Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (R35 - Clinical Trial Optional)

The Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA), also known as R35, is a funding opportunity that supports scientific research projects conducted in an investigator's laboratory. This program is offered by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and its main objective is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their financial support to research initiatives.

The MIRA program aims to provide stable funding to investigators, thus allowing them more freedom to tackle challenging scientific projects and come up with innovative solutions. The program is designed to give investigators the flexibility to follow new research directions within the mission of NIGMS as they emerge, instead of adhering strictly to specific research plans proposed earlier.

The MIRA program also seeks to distribute funding more broadly to accomplished and promising investigators nationwide, in the hope of encouraging significant scientific breakthroughs and improving overall research productivity. Another focus of the program is to reduce the time that researchers spend preparing and reviewing grant applications, thereby enabling them to dedicate more time to their research.

Moreover, it's expected that the program will allow researchers to invest more time and effort into mentoring their trainees in a more stable research environment.

The MIRA program is open for applications from qualified NIGMS-funded investigators and New Investigators who are proposing research within the scientific mission of NIGMS. Renewal applications are accepted from all current MIRA grantees, which include established investigators and those previously funded as early-stage investigators. However, Principal Investigators and Program Directors who are currently Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) should apply through the ESI MIRA funding opportunity announcement and not this grant.