Imaging - Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 918

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 918

Imaging - Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to help researchers move into neuroimaging or add neuroimaging methods to an existing research program. The mechanism is the NIH Small Research Grant (R03), which is commonly used for focused, early-stage projects that can be completed relatively quickly and with modest budgets. The central idea is to lower the barrier to entry for investigators who want to gain practical footing in neuroimaging by supporting small, targeted studies that demonstrate feasibility, generate pilot data, or test a "proof of concept" that can later be scaled into a larger project.

The FOA specifically aims to support two main groups: (1) investigators who are new to neuroimaging and want to develop a track record in the area, and (2) established investigators in other fields who want to transition their work by incorporating neuroimaging approaches. In both cases, the award is intended to enable a short, resource-limited project rather than a large, multi-year research program. Typical outcomes of an R03 under this kind of announcement would include preliminary evidence that a neuroimaging protocol works in a given population, that recruitment and retention plans are viable, that analytic pipelines produce interpretable results, or that a proposed imaging biomarker or mechanistic hypothesis is promising enough to justify a subsequent R01 or other larger NIH application.

A key feature is that clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose studies that do or do not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial, as long as the work fits the announcement and the R03 scope. That flexibility can accommodate a range of neuroimaging-related projects, such as methods development, feasibility testing of imaging paradigms, small observational studies, or early-stage interventional studies where imaging is used to assess mechanisms or outcomes, provided the project remains appropriately small and time-limited.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is listed as PAR-18-918, under CFDA number 93.279, and uses the grant funding instrument. The award ceiling is stated as $150,000, which reflects the small-grant nature of the mechanism and reinforces that the project should be tightly focused rather than expansive. The original closing date shown is August 2, 2021, indicating that this specific posting had a defined submission window tied to that date.

Eligibility is broad and includes many categories of applicants across the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other organizations as allowed by NIH policy. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This emphasis signals an openness to a wide range of institutional settings, including those that may be building or expanding neuroimaging capacity.

Overall, I/START (R03) is best understood as a structured entry point into neuroimaging research: it supports small, practical projects that help investigators establish feasibility, learn and validate neuroimaging methods in their context, and produce the early evidence needed to compete for larger NIH neuroimaging funding later on.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Imaging - Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-08-02. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 18 918

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