NIH PAR · NIGMS · R35

PAR-26-121: Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)

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

Open for applicationsNext due date: Jan 27, 2027Expires May 27, 2028

The Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) provides support for individual investigators for research within the scientific mission of NIGMS via a single grant to achieve the following: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 follow important new research directions within the NIGMS mission 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…

Full NOFO in the NIH Guide Apply on Grants.gov

NOFO number
PAR-26-121
Type
PAR
Activity code
R35
Primary institute
NIGMS · National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Clinical trials
Optional
Posted
Dec 11, 2025
Opens
Dec 27, 2025
Expires
May 27, 2028

PAR-26-121 due dates

4 application due dates remain 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-26-121
NewRenewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed)AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowedScientific Merit ReviewAdvisory Council ReviewEarliest Start Date
January 27, 2026January 27, 2026Not ApplicableJuly 2026October 2026December 2026
May 27, 2026May 27, 2026Not ApplicableNovember 2026January 2027April 2027
January 27, 2027January 27, 2027Not ApplicableJuly 2027October 2027December 2027
May 27, 2027May 27, 2027Not ApplicableNovember 2027January 2028April 2028
January 27, 2028January 27, 2028Not ApplicableJuly 2028October 2028December 2028
May 26, 2028May 26, 2028Not ApplicableNovember 2028January 2029April 2029

What its predecessor PAR-22-180 funded

PAR-26-121 reissues PAR-22-180. Until awards appear under the new number, its funding history is the best guide to who wins under this program: 1,635 projects and $1.54B in FY2022–FY2026.

Projects funded

1,635

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

880

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$1.54B

Award dollars under PAR-22-180, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PAR-22-180
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202300$0
FY2024454242$213.6M
FY2025961267$499.5M
FY20261,607371$828.3M

Institutions with the most funding

  1. University of Michigan at Ann Arbor$49.5M · 44 projects
  2. University of Pennsylvania$43.6M · 45 projects
  3. Stanford University$42.1M · 40 projects
  4. Johns Hopkins University$36.6M · 35 projects
  5. Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill$36.4M · 35 projects
  6. Yale University$32.6M · 28 projects
  7. University of California at Davis$27.4M · 30 projects
  8. University of Wisconsin-Madison$24.5M · 26 projects

Funding institutes

  • NIGMS$1.54B · 3,022

Activity codes funded

  • R353,022 records

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-26-121. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.

  • NIGMS · National Institute of General Medical Sciences
  • none

Related notices

NIH lists no related notices for PAR-26-121 yet.

Award terms

Application types allowed
New Renewal Revision 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
Applications from investigators with existing NIGMS research grants may request up to 750,000 direct costs per year. Investigators should request well-justified costs that are aligned with their proposed research program, noting that efficient use of funds is an expectation of the MIRA program. Budget justification is considered during the review process and in making funding decisions.…
Project period
Applications may request a maximum project period of five 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 NIGMS 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-22-180.

Other open NOFOs for R35

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

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