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Data Analysis•January 22, 2024•12 min read
NIH Funding Success Rate by Topic: 2024 Research Area Analysis
Comprehensive analysis of NIH funding success rates across research disciplines to help you strategically plan your grant applications and maximize your chances of success.
Overall NIH Funding Success Rates 2024
20.7%
Overall Success Rate
18.2%
R01 Success Rate
15.8%
New Investigator Rate
Success Rates by Research Topic
Cancer Research↑
22.3%
Success Rate
Neuroscience→
19.8%
Success Rate
Cardiology↑
21.1%
Success Rate
Infectious Disease↑
24.2%
Success Rate
Mental Health→
18.5%
Success Rate
Aging Research↑
20.9%
Success Rate
NIH Institute-Specific Success Rates
NCI (Cancer)
Payline: 11th percentile
22.3%
Success Rate
NINDS (Neurological)
Payline: 15th percentile
19.8%
Success Rate
NHLBI (Heart/Lung)
Payline: 12th percentile
21.1%
Success Rate
NIAID (Infectious)
Payline: 18th percentile
24.2%
Success Rate
NIMH (Mental Health)
Payline: 14th percentile
18.5%
Success Rate
Strategic Insights for Grant Applications
High-Success Areas
- • Infectious Disease: 24.2% success rate
- • Cancer Research: 22.3% success rate
- • Cardiovascular: 21.1% success rate
- • Aging Research: 20.9% success rate
Competitive Areas
- • Mental Health: 18.5% success rate
- • Neuroscience: 19.8% success rate
- • Basic Biology: 17.9% success rate
- • Genomics: 16.4% success rate
Key Takeaways for Grant Success
- • Consider applying to institutes with higher success rates
- • Align research with current NIH priorities
- • New investigators should focus on mentored career awards first
- • Interdisciplinary proposals may have advantages
Find Successful PIs in Your Research Area
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