Lantern Grants

NIH Research Project Cooperative Agreement (U01)

A U01 is an R01-style project in which NIH staff are substantially involved, usually as part of a consortium or a program the institute is steering.

42 open NIH U01 calls right now →

What it funds

Discrete research projects where the institute expects to collaborate: setting milestones, coordinating across sites, or sharing data and resources across a network.

Who can apply

Eligible institutions on behalf of an investigator. Most U01s are issued through targeted NOFOs with their own eligibility, scope and budget limits.

Award size

Set by each NOFO; many fall in the same range as R01s, and consortium or clinical U01s can be considerably larger.

Duration

Usually up to 5 years, as set by the NOFO.

How applications are reviewed

Study-section or special-emphasis-panel review, often with extra criteria about how the team will work within the cooperative structure.

Deadlines

Most U01 deadlines are set by the individual NOFO, so watch the open calls below.

Our summary, checked against NIH guidance in October 2026. Rules, budgets and dates change: always confirm in the current announcement before you apply.

Open NIH U01 calls

Writing guides

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