The NICHD Exploratory/Developmental Grant program supports exploratory and developmental research projects that fall within the NICHD mission by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
April 20, 2017
May 16, 2017
May 8, 2020
Purpose/Research Objectives
The NICHD Exploratory/Developmental Grant program supports exploratory and developmental research projects that fall within the NICHD mission by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.
The evolution and vitality of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences require a constant infusion of new ideas, techniques, and points of view. These may differ substantially from current thinking or practice and may not yet be supported by substantial preliminary data. Through the NICHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program, the NIH seeks to foster the introduction of novel scientific ideas, model systems, tools, agents, targets, and technologies that have the potential to substantially advance biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research within the NICHD scientific mission.
This program is intended to encourage new exploratory and developmental research projects. For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research. Another example could include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area.
Specific Areas of Research Interest
Areas of research covered by the proposed R21 projects must fall within the scientific missions of the twelve Scientific Branches of the NICHD Division of Extramural Research (DER) or the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). Details about those scientific missions and program staff contacts may be found on the web pages for the DER scientific branches at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der/branches/Pages/index.aspx and the NCMRR at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview.aspx. Specific research priorities of DER branches and NCMRR are listed as follows.