion to an R56

  1. The R56 grant will be available to domestic R01 applicants only.
  2. Investigators may not apply for an R56 grant. Competing applications prepared and submitted in accordance with NIH procedures, will be peer reviewed, assigned a priority score and in most cases will receive a percentile rating. The IC will nominate applications for conversion to an R56 from the pool of R01 applications pending award for the current fiscal year. Nominees for the award must be in the most meritorious half of the priority or percentile range. Previously approved, but inactivated, applications from this time period may be considered and, if awarded, will be converted to an R56.
  3. Note: Investigators do not apply for an R56 grant. Applications for conversion to an R56 will be selected by IC staff from reviewed R01 grants near the payline margins.
  4. Award amounts can range up to IRG recommend level and will be funded with indirect costs at the negotiated rate.
  5. R56 awardees are encouraged to submit a revision of their original competing application at the earliest convenient date to be considered for future funding. Applicants are reminded that the limitations on time and the number of amendments described at /grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/submission-policies.htm#rp apply to all subsequent revisions.
  6. If a revised competing application is funded while an R56 award is active, the balance of the R56 Award will be deducted from the total approved amount of the competing award.
  7. A final RPPR, final financial status report, and final invention statement (HHS 568) will be required 120 days after the end of the R56 grant period. The progress report must identify those portions of the original proposal pursued with the R56 Award. If the awardee is successful with a subsequent application a final invention statement will not be required.

Participating NIH Institutes

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Andrea Wurster, Ph.D.
Policy and Operations Officer
Office of Extramural Research Policy and Operations
Division of Extramural Activities
5601 Fishers Lane, Room 4G21
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone:240-669-5062
Email: wurstera@mail.nih.gov

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Scott A. Chen, PhD
Chief, Program Coordination and Referral Branch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute - Shady Grove
9609 Medical Center Dr, RM 7W554
Bethesda, MD 20892
Rockville, MD 20850 (for express/courier delivery)
Office: 240-276-6038
Email: chensc@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.nci.nih.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Valerie Prenger, PhD
Senior Advisor, Division of Extramural Research Activities
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7214, MSC 7922
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: 301-435-0270
FAX: 201-480-0730
Email: prengerv@nhlbi.nih.gov
Website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Philippe Marmillot, Ph.D.
Acting Director, Office of Extramural Activities
6700B Rockledge Dr., Room 2118
Bethesda, MD 20617
Phone: 301-443-2861
Email: marmillotp@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
D. Craig Hopp, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
phone:  301-496-5825
fax:  301-435-6549
email:  hoppdc@nih.gov
Website: http://www.NCCIH.nih.gov

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Sanoj K. Suneja, Ph. D. Deputy Director
Division of Extramural Activities National Institute on Aging/NIH/DHHS
7201 Wisconsin Ave, Room 2C218, MSC 2292
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: 301-402-7710
Fax: 301-402-2945
Email: Sanoj.suneja@nih.gov
Website: http://www.nia.nih.gov

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Gwen W. Collman, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health
P.O. Box 12233
Research Triangle Park, NC. 27709
Phone: (919) 541-4980
Fax: (919) 316-4606
Email: collman@niehs.nih.gov
Website: http://www.niehs.nih.gov

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Karl Malik, Ph.D.
Acting Director of Extramural Research, NIDDK
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Two Democracy Plaza, Room 7329
6707 Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-5456
Phone: (301) 594-4757
Email: malikk@niddk.nih.gov
Website: http://www.niddk.nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Gerald McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Deputy, HHS/NIH/NIDA/DER/OEPR
301 North Stonestreet Ave, MSC 6021
Rockville, MD 20982-9550
Telephone: 301-827-5819
Email: gmclaughlin@nida.nih.gov
Website: http://www.nida.nih.gov
 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
David T. George, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Director
Acting Associate Director for Research Administration
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Tel: 301-496-9474
Mobile: 301-905-7268
Fax: 301-480-4973
Email: David.George@nih.gov
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Cheryl A. Kitt, Ph.D.
Director, Extramural Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
NIH, DHHS
One Democracy Plaza
6701 Democracy Blvd., Room 804
Bethesda, MD 20892-4872
Tel: 301-594-2463
Fax: 301-480-4543
Email: kittc@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov

National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Hua-Chuan Sim, MD
Chief Program Officer, Division of Extramural Programs
Rockledge 1, Suite 301,
6705 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 594-4882
Fax (301) 402-2952
Email: simh@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Jean G. Noronha, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6154, MSC 9609
Bethesda, MD 20892-9609
Telephone: (301) 443-3367
Email: jnoronha@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Lynn Mertens King, Ph.D. 
Director
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Building 45, Room 4AN-44F
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-5006
FAX: (301) 480-8303
Email: lynn.king@nih.gov
Website: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD)
Janet L. Cyr, Ph.D.
Program Director, Hearing and Balance
Division of Scientific Programs
6001 Executive Blvd, NSC Suite 8300
Bethesda, MD 20892-7180
Phone: 301-402-3458
FAX: 301-402-6251
Email: cyrj@nidcd.nih.gov 
Website: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
David F. Owens, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Director of Extramural Research, NINDS
6001 Executive Blvd, Room 3305
Rockville, MD 20852 (couriers)
Bethesda, MD 20892-9531 (for US Mail)
Voice: 301-496-9248
Fax: 301-402-4370
Email: OwensD@ninds.nih.gov  
Website: http://www.ninds.nih.gov

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) 
​Bettie J. Graham, Ph.D
Division Director
Division of Extramural Operations
5635 Fishers Lane
Room 4076, MSC 9305
Telephone: 301-496-7531
Email: bettie_graham@nih.gov
Website: /grants/funding/r56.htm.
 

Active Funding Opportunities