USA Scholarships
ALA Biomedical Research Grants 2027 - Innovation
American Lung Association Biomedical Research Grants support faculty investigators advancing lung health science at US nonprofit institutions. The Innovation Award is the flagship mechanism for established early-career researchers who recently completed NIH career (K) or research (R) awards: $75,000 per year for up to two years, with a required Letter of Intent on ProposalCentral. You may submit only one ALA application per cycle, and prior Innovation Award winners cannot reapply. The August 2026 launch covers projects running July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029.
What is the American Lung Association Innovation Award?
American Lung Association Biomedical Research Grants fund scientists working on prevention, treatment, and policy for lung disease. The Research Institute runs an annual cycle that mirrors many NIH timelines: late-summer LOIs, December full applications, spring peer review, and a July 1 start date for new awards.
The Innovation Award fits investigators who already proved themselves with NIH K or R funding and now want flexible support for novel lung-focused projects. At $75,000 per year it is not a full R01 replacement, but it buys protected time, staff support, and pilot data that strengthen the next federal submission.
Search trends often abbreviate the opportunity as biomedical research grants or RG-track funding because the eligibility gate is prior NIH research or career awards. If you are earlier in your career, the Catalyst Award or other ALA mechanisms may fit better, but you still may submit only one ALA proposal each cycle. Use ProposalCentral and watch the September LOI date if you are targeting the 2027 project start.
Eligibility
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✓Doctoral degree and faculty appointmentHold a doctoral degree and a full-time faculty or equivalent professional appointment with institutional commitment (salary support and research space documented by your department chair) at a US nonprofit college, university, or research institution.
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✓Recent NIH K- or R-type awardYou must have held an NIH K award or R-type research grant within the five years before applying for this Lung Association award. The Innovation Award targets investigators with momentum from prior federal biomedical funding.
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✓Cap on large federal PI rolesApplicants who have served as PI on three or more large federal research grants (such as R01, U01, P01, or VA Merit) are ineligible. Serving as co-investigator on large grants does not count toward this limit.
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✓US nonprofit institutionResearch must be conducted at a domestic nonprofit institution operated for scientific and educational purposes. For-profit employers and institutions outside the United States are not eligible.
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✓Work authorization and employment continuityCertify that you are authorized to work in the United States and that your institution expects your employment to continue for the full grant period. Your signing official must confirm institutional commitments on the application.
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✓One ALA submission per cycleSubmit only one American Lung Association grant or LOI per review cycle. Applying to multiple ALA mechanisms in the same year disqualifies you from funding.
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✓Lung health relevanceProjects must address basic, behavioral, clinical, or translational questions in lung health or lung disease with rigor and feasibility suitable for peer review.
Benefits
- Annual direct support $75,000 per year
- Project period Up to 2 years (July 1, 2027 start)
- Personnel costs Staff salary/fringe beyond PI allowed
- Second-year funding Renewed after progress review
- Peer review External scientific review for funded apps
- Full R01 indirect costs Not a full NIH-style indirect rate award
- Multiple ALA awards same cycle Not allowed
- Catalyst Award $50,000/yr mentored junior faculty
- Lung Cancer Discovery Award $100,000/yr, LOI required
- Emerging Respiratory Pathogen Award $100,000/yr, LOI required
- Innovation Award repeat One-time award per investigator
- For-profit institution PI Not eligible
Document checklist
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✓Letter of Intent on ProposalCentralRequired one-page LOI with rationale, specific aims, hypotheses, and experimental approach, plus applicant Biosketch and proposed budget. Due September 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
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✓Full application (by invitation)Invited applicants complete the ProposalCentral full proposal by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, using ALA templates for research strategy, budget, and compliance sections.
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✓NIH-style BiosketchUpload current Biosketch showing publications and prior K or R awards that satisfy the five-year eligibility window.
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✓Department chair commitment letterLetter demonstrating institutional salary support, space, and commitment for the award period, as required in the Innovation Award guidelines.
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✓IRB and IACUC approvals or plansSubmit human subjects and animal care approvals before the award starts, or document pending review at application time as the guidelines recommend.
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✓Budget with salary capsNo more than 75% of the budget may go to the PI salary and fringe; no more than 30% may fund permanent equipment purchases.
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✓Resubmission materials if applicableIf you are resubmitting a prior unfunded ALA proposal, select the earlier submission in ProposalCentral and follow resubmission limits (one resubmission allowed).
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What are American Lung Association Biomedical Research Grants?
They are peer-reviewed research awards from the American Lung Association Research Institute for US nonprofit institutions. Mechanisms include the Innovation Award for faculty with recent NIH K or R funding, Catalyst Awards for mentored junior scientists, lung cancer and pathogen awards, and policy-focused grants. All use ProposalCentral and share a common late-summer to December timeline.
What does RG mean for ALA Innovation Award eligibility?
In practice, RG refers to NIH research project grants such as R01, R21, or related R-type mechanisms, alongside career K awards. You must have held a qualifying K or R award within five years before applying. Investigators who already led three or more large federal grants as PI are ineligible for the Innovation Award.
How much funding does the Innovation Award provide?
The Innovation Award provides $75,000 per year for up to two years, subject to annual progress review and available Lung Association funding. Salary and fringe for the PI cannot exceed 75% of the budget, and equipment cannot exceed 30% of the total.
When is the ALA research grant deadline for 2027?
For LOI-required awards such as Innovation, the LOI deadline is September 18, 2026. Invited full applications are due December 1, 2026. Peer review runs January through April 2027, notifications go out in June 2027, and funded projects start July 1, 2027.
Can I apply for two ALA grants in the same year?
No. Candidates may submit only one ALA application or LOI per review cycle. Submitting more than one forfeits funding consideration for that year.
Do I need IRB approval before applying?
ALA recommends obtaining IRB and IACUC approvals at application time or documenting pending review. Final approvals must be on file before the award begins.
Who should I contact for ProposalCentral help?
Email [email protected] or call 1-800-875-2562 for technical portal issues. Program questions go to [email protected].
Can international researchers apply?
The PI must be authorized to work in the United States, and the institution must be a US nonprofit research organization. Foreign institutions and for-profit PIs are not eligible under the standard ALA mechanisms.
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