The NIH Research Conference Grant (R13) aims to support high-quality scientific conferences that are relevant to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) mission and public health. This funding is designed for a broad range of domestic institutions and organizations, from universities and nonprofits to government entities and for-profit businesses, involved in health and scientific research.
Core Objective: To foster the exchange of technical information, explore defined subjects, and stimulate advancements in public health and scientific knowledge through conferences.
Target Recipient Type and Size: Domestic organizations of various sizes and structures, including higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and various government entities. Individuals are not eligible.
Geographic Scope: Applicant organizations must be based in the United States. While the applicant must be domestic, the conferences themselves can be international if hosted by an eligible U.S. organization.
Key Filtering Criteria: Must be a U.S.-based organization; propose a scientific conference relevant to NIH's mission or public health; and must not involve clinical trials.
Grant Frequency and Program Context: This is a recurring funding opportunity (Parent R13) with multiple annual application deadlines, reissued to align with evolving agency priorities. It is part of NIH's ongoing effort to support the scientific community.
Financial Structure
Funding Instrument: Grant, providing financial assistance to carry out an approved project or activity.
Budget Range: Application budgets are not limited but must accurately reflect the actual needs of the proposed conference. Applicants should consult the appropriate NIH IC conference award contact for any IC-specific budget limitations.
Cost Sharing: Not required for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs:
Salary (proportional to time/effort spent directly on the conference)
Rental of necessary equipment
Travel and per diem or subsistence allowances
Supplies needed for conference conduct (only if used during the budget period)
Conference services
Publication costs
Funds to help defray registration costs for select attendees or speakers' fees
Ineligible Costs:
Meals/food and beverages
Purchase of equipment
Transportation costs exceeding U.S. carrier coach class fares
Visas, passports
Entertainment and personal expenses (e.g., tips, bar charges, personal telephone calls, laundry charges, dues)
Honoraria or other payments for conferring distinction/respect/esteem/admiration
Patient care
Alterations or renovations
Local participants' expenses
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs/indirect costs are not allowed.
Award Project Period: Most NIH ICs will accept applications for up to 5 years of support if a series of annual or biannual conferences is proposed by a permanently sponsoring organization. Support for less frequent conferences must be applied for individually.
For-Profit Organizations (including Small Businesses)
Local, State, County, City or Township, Special District Governments
Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized or Other)
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government, U.S. Territory or Possession
Independent School Districts
Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
Regional Organizations
Established scientific or professional societies
Geographic Eligibility:
Applicant organizations must be domestic (U.S. based).
Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply for conference support.
Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.
International conferences may be supported but only through a U.S. representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society.
Applicant Type Exclusion: Individuals are not eligible to receive a grant in support of a conference.
Required Registrations
Organizations must complete and maintain active registrations in:
System for Award Management (SAM) with annual renewal.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) – issued via SAM.gov registration.
eRA Commons – required for both the organization's Signing Official (SO) and the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI).
Grants.gov – an active SAM registration is a prerequisite.
All required registrations must be completed prior to application submission.
Proposal Specifics
The proposed conference must not involve clinical trials.
Applicants must obtain a 'permission-to-submit letter' from an NIH Institute/Center (IC) conference grant contact person. This letter is required to be included in the application's cover letter and should be requested at least 6 weeks before the chosen application due date.
Application Process
Application Submission
Submission Platforms: Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH ASSIST, an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution, or Grants.gov Workspace. Paper applications are not accepted.
Required Registrations: Ensure active SAM, UEI, eRA Commons (for both organization and PD/PI), and Grants.gov registrations are in place before the application due date. These registrations can take 6 weeks or more.
Advance Permission: A critical step is obtaining a 'permission-to-submit letter' from an NIH IC Conference Grant Contact. This letter must be included in your application's cover letter. Start this process early, at least six weeks before your target submission date.
Deadlines and Timeline
Application Due Date: The latest standard application due date for this opportunity is 2027-08-12 17:00 (5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization).
Review and Award Cycles for August 12, 2027 submission:
Scientific Merit Review: November 2027
Advisory Council Review: January 2028
Earliest Start Date: April 2028
Funding Opportunity Expiration Date: September 08, 2027.
Required Documentation and Content
SF424(R&R) Cover: Provide the official title of your scientific conference.
Cover Letter: Must contain the mandatory 'permission-to-submit letter' from the relevant NIH IC Conference Grant Contact.
R&R Budget: Justify all proposed personnel positions, including their role and effort level. Detail efforts to secure additional funding from other sources for the conference. Remember that Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are not allowed.
PHS 398 Research Plan (also called 'Conference Plan'): This is the core of your proposal. It must:
Clearly describe the conference's objectives, specific program details, and logistical arrangements.
Outline the format, agenda, speakers, principal topics, problems to be addressed, and anticipated contributions.
Provide a detailed justification for the conference, emphasizing its scientific need, timeliness, and usefulness to the scientific community.
Describe plans to identify and communicate resources for family care (e.g., childcare) at or near the conference site to support attendee participation.
Detail the composition and role of the organizing committee, including the names and credentials of key participants (speakers, presenters, moderators) and the basis for their selection.
Estimate the expected geographic reach of participants (e.g., national, statewide), anticipated audience size and composition, and selection methods.
Explain plans for publicizing the conference and, optionally, for publishing its proceedings.
Compare your proposed conference to related events held in the past three years, highlighting similarities and differences, and explaining why your conference is still necessary.
If seeking multiple years of support, provide detailed information for each future year, including tentative topics, dates, locations, participants, and contingency plans.
Letters of Support: Required from key conference participants (e.g., speakers, presenters, session moderators).
Resource Sharing Plan: Follow instructions in the 'How to Apply - Application Guide' if applicable.
Appendix: Only limited materials are allowed, such as blank questionnaires or surveys. No publications or other research materials.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information: If human subjects research is involved (but not clinical trials).
Post-Award Reporting
Award recipients are required to submit an annual Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) and financial statements.
A final RPPR, invention statement, and expenditure data are necessary for grant closeout.
Evaluation Criteria
Overall Impact
Reviewers will assess the overall impact the proposed conference is likely to have. This isn't just about the conference itself, but its potential to significantly advance the core goals of NIH-supported research: improving our understanding of biological systems, controlling diseases, and enhancing public health. The higher the potential impact, the more favorably the application will be viewed.
Scored Review Criteria
Significance: This criterion looks at the importance of the scientific problem or barrier the conference addresses. Is the timing right? Will the conference lead to new scientific knowledge, methods, or treatments that benefit public health? Conferences addressing critical gaps in knowledge or promoting new research directions will score highly here.
Investigator(s): The qualifications and experience of the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) and the entire organizing committee are crucial. Reviewers will consider their expertise in the conference subject matter and their organizational abilities to ensure a high-quality meeting.
Innovation: While not always strictly required for all proposals, innovation is a key factor. Does the conference propose novel ideas, unique approaches to knowledge exchange, or challenge existing scientific paradigms? Even if a conference isn't inherently 'innovative,' its necessity for advancing a field will be considered.
Approach: This assesses the soundness of the conference plan. Is the agenda well-designed? Are the speakers appropriate and diverse? Are the logistical arrangements feasible and well-thought-out? Reviewers will also look for clear plans to identify and communicate resources for family care, ensuring broad participation.
Environment: The suitability of the chosen conference site, the organizational support from the applicant institution, and the presence of any unique features or collaborative arrangements will be evaluated. This ensures that the conference environment supports effective knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Additional Review Criteria (Not Scored, but Considered)
Protections for Human Subjects: If the conference involves human subjects research (even if not clinical trials), the application must justify their involvement and demonstrate adequate protections against risks, potential benefits, and the importance of knowledge gained.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan: Plans for ensuring diverse participation across sex, race, ethnicity, and age groups will be reviewed to ensure fairness and scientific rigor. Justifications for any exclusions must be scientifically sound.
Vertebrate Animals: If the research presented or discussed involves vertebrate animals, proposals must detail the procedures, justify the species used, and outline methods to minimize discomfort.
Biohazards: Reviewers will assess any potential biohazards associated with the conference content or proposed activities and the adequacy of protection measures.
Resubmissions, Renewals, Revisions: Previous application history and progress will be considered for these specific application types.
Funding Decisions
Beyond the scientific review, final funding decisions depend on the conference's scientific and technical merit, the availability of funds, and its relevance to the specific programmatic priorities of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). Applicants should align their proposals with the interests of a specific IC. Approval of a required safety plan by NIH is also a pre-condition for award.
Compliance & Special Requirements
Safety and Inclusivity Requirements
Safe and Respectful Environment: Conference organizers must actively work to maintain a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all attendees, free from discrimination and harassment. This aligns with NIH policies (NOT-OD-15-152 and NIH Grants Policy Statement 14.6.3).
Safety Plan: If your application is recommended for funding, you will be required to submit a detailed 'safety plan' as part of the Just-in-Time (JIT) materials. This plan must be communicated to attendees and include:
A clear statement of commitment to a safe environment.
Defined behavioral expectations and a list of behaviors considered harassing.
Instructions for confidential reporting of alleged violations.
A description of how allegations will be assessed and the consequences for violations.
Information on how to contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and how to notify NIH about concerns.
A strategy for communicating the safety plan to attendees and for documenting allegations and actions.
Accessibility: All NIH-supported conferences must be held at accessible sites, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Registration materials should include a questionnaire allowing participants with disabilities to request accommodations.
Data and Security Compliance
Data Management and Sharing Plan: This plan is not applicable for this specific funding opportunity (NOFO PA-25-080).
Cybersecurity: If the grant involves handling HHS information, operational technology systems, or personally identifiable information (PII)/personal health information (PHI), recipients must develop and implement cybersecurity plans and procedures modeled after the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
Other Regulations and Policies
All awards are subject to the NIH Grants Policy Statement and the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200).
Recipients must comply with all applicable nondiscrimination laws, which is affirmed upon SAM.gov registration.
If the grant involves implementing, acquiring, or upgrading health IT, it must comply with specified standards and certifications (45 CFR part 170, Subpart B, and ONC Health IT Certification Program).
Mandatory Disclosures: Recipients must report any violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity that could affect the federal award.
IRB/IEC Approval: If human subjects research is involved, recipient institutions must ensure protocols are reviewed by their Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Independent Ethics Committee (IEC).
Pre-award Costs: Allowable only as specified in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1.
Unique Aspects
This grant specifically does not allow clinical trials.
A critical prerequisite for application is obtaining a 'permission-to-submit letter' from an NIH Institute or Center (IC) well in advance of the submission deadline.
The conference must align with both public health goals and the specific scientific mission of a participating NIH IC. Potential applicants are encouraged to consult with IC contacts to ensure alignment.
A unique consideration in the application is the requirement to describe plans for identifying and communicating family care resources (such as childcare) to conference attendees, promoting broader participation.
Grant Details
health research
scientific meetings
conferences
symposium
workshop
biomedical
public health
medical research
health science
nih grants
r13 grant
research funding
academic conferences
nonprofit funding
government grants
us grants
research infrastructure
knowledge exchange
science communication
capacity building
scientific community
diversity and inclusion
accessibility
ethics in research
safety plan
us federal funding
clinical trial not allowed
NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
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