Why R03?
Something is better than nothing
• The R03 (Small Grant) mechanism supports
small research projects that can be carried out
in a short period of time with limited
resources.
• Up to two years
• Direct costs $50,000 per year
• The R03 cannot be renewed
• One resubmission (A1) is allowed
• No preliminary data are required but may be
included if available.
• A doctoral student may not apply for an R03
So, you may consider an R03
when you have:
1. A novel, biomedically relevant idea
2. Expertise and facilities to test your idea
3. No (or little) preliminary data
• You need to present a hypothesis and suggest
methods, preferably innovative, to test this
hypothesis.
• You want to test if this new approach is
feasible.
• You may propose to develop a new
technology.
NIH-formulated Types of R03 Projects :
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Pilot or feasibility studies
Secondary analysis of existing data
Small, self-contained research projects
Development of research methodology
Development of new research technology
Unfortunately, not all NIH Institutes accept
investigator-initiated R03 proposals.
R03 Participating Institutes and Centers (11):
NIH Institutes and Centers that accept investigator-initiated R03
applications in response to the Parent R03 Announcement - (PA-11262): NHGRI, NIA, NIAAA, NIAID, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDA, NIEHS, NIMH,
NINDS, NINR
R03 Non-Participating Institutes and Centers (13):
NIH Institutes and Centers that DO NOT ACCEPT R03 applications in
response to the Parent R03 Announcement but ONLY accept R03
applications in response to their specific funding opportunity
announcements: FIC, NCATS, NCCAM, NCI, NEI, NHLBI, NIAMS,
NIDCD, NIDCR, NIDDK, NIGMS, NLM, ORIP.
NIH Institutes and Centers that DO NOT use the R03
mechanism (1):
NIMHD.
How to choose between R03 and R21?
R21 is a Exploratory/Developmental Grant
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Up to two years
Total direct cost  $275,000
Cannot be renewed
One resubmission (A1) is allowed
No preliminary data are required but may be included
 Exploratory, novel studies that break new ground or
extend previous discoveries toward new directions
 High risk-- high reward studies that may lead to a
breakthrough in a particular area, or result in novel
techniques, agents, methodologies, models...
 Projects should be distinct from those supported
through the traditional R01 mechanism.
From the Introduction of my amended submission:
Critique 1 notes that solid preliminary data would be
required to demonstrate likelihood of success.
Meanwhile, R03 guidelines stress that “Preliminary data
are not required.” A strong conceptual framework and an
innovative approach to the problem are the criteria of an
R03 proposal.
It is stated that “Dr. Tatulian has no direct experience
with the synthesis of peptides and with the proposed
native ligation strategies…” This is simply not true
because we have been among the pioneers of creating
segmentally labeled, semi-synthetic proteins and
structural analysis by FTIR.
From the final summary statement:
…the principal investigator… was highly responsive to
previous critiques… Overall, the panel members
expressed considerable enthusiasm for this outstanding
application that is likely to have a high impact on the field
of protein toxin translocation.
Previous concerns included the lack of preliminary data,
the perception that the PI lacked expertise to generate
semi-synthetic peptides, the ability to generate T-domain
in functional form... These critiques are countered by
arguments that preliminary data is not required for the
R03 mechanism where the goal is to establish feasibility
(or not) and the PI’s documented success in using semisynthetic synthesis in his previous work.