NEI Clinical Research Study Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NEI supports planning grants for collaborative eye and vision clinical research or epidemiologic studies to develop protocols and manuals of procedures and to run preliminary feasibility work, but not to generate intervention-effect data.
⚑ R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed · Planning grant only; funds protocol/MOP development and preliminary feasibility studies, not effects-of-intervention data · Award ceiling $150,000 · Foreign organizations and several special institution categories are explicitly eligible
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 50 partial | technical depth: substantial; funds other (capped) |
| IPPRA | 43 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: public_health; signature methods: community engaged, surveys longitudinal, policy analysis; social/behavioral work is minor; funds other — not a research fit; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 15 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
The NEI supports large-scale clinical vision research projects, including randomized clinical trials and epidemiologic studies on eye/vision conditions. At the time of submission, applications requesting support for these activities are expected to provide detailed information regarding the study rationale, design, analytic methods, protocols and procedures, facilities and environment, organizational structure, and collaborative arrangements. This information is best conveyed in a study protocol and Manual of Procedures (MOP), the development of which represents a costly and time-consuming activity. This clinical research planning grant funding opportunity supports applicants in their planning efforts to conduct collaborative clinical research. The grant may be used to support the development of a study protocol and MOP, as well as to conduct preliminary studies to refine study procedures or document recruitment potential. The grant must not be used to generate data on the effects of a proposed intervention. This NEI NOFO is applicable to both epidemiologic and clinical trial research studies.
Eligibility
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); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institutes of Health <grantsinfo@nih.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Institutes of Health conventions SEE AN NIH EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Institutes of Health's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.