Activity Codes

NIH uses three-character activity codes to differentiate the wide variety of research-related programs NIH supports. The first character typically identifies the major funding category or program type. For example, activity codes for research and development often start with "R," training with "T," fellowship with "F," and career development with "K." Each institute and center (IC) participates in a subset of activity codes. Although each activity code has a broadly defined purpose, there may be differences in their use from one IC to another. Applicants should always refer to the funding opportunity for the specific requirements and details of an initiative.

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Activity Code ▼ Funding Category Title Description
C06 Construction and Modernization Research Facilities Construction Grant To provide matching Federal funds, up to 75%, for construction or major remodeling, to create new research facilities. In addition to basic research laboratories this may include, under certain circumstances, animal facilities and/or limited clinical facilities where they are an integral part of an overall research effort.
DP4 Research and Development NIH Director’s Pathfinder Award - Multi-Yr Funding

To support multi-year funded research with unique, high impact ideas for addressing biomedical research including assuring a balanced and effective workforce. This research grant program will encourage exceptionally creative scientists to develop potentially transforming approaches for supported research. The proposed research must reflect ideas that are substantially different from those already being pursued or they must apply existing research designs in new and innovative ways. 
DP7 Research Training and Career Development NIH Director’s Workforce Innovation Award To stimulate transformative approaches to training and/or workforce management with the intent of promoting culture change in the field of biomedical training.
E11 Grants for Public Health Special Projects To provide grants to public or nonprofit organizations for planning, development, demonstration, research, training, public information projects for preventive medicine, health promotion and disease prevention to improve the health of targeted populations.
F05 Research Training and Career Development International Research Fellowships (FIC) To provide collaborative research opportunities for qualified non-immigrant alien scientists who hold a doctoral degree or its equivalent in one of the biomedical or behavioral sciences.
F30 Research Training and Career Development Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships Individual fellowships for predoctoral training which leads to the combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees.
F31 Research Training and Career Development Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award To provide predoctoral individuals with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas leading toward the research degree (e.g., Ph.D.).
F32 Research Training and Career Development Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award To provide postdoctoral research training to individuals to broaden their scientific background and extend their potential for research in specified health-related areas.
F33 Research Training and Career Development National Research Service Awards for Senior Fellows To provide opportunities for experienced scientists to make major changes in the direction of research careers, to broaden scientific background, to acquire new research capabilities, to enlarge command of an allied research field, or to take time from regular professional responsibilities for the purpose of increasing capabilities to engage in health-related research.
F37 Research Training and Career Development Medical Informatics Fellowships To provide training to individuals in the synthesis, organization, and management of knowledge. The training should be interdisciplinary - involving medicine, biotechnology, and cognitive sciences, information science, and computer science.
F38 Research Training and Career Development Applied Medical Informatics Fellowships To provide opportunities for scientists to make major changes in the direction of research careers for the purpose of engaging in the synthesis, organization, and management of knowledge.
F99 Research Training and Career Development Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award

To support the transition of talented graduate students into successful research postdoctoral appointments.  
FI2 Research Training and Career Development Intramural Postdoctoral Research Associate To provide postdoctoral research training to individuals in the NIH or FDA intramural research programs to broaden their scientific background and extend their potential for research in specified health-related areas.
FM1 Research Training and Career Development Fellowship for Intramural Dual-Degree Scientists (FIDDS) To provide predoctoral individuals with training which leads to the combined degrees (e.g., MD/PhD) for trainees completing PhD dissertation research in NIH intramural labs.
G20 Construction and Modernization Grants for Repair, Renovation and Modernization of Existing Research Facilities To provide funds for major repair, renovation, and modernization of existing research facilities. These facilities may be the clinical research facilities, animal research facilities, and other related research facilities.
G94 Administrative Support for Public Health Service Agency Foundations Provides financial assistance, as specified by legislation or other authority, for administration of an agency foundation which supports and carries out research, educational, health services, or other activities related to the mission of that PHS agency.
H13 Conferences Active To support international, national, or regional conferences, symposiums, or workshops dealing with services for the rehabilitation, prevention, and treatment of categorical diseases.
H50 Maternal and Child Health Services Project, RB Funds Active (Definition not available)
H75 Health Investigations/Assessments of Control/Preven. Methods Provides financial assistance to States or local governments or other health-related organizations, to perform special investigations of communicable diseases and other preventable health conditions, or to research and evaluate methods of preventing disease or controlling health conditions.
K14 Research Training and Career Development Resource-Limited Institution Faculty Development Awards

To encourage the development of faculty investigators at resource-limited institutions and to enhance their research capabilities in specified health and health related areas.
KM1 Research Training and Career Development Institutional Career Enhancement Awards - Multi-Yr Funding

Provides for part time (minimum 25% effort) up to full-time support for medical, scientific, statistics and health care professionals with post-doctoral or equivalent experience selected by an institution, to broaden their research capabilities by acquiring new research skills or knowledge. Further it provides for curriculum development of new programs to support these same types of individuals. This is an institutional mentored career program, not an individual program.
L30 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers To provide for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals involved in clinical research. Qualified health professionals who contractually agree to conduct qualified clinical research are eligible to apply for this program.
L32 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers from Disadvantaged Backgrounds To provide for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds involved in clinical research. Qualified health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds who contractually agree to conduct qualified clinical research are eligible to apply for this program.
L40 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research To provide for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals involved in research directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children. Qualified health professionals who contractually agree to conduct qualified pediatric research are eligible to apply for this program.
L50 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Contraception and Infertility Research To provide for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals (including graduate students) who contractually agree to commit to conduct qualified contraception and/or infertility research.
L60 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research

To provide for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals involved in minority health and health disparities research, for the purposes of improving minority health and reducing health disparities. Qualified health professionals who contractually agree to conduct qualified minority health disparities research or other health disparities research eligible to apply for this program.
L70 Loan Repayment Programs Loan Repayment Program for Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health

For investigators pursuing major opportunities or gaps in emerging high-priority research areas, as defined by NIH Institutes and Centers.
PF5 Collaborative International Research Project 

To support international research collaborations, NIH will make domestic prime awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to the prime. Note: The project is submitted as one application that is reviewed as a whole. Prior to award, all international subprojects will be disaggregated and funded as separate RF2 grant awards in lieu of a foreign subaward. In order to manage compliance and track international funding, the RF2 will be awarded directly to the foreign organization. International subprojects should not be used for foreign consultants, purchasing unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors, international collaborations that do not involve NIH funding or any foreign component that would not result in a foreign subaward. 
 
R13 Research and Development Conference To support recipient sponsored and directed international, national or regional meetings, conferences and workshops.
R2F Food Safety Capacity and Infrastructure Building To build food safety capacity and infrastructure by assisting State, locality, territory, Indian tribe, or nonprofit food safety training entity that collaborates with 1 or more institutions of higher education to undertake food safety inspections, investigations, and examinations; train to the standards established by the HHS Secretary; build lab capacity; and respond to notifications received under Section 1008 and recalls.
R30 Preventive Health Service - Venereal Disease Research, Demonstration, and Public Information and Education Grants (Definition not available)
R41 Small Business Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants - Phase I

To help small businesses that partner with a nonprofit research institution bring scientific innovations to the marketplace.  The STTR supports research and development (R&D) awards to eligible United States small business concerns only.
R42 Small Business Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants - Phase II

To help small businesses that partner with a nonprofit research institution bring scientific innovations to the marketplace. The STTR supports research and development (R&D) awards to eligible United States small business concerns only.
RC2 Research and Development High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure Programs

To support high impact ideas through cooperative agreements that that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation; accelerate breakthroughs; stimulate early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies; foster new approaches to improve the interactions among multi- and interdisciplinary research teams; or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code could support either a specific research question or propose the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future.
RC3 Research and Development Biomedical Research, Development, and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-SPAN) Program To accelerate the transition of NIH-supported research innovations and technologies toward the development of products or services that will improve human health, through grants that may advance the mission of NIH and its Institutes and Centers (ICs), and create significant value and economic stimulus or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code is intended to support research and development (R&D) specifically targeted at activities that can help address the funding gap between promising R&D and transitioning to the market, often called the “Valley of Death” by contributing the critical funding needed by applicants to pursue the next appropriate milestone(s) toward ultimate commercialization; i.e., to carry out later stage research activities necessary to that end; to foster partnerships among a variety of research and development (R&D) collaborators working toward these aims. Awards are made only to U.S.-owned, for-profit enterprises doing a majority of its business in the United States. RC3 applications may be given funding priority if the applicant organization is associated with an enterprise that is of small size (e.g., 500 or fewer employees), and/or of limited resources, such as an early-stage company, and/or one positioned for receiving funding or in-kind support from a third-party investor and/or strategic partner. The RC3 SPAN program is not intended to support “upstream” R&D for doing feasibility testing of an innovative idea or to conduct early-stage R&D as an extension of such ideas. (Projects such as these should be submitted under the NIH SBIR/STTR programs.)
RC4 Research and Development High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure Programs—Multi-Yr Funding

To support multi-year funded research with high impact ideas that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation; accelerate breakthroughs; stimulate early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies; foster new approaches to improve the interactions among multi- and interdisciplinary research teams; or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code could support either a specific research question or propose the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future.
RF1 Research and Development Multi-Year Funded Research Project Grant

To support a discrete, specific, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing specific interest and competencies based on the mission of the agency.
RF2 Linked International Research Project

To support a discrete, independent foreign award that is administratively linked to a domestic prime award. An RF2 may only be disaggregated from a [PF5, Collaborative International Research Project] application, and organizations may not apply for an RF2. NIH no longer supports traditional foreign subaward structures. Therefore, the RF2 subprojects are issued in lieu of foreign subawards. In order to manage compliance and track international funding, the RF2 will be awarded directly to the foreign organization. The RF2 will not be used for foreign consultants, purchasing unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors, international collaborations that do not involve NIH funding, or any foreign component that would not result in a foreign subaward. 
RS1 Research and Development Programs to Prevent the Emergence and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance in the United States Develop, implement, and evaluate an antimicrobial project to prevent and control the emergence, prevalence, and spread of antimicrobial resistance in rural areas, and microbiologic mechanisms of dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes and the relationship to antimicrobial drug use.
S11 Research and Development Biomedical Research Support Thematic Project Grants for Developing Institutions

To promote increased faculty and interdepartmental collaboration through programs that focus on specific research themes or scientific disciplines at developing institutions.
T09 Research Training and Career Development Scientific Evaluation

To provide the chairman of the training committee funds for operation of the review group.
T14 Research Training and Career Development Conferences For support of international and national meetings, conferences and workshops.
TU2 Research Training and Career Development Institutional National Research Service Award with Involvement of NIH Intramural Faculty The cooperative agreement counterpart to the T32, this award enables institutions to provide research-training experiences for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in specified shortage areas. In addition, these awards involve identified NIH Intramural Staff who serve as a part of the training faculty and participate in the operation of the training program.
U09 Scientific Review and Evaluation--Cooperative Agreements To provide the chairman of an initial review group funds for operation of the review group.
U11 Study (in China) of Periconceptional Vitamin Supplements to Prevent Spina Bifida and Anencephaly Cooperative Agreements In cooperation with the Beijing Medical University (BMU) of the People’s Republic of China, to support a project undertaken by BMU to conduct a randomized controlled trial in china to determine whether vitamins, taken before pregnancy begins and through the first trimester, prevent spina bifida and anencephaly. The project will consist of an initial preparation stage and a 1-2 year pilot study which will document the potential for a full-scale randomized controlled trial.
U13 Research and Development Conference--Cooperative Agreements To support international, national or regional meetings, conferences and workshops where substantial programmatic involvement is planned to assist the recipient.
U1A Capacity Building for Core Components of Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs Cooperative Agreements

In cooperation with State health agencies, to 1) supplement existing tobacco control efforts and provide assistance in the development of the essential components of a comprehensive public health tobacco control program, or 2) develop the infrastructure in preparation for carrying out a tobacco control program.
U1B Cooperative Agreement for Research and Surveillance Activities to Reduce the Incidence of HIV/AIDS In cooperation with State and local public health authorities and other non-profit organizations, to assist in detecting and preventing the further spread of AIDS/HIV through research and active surveillance.
U1Q Emergency Disaster Relief Relating to CDC Programs Cooperative Agreement In cooperation with eligible State health departments, to provide assistance to States impacted by designated natural disasters to assess the health threats and address health issues associated with the disaster, and to restore CDC-related public health programs that were impacted by the disaster.
U1V Capacity Building for Core Components of Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs Cooperative Agreements

In cooperation with State health agencies, to 1) supplement existing tobacco control efforts and provide assistance in the development of the essential components of a comprehensive public health tobacco control program, or 2) develop the infrastructure in preparation for carrying out a tobacco control program.
U27 Surveillance of Complications of Hemophilia Cooperative Agreements In cooperation with State public health agencies, to characterize the epidemiology of hemophilia and its complications by using surveillance methodologies such as data collection, interviews, and progress reports. The data collected through this program can assist hemophilia treatment providers and States in developing, implementing, and evaluating education and prevention programs designed to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and costs of hemophilia and its complications.
U2F Research and Development Food Safety Capacity and Infrastructure Building To build food safety capacity and infrastructure by assisting State, locality, territory, Indian tribe, or nonprofit food safety training entity that collaborates with 1 or more institutions of higher education to undertake food safety inspections, investigations, and examinations; train to the standards established by the HHS Secretary; build lab capacity; and respond to notifications received under Section 1008 and recalls.
U30 Prev. Health Services: Venereal Disease Research, Demonstration, and Public Information and Education Projects Cooperative Agreements to provide assistance to programs designed for the conduct of research, demonstration, and public information and education for the prevention and control of venereal disease.
U36 Program Improvements for Schools of Public Health In cooperation with the Associated Schools of Public Health, to stimulate improvements in the educational programs of schools of public health.
U38 Uniform National Health Program Reporting System In cooperation with the States to operate a uniform national health program reporting system, which is to provide data for analytical purposes to assist health planners and health program managers in their decision-making processes.
U45 Hazardous Waste Worker Health and Safety Training Cooperative Agreements (NIEHS) To develop, implement, and evaluate programs to train workers who are or may be engaged in activities related to hazardous waste removal, containment, or emergency response.
U50 Special Cooperative Investigations/Assessment of Control/Prevention Methods In cooperation with State or local government or other health-related organization, to perform special investigations of communicable diseases and other preventable health conditions, or to evaluate special methods of preventing disease or controlling health conditions.
U51 Health Planning Strategies/National Academy of Sciences Activities Financial support for activities of interest to the Public Health Service, primarily, support for a series of Boards to oversee a variety of health and health administration topics.
U52 Cooperative Agreement for Tuberculosis Control In cooperation with State and local health departments, to reduce the number of tuberculosis cases by case finding and follow-up of patient compliance with treatment.
U53 Capacity Bldg: Occupational Safety/Community Environmental Health In cooperation with State and local health departments to expand State capacities in the area of occupational safety and community environmental public health.
U55 Core Support For American Council on Transplantation Active (Definition not available)
U60 Cooperative Agreements in Occupational Safety and Health Research, Demonstrations, Evaluation and Education Research, Demonstrations, Evaluation and Education In cooperation with universities or other eligible recipients, to investigate the underlying characteristics and causes of occupational safety and health problems; to eliminate or control factors in the work environment which are harmful to the health and/or safety of workers, or to demonstrate effective solutions for occupational safety and health problems.
U62 Prevention/Surveillance Activities/Studies of AIDS In cooperation with the State and local public health authorities and other non-profit organizations, to assist in detecting and preventing the further spread of AIDS through active surveillance and epidemiologic investigation, sero-prevalence surveys, laboratory services, public information campaigns, health education and risk reduction activities, and counseling, testing and partner notification.
U81 Injury Community Demonstration Projects: Evaluation of Youth Violence Prevention Program In cooperation with qualified recipients to design, implement, and determine the effectiveness of multifaceted, community-based youth violence prevention programs in reducing the incidence of interpersonal violent behavior and associated injuries and deaths.
U82 Enhancement of State and Local Capacity to Assess the Progress toward Healthy People 2010 Objectives In cooperation with State and local health agencies and Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, to increase the assessment capacity of State and local health agencies and to develop new surveillance models to measure currently underassessed conditions or populations.
U83 Research to Advance the Understanding of the Health of Racial and Ethnic Populations or Subpopulations Cooperative Agreements In cooperation with public and private non-profit organizations, to advance the understanding of the health of racial and ethnic populations or subpopulations through 1) special studies and analyses to improve existing knowledge, and 2) improvements in existing research methodological techniques used to gather information on these groups.
U84 Cooperative Agreements for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Research Programs In cooperation with qualified recipients, to develop methods for identifying women at high risk for having children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other adverse alcohol effects, to design primary prevention strategies for these women, and to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies.
U87 State Demonstration: Comprehensive School Health Program to Prevent Sexual Behaviors that Result in HIV Infection and to Improve Educational Outcome In cooperation with State education agencies of the States with specified high total mortality rates, to strengthen the capacity of those States to plan, implement, and evaluate effective comprehensive school health programs to prevent sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection. This program is a companion to U86
U90 Cooperative Agreements for Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) In cooperation with State and local public health agencies and other public or private nonprofit entities, to conduct HIV service-related projects which meet the criteria for funding and target one of the specified priority areas. The primary purpose of the SPNS program is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and skill in the delivery of health and support services to persons with HIV disease.
UC2 Research and Development High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure Cooperative Agreement Programs To support high impact ideas through cooperative agreements that that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation; accelerate breakthroughs; stimulate early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies; foster new approaches to improve the interactions among multi- and interdisciplinary research teams; or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code could support either a specific research question or propose the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future. This is the cooperative agreement companion to the RC2.
UC3 Biomedical Research, Development, and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-SPAN) Cooperative Agreement Program To accelerate the transition of NIH-supported research innovations and technologies toward the development of products or services that will improve human health, through cooperative agreements that may advance the mission of NIH and its Institutes and Centers (ICs), and create significant value and economic stimulus or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code is intended to support research and development (R&D) specifically targeted at activities that can help address the funding gap between promising R&D and transitioning to the market, often called the “Valley of Death” by contributing the critical funding needed by applicants to pursue the next appropriate milestone(s) toward ultimate commercialization; i.e., to carry out later stage cooperative agreement activities necessary to that end; to foster partnerships among a variety of research and development (R&D) collaborators working toward these aims. The UC3 SPAN program is not intended to support “upstream” R&D for doing feasibility testing of an innovative idea or to conduct early-stage R&D as an extension of such ideas. (Projects such as these should be submitted under the NIH SBIR/STTR programs.)
UC4 High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure Cooperative Agreement Programs—Multi-Yr Funding

To support multi-year funded cooperative agreement research with high impact ideas that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation; accelerate breakthroughs; stimulate early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies; foster new approaches to improve the interactions among multi- and interdisciplinary research teams; or, advance the research enterprise in a way that could stimulate future growth and investments and advance public health and health care delivery. This activity code could support either a specific research question or propose the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future.
UE1 Studies of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects Studies ways to prevent or control health problems associated with exposure to air pollution, radiation, and other toxicants, as well as health problems resulting from natural, technological or terrorist disasters.
UF1 Research and Development Multi-Year Funded Research Project Cooperative Agreement

To support a discrete, specific, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing specific interest and competencies based on the mission of the agency.
UF2 Rape Prevention and Education Cooperative Agreement To provide financial assistance to States for rape prevention and education programs conducted by rape crisis centers, State sexual assault coalitions, and other public and private nonprofit entities for: educational seminars, operation of hotlines, training for professionals, preparation of informational material; education and training for college and university students and personnel to reduce sexual assault; and awareness programs. The awards are based on a formula.
UF5 Collaborative International Cooperative Agreement 

To support international research collaborations, NIH will make domestic prime cooperative agreement awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to the prime. Note: The project is submitted as one application that is reviewed as a whole. Prior to award, all international subprojects will be disaggregated and funded as separate UL2 cooperative agreement awards in lieu of a foreign subaward. In order to manage compliance and track international funding, the UL2 will be awarded directly to the foreign organization. International subprojects should not be used for foreign consultants, purchasing unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors, international collaborations that do not involve NIH funding or any foreign component that would not result in a foreign subaward. 
UG4 National Network of Libraries of Medicine Multicomponent cooperative agreements are awarded to medical libraries to enable them to serve as regional medical libraries for their geographical areas. The purpose of the program is to develop a national system of regional medical libraries, each of which would have sufficient facilities to supplement the services of other medical libraries in its region.
UR8 Applied Research in Emerging Infections-(including Tick-borne Diseases) Cooperative Agreements In cooperation with eligible organizations, to research emerging infections, such as tick borne diseases, through epidemiological studies and development and evaluation of diagnostic tests. Associated grant program under Activity Code RR8.
UT1 Small Business Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) – Cooperative Agreements - Phase I

To help small businesses that partner with a nonprofit research institution bring scientific innovations to the marketplace.  The STTR cooperative agreements support research and development (R&D) awards to eligible United States small business concerns only.
UT2 Small Business Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) – Cooperative Agreements - Phase II

To help small businesses that partner with a nonprofit research institution bring scientific innovations to the marketplace. The STTR cooperative agreements support research and development (R&D) awards to eligible United States small business concerns only.
VF1 Rape Prevention and Education Grants Provides financial assistance to States for rape prevention and education programs conducted by rape crisis centers, State sexual assault coalitions, and other public and private nonprofit entities for: educational seminars, operation of hotlines, training for professionals, preparation of informational material; education and training for college and university students and personnel to reduce sexual assault; and awareness programs. The awards are based on a formula.
X98 Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Provides financial assistance to State and local government agencies and public and private organizations, to establish systems to protect and advocate the rights of the mentally ill. This program is to ensure that the rights of mentally ill individuals are protected and advocated in conformance with constitutional, Federal and State mandates.
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