NIH Research Software Engineer (RSE) Award (R50 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

Background
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is issuing the NIH Research Software Engineer (RSE) Award (R50) to provide salary support for exceptional Research Software Engineers (RSEs) contributing to the development and dissemination of biomedical, behavioral, or health-related software, tools, and algorithms. The award aims to encourage the development of stable research career opportunities for exceptional RSEs who want to contribute to scientific research.

Grant Details
The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support the ability of exceptional Research Software Engineers (RSEs) to contribute their skills in the development and dissemination of NIH-funded biomedical, clinical, behavioral, or health-related research software, tools, and algorithms as well as to the training of prospective users of these tools. The Research Software Engineer (RSE) Award is designed to provide salary support for RSEs involved in research and positioned to make outstanding contributions to NIH-funded biomedical, clinical, behavioral, or health-related research software, tools, and algorithms. The award will use the NIH Research Specialist Award (R50) mechanism to provide up to 3 years of funding. The RSE must have a full-time, non-tenure track position in an academic institution. Budgets may request salary support for the RSE commensurate with the level of funded effort on NIH-funded research grants.

Travel expenses will be allowed up to $2,500/year. No other research expenses will be covered under this award.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, for-profit organizations, state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Indian/Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), faith-based or community-based organizations. The Research Specialist (RSE) must be the PD/PI of the application and must have a full-time non-tenure track position at an academic or research institution for at least 1 year. The RSE must have demonstrated outstanding research software engineering accomplishments documented by relevant publications and peer-reviewed conference proceedings.

Period of Performance
The project duration can be up to three years with a project budget not exceeding $300,000 in direct costs. No more than $200,000 direct costs may be requested in any single year.

Grant Value
The NIH Office of Data Science Strategy intends to commit up to $6 million in FY25 to fund 18-20 awards.