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Program and Center grants are large, multi-project efforts that generally include a diverse array of research activities. These grants generally either support a research Program or shared resources and facilities as a Center (exceptions and gray areas exist). Browse below to learn more about Program and Center grants. 

  • Research

    • Program Grants

      Program grants involve multiple components, where each component ranges in the number and type of sections. For example, an NIH P01 may contain an Overall component, an Administrative Core, one or more Core(s) and two or more Projects. Each of these components contain sections (Specific Aims, Research Strategy, Budget, Letters of Support, etc). Completed components can vary widely in scope and length. For instance, an Overall component may contain a few written sections with a slew of Letters of Support while a Project section may contain many written sections with a few letters of support akin to a research project grant.

      Program grants may be a limited submission, meaning that the sponsor will only accept one application per institution. Therefore, institutions frequently rely on institutional policies to manage the approval and selection of applications before an application may be submitted. In other words, be aware and follow institutional policies when it comes to limited submissions.

      Program grants may require a “Letter of Intent” and/or a sponsor’s preapproval three or more months before an application is submitted.

      All Program grants are conceived by a principal investigator(s) and therefore are investigator-initiated. NIH denotes all Program grants with a “P” activity code. Some Program grants rely on sponsor involvement and therefore are classified as cooperative agreements. The NIH denotes all cooperative agreements with a “U” activity code. For additional information about these designations, please visit the NIAID’s Multiproject Research (P,U) Applications page.

      Program grants can utilize NIH’s multiple PI option, which presents an opportunity for investigators seeking support for projects that require a team science approach.
    • Eligibility
    • Types of Grants
      Types of NIH Programmatic Research Grants – P01, P50, P42, U19, U10
    • Examples of Successful Applications

      If you are interested in submitting a Program research grant, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for examples and more information.

      Information made available via the following search tools may also provide you with a sense of awarded grants:

      NIH RePORTER (2017 – Active) Awarded P01, P50, U19, U10

      NIH RePORTER – Center Grants | NIH

  • Centers

    • Center Grants

      Center grants involve multiple components, where each component ranges in the number and type of sections. For example, For example, an NIH P30 may contain an Overall component, an Administrative Core, one or more Core(s), one or more Project(s), one or more RFA specific components and Shared Resources. Each of these components contain sections (Specific Aims, Research Strategy, Budget, Letters of Support, etc). Completed components can vary widely in scope and length. For instance, an Overall component may contain a few written sections with a slew of Letters of Support while a Project section may contain many written sections with a few letters of support akin to a research project grant.

      Center grants may be a limited submission, meaning that the sponsor will only accept one application per institution. Therefore, institutions frequently rely on institutional policies to manage the approval and selection of applications before an application may be submitted. In other words, be aware and follow institutional policies when it comes to limited submissions.

      Center grants may require a “Letter of Intent” and/or a sponsor’s preapproval three or more months before an application is submitted.

      All Center grants are conceived by a principal investigator(s) and therefore are investigator-initiated. NIH denotes all programmatic grants with a “P” activity code. Some Center grants rely on sponsor involvement and therefore are classified as cooperative agreements. The NIH denotes all cooperative agreements with a “U” activity code. For additional information about these designations, please visit the NIAID’s Multiproject Research (P,U) Applications page.

      Center grants can utilize NIH’s multiple PI option, which presents an opportunity for investigators seeking support for projects that require a team science approach.

    • Eligibility
    • Types of Grants

      Types of NIH Center Grants – P30, P40, U54, UM2

    • Examples of Successful Applications

      If you are interested in submitting a Center grant, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for examples and more information.

      Information made available via the following search tools may also provide you with a sense of awarded grants:

      NIH RePORTER (2017 – Active) awarded P30, U54, UM2

      NIH RePORTER – Center Grants | NIH