Why You Should Consider an R01

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For many new and early-stage investigators, it makes sense to try for an R01. Here are the reasons why:

• You can get a full five-year period of support, which should give you enough time and money to launch your research career.
• Reviewer expectations are lower: they look for fewer preliminary data, resources, and publications than they do from more established R01 applicants.
• NIAID sets a more liberal payline for R01 applications from new and early-stage investigators, making it more likely to get funded. Learn about payline changes throughout the year at Understanding Paylines and Percentiles on NIAID Paylines.

Even if your preliminary data are skimpy, your R01 may qualify for an R56-Bridge award if your application does not succeed. That award can act as a springboard to funding in that it gives you funds to gather preliminary data to improve your R01 application.

Almost 90 percent of R56-Bridge awards ultimately convert to a full R01.

Drawbacks for Smaller Awards

If you don't have preliminary data, you may be thinking about a Small Grant (R03) or Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21). NIH did not design those awards to help you establish a research career, so be aware of the following caveats:

Caveat one. If you're an early-stage investigator, you would need to pay attention to the number of years you spend on the small award. You could lose your ESI status if too many years pass after training since you qualify as an ESI for only 10 years. See the advantages of ESI status at Are You "New"? in this tutorial.

Caveat two. Following a two- or three-year award, it's hard to gain an R01 without a gap in funding. It generally takes at least a year to do the studies and analyze the data. Then you need time to succeed with the R01 application, which takes longer for new applicants compared to more experienced ones. As a result, a small award can end long before we award your R01.

Caveat three. With R21 and R03 applications, you don't benefit from being a new or early-stage investigator. And at NIAID, applications for small awards are not eligible for an R56-Bridge award or selective pay.

Here's another consideration: no matter what award you apply for, you need to consider where your support will come from during the interval it takes to apply for and receive an R01. See Get a Grip on Timing, R01 Application to Award Timeline for Initial Submission and Resubmission, and Timeline by Review Cycle.

There is a plus side, though: having any grant is better than having no money at all.

Even just applying helps! Data show that writing an application and applying for any grant increases your chances of eventually succeeding with an R01.

That interesting tidbit highlights the importance of grantsmanship -- knowing how to write an outstanding grant application -- in giving you that critical edge. You can find grantsmanship tools, e.g. the NIH Grant Cycle, on our All About Grants Tutorials.

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