Weekly Research Updates & Guidance

Please check this page regularly for guidance and research updates.

Last updated: 1/5/26

NIH General Announcements and Notices of Special Interest

Fiscal Year 2025 Domestic Annual Reports to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare

(NOT-OD-26-003)

Office of the Director, NIH

This Notice is to remind domestic institutions with an approved Domestic Animal Welfare Assurance that Annual Reports for the reporting period October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, are due to the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) by December 1, 2025.

If needed due to the lapse in government funding, federal institutions have a 30-day extension to submit the fiscal year 2025 Annual Report to OLAW. The reporting period remains unchanged (October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025) and the Annual Report may be submitted by no later than January 1, 2026.

Reminder: NIH Applications Must Be Complete and Compliant with NIH Policy and Application Instructions at Time of Submission

(NOT-OD-26-025)
National Institutes of HealthThe purpose of this notice is to remind applicants, both sponsored programs officials as well as investigators, that to be fair to all concerned the NIH will consistently apply standards for application completeness and for compliance with all submission requirements and NIH policies. This longstanding NIH policy is outlined in NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.2, Eligibility along with 2.4.4, Disposition of Applications, consistent with 2 CFR 200.204 and 200.205. As a reminder, NIH may withdraw any application identified during the receipt, referral, and prior to peer review process that is incomplete or noncompliant with instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and relevant NIH Guide Notices.

Notice of Announcement of NIH Oligonucleotide Toxicity (OligoTox) Open Data Challenge Competition

(NOT-TR-26-006)

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

This Notice is being provided to inform potential solvers of the opportunity to compete in the NIH Oligonucleotide Toxicity (OligoTox) Open Data Challenge prize competition (https://ncats.nih.gov/funding/challenges).

NSF – National Science Foundation General Announcements

NSF Growing Convergence Research Office Hours

Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Growing Convergence Research (GCR) working group will provide guidance on preparing GCR proposals, address frequently asked questions and be available to answer any inquiries from participants. Grant seekers can benefit from personalized assistance, gain valuable insights and enhance their understanding of the NSF GCR program.

Join us via Teams.

Department of Defense (DOD)

BrightFocus Foundation

American Heart Association

Rapid Impact Research Award

Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 22, 2026
For early- and mid-career investigators proposing innovative science studies aligned with sudden cardiac arrest/resuscitation science, Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome, or stroke and/or vascular dementias.

Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health

Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2026
Jointly funded by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, with funds from a generous bequest by Dr. Ralph L. Sacco, this program enables early career trainees to undertake a mentored two-year research project targeting various aspects of brain health. The 2025 awards are for MD or PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) applicants in postdoctoral fellowship training with a focus on brain health as of July 1, 2025. Projects for this cycle must focus on prevention.

PCORI – Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute

PCORI Advisory Panel Applicant Town Hall

Date:

Feb. 9, 2026, 2 - 3 pm (ET)

Location:

Online

This virtual applicant town hall will provide an opportunity to learn more about PCORI's Advisory Panels and the application process. PCORI staff will provide an overview of PCORI, how its advisory panels guide its work, an overview of each panel, information about the application and nomination process, as well as expectations for service, if selected. Immediately following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Board of Governors Meeting: February 10, 2026

Date:

Feb. 10, 2026, 1 - 3 pm (ET)

Location:

Online

All PCORI Board meetings are open to the public. This meeting will be held via teleconference/webinar with no public comment period.