2026 NIH Prize for Excellence
in Disability Health Research
Up to three $100,000 prizes for early stage, midcareer, and senior investigators
Submissions due January 15, 2027, 5:00 PM ET
About the Prize
The 2026 NIH Prize for Excellence in Disability Health Research recognizes promising and established investigators for their outstanding contributions to disability health research. Up to three prizes of $100,000 each will be awarded: one to an early stage investigator and one to a midcareer investigator who are poised to become future leaders in the field, and one to a senior investigator who is leading the field and whose work has had an exceptional impact on the health and well-being of people with disabilities. Strong candidates will have research accomplishments that are innovative and significant, bring together different disciplines, and involve disabled people throughout the research process. Each prize is paid to the winner's institution, and NIH encourages institutions to use the funds to support the winner's research.
Use the form below to register and submit your materials. Before you begin, please read the full prize competition announcement for complete eligibility rules, judging criteria, and submission requirements.
What You'll Need
Please have the following ready before you start the form. Each document is uploaded as a separate file in PDF or Word format.
- CV
- NIH Biosketch
- Public link (URL) to your My Bibliography in PubMed
- Letter of nomination (1,000 words or less) from a mentor or colleague familiar with your research
- Two letters of endorsement from other mentors or colleagues
- One key peer-reviewed article you published in the past 36 months (for an article in press, include the accepted paper and the journal's acceptance letter)
- Institutional commitment letter on official letterhead, signed by you and an authorized institutional official
Complete submissions must be received by 5:00 PM ET on January 15, 2027. Only complete submissions that meet all eligibility requirements will be reviewed. For questions, email [email protected].