This FOA solicits applications responsive only to the COVID-19 public health emergency through support of the CARES Act. All other Early Independence Award applications must be submitted in response to RFA-RM-20-014.
The NIH Director's Early Independence Award (a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research program of the NIH Common Fund) supports exceptional junior investigators who wish to pursue independent research soon after completion of their terminal doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training, thereby forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period and accelerating their entry into an independent research career. For the program to support the best possible researchers and research, applications are sought which reflect the full diversity of the research workforce. Individuals from diverse backgrounds and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are strongly encouraged to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Common Fund will dedicate funds provided by the CARES Act to support a total of 5-10 Early Independence Awards (through this FOA) or Transformative Research Awards (through RFA-RM-20-020) that bring new, innovative perspectives and approaches to the prevention of, preparation for, or response to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, domestically or internationally. Any relevant area of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 research is welcome, including behavioral/social science research, research on health disparities, novel therapeutics, and other related topics. As with all High-Risk, High-Reward Research program applications, innovation may be technological or conceptual.