Pilot Projects to Enhance the Human Virome Program (R03 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
NIH will fund small pilot projects that advance the Human Virome Program by improving or validating virome tools, assays, models, cohorts, biospecimen sampling, or host–virome interaction studies, for eligible U.S. applicants outside or within the current consortium but not overlapping existing HVP work.
⚑ R03 mechanism; clinical trials not allowed · Award ceiling $100,000 · Foreign organizations and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible · Foreign subawards/subcontracts are not allowed; foreign components and foreign consultants are allowed if otherwise compliant with NIH policy
This is a biomedical virology/microbiome methods program centered on human specimens, assays, and host-virus interactions. It does not align with IPPRA’s social-behavioral risk, policy, education, energy, weather, or public opinion lines.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-09
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 80 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topics: public_health, environment; social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The Common Fund Human Virome Program (HVP) aims to extensively and comprehensively characterize the "healthy" human virome (the collection of viruses that normally reside inside the human body without evidence of disease) and create tools, models, and methods that will enable an in-depth study of its variation and composition in relation to host factors and its influence on health and disease.
The purpose of this NOFO is to support small pilot projects that extend the goals of the HVP, including further validating, improving, and complementing existing and newly developed tools from the HVP program by leveraging human specimens collected from the cohorts under the program; samples from animals to promote the refinement, utilization, and translation of these tools to better serve the goals of the HVP program; expanding existing cohorts and/or biospecimen sampling sites for virome characterization; developing tools, assays, and methods to study the human virome; and defining functional interactions between the human virome and host. These pilot projects will expand the HVP consortium, and collaboration across the HVP is expected. Applicants outside the current HVP are encouraged to apply and pilot projects should not overlap with existing HVP efforts (visit the Common Fund website for a list of funded research).
Eligibility
Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-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 allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.Regional Organizations;
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institutes of Health <HumanVirome@od.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.