NIGMS Clinical Trials

The information found on our Clinical Trial Requirements for Grants and Contracts pages applies across all NIH institutes, centers, and offices (ICOs). This page provides NIGMS interest areas, types of trials supported, and other funding considerations related to Clinical Trials.

On this page:

Clinical Trials Interest Areas

Research Projects Grants and Career Development Awards

NIGMS does NOT support clinical trials on research project grants or career development awards.

Small Business Awards

NIGMS prioritizes small business award clinical trials that promote research in NIGMS clinical research areas:

  • Anesthesiology and perioperative pain management,
  • Clinical pharmacology,
  • Drug delivery & metabolism,
  • Injury and critical illness, 
  • Sepsis,
  • Wound healing.

NIGMS has a particular interest in:

  • Small business clinical trials applications that focus on the development of technologies to address complex and interdisciplinary research questions in NIGMS clinical areas.

Research Capacity Building Programs

NIGMS supports clinical trials, in research areas that are within the mission of the NIH, through research capacity building programs:

  • The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.
  • Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program.

Clinical Trials Types of Trials Supported

Research Projects Grants and Career Development Awards

Not Applicable

Small Business Awards

For small business awards, NIGMS supports:

  • Minimal-risk, early-stage clinical trials, i.e., feasibility, Phase I, first-in-human, safety, or other small clinical trials, that inform early-stage technology development. 
  • Single site trials. 

For small business awards, NIGMS generally does not support:

  • Large-scale, multi-site clinical trials, 
  • Trials to optimize trial efficiency, recruitment, and oversight,
  • Clinical outcome trials to assess safety, tolerability, efficacy, effectiveness, clinical management, or implementation of an intervention,
  • Dissemination and implementation trials,
  • Comparative effectiveness trials,
  • Pragmatic clinical trials.

Research Capacity Building Programs

  • Types of clinical trials supported through the IDeA and NARCH programs vary.
  • NIGMS general supports early-stage feasibility clinical trials through research capacity building programs.
  • Limitations on trial types are stated in the relevant NOFO. 

Clinical Trials Project Period Considerations

Research Projects Grants and Career Development Awards

Not Applicable

Small Business Awards

  • Small business clinical trials are limited to two years of support.
  • Applicants should request a project period that is appropriate for the scope of the proposed work and sufficient to accomplish the proposed study aims. 

Research Capacity Building Programs

  • Project period limits vary for trials supported through the IDeA and NARCH programs.
  • Allowable project periods are stated in the relevant NOFO. 

Requested project periods should be well justified and appropriate for the scope of proposed work.

Clinical Trials Budget Considerations

Research Projects Grants and Career Development Awards

Not Applicable

Small Business Awards

  • NIGMS does not specify additional budget caps beyond those stated in the relevant NOFO.
  • Requested budgets should be well justified and appropriate for the proposed trial.

Research Capacity Building Programs

Budget limits vary for trials supported through the IDeA and NARCH programs. Follow the guidelines outlined in the NOFO. 

Clinical Trials Contacts

NIGMS CT Inquiries 
[email protected]

Applicants should use the NIGMS contact information listed in the relevant NOFO to request additional information.

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