National Institutes of Health · United States

Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program (R03, Clinical Trial Optional)

Open

Applications close on 16 Mar 2029. Eligible applicant types include special district governments, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, public and State controlled institutions of higher education and 12 more.

Deadline: 16 Mar 2029 (in 852 days)
Grant amount: Not stated — see the official call
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Cost sharing: Not required
Likely applicant types: Public bodies, Non-profits, Universities & research, SMEs / start-ups, Companies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Reference: PAS-27-028
Assistance listing: 93.279 Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗ Add deadline to calendar

About this call

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to facilitate the entry of investigators into multiple high-priority areas of substance use research, including comorbidity with HIV. The Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program aims to provide investigators with the opportunity to gather preliminary data that will assist them in securing future research grants and advancing their scientific careers.

Who can apply

Special district governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Private institutions of higher education
City or township governments
County governments
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
State governments
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Independent school districts
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Small businesses

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Health

How to apply

Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
For NIH: the organisation and the principal investigator also need eRA Commons accounts; applications are usually submitted through Grants.gov (for example with ASSIST).
Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
Submit before the deadline and keep the tracking number. Check for amendments before you submit.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

National Institutes of Health · hoang.le@nih.gov · 301-402-2541

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	16 March 2029	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Total budget	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	Special district governments; Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Native American tribal…	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.