NIH RFA · NHLBI · R35

RFA-HL-26-002: NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA) (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)

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

Open for applicationsExpires Apr 29, 2027

The purpose of the NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA) is to promote scientific productivity and innovation by providing long-term support and increased flexibility to experienced Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) who are currently PDs/PIs on at least two NHLBI R01-equivalent awards and whose outstanding record of research demonstrates their ability to make major contributions to heart, lung, blood and sleep (HLBS) research. The OIA is intended to support a research program, rather than a research project, by providing the primary and most likely sole source of NHLBI funding on individual grant awards. The OIA will support the research program of NHLBI-funded…

Full NOFO in the NIH Guide Apply on Grants.gov

NOFO number
RFA-HL-26-002
Type
RFA
Activity code
R35
Primary institute
NHLBI · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Clinical trials
Optional
Posted
Apr 26, 2024
Opens
Jan 19, 2025
Expires
Apr 29, 2027

Projects funded under RFA-HL-26-002

NIH RePORTER lists 15 projects funded under RFA-HL-26-002 in FY2022–FY2026, with $15.7M in award dollars. Counts include each project's later non-competing years, which keep the original NOFO number.

Projects funded

15

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

15

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$15.7M

Award dollars under RFA-HL-26-002, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under RFA-HL-26-002
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202300$0
FY202400$0
FY202500$0
FY20261515$15.7M

Institutions with the most funding

  1. University of Washington$1.2M · 1 project
  2. University of Pennsylvania$1.1M · 1 project
  3. Ohio State University$1.1M · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NHLBI$15.7M · 15

Activity codes funded

What its predecessor RFA-HL-23-004 funded

RFA-HL-26-002 reissues RFA-HL-23-004. Its funding history is the best guide to who wins under this program: 36 projects and $102.9M in FY2022–FY2026.

Projects funded

36

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

36

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$102.9M

Award dollars under RFA-HL-23-004, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under RFA-HL-23-004
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY20231010$10.3M
FY20242112$22.4M
FY20253414$35.5M
FY2026330$34.8M

Institutions with the most funding

  1. University of Pennsylvania$5.6M · 2 projects
  2. Northwestern University$5.4M · 2 projects
  3. Boston Children's Hospital$4.9M · 1 project
  4. Washington University$4.4M · 2 projects

Funding institutes

  • NHLBI$102.9M · 98

Activity codes funded

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 RFA-HL-26-002. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.

  • NHLBI · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • none

Related notices

  1. Mar 31, 2025

    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.

  2. Apr 4, 2024 · NOT-OD-24-084

    Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025.

  3. 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.

  4. 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
New 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 may request up to 700,000 direct costs per year. Investigators are encouraged to request what is well-justified for their research program. The award amount will be determined by the NHLBI and commensurate with current NHLBI support of the PD/PI.
Project period
Applications may request a maximum project period of up to seven 7) 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.The NHLBI intends to commit up to 20 million per year in total costs for new awards in Fiscal Years 2026, 2027, and 2028, across this NOFO and the companion NOFO listed RFA-HL-26-003).The NHLBI intends to fund up to 20 new R35 awards per year in Fiscal Years 2026, 2027,…

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

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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