What's an R01?

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Many first-time independent researchers take the plunge and try for this mature award. You can apply in any topic, but make sure your application fits the mission of at least one NIH institute. Talk to program officers in several institutes to gather that information.

NIH awards R01s to organizations of all types, including universities, small and large businesses, and foreign organizations.

You can ask for any dollar amount or length of award (up to the five-year limit), though as we advise in Grant Writing for New Applicants, "less is more" for a new investigator. To apply, you will use the R01 Parent Announcement.

Only R01 applications get a percentile in addition to a priority score as a result of initial peer review. Percentiling helps even out scores from the different study sections of NIH's Center for Scientific Review. Learn more on Percentiles Indicate Relative Rank.

We have posted an example of an outstanding R01 research plan from a new investigator -- see Annotated R01 Research Plan and Summary Statement. Keep in mind that it was submitted on the old paper form; page limits and formatting do not apply to an electronic application.

Find more information online:

• Don't Propose Too Much or Be Too Innovative in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal
• New Investigator Advice questions and answers
• NIAID Extramural Activity Codes
• NIH's Application Guide
• NIH's Parent Announcements for Investigator-Initiated Applications

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