The Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides support for a program of research in an early stage investigator’s laboratory that falls within the mission of NIGMS.
Donor Name: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Award
Deadline: 09/03/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $250,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
For the purpose of this NOFO, a program of research is a collection of projects in the investigator’s lab that are relevant to the mission of NIGMS. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency and efficacy of NIGMS funding.
The NIGMS Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) provides support for the NIGMS-relevant program of research in an investigator’s laboratory. For this NOFO, the “program of research” is defined as a collection of projects in an investigator’s laboratory that are within the mission of NIGMS. This NOFO allows applications from eligible Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) who are NIH-defined Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) at the time of submission.
It is anticipated that MIRA will achieve the following:
- Enable investigators to apply earlier in their independent research careers, allowing them to secure grant funding that will launch and sustain productive research careers.
- Enhance investigators’ ability to move into research areas that are distinct from those of their postdoctoral mentors by not requiring or expecting preliminary data, which could lead to new scientific discoveries.
- Larger award amount than the current average NIGMS R01 award to ESIs.
- 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 adapt to important new research directions 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.
- Enable investigators to devote more time and energy to mentoring trainees in a more stable research environment.
NIGMS will also work to ensure that it maintains a broad research portfolio in terms of scientific areas, approaches, regions, institutions, and individuals. Such breadth will optimize returns on the Institute’s investments by maximizing the ideas explored and the chances for important breakthroughs.
The NIGMS MIRA differs from other institutes’ R35 awards in that MIRA is not a grant designed to support a small number of investigators; instead, the Institute intends to have at least 60% of the R01-equivalent pool eventually be MIRAs as stated in the Institute’s strategic plan.
Award Budget
Applications may request up to $250,000 direct costs per year.
Project Period
Applications may request a maximum project period of five years.
Eligible Organizations
Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
For-Profit Organizations
- Small Businesses
- For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
Local Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- City or Township Governments
- Special District Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
Federal Governments
- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Independent School Districts
- Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
- Regional Organizations
Foreign Institutions
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) 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.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
