Research Grants FAQ's

Why is NIHCM making this research support available?

NIHCM Foundation wishes to support innovative, independent, investigator-initiated research that has the potential to inform managed care organizations, policymakers, and related stakeholders to improve the affordability and quality of U.S. health care. All NIHCM-funded research should advance the evidence base on rising health care costs and affordability, through improved health care management, financing, delivery and organization. Studies involving direct patient care or clinical, bench-science research are not relevant for this solicitation.

Are there specific topic areas of interest?

Yes. This year, we are seeking proposals that address the following topic areas: drug pricing & affordability, provider consolidation & market power, health care delivery, chronic disease management, and artificial intelligence. Please see the call for applications for more details on the specific areas of interest. We will also accept proposals outside of these specific topic areas that meet the general criteria of focusing on rising health care costs and affordability, through improved health care management, financing, delivery, and organization.

How much support will be available?

NIHCM is making a total of $500,000 available for the 2025-2026 Research Grant cycle, with most individual grants awarded in the $50,000 - $60,000 range. We will be assessing the efficiency of the proposed budget relative to the expected impact and project scope. Awards made in prior years have been highly competitive on price, and this focus will continue.

Who may apply for these grants?

We welcome applications from individual researchers as well as from all types of organizations and institutions, including both nonprofit and for-profit entities. Multiple organizations may apply jointly, but one must be named as the principal organization, and others will have a subcontract relationship with that organization. There is no limit on the number of project ideas that may be submitted by a given researcher, organization, or academic department.

What timeframe is expected for the funded studies?

Applications will be judged on their potential to produce timely results. Projects that can be completed within one year are preferred, but studies requiring a longer timeframe may be proposed. Applicants with longer-term studies should consider the feasibility of organizing their work so as to yield interim findings and products that will maximize study impact. Projects would normally begin in January 2026 unless there is a reason to delay the start (e.g., availability of data or key personnel). We understand that an extensive period of peer review and revisions is expected prior to final publication in academic journals. Submission of grant manuscripts to journals to initiate this peer review process is sufficient to mark the end of the grant’s active performance period.

What is the application process and timeline?

The awards will be made using the following process:

• All interested researchers are required to submit an initial letter of inquiry (LOI) for their proposed study by 5:00 PM EDT on July 18, 2025. Applications are welcome at any time prior to that deadline. LOIs must be submitted using NIHCM's online entry system and must conform to the required structure.

• Full (10-page) proposals will be invited from a small number of applicants in August and will be due in September 2025. Other applicants will also be notified in August regarding the status of their LOI submissions.

• NIHCM will notify grant winners in December 2025, for project start dates as early as January 2026.

How do I submit a letter of inquiry (LOI)? What information must be included?

Letters of inquiry must be submitted via NIHCM’s online entry system by 5:00 PM EDT on July 18, 2025. In addition to entering basic information about the Principal Investigator and the project, you will also provide a 150-word summary of the proposed work and upload a detailed narrative description of the proposed study. Narrative descriptions are limited to no more than 1000 words and must present information using the required structure.

You may complete your submission in stages if needed. The status of your application will show as "In progress" until you complete your submission.

What happens after an LOI is submitted?

After you submit the LOI, the status on your Submission Dashboard will change from "In progress" to "Submitted." A confirmation email will also be sent to the Principal Investigator stating that the LOI has been submitted.

What types of expenses are permitted in the project budget?

Allowable direct costs include salaries and fringe benefits for project personnel and the direct costs of data, supplies, other incidental expenses, and any subcontracts required to conduct the project. Domestic travel for the purpose of sharing results with policymakers and researchers at professional conferences and other venues is a permissible expense. Costs for items such as rent, utilities, and other costs of doing business must be included as part of overhead and not billed separately as a direct cost. Indirect costs (overhead) are limited to 12 percent of the budget, excluding any subcontracts. Your expected overhead charges (up to the 12 percent limit) should be included in the anticipated budget figure that you provide as part of the initial letter of inquiry. NIHCM will not cover expenditures for patient care, case management services, capital purchases including computers, international travel, or lobbying. Additionally, NIHCM will not accept a budget that includes an additional “fee” beyond the labor expenses, other direct costs, and overhead.

May I speak with anyone from NIHCM about these grants?

For questions related to this initiative, please contact Cait Ellis at cellis@nihcm.org using "RESEARCH GRANT QUESTION" in the subject line.

For technical questions about the entry system, please contact Mikayla Thompson at mthompson@nihcm.org.