Applying for NIH Funding: Survival Guide Created by GHNet Supercourse as a resource for prospective grant applicants

What is NIH?

Founded in 1887, the National Institutes of Health today is one of the world's foremost medical research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the U.S. The NIH, comprised of 27 separate Institutes and Centers, is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service which, in turn, is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What is the best way to figure out what grant to apply for?

The best option for formulating your specific research question is to find out what projects are already funded by NIH. CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) is a searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. The database, maintained by the Office of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health, includes projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and several other institutions.

What funding opportunities are there?

NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts has the weekly listing of new grant opportunities at NIH.
NIH Study Sections is a description of the study sections at the NIH

Other Useful Internet resources: