Planning Grant (R34)

To provide support for the initial development of a clinical trial or research project, including the establishment of the research team; the development of tools for data management and oversight of the research; the development of a trial design or experimental research designs and other essential elements of the study or project, such as the protocol, recruitment strategies, procedure manuals and collection of feasibility data.

Purpose

The NIH Planning Grant Program (R34) provides support for the initial development of a clinical trial or research project. This program may support:

  • establishment of the research team,
  • development of tools for data management and research oversight
  • development of a trial design or experimental research designs
  • finalization of the protocol
  • preparation of an operations/procedures manual
  • pilot studies or collection of feasibility data for subsequent research projects*

*When used as a planning grant for clinical trials, this program is not designed for the collection of preliminary data or the conduct of pilot studies to support the rationale for a clinical trial.

R34 Characteristics

  • Renewal applications not allowed
  • Project period limited to 3 years
  • Direct costs limited to $225,000 per year and $450,000 over the 3-year project period
  • Modular budgets required except for applications from foreign institutions
  • Funding opportunity should define outcomes to be achieved by the end of the project period
  • For a list of institutes and centers participating in the R34 program, see your funding opportunity.

For clinical trials, the planning grant is designed to:

  • permit early peer review of the rationale and concept for the proposed clinical trial;
  • support development of essential elements of a clinical trial
  • lead to an application for support of a full-scale trial, based on elements developed under the planning period

Special Considerations

  • Do you provide peer review service?
    • An alternative submission policy is available for R01, R21, and R34 grant applications where one or more of the designated PD/PIs serve as an appointed member of an NIH chartered standing study section, NIH Board of Scientific Counselors, NIH Advisory Board or Council, or an NIH Program Advisory Committee. This policy allows applications to be submitted on a continuous basis, peer reviewed in a timely manner, and assigned to an Advisory Council per designated council round deadlines. See Continuous Submission to learn more.

Award Information

  • Funding Instrument: Grant
  • Funding Category: Research and Development
  • Budget Mechanism Code: RP - Research Projects

Planning Grant (R34)
Active Funding Opportunities
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Due Dates

The Key Dates section of funding opportunities lists specific due dates. Many opportunities indicate Standard Due Dates apply.

Standard Application Due Dates (when applicable) Review and Award Cycles
New Renewal, Resubmission,
Revision as Allowed		 AIDS and AIDS Related
Grant Applications		 Scientific Merit Review Advisory Council
Review		 Earliest Start Date

Participating Funding Organizations

Each funding opportunity specifies the participating organizations. Applications must fit within the mission of at least one participating funding organization and meet all opportunity-specific requirements.

The following funding organizations participate on at least one active funding opportunity.

  • Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
  • National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
  • Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

Related Resources

Related Activity Codes
  • U34 Planning Cooperative Agreement
  • P20 Exploratory Grant (multicomponent)

This page last updated on: October 27, 2024
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