ORIP Funding Policies and Considerations

Visit NIH Fiscal Policies for NIH-wide information on appropriations and other budgetary information (salary limits, stipends, tuition/fees) and Funding Decisions to learn about NIH's consistent and unified approach for making funding decisions. The ORIP-specific information on this page builds on that general information.

On this page:

Fiscal Year 2026

Overview

  • ORIP strategically allocates its resources across a broad range of programs and mechanisms. ORIP is committed to funding the largest number of meritorious projects possible, while maintaining the flexibility needed to support selected program priorities and respond to emerging scientific opportunities and challenges.
  • ORIP’s program priorities will remain transparent and be featured in NIH Highlighted Topics, Council of Council meeting presentations, NOFOs, ORIP’s strategic plan and on ORIP’s webpages.
  • ORIP will continue to rely heavily on peer-reviewed assessment by study sections and recommendations of the Council of Councils in making funding decisions.
  • In deciding to fund any application, ORIP also considers other factors including (consistent with applicable law):
  1. Breadth of ORIP’s research portfolio, approaches, and investigators.
  2. Total amount of funding available to the investigator.
  3. Priority of the research area for ORIP’s mission.
  4. Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status; and
  5. At-risk investigator status.

Specific policies related to funding are listed below:

Budget and Costs

  • Inflationary increases for future year commitments are not permitted.
  • PIs should not assume that they will be awarded the amount recommended by the study section.
  • To fund as broad a portfolio of meritorious investigators as soon as possible and to improve overall returns on investments, ORIP pays close attention to budget levels and gives large budget increases only in highly compelling cases for competing renewals.

Early Stage Investigators

  • Fostering the success of Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) who are establishing careers in biomedical research is a high priority of ORIP and NIH. ORIP will continue its commitment to ESIs in accordance with NIH guidelines.

Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)

•    Number of slots for T32 awards are not to exceed 6 training slots.

Research Grant Duration Policy

  • ORIP limits the length of most of its K01 and R24 grants to 4 years.
  • U42 cooperative agreements are funded for 4 or 5 years.
  • In some fiscal years, ORIP resets grant start dates to more evenly distribute grant funding throughout the fiscal year, which results in a shorter grant duration.
For technical issues E-mail OER Webmaster