We’re pleased to share the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) (PAR-23-145) to provide sustained support for biomedical research through our Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) (R35) program for early stage investigators (ESIs). This NOFO allows applications from ESIs proposing research within NIGMS’ scientific mission.
NIGMS has granted MIRAs to ESIs since Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. We’ve analyzed and published application and funding trends for MIRAs from FY 2019 to FY 2021 and for various funding types, including MIRA, for FY 2022. Changes in this iteration of the NOFO include:
- Receipt dates: This NOFO has two application receipt dates per fiscal year, February and October, an increase from one per year in the previous NOFO. The first receipt date is in October 2023.
- Plan for enhancing diverse perspectives (PEDP): All applications must include a summary of strategies to advance the scientific and technical merit of the proposed project through expanded inclusivity. Please follow the instructions in the NOFO when preparing your PEDP. For additional help, refer to the NIH BRAIN Initiative website for detailed information on the key elements and examples and FAQs of a PEDP.
The Center for Scientific Review will continue to review application submissions for this NOFO in ESI-specific study sections so that applicants will be competing with those at similar career stages.
Applications that are determined to be outside of the NIGMS mission will not be accepted for review. Note that NIGMS has routinely withdrawn approximately 10% of ESI MIRA applications before review because of proposed research falling outside the NIGMS mission. Therefore, we strongly encourage potential candidates to contact scientific/research staff at least 6 weeks prior to submission for advice on the suitability of the proposed research. You can find the relevant program officer for your scientific area on our Contacts by Research Area webpage as well as other helpful tips on our Feedback Loop blog.
If you have questions about the NOFO requirements beyond the scientific fit of your research, please contact me.