Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)

Issuing agency

National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services)

Opportunity number

PAR-26-121

Funding type

Grant

Funding purpose

Health

Status

Open (posted)

Application deadline

Closes May 26, 2028

Published award range

Not published by the agency

Cost sharing or match required

No

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Independent school districts
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses
• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

Businesses and NonprofitsHow we determined this: Grants.gov eligibility includes small businesses or for-profit organizations. Grants.gov eligibility includes nonprofit organizations.

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

93.859

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359862 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 359862 · Funding opportunity number PAR-26-121

Posted

December 11, 2025 · Source last updated December 18, 2025

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

92% of key fields published by the sourceNot published: published funding range.

Record confidence

highVerified against the official source; key fields present; no open issues.

Eligibility details (from the agency)

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/Foreign CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. This new requirement was effective, May 1, 2025.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Description (from the official listing)

The Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) provides support for individual investigators for research within the scientific mission of NIGMS via a single grant to achieve the following:Increase the stability of funding for NIGMS-supported investigators, which could enhance their ability to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively;Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions within the NIGMS mission as opportunities arise, rather than being bound to specific aims proposed in advance of the studies;More widely distribute funding among the nation's highly talented and promising investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs;Reduce the time spent by researchers writing and reviewing grant applications, allowing them to spend more time conducting research;Reduce the administrative burden associated with a PD/PI managing multiple NIGMS research grants; andEnable PD(s)/PI(s) to devote more time and energy to mentoring junior scientists in a more stable research environment.This NOFO invites applications from eligible NIGMS-funded investigators and from New Investigators proposing research that is aligned with NIGMS' scientific mission. The NOFO also allows renewal applications from all current MIRA grantees (including those previously funded as Early-Stage Investigators). Current Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) should apply through the ESI MIRA NOFO, not this NOFO.

Agency contact

NIGMS EINI MIRA NIGMS_EINIMIRA@nigms.nih.gov
NIGMS_EINIMIRA@nigms.nih.gov