Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental health Research (RIVER) (R35) | RFA ES 16 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 16 008

The Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental health Research (RIVER) (R35) funding opportunity is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant administered through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Its core purpose is to back outstanding investigators in the Environmental Health Sciences by supporting most of their independent research program under one consolidated award. Instead of funding a narrow, single project, RIVER is designed to give investigators wider latitude to follow new ideas as they emerge, reduce administrative burden, and maintain momentum over a longer time horizon so their work can achieve larger and more sustained impacts.

A defining feature of RIVER is the emphasis on people and programs rather than individual, tightly scoped aims. NIEHS is looking for investigators, at any career stage, who already have a strong record of innovative and influential research. The concept is to combine an investigator’s existing investigator-initiated research efforts into a single award that runs for seven years, providing stability and the flexibility to pivot into novel directions when the science demands it. This structure is meant to encourage bold, creative work that might be harder to sustain through shorter, project-by-project funding cycles.

In terms of funding scale, the award provides direct costs up to $750,000 per year, based on NIEHS funding levels at the time of the announcement. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant with an activity focus spanning environment and health (CFDA 93.113). The original funding opportunity number is RFA-ES-16-008, and the posting reflects a creation date of July 21, 2016, with an original closing date of October 24, 2016.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, and the nonprofit and private sectors. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), indicating an intent to keep the program accessible across a wide range of institutions and communities.

Overall, RIVER (R35) is positioned as a high-impact mechanism for supporting exceptional environmental health scientists by offering long-term, substantial, and flexible funding. The program’s practical promise is that it lets leading investigators spend less time packaging research into multiple separate applications and more time pursuing ambitious, evolving scientific questions that can advance understanding of how environmental factors affect human health.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental health Research (RIVER) (R35)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-10-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA ES 16 008

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