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Research Project Grants (RPGs)

In fiscal year 2023, 1,369 competing RPGs were funded. Over 69.1% of competing dollars supported grants awarded within the established payline and requests for applications (RFAs) and the remainder supported grants as an exception to the fundable range. RFA funds accounted for 10.3% of the fiscal year 2023 competing dollars.

Number of RPG Awards

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Includes Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. Fiscal years 2020-2023 includes Cancer Moonshot funding.

RPGs Summary, Fiscal Years 2022-2023

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RPG Awards Funded
(Dollars in Thousands)
RPG Awards Funded2022 No. or %2022 Amount2023 No. or %2023 Amount
Total Funding for RPGs5,497$2,966,4865,736$3,145,237
SBIR/STTR207$151,396228$175,373
Funding for RPGs without SBIR/STTR Program5,290$2,815,0905,508$2,969,864
Continuation or Noncompeting Grants Funded3,933$2,013,2334,139$2,125,093
Competing Grants Funded1,357$665,0611,369$697,786
Administrative Supplements325$34,325354$39,659
Partial Assessment for DHHS Program Evaluation $102,471 $107,326
Funds Set Aside Within Competing Dollars
(Dollars in Thousands)
Grant CategoryR01 or Share2022 No. or %2022 Amount2023 No. or %2023 Amount
Grants within Paylines 992$430,9381,018$481,920
Traditional R01710$371,261776$428,468
RFA Grants 139$82,897115$71,919
Share of Competing Grant Funds12.5% 10.3% 
Exception Grants 365$234,123351$215,866
Share of Competing Grant Funds35.2% 30.9% 
Competing RPGs
Statistical Measure20222023
Total Competing Application Requests
(Excludes SBIR/STTR)
8,9328,618
Funding Success Rate15%16%
Percentile Funding for R01 Grants16th17th
Average Cost-Competing$490$510
Average Reduction from Recommended/Requested Levels-14%-14%
Includes fiscal year 2023 Cancer Moonshot funding. Includes fiscal years 2022 through 2017 Moonshot carryover obligations.
Traditional R01 line (includes Trad R01 and converted R37)

RPGs Funding Mechanisms

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The "Other" category includes DP1, DP2, DP5, R00, R37, U01, U19,UH2, UH3, UG3, UA5, R50, UM1, R15, R55, R56 and R61 activities.

Grant Funding Paylines
RPG Mechanism20222023Description
R01 Traditional Grants11th & 16th12th & 17thPercentile
P01 Program Projects17% Reduction17% ReductionSPL Selected*
R03 Small Grants2525Impact Score
R15 Academic Research2525Impact Score
R21 Exploratory Phase I9th9thPercentile
R33 Exploratory Phase IIN/AN/ASPL Selected*
R41/R42 STTR2426Impact Score
R43/R44 SBIR2427Impact Score
*SPL = Scientific Program Leaders (NCI)

RPGs Requested and Awarded

The following table displays requested and awarded RPGs and the success rate for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. These numbers include Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. The Download the Data link contains data for the prior ten years.

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RPGs Requested, Awarded, and Success Rate
(Dollars in Thousands)
Fiscal YearTypeNumber RequestedAmount RequestedNumber AwardedAmount AwardedSuccess Rate
2022Competing New9,580$4,902,5391,324$635,62314.8%
Competing Renewal431$335,464154$107,730
Competing Supplement28$8,86712$3,363
Competing Subtotal10,039$5,246,8701,490$746,715
Non- Competing  4,007$2,219,770
FY 2022 RPG Total  5,497$2,966,486
2023Competing New9,302$4,888,297,7841,319$653,91815.4%
Competing Renewal427$341,237,643179$130,281
Competing Supplement  0$0
Competing Subtotal9,729$5,229,535,4271,498$784,199
Non- Competing  4,238$2,253,712
FY 2023 RPG Total  5,736$3,037,911
Includes Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Awards.
Fiscal years 2023 through 2020 figures includes Cancer Moonshot funding data.
Success rate is the number of awarded grants divided by the number of awards requested.
Includes fiscal year 2023 Cancer Moonshot funding. Includes fiscal years 2022 through 2017 Moonshot carryover obligations.

RPG Awards by Grant Activity Codes

This table displays awarded research project grants (RPG) data by grant activity code and count. Please visit NIH Activity Codes for more information on the descriptions.

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RPGs Average Cost, Fiscal Years 2013-2023
(Dollars in Thousands)
YearTotal No. AwardedTotal AmountAverage Cost
20134,816$1,924,803$400
20144,814$1,939,623$403
20154,767$2,019,308$424
20164,666$2,068,869$443
*20174,663$2,195,184$471
*20184,780$2,366,530$495
*20194,984$2,456,156$493
*20205,070$2,677,206$528
**20215,221$2,739,345$525
*20225,497$2,864,015$521
*20235,736$3,037,911$530
*From fiscal year 2017 onward, RFAs will be accounted for in the actual grant mechanism categories under which they fall.
*Fiscal years 2023 through 2017 includes Cancer Moonshot funding appropriated that fiscal year and excludes all carryover obligations for fiscal years 2022 through 2018.
**Fiscal year 2021 includes multi-year funded grants with a 1 year average cost estimation.
RPG Awards by Grant Activity Codes, Fiscal Years 2022-2023
(Dollars in Thousands)
Grant Code2022 Number2022 Amount2023 Number2023 Amount
R013,584$1,737,5503,725$1,864,401
DP10$00$0
DP20$5260$356
DP50$00$0
P0199$200,00796$197,631
R0093$22,788104$25,555
R37277$128,583343$164,733
U01325$239,325321$236,674
U197$12,4007$12,552
U34  1$284
UH210$2,1175$1,057
R34  3$881
R35152$146,781133$127,082
R5072$12,71694$16,474
UH326$16,70330$24,463
UA50$00$0
UM114$52,56821$53,731
UG310$9,0203$4,126
R03115$9,244108$9,508
R21445$97,456433$93,605
R3333$12,80943$16,046
R1524$10,62020$9,050
R550$00$0
R564$9695$1,220
R611$43713$3,108
RC20$00$0
SBIR/STTR207$151,386228$175,373
Total5,497$2,864,0155,736$3,037,911
RPG Activity Codes with a "0" count displayed for No. are grants where NCI did not take the grant award count for the funding since NCI was not the Primary IC funding the award.
*From fiscal year 2017 onward, RFAs will be accounted for in the actual grant mechanism categories under which they fall.
*Fiscal years 2023 through 2017 includes Cancer Moonshot funding appropriated that fiscal year and excludes all carryover obligations for fiscal years 2022 through 2018.
**Fiscal year 2021 includes multi-year funded grants with a 1 year average cost estimation.
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