Expanding the Target Landscape by Drugging the Undruggable (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to solicit applications for exploratory and early-stage projects that focus on undruggable target classes within intractable human disease. Applicants will identify a human disease relevant undruggable target class and develop a method or agent that is selective for one or more targets within that target class. This NOFO is intended to jumpstart research that demonstrates innovative strategies to modulate targets that cannot be addressed by established therapeutic types, furthering the development of methods and/or agents selective for undruggable target classes.
Want help applying?
Get matched with a grant or bid writer who can prepare this application. No obligation.
- Eligibility
- Open to state governments. Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Related opportunities
See all alternatives →Alcohol Treatment, Pharmacotherapy, and Recovery Research (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
→The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism solicits applications for an R01 Clinical Trial Required mechanism focusing on alcohol treatment and recovery research. This NOFO will focus broadly on topics relevant for treatment of and recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD), including: medications development, precision medicine, behavioral therapies and mechanisms of behavioral change (MOBC), recovery, translational research, and innovative methods and technologies for AUD treatment and recovery.
Grant$500KCloses 2026-09-07USHealthAlcohol Health Services Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
→The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism solicits applications for an R01 Clinical Trial Optional mechanism focusing on alcohol health services. This NOFO will broadly focus on closing the treatment gap for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD); within this focus, there are five major areas of emphasis: (1) increasing access to treatment for AUD, (2) making treatment for AUD more appealing, (3) examining cost structures and insurance systems, (4) conducting studies on dissemination and implementation of existing evidence-based approaches to treating AUD, and (5) reducing health disparities as a means of addressing the treatment gap in AUD for health disparity populations.
Grant$500KCloses 2026-09-07USHealthIn Vivo High-Resolution Imaging for Inner Ear Visualization (R01 Clinical Trial optional)
→This funding opportunity aims to support the development of in vivo high-resolution structural and functional imaging technologies for the living human inner ear. Proposed projects should focus on improving the resolution of current imaging techniques or developing new imaging techniques that can visualize inner ear structures in vivo with significantly greater detail and accuracy than currently possible. Both structural and functional aspects, including visualizing dynamic elements are important to development of new and improved techniques. Projects may also focus on developing new imaging probes or contrast agents that can enhance visualization of the inner ear structures. Ultimately, research supported in response to this RFA is to encourage technologies that allow, for example, structures such as hair cells, otoliths, membranes, ions, and vasculature to be viewed in detail in awake patients in a clinical setting using non-invasive techniques. To achieve this goal, a multi-disciplinary team approach that takes advantage of the expertise of each team member is highly encouraged. Studies in humans and intermediate studies in animals, but not non-mammalian species, may be proposed to develop or advance the needed technology. Any intermediate studies must articulate a clear path of the proposed methodology to application in awake humans or define the limitations and the usefulness in anesthetized humans.
Grant$500KCloses 2026-10-01USHealthNIDCD's Mentored Research Education Pathway for Otolaryngology Residents and Medical Students (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
→The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this NIDCD R25 program is to support educational activities that help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences.
Grant$500KCloses 2026-09-29USHealthCooperative Agreement for In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging for Inner Ear Visualization (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
→This funding opportunity aims to support high risk clinical trials for the development of in vivo high-resolution structural and functional imaging technologies for the living human inner ear. Proposed projects should focus on improving the resolution of current imaging techniques or developing new imaging techniques that can visualize inner ear structures in vivo with significantly greater detail and accuracy than currently possible. Structural and functional aspects, including visualizing dynamic elements, are important to developing new and improved techniques. Projects may also focus on developing new imaging probes or contrast agents that can enhance visualization of the inner ear structures. Research supported in response to this RFA is expected to significantly advance the ability to visualize auditory and vestibular components, such as hair cells, otoliths, membranes, ions, and vasculature, in detail in awake patients in a clinical setting using non-invasive techniques. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary team approach that takes advantage of the expertise of each team member is highly encouraged. Studies in humans must be proposed to develop,advance, or test the needed technology. Any intermediate studies must articulate a clear path of the proposed methodology to application in awake humans or define the limitations and the usefulness in anesthetized humans.
Grant$500KCloses 2026-10-01USHealthModern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (S15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
→This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites eligible academic or research institutions to apply for funding support to purchase latest scientific equipment that will enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of existing shared biomedical research facilities. Targeted are laboratory research core facilities, animal research facilities, and other similar shared-use research spaces. The goal of this NOFO is to strengthen research-auxiliary activities of biomedical research facilities and to enhance the efficiency of their operations. The NOFO does not support the purchase of scientific research instruments or their components, nor components of building-level infrastructure equipment that indirectly support research activities.
Grant$350KCloses 2026-09-25USHealth
Always confirm details on the official source before applying — see our methodology.