RFI: Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NHLBI Career Development Recipients (Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is preparing to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a limited competition: the Small Grant Program for NHLBI Career Development Recipients (Clinical Trial Optional). NHLBI's mission centers on advancing scientific knowledge and clinical practice to prevent and treat heart, lung, and blood diseases, with a mandate to foster new research and support the next generation of scientific leaders. This forthcoming grant opportunity is tailored for individuals who are current or recently completed NHLBI career development awardees—specifically those holding K-series awards. The objective is to provide targeted small grant support for these investigators, enabling them to extend their current research or to launch a new project that emerged from their mentored career development work. The goal is to help talented, early-stage investigators who are facing barriers in their progression to research independence, particularly to bridge the gap between mentored support (K awards) and independent research grants (such as the NIH R01). Funding provided through this small grant program is intended to facilitate the generation of preliminary data, enhance publication productivity, and support critical steps necessary for the K-to-R transition. Funds may be used only for research activities directly aligned with the applicant’s existing or evolved research agenda as developed under their NHLBI K award. Specific details regarding allowable costs and spending limitations will be outlined in the forthcoming NOFO, but as with most NIH small grant programs, funds are not intended for unrelated new lines of research or activities outside the NHLBI mission scope. Eligibility for this opportunity is strictly limited to current or recently completed recipients of NHLBI K career development awards. While a wide variety of organizations (including state and local governments, academic institutions, nonprofits, and some for-profit entities) may serve as host institutions for the award, only eligible individual K awardees may apply as project directors. No other eligibility categories are anticipated. All eligibility, documentation, and institutional criteria will be specified in the official NOFO upon publication. Applications are not being accepted at this stage. The estimated NOFO posting (application opening) date is March 1, 2026. The estimated application due date is June 1, 2026. The estimated award notification date is October 1, 2026, and funded projects are expected to start January 1, 2027. NHLBI is issuing this advance notice to enable potential applicants to assemble meaningful collaborations and plan responsive, impactful projects ahead of the official posting. For more information and any inquiries, the point of contact is the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases Grants Office, available at nhlbidld_grants@nhlbi.nih.gov. Phone contacts and individual program officer details are not yet listed in the RFI. Interested parties should monitor Grants.gov and the NHLBI website for official updates, full application instructions, required forms, and complete eligibility criteria.