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
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.)
This page last updated on: December 26, 2024
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