NIH Institute, Center, and Office (ICO) Funding Considerations for Conferences and Meetings

NCATS supports scientific meetings, conferences and workshops within our mission of developing solutions that aid many translational research efforts (STAMTRE). Applications can be for any disease or therapeutic area, as long as the knowledge gained will be more broadly applicable to other areas of investigation. Examples include:

• Drug Repurposing
• Novel biologics technologies for better treatments of human disease
• Building multidisciplinary networks to drive science and translation

Per the Rare Diseases Act of 2002, we support scientific meetings to identify research opportunities for rare diseases. We seek applications that:

• Include the active participation of patient support groups in the planning
• Leverage recent breakthroughs or support the advancement of new research endeavors
• Establish clinical practice guidelines

Applications that buttress Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program goals will be considered for support by the CTSA Program.

Typically, we provide between $3,000 and $25,000 per award, but the amount of funding awarded is contingent upon availability of funds, programmatic priorities and recommendations by peer review and program staff. In general, we do not provide co-funding support in excess of the contribution made by the primary awarding NIH ICO.

Conferences starting no earlier than December 1, April 1, and July 1 will be considered for the preceding April 12, August 12, and December 12 receipt dates, respectively.

NCATS will consider the number of times a conference has been previously supported in making funding decisions.

NCATS CONFERENCE GRANTS
[email protected] 

NCATS GMB NOFO
[email protected]  
 

NCCIH Will Support Meetings or Conferences that:

• Advance innovative, rigorous, and high-quality research on complementary and integrative health (CIH).
• Focus on basic, mechanistic, translational, clinical, or implementation research relevant to NCCIH.
• Identify research gaps, methodological challenges, and future directions for CIH research.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g., biology, neuroscience, behavioral science, clinical research, research training, and capacity building) in CIH research.
• Align with NCCIH strategic priorities (e.g., pain, symptom management, or whole person health).

NCCIH Generally Will Not Support Meetings or Conferences Workshops that:

• Focus primarily on certification, professional training, or continuing education without a strong research component.
• Promote or advocate commercial interest in specific therapies or products.
• Center on non-research policy, lobbying, or business.
• CIH research is peripheral rather than central to the agenda.

• Up to $30K/year: support can vary depending on rationale, justification, and relevance of the conference to NCCIH’s mission and priorities.
• Priority use: travel awards for trainees/early-career investigators and CIH researchers, mentoring activities, virtual access, modest support for wellness programming. 
• Will not fund salaries, room rental, A/V equipment fees, publications, or speaker fees.

• NCCIH does not restrict conference support to specific receipt cycles.
• Applications should use NIH standard submission, review, and Council cycles.
• Funding decisions are based on programmatic relevance, priority, and availability of funds.

• NCCIH may consider support for single scientific meetings under the R13/U13 mechanism.
• Support for recurring meetings is considered only for major flagship conferences, with funding evaluated each year based on relevance to NCCIH priorities, scientific merit, and available funds.

Response: 

Division of Extramural Research and Training
[email protected]             

Inna Belfer, M.D. Ph.D.
[email protected] 

Conferences and meetings may address any area of cancer research, including cancer biology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cancer control. Appropriate topics include basic, translational, clinical, population-based, interdisciplinary, and emerging research that advances understanding of cancer etiology, progression, detection, survivorship, treatment and outcomes. Meetings may focus on presenting, developing, disseminating, or critically evaluating scientific knowledge; integrating emerging technologies, methods, or clinically relevant models; or advancing collaborative, multidisciplinary research. Topics may also address health drivers, implementation science, data and AI-driven research, workforce development, and HIV-associated cancers when directly relevant to cancer research. Applications not aligned with cancer research objectives are not responsive. Applicants are encouraged to contact NCI ([email protected]) at least six weeks prior to submission for guidance.

NCI has limited discretionary funds to support conferences and meetings that advance its mission to drive progress in cancer research. Budgets must be well justified and aligned with the meeting’s scope, scale, and expected impact. Awards depend on fiscal constraints and program priorities. Applicants should contact NCI ([email protected]) at least six weeks before submission for guidance.

 Consistent with the associated R13/U13 NOFO and NIH policy, NCI will not issue a conference grant award unless the Federal award date precedes the conference start date.

NCI typically considers applications requesting one year of support. Applicants seeking up to five years in a single application should consult with NCI ([email protected] ) at least six weeks before submission. The associated R13/U13 NOFO requires additional details for each proposed future year to inform peer review.

Scientific Program Contact:  
NCI Referral Officer
Email: [email protected] 

Grants Management Contact:
Office of Grants Administration
[email protected] 

NEI supports high-quality scientific conferences that align with its mission, including those that advance innovative research on the eye and visual system; expand knowledge of visual function in health and disease; promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vision disorders; and improve rehabilitation and quality of life for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Applications that foster broad, cross-disciplinary collaboration will receive priority consideration.  Meaningful inclusion of new early-stage investigators—as co-organizers, speakers, and participants—is strongly encouraged.

• There is no specific budget cap for meeting requests; however, all proposed budgets are carefully evaluated.
• NEI generally does not provide salary support (percent effort) under R13 conference grant applications.

• Project periods may range from 1 to 5 years.

NEI Extramural Research 
[email protected]

NHGRI supports conferences and meetings that promote the development and exchange of information focused on genome sciences, genomic medicine, computational genomics and data science, the ethical, legal, and societal implications (ELSI) of genomics research, as well as those that promote the training and mentoring of the next generation of genomic researchers. Applications for conferences and meetings relevant only to a particular disease or organ system should be directed to the appropriate Institute or Center.

NHGRI particularly encourages applications that strengthen the capabilities of U.S. scientists, especially those aimed at significantly enhancing research skills aligned with priorities outlined in the NHGRI Strategic Vision.

Although prior approval is not required, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NHGRI program staff at least six weeks before the intended submission date.

NHGRI has limited funds available to support conferences and meetings. Proposed budgets must be well justified and appropriately aligned with the scope, scale, and anticipated impact of the meeting.

NHGRI will consider applications requesting support for a series of annual or biannual events for up to 5 years.

NHGRI Research Funding
[email protected] 

The NHLBI supports conferences that are critical to the mission of the NIH and NHLBI (i.e., meetings directly related to heart, lung, non-plastic blood, and/or sleep disorders and conditions), including advancing the science of solution-focused health disparities research, implementation science, community-engaged research, and global health reciprocal innovation or any combination of these. Meetings for the sole purpose of professional development (e.g., continuing medical education) fall outside of NHLBI priorities. Supported meetings generally explore and identify: (a) critical gaps in knowledge; (b) research challenges and opportunities; and/or (c) promising strategies for advancing prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment modalities for science related to the NHLBI mission.

The NHLBI accepts primary and secondary assignments on applications for the support of meetings directly related to heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders and conditions. Typically, NHLBI provides nominal support for conferences between $5K and $10K.

Applicants should select a submission date that allows sufficient time for NHLBI to make a potential award prior to the conference/meeting event.

NHLBI will consider support requests for a series of annual or biannual conferences for up to 5 years.

Scientific Program Contact:  
NHLBI Conferences and Meetings
Email: [email protected]

Grants Management Contact:
NHLBI Office of Grants Management
Email: [email protected]

NIA supports scientific meetings that advance research on aging and the health and well-being of older adults.

NIA prioritizes conferences that focus on:

• Fundamental biology of aging and geroscience
• Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) biology and pathogenesis
• Translational (preclinical and clinical) and population aging and AD/ADRD research
• Data science and innovative methodological advances
• Social, behavioral, psychological, and economic research on aging and AD/ADRD
• Health systems research on access, cost, and quality for older adults

NIA does not support:

• Neuroscience or basic biology meetings without a clear aging or AD link
• Basic biology meetings not framed in aging context
• Advocacy or policy meetings without scientific framework
• Small, local institutional retreats

Applicants who anticipate the need for substantial involvement from NIA staff are strongly encouraged to contact NIA prior to submission.

• NIA may support scientific meetings for up to 5 years, provided they align with the NIA mission.
• NIA typically supports budget requests under $50,000 per year in direct costs.
  • Applications requesting more than $50,000 in direct costs per year require a separate internal review, which may delay award. Applicants should plan accordingly and are encouraged to consult with NIA staff in advance.

• Applications must be submitted at least 6 months before the conference/meeting date(s) to allow sufficient time for review and award processing. 

For Scientific/Research Contact(s): [email protected]  
Please include the NOFO number, formatted with hyphens, in the email subject line to ensure the message is routed to the appropriate contact. 

For Financial/Grants Management Contact(s):  [email protected] 
Please include the NOFO number, formatted with hyphens, in the email subject line to ensure the message is routed to the appropriate contact. 

NIAAA supports conferences, symposia and workshops focusing on alcohol-research related topics. NIAAA will provide funds for the travel of U.S. residents that include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or newly appointed non-NIH funded faculty members within two years of their academic appointment to participate in meetings. NIAAA will prioritize conference grants that support conferences that are not free-standing conferences, i.e., included as symposia, or as satellite meetings of major domestic Scientific Organizations or Societies with venues within the continental USA.

NIAAA conference grant applications are capped at $25,000 total costs/year. Rare, justified exceptions may be considered. Applicants contemplating a budget over the threshold are strongly encouraged to consult NIAAA staff prior to applying to assess support. NIAAA does not fund fees or expenses for PIs, key contributors, or speakers.

NIAAA will consider supporting applications requesting more than one year of funding within a period of up to 5 years.

NIAAA Conference Coordination Office
[email protected]

NIAID encourages grant (R13) and cooperative agreement (U13) applications for scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops in areas related to our mission. 

NIAID gives priority to the following submissions:

• Applications for open meetings, including conferences that cover broad subject matter and for which the sponsoring institution invites anyone interested to attend but has uniform standards for selecting the final list of participants.
• Applications that provide funds to graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and junior faculty members for the purpose of attending conferences.

NIAID may give priority to less visible scientific topics. NIAID must participate in the development of U13 meetings. For both R13 and U13, NIAID reserves the right to discuss how we will participate and make the final decision about our level of involvement.

• NIAID co-funds or accepts co-funding from other Institutes or Centers for $2,500 or higher.
• An award must be issued before the conference starts. In rare cases, an award will be issued after a conference has been held to cover post-conference costs, such as publishing the proceedings.

To be considered for an award, potential applicants should submit their application to a receipt date at least 7 months before the start date of the conference.

• NIAID funds scientific meetings through grants and cooperative agreements for up to 5 years. 
• A permanently sponsoring organization can receive a multi-year award for annual or biennial conferences on a recurring topic. The award is funded by budget period.

Scientific Contact: [email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact: [email protected]

NIAMS supports scientific conferences including symposiums, seminars, workshops, or other organized formal meetings within its mission. Scientific Programmatic areas NIAMS supports can be found here. 

• Rheumatic and Systemic Autoimmune diseases 
• Muscle Biology and Diseases 
• Bone Biology and Diseases 
• Skin Biology and Diseases 
• Joint Biology and Diseases and Orthopaedics

NIAMS prioritizes conferences whose efforts aim towards professional development activities, experiences, & travel assistance for early-stage researchers & enhances networking potential (i.e. networking or mentorship sessions).  

NIAMS may provide primary support up to $15,000 or secondary support up to $3,000 per meeting for mission-relevant scientific conferences. Due to limited fund availability, not all applications assigned to NIAMS will be considered for funding. Awards will be made to meritorious applications contingent upon availability of funds, programmatic priorities, and recommendations by program staff. 

NIAMS will accept applications for conferences up to 5 years. It is recommended to contact the appropriate Program Officer before submission. 

• Program Contact:  
  Email: [email protected]   
   
• Grants Management Contact:
  Email: [email protected]  
   

NIBIB provides support for conferences and scientific meetings that fall within its research focus in biomedical imaging and bioengineering. All areas within the NIBIB’s General Topics are of interest. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact NIBIB well in advance of submission to receive programmatic guidance and to discuss their proposed meeting.

Priority is given to applications that:

• Use NIBIB funds to support participation of students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior investigators
• Support national or international meetings with significant impact on a field rather than regional meetings

Applicants are discouraged from using NIBIB funds for travel/registration support for plenary speakers or established investigators. 

NIBIB typically limits R13 funding to $15,000 in direct costs on applications with primary assignment to the NIBIB. NIBIB does not accept co-funding from other ICs for its R13 grants nor provides co-funding for R13 grants assigned to other ICs. 

Applications are accepted for R13/U13 standard receipt dates. The conference start date must occur on or after the Earliest Start Date for the selected cycle. Applicants are encouraged to apply one cycle earlier than the cycle in which their earliest start date falls.

NIBIB accepts applications for up to 3 years of support if the conference:

• received 2 or more years of NIBIB funding in the past 5 years
• is proposed by a permanently sponsoring organization.

Biennial conferences may request support for up to 2 meetings within 3 years. NIBIB will decide whether to fund a single year or up to 3 years based on prior activities, attendance, and use of NIBIB funds.

Scientific Program Contact:
[email protected]

Grants Management Contact:
[email protected]

NICHD provides limited support for scientific conferences and meetings that directly align and are within the areas of research supported by NICHD in response to funding announcements for support of conferences and scientific meetings in which NICHD participates. 

• Awards are generally limited to $20,000 in direct costs per year for applications assigned to NICHD. Applicants may seek co-funding from other NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs). 
• Co-funding of applications assigned to other ICs is generally limited to $5,000 in direct costs per year.
• Applications that include funding for junior investigator and/or trainee participation are strongly encouraged.

Conference applications should be submitted as early as possible to allow adequate time for review and award processing. 

For NICHD funding consideration:

• Events held December–March: submit by the April 12 application due date.
• Events held April–June: submit by the August 12 application due date.
• Events held July–November: submit by the December 12 application due date. 

NICHD will consider support requests for single event conferences or for a series of recurring conferences for up to 5 years. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NICHD prior to submission, and ideally at least 10 weeks before the intended submission date, to confirm relevance of the conference or workshop to the NICHD mission. 

Inquiries should be addressed to your current Program Director or to NICHD R13 Conference Grants Email: [email protected].

• With few exceptions, NIDA funding for conference grants is usually ~ $10,000. 

• For applications requesting more than one year, the need for multiple years should be justified, e.g., the field develops rapidly enough to justify annual meetings or provide different areas of focus in future years.

NIDA Receipt and Referral Officer
[email protected]

NIDCD recognizes a responsibility to assist in supporting scientific meetings that are directed toward research objectives clearly within the field of communication sciences and disorders. Funds for research conference support are provided through R13 grant awards following competitive review. In planning, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the feasibility of submission dates, possible funding dates, and the proposed conference dates with the realization that applications may need to be revised and resubmitted.

Applicants may propose up to $60,000 direct costs per year. Costs associated with providing expected reasonable accommodations must fall within the budget cap and should be included in the application at the time of submission.

For annual conferences, project periods of up to 5 years may be requested.

Scientific Program Contact:  
Email: [email protected]

Grants Management Contact:
Email: [email protected]

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) supports scientific conferences, including symposia, seminars, and workshops, that align with its mission to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health. Eligibility is limited to domestic institutions and organizations, including established scientific and professional societies. 

NIDCR prioritizes applications for meetings that:

• Are open to the broader scientific community
• Represent emerging areas of DOC research
• Highlight innovative approaches to achieving research objectives
• Engage early-career investigators, students, and postdoctoral fellows
• Provide dedicated travel support to facilitate participation of early-career scientists

Applications will generally not be considered for support if they primarily propose clinical training without a substantive research focus, limit attendance to a restricted audience, or address topics outside the mission and programmatic interests of NIDCR.

Primary support of conferences is limited to a maximum of $30,000 per meeting, but the actual award will be contingent upon availability of funds and programmatic priorities. Secondary support of a conference is usually limited to $3,000 and may be requested if another institute or center (IC) at NIH has agreed to provide primary support. NIDCR will serve as secondary IC on such applications.

NIDCR follows standard R13 receipt dates.
 

NIDCR supports applications for up to 5 years of support for a series of recurring meetings.

• NIDCR provides support on a year-by-year basis; future years are not guaranteed.
• Each year of a recurring meeting is reviewed and considered independently.
• Funding decisions are based on alignment with NIDCR mission and current program priorities.

NIDCR Program Staff

[email protected]

NIDDK R13 Conference Grants:

• Primarily provide travel support for junior investigators and trainees to scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops.
• Must address a critical need not met by societies or industry.
• NIDDK does NOT support multi-year meetings.
• Meeting theme must focus on cutting-edge NIDDK-relevant research topics.
• Topic should not have been substantially covered by other conferences within the past year. Should foster cross-disciplinary engagement among investigators who do not typically interact.
• Must provide strong training environment for NIDDK junior investigators/trainees.
• For virtual meetings, applicants may request registration (full or partial) for junior investigators/trainees.
• May consider partial support for virtual platform/packages if clearly tied to enhancing junior investigator/trainee access and experience.

• NIDDK funding primarily supports travel and access for junior investigators/trainees to attend meetings within the mission interests of the NIDDK.
• Meetings held outside of North America are not eligible for funding.
• Indirect costs are generally not allowed.

NIDDK will accept conference grant applications for all standard R13 due dates. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application for the due date that is closest to one year prior to the planned meeting or conference.

Multi-year requests are rarely considered and allowed only under special circumstances.

Conference Grant Program Contacts

• [email protected]

Grants Management Contact

• Grants Management Branch
  Email: [email protected]

The NIEHS Conference Grant Program supports investigator-initiated scientific meetings —such as conferences, workshops, symposia, and seminars— that directly advance the institute’s mission, particularly research on how environmental factors and gene–environment interactions influence disease or dysfunction. Relevant topics include environmental toxicology, chemical exposure, mechanistic toxicology, environmental epidemiology, exposure science, detection of hazardous substances, and scientific methods to reduce environmental hazards. Support is available for events of all sizes. For larger conferences, NIEHS prioritizes multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary events that foster collaboration among researchers. Applications are encouraged to include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and community members with funding allowed for their participation. 

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program also supports meetings relevant to their interest areas.

NIEHS limits conference grant awards to no more than $25,000 in direct costs per year for new (had no previous NIEHS support) and $50,000 in direct costs per year for returning (had previous NIEHS support) conferences. Typical support is less than the outlined limits. NIEHS will consider providing co-funding for conference applications administered by other ICOs (usually less than $10,000).

NIEHS considers applications submitted to all conference standard due dates.

It is highly suggested that applicants reach out to the NIEHS Conference Grant Coordinator no later than 6 weeks prior to the receipt date with any questions.

NIEHS considers requests for a single conference or a series up to 3 years.

[email protected]

• NIGMS will only support conferences or meetings that:
  • Are focused on basic biomedical research and research training topics closely aligned with NIGMS’ central mission and interests, and
    • Include participants and speakers who do not frequently interact in other venues, and
    • Are held at domestic sites.
• NIGMS will consider support for meetings that focus on research training and/or workforce development or are in support of programs that build research capacity.
• NIGMS anticipates funding very few conference or meeting grants. Simply because a meeting falls within the general areas of science or training and workforce development supported by NIGMS does not mean that the Institute will support the meeting. NIGMS rarely supports an R13 application as a secondary assignment.

• In general, NIGMS support for meetings and conferences is limited to under $10,000.

• The earliest start date for an award must be prior to the meeting start date.
• Apply early to provide at least 10 months before the meeting start date.

• Meetings funded by NIGMS may be awarded for up to 5 years. NIGMS does not support recurring or potentially recurring meetings except for those that focus on research training, workforce development, or research capacity building.

NIGMS DEA Mailbox

[email protected]

NINDS supports high quality scientific conferences that are relevant to the NINDS mission and to public health.

NINDS typically supports awards in the range of $5,000 to $20,000 and is intended to provide partial support for the conference. Some appropriate uses of NINDS R13 funding include:
•    Supporting the dissemination of the proceedings
•    Web-casting or web-archiving
•    Supporting students or junior investigators to attend or participate

•    It is critical that applicants follow the meeting date and submission timing guidelines in the table below as awards cannot be made after the meeting has concluded
•    If your organization is new to NIH funding, even more advance time may be needed for required registrations.

•    NINDS generally only accepts R13 applications for a single year of support.
•    In exceptional circumstances, NINDS may support multi-year applications that have a demonstrated history of yearly funding success and that meet NINDS mission objectives.
•    It is highly recommended to contact program staff in advance if you wish to apply for multiple years of support.
 

Applicants are encouraged to use NIH Matchmaker to find an NINDS Program Officer, or

NINDS Referral Team
[email protected]

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) will accept applications from institutions or organizations to support research conferences, symposia, workshops, and/or meetings that align with our mission and strategic priorities and serve to advance the identified area of science.

• The NINR encourages enhanced participation of early career scientists and trainees.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with appropriate NINR staff when considering a R13 application.
• Applications should aim to advance a specific scientific topic, strategy, or methodology. 
• Applications focused on clinical knowledge, nurse education, or professional development will not be considered.

Scientific Program Contact:  
Email: [email protected]

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) supports high-quality scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops that advance biomedical informatics, bioinformatics, computational biology, data science, health information technology, workforce development, and library and information sciences. Meetings should align with NLM’s mission to accelerate data-driven discovery, improve access to trustworthy biomedical information, and strengthen the biomedical data science workforce. Areas of interest include standards and interoperability, knowledge representation, trustworthy and transparent AI, data stewardship, information dissemination, and human-centered health information delivery. Events must foster meaningful scientific exchange and collaboration among researchers, clinicians, librarians, trainees, and other stakeholders. NLM will not support the annual meeting of a professional organization, society, or trade group. 

While the National Library of Medicine will consider requests for conference support up to $70,000, typical awards have ranged between $10,000 and $25,000. 

• Accepts applications for standard receipt dates.
• Final funding decisions are often made toward the end of the fiscal year, contingent on the availability of funds.
• It is recommended that applicants apply well in advance of meeting/conference date, especially if requesting support to plan the event.

• Support may be provided for single conferences.
• NLM will consider support for a series of annual or biannual conferences for up to 5 years.
• Continued support depends on programmatic relevance and availability of funds.

NLM Extramural Programs
[email protected] 

• ORIP’s high-priority thematic areas for conferences and meetings are: 
  • Developing model resources to advance the study of human diseases 
  • Innovating cross-disciplinary research training in model systems 
• ORIP will only support research meetings that are held at domestic sites.
• For models-oriented conferences and meetings, proposals must be applicable to the research interests of two or more categorical NIH Institutes/Centers (ICs). 
  • Applications focused on a specific disease or category of research will not be accepted and should be proposed to the appropriate categorical IC of the NIH. 
  • Applications proposing conferences or scientific meetings that are predominantly of interest to one NIH IC and only peripherally of interest to other NIH ICs are not acceptable.
• For training-oriented conferences and meetings, applications with a primary focus on cross-disciplinary research training in model systems for early-career scientists will receive priority for consideration.

• Grants awarded by ORIP generally support only a portion of the entire cost of a conference or meeting. 
• ORIP typically provides nominal support between $5K and $10K for conferences or meetings.
• ORIP will consider support up to $75K only in highly compelling cases.
• Other ICOs may co-fund awards by ORIP for conferences or meetings above the support provided by ORIP.

• Applications can be submitted for any of the NIH standard due dates for R13 applications.

• ORIP typically accepts applications for up to 2 years of support across all areas of ORIP’s mission.
• ORIP will consider applications for up to 5 years of support only in highly compelling cases.

Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
Email: [email protected]