DDP Series — NIH Director's Awards

NIH DP1 Grants — NIH Director's Pioneer Award

High-risk/high-reward research from exceptional individual scientists

Funding

$700,000 direct/year

Duration

5 years

Eligibility

Highly innovative individual scientists

Activity code

DP1

What is the NIH DP1 grant?

The DP1 (Pioneer Award) is part of the NIH Director's High-Risk High-Reward program. It funds individual scientists pursuing exceptionally innovative ideas at any career stage.

Recent DP1 awards (last 24 months)

Live data from NIH RePORTER

126

Awards

$108,168,864

Total funding (sample)

$858,483

Average award

Sample reflects up to the most recent 500 NIH RePORTER awards with this activity code in the past 24 months. Total project count is the full RePORTER count.

Most recently awarded DP1 grants

MR-guided focused ultrasound to eradicate CNS viral reservoirs and promote neurogenesis in the HIV-infected brain

LINDA CHANG · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE, MD · NIH

$1,081,500

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA053719-05

Molecular and Cellular Subtyping of Response to Drugs of Abuse in Co-morbid Psychiatric Disorders

Susan Shen · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IA · NIH

$466,500

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA063504-02

Gut microbiota-mediated fiber fermentation in HIV-associated cardiovascular disease

Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin · CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER, CA · NIH

$539,980

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1HL174182-03

Effects of the oral environment on KSHV shedding in Ugandan adults living with HIV

Katherine Sabourin · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, OH · NIH

$567,000

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1CA291173-03

Long-Acting Injectables for Treatment of HIV among PWID (LIFT HIV)

Sunil Solomon · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, MD · NIH

$991,463

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA060602-03

Engineering Bacteriophage T4 as a Targeted Gene Therapy Drug for in vivo HIV Cure

Venigalla Rao · CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, DC · NIH

$964,530

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA060580-03

Polyclonal Bi-Specific Vectored ImmunoTherapy to Functionally Cure HIV Infection

Alejandro Balazs · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, MA · NIH

$1,052,100

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA060607-03

Development of High-Affinity and Selective Ligands as a Pharmacological Tool for the Dopamine D4 Receptor (D4R) Subtype Variants

Comfort Boateng · HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY, NC · NIH

$447,000

FY 2026

Project: 5DP1DA058385-04

Top NIH institutes funding DP1

By total funding in the last 24 months

  1. 1.NIH126 · $108,168,864

Top funded institutions

Most DP1 awards in the last 24 months

  1. 1.STANFORD UNIVERSITY9 awards
  2. 2.MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL7 awards
  3. 3.WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY6 awards
  4. 4.DUKE UNIVERSITY6 awards
  5. 5.UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO5 awards
  6. 6.ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI4 awards

Who applies for DP1

Individual scientists at any career stage with bold, paradigm-shifting ideas. Selection emphasizes the person and idea more than preliminary data.

When to choose DP1

Choose DP1 for genuinely high-risk ideas that would be hard to fit into traditional R01 review.

When NOT to choose DP1

DP1 is highly competitive — typically <5% success rate. Have a backup R01 plan.

Search tips for DP1

  • DP1 awards identify NIH-flagged exceptional individual scientists.

Search NIH grants by activity code

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Find DP1-funded PIs

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DP1 funding trends

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Related NIH grant types

DDP2

NIH Director's New Innovator Award

Bold, untested ideas from early-stage investigators

DDP5

NIH Director's Early Independence Award

Skip the postdoc — direct PhD-to-PI transition

RR35

Outstanding Investigator Award

Long, flexible support for productive investigators (one program per lab)