NIH R03 Grants — Small Research Grant
Small, short-term projects (pilot studies, secondary analyses, methods development)
Funding
Up to $50,000 direct costs per year
Duration
Up to 2 years
Eligibility
Any qualified investigator
Activity code
R03
What is the NIH R03 grant?
The R03 is the NIH Small Research Grant — a focused 2-year award capped at $50,000 in direct costs per year. It is designed for small, well-defined projects: pilot studies, secondary analyses of existing data, methods development, or short studies that can be completed in 2 years. Not all NIH institutes participate in the R03 program.
Recent R03 awards (last 24 months)
Live data from NIH RePORTER791
Awards
$77,190,163
Total funding (sample)
$154,380
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 R03 grants
Gustavo Ares-Sarmiento · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, MI · NIH
$115,500
FY 2026
Project: 5R03DK140261-02
Maigan Brusko · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, FL · NIH
$153,500
FY 2026
Project: 1R03DK147543-01
Christopher Basler · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI, NY · NIH
$183,875
FY 2026
Project: 1R03AI196368-01
LARRY BORISH · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, VA · NIH
$80,750
FY 2026
Project: 5R03AI185854-02
Carolyn Foster · LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO, IL · NIH
$117,750
FY 2026
Project: 5R03HL176736-02
Lily Cheng · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, VA · NIH
$121,125
FY 2026
Project: 1R03DK144289-01A1
Alexandru Iordan · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR, MI · NIH
$156,000
FY 2026
Project: 5R03AG095395-02
Jaewhan Kim · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UT · NIH
$323,366
FY 2026
Project: 1R03DE035541-01
Top NIH institutes funding R03
By total funding in the last 24 months
- 1.NIH500 · $77,190,163
Top funded institutions
Most R03 awards in the last 24 months
- 1.UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH13 awards
- 2.COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES12 awards
- 3.UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR11 awards
- 4.BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE11 awards
- 5.UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER10 awards
- 6.MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL10 awards
Who applies for R03
When to choose R03
When NOT to choose R03
Search tips for R03
- R03 awards often precede a related R01 from the same investigator — useful for tracking emerging research lines.
- Some institutes (e.g., NIA, NIDCR) participate heavily in R03; others rarely do.
Search NIH grants by activity code
Find R03-funded PIs
R03 funding trends
R03 frequently asked questions
What is the page limit for an R03?
The Research Strategy is 6 pages for an R03 (compared to 12 pages for an R01).
Can R03 grants be renewed?
R03 awards are not renewable. Once the 2-year project period ends, you cannot apply for a continuation. You must move to a different mechanism (R21, R01, etc.).