This table contains updated information on the conference funding time line.
| Receipt Date | Scientific Merit Review | Council Meeting Date | Earliest Funding Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 12 | June – July | mid-September | September 15 |
| August 12 | October – November | mid-February | March 15 |
| December 12 | February – March | late May-early June | June 15 |
NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The NIEHS Conference Grant Program supports meetings that directly advance the institute’s mission, particularly research on how environmental factors and gene-environment interactions influence disease or dysfunction. Relevant topics include environmental toxicology, chemical exposure, mechanistic toxicology, environmental epidemiology, exposure science, detection of hazardous substances, and scientific methods to reduce environmental hazards.
NIEHS funds investigator-initiated scientific meetings — such as conferences, workshops, symposia, and seminars — that promote the exchange and dissemination of knowledge in environmental health sciences. Support is available for events of all sizes. For larger conferences, NIEHS prioritizes multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary events that foster collaboration among researchers. Applications are encouraged to include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and community members with funding allowed for their participation.
All NIEHS supported meetings must result in a specific product or measurable outcome that could be used to judge the success of the meeting. This includes one or more of the following: a published manuscript/monograph, a published meeting report, data made available through the Internet, evaluation data on participation and interactions fostered through the meeting, examination of specific outcomes such as interactions with community or advocacy groups or efforts to translate research to public health outcomes and community benefit.
Budget Guidelines
NIEHS limits conference grant awards up to $25,000 in direct costs per year for new conferences not previously supported by NIEHS. NIEHS limits conference grant awards up to $50,000 in direct costs per year for conferences that have received previous support from NIEHS. Please note that typical support is less than the outlined limits. Co-funding is supported and is typically less than $10,000.
Project Period Considerations
NIEHS will consider support requests for a series of annual or biannual conferences for up to 3 years. Applications requesting multiple years of support must provide the following information for each year requested:
- Meeting topic(s)
- Tentative date(s), location(s), and participants
- Contingency plans for future meetings dependent upon the outcome of the first year’s conference or developments in the field
Advance Permission to Submit an Application
As of February 10, 2026, NIH no longer requires advanced permission for conference grant applications. See Notice NOT-OD-26-040.
Inquiries
Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Applicants are encouraged to discuss possible submissions with the NIEHS conference coordinator who may suggest discussions with appropriate health science administrators. Please see Contacts for Applicants for the program contact for a specific area of science.
Conference Contact
