NIH PAR · NHGRI · R21

PAR-25-256: Developing novel theory and methods for understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards

Open for applicationsNext due date: Oct 16, 2026Expires Jan 8, 2027

The goal of this NOFO is to support R21 applications for novel theory and methods development that better delineate how genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to complex trait variation across individuals, families, and populations. Approaches should be interdisciplinary across the natural and social sciences, account for interdependencies across scales of biological, social, and ecological organization, and make extensive use of theory, simulations, and validation using available large-scale datasets

Full NOFO in the NIH Guide Apply on Grants.gov

NOFO number
PAR-25-256
Type
PAR
Activity code
R21
Primary institute
NHGRI · National Human Genome Research Institute
Clinical trials
Not Allowed
Posted
Nov 15, 2024
Opens
Jan 16, 2025
Expires
Jan 8, 2027

PAR-25-256 due dates

1 application due date remains before the NOFO expires. Dates marked * are NIH standard due dates. Check the related notices below for changes NIH made after posting.

Application due dates and review cycles for PAR-25-256
Application Due Date(s)Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed)AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowedScientific Merit ReviewAdvisory Council ReviewEarliest Start Date
February 16, 2025March 16, 2025 *Not ApplicableJuly 2025October 2025December 2025
June 16, 2025July 16, 2025 *Not ApplicableNovember 2025January 2026April 2026
October 16, 2025November 16, 2025 *Not ApplicableMarch 2026May 2026July 2026
February 16, 2026March 16, 2026 *Not ApplicableJuly 2026October 2026December 2026
June 16, 2026July 16, 2026 *Not ApplicableNovember 2026January 2027April 2027
October 16, 2026November 16, 2026 *Not ApplicableMarch 2027May 2027July 2027

What its predecessor PAR-23-301 funded

PAR-25-256 reissues PAR-23-301. Until awards appear under the new number, its funding history is the best guide to who wins under this program: 1 project and $434K in FY2022–FY2026.

Projects funded

1

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

1

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$434K

Award dollars under PAR-23-301, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PAR-23-301
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202300$0
FY202400$0
FY202511$196K
FY202610$237K

Institutions with the most funding

  1. University of Chicago$434K · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NHGRI$434K · 2

Activity codes funded

Most recent new awards

FY2026 closed on September 30, 2026, but NIH keeps posting that year's awards to RePORTER for several weeks. FY2026 figures reflect records available on October 16, 2026 and may rise slightly at the next refresh.

Participating institutes

2 NIH institutes and offices take applications under PAR-25-256. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.

  • NHGRI · National Human Genome Research Institute
  • NCI · National Cancer Institute

Related notices

  1. Mar 31, 2025 · NOT-OD-24-084

    This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission.April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25,…

  2. Aug 31, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-198

    Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.

  3. Aug 5, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-189

    Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.

Award terms

Application types allowed
NewResubmissionRevision The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.
Award budget
The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed 275,000. No more than 200,000 may be requested in any single year.
Project period
The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 2 years.  NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.
Funds available and number of awards
 The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. 

Summarized from the NOFO text; the full NOFO governs eligibility, budget, and review.

Related NOFOs

  • Reissue of PAR-23-301.
  • Companion NOFOs: PAR-25-255.

Other open NOFOs for R21

Browse all open NIH NOFOs

About this page

GotGrant gathers the NOFO, its participation and change notices, and its NOSIs from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and counts funded projects from NIH RePORTER by the opportunity number each award was made under. Data refreshed October 16, 2026; the NIH Guide is the authoritative source. See our data methodology.

Find who wins under this NOFO

NIH grant searchLook up awards by topic, PI, or institution.Find funded PIsInvestigators with recent NIH awards in your research area.Institute fit by topicWhich NIH institutes and institutions lead a research area.Funding trendsYear-by-year NIH award totals for any keyword.