Research Education Funding Considerations and Contacts

Research experiences are expected to be relevant to NCATS’ mission of studying translation on a system-wide level, agnostic to a specific disease, to better understand the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process.
Examples of research experiences appropriate for career levels include, but are not limited to:

• Undergraduates (including those at community colleges): to provide hands-on exposure to research that reinforces their interest in clinical and translational science and/or prepares them for graduate school matriculation and/or careers in clinical and translational science for graduate and medical, dental, nursing and other health professional students.
• Graduate Research and Clinical Students, Postdoctoral Fellows and Medical Residents: to extend their skills, experiences, and knowledge base in order to engage in clinical and translational science research activities.
• Junior Faculty: to enhance their research skills, experiences, and knowledge base relative to clinical and translational science by working with faculty members at a partnering institution.

Applications are considered for funding after January and October councils. Although applications are accepted for all opportunity due dates, we recommend submitting to due dates that align with those councils.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career

The maximum project period is 5 years.

The maximum budget is $100,000 direct costs/year. Awarded budgets will reflect any yearly fluctuations in the project workload. NCATS expects recipients to provide training experience to a cohort of participants in each year of the award. 

Personnel Costs: Total allowable personnel (including consultants) cost should be proportional to the number of participants in the program. For each participant, up to $3,500 (Direct Cost) is allowed for personnel (including consultant) costs per year.
Participant Costs
Allowable participant costs include: 

• Round-trip travel to and from the R25 research experience site for non-local participants. 
• Research education-related expenses. 
• Salary and fringe benefits. 
• A housing allowance. 

Other Program related Expenses: Note that consultants may include individuals serving in a variety of roles, such as faculty, lecturers, advisors, etc., and that consultant costs are capped, depending on the personnel costs and the number of participants in the research experiences program. See Personnel Costs section above for details.
 

CTSA Training NOFOs Questions 
[email protected]
 

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports research education in all areas of cancer research, including cancer prevention, control, behavioral sciences, population sciences, and translational research. 
• The NCI provides support for educational activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a cancer research workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs. Applications should propose innovative, state-of-the-art programs that address the cause, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, or the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients. 
• In the notice of funding opportunity for the Courses for Skills Development and Curriculum or Methods Development, NCI will prioritize funding of applications that are focused on Courses for Skills Development. 
• The NCI Youth Enjoy Science program supports multi-component applications with educational activities such as research experiences, curriculum or methods development, and outreach. These programs should inspire middle school, high school, and undergraduate students to pursue biomedical cancer research, outline career paths across the cancer continuum, and strengthen research skills. Research experiences can also include middle and high school teachers and undergraduate faculty. 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Other

  Healthcare providers and allied health professionals; Middle school and high school students and teachers (NCI Youth Enjoy Science program) 

• Courses for Skills Development: $300,000 
• Curriculum or Methods Development: $150,000 
• Research Experiences: $300,000 
• Mentoring Activities & Networks: $300,000 
• Youth Enjoy Science program: $400,000 

Courses for Skills Development and Mentoring Activities & Networks 

• Personnel costs: 

• Up to $150,000 Direct Costs/Year, Including Consultants 

• Up to 3 Calendar Months for Total PI(s) Effort 

• Participant costs: 

• Course-Related Expenses: Up to $500 

• Housing and Per Diem: Up to $300 per day of the course 

• Round-Trip Travel to/from R25 Course Site, as needed 

• Other program-related expenses: Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Consultants (subject to personnel budget cap), etc. 

Curriculum or Methods Development 

• Personnel costs:  As Appropriate 

• Participant costs: Not Applicable 

• Other program-related expenses: Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Consultants, etc. 

Research Experiences 

• Personnel costs: Based on Number of Participants (N): Up to ($4,500 x N) Direct Costs/Year, Including Consultants 

• Participant costs: 

• Subsistence: Up to $15/Hour or $9,000 for 15 Weeks 

• Full-time Research Education-Related Expenses: Up to $1,000 

• Housing Allowance: Up to $1,000 

• Round-Trip Travel to/from R25 Course Site, as needed 

• Other program-related expenses: Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Consultants, (subject to personnel budget cap), etc. 

Youth Enjoy Science program 

• Personnel Costs: Up to $4,500 (Direct Costs) is allowed for personnel (including consultants) 

• Participant Costs: Allowable participant costs depend on the educational level/career status of the individuals to be selected to participate in the program. 

• Other program-related expenses:  

• Up to $1,500 per participant per year is allowed for research education-related expenses, such as lab supplies, poster production costs, books, registration and travel to attend and present research at a professional meeting.  

• Housing allowance: up to $1,000 per participant.  

NCI R25 Program Director(s) 
Email: [email protected] 

NCI Youth Enjoy Science Program Director(s) 
Email: [email protected]  

NEI is committed to training the next generation of the biomedical and clinical research workforce in vision health, optometry, and ophthalmology by providing support for educational activities in alignment with NEI’s mission.

Areas of interest include: 

• Short-term research education programs or skills development courses to improve the knowledge and research skills of biomedical and clinical scientists conducting research in priority scientific, health-related research fields.  
• Mentoring networks that prepare postdoctoral researchers to transition to independent careers.  
• Integrated research experience and mentoring programs with the goal of developing a highly skilled biomedical research workforce. Mentoring programs may be embedded within collaborative research environments such as clinical trial networks and multi‑site cohort studies. 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career

• Applicants are encouraged to contact NEI research training program officers to discuss allowable expenses prior to submission. Allowable expenses vary by funding opportunity and associated career stage. 

NEI may limit awarded budgets for personnel, participant, and other costs, as follows:  

• Programs that focus on Research Experience
  • Personnel costs generally include salary and consultant direct costs up to $150,000/year
  • Participant costs generally include travel, housing, compensation, tuition, and research expenses up to $12,000 per participant

NEI Extramural Research 
[email protected]

NHGRI supports research education programs that enhance the knowledge and research skills of scientists working in all scientific areas relevant to the NHGRI mission. These programs may include mentored research experiences, mentoring activities, and courses designed to strengthen participants’ research training. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NHGRI Program Staff prior to submitting an application. 

NHGRI strongly encourages applications that provide high-quality, hands-on research experiences for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students. These programs should prepare participants for careers in genomics by engaging them in research aligned with NHGRI priority areas.

NHGRI also encourages applications that provide hands-on research experiences for Master’s-level genetic counselors and students enrolled in Data Science Master’s programs (e.g., statistics, biostatistics, mathematics, computer science). The goal is to attract these trainees to the genomics workforce and to encourage master’s-level data scientists who do not plan to pursue doctoral training to contribute to genomics research.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator

NHGRI will support personnel costs of up to 30% of the total direct costs for applications that focus on research experience. Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.

NHGRI encourages applicants to request up to $1500 of travel allowance to support travel to the NHGRI Research Training and Career Development Annual Meeting.

NHGRI Research Funding
[email protected]

NHLBI is interested in Research Education (RE) programs relevant to its mission, and that also include cross-cutting themes of disease prevention and resilience, health disparities, precision medicine, data science, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, and implementation science, and will prioritize applications that develop:

Summer Research Experience programs to support short-term, mentored, hands-on RE for undergraduate and health professional students to provide exposure to NHLBI-relevant research and encourage pursuit of biomedical research careers. Programs do not support primarily didactic activities (e.g., courses), clinical service delivery, or any activities lacking a substantive RE component.

High School Summer Research Experiences that support science hubs, geographically situated across the United States and U.S. Territories, that will match high school students to mentors for hands-on summer RE close to the student’s home. The hubs will coordinate summer internships and provide follow-up mentoring during the year.

Summer Skills Development Courses for innovative RE that will enrich the development of undergraduates and rising graduate students in biomedical research topics within NHLBI’s mission. NHLBI encourages programs with in-person or hybrid courses focused on biostatistics and data science that include hands-on experiences and career mentoring.

Mentoring Activities and Networks to support early-career faculty with interests in NHLBI mission-relevant areas. NHLBI is interested in applications that include of two consecutive summers of research enhancement and skills development activities (~1-2 weeks; in-person or hybrid), with mentoring and relevant RE during the intervening academic year.  NHLBI will also consider Education Projects - Cooperative Agreements (UE5) applications that provide multi-program coordination for recruitment and program evaluation. 

Mentored Research Pathway in Residency (R38) to support institutional programs that will provide mentored research opportunities for individuals with health professional doctoral degrees during their clinical residency. The Resident-Investigators will be provided mentored research opportunities for one (minimum) to two years to foster their ability to transition to individual career development research awards. 

• Applications to the NIH Research Education Program-Research Experiences (R25) are considered during October Council meetings.
• Applications to the NIH Research Education Program-Courses, Curriculum & Methods (R25), the NIH Research Educational Program-Mentoring Activities & Networks (R25/UE5), and the Mentored Research Pathway in Residency (R38) program are considered during May Council meetings. 

• Other
  • Summer Research Experiences: Undergraduate, medical and other health professional (HP) students
  • High School Summer Research Experiences: High school students in 11th-12th grade 
  • Summer Skills Development Courses: Undergraduate or rising graduate students
  • Mentoring Activities & Networks: Early-career faculty 
  • Mentored Research Pathway in Residency: Clinical Residents with HP doctoral degrees

• Summer Research Experiences: Up to $250,000
• High School Research Experiences: Up to $250,000
• Summer Skills Development Courses: Up to $254,000
• Mentoring Activities & Networks: Up to $350,000; plus an additional $100,000 if proposing pilot research funding for participants

Summer Research Experiences

• Personnel costs: up to $40,000
• Participant costs (e.g., compensation, per diem including housing, and travel): up to $20,000 per trainee
• Other program-related expenses: up to $5,000

For scientific program, grants management, and eligibility inquiries, please contact:  

• For Research Experiences: [email protected]  
• For High School Summer Research Experiences: [email protected] 
• For Summer Skills Development Courses: [email protected]  
• For Mentoring Activities and Networks: [email protected] 
• For Mentored Research Pathway in Residency: [email protected]

NIA sponsors educational activities with a primary focus on either research experiences or courses and curricula for skills and methods development to expand the aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) research workforce. These can include but are not limited to programs that focus on geroscience, basic aging biology processes, geriatrics-related translational and clinical science, interdisciplinary behavioral and social sciences research, palliative care, and co-occurring conditions across the life span to understand Down Syndrome.   

• Supports one-to-two-year intensive research experiences in AD/ADRD for recent baccalaureates. NIA expects participants to work as research postbaccalaureates at nine person-months (75% full-time) effort, with the other three person-months (25% full-time effort) devoted to further academic and professional development. 
• Supports 8–14-week hands-on summer research experiences in AD/ADRD for high school students, undergraduates, or science teachers. NIA expects participants to be provided with salary and fringe benefits for the duration of the program and educational enrichment activities that support their scientific development.
• Supports 1-12 week innovative short courses to train the next generation of AD/ADRD clinical trialists in state-of-the-art clinical research skills in AD/ADRD. Course participants are limited to graduate/medical students, medical residents, postdoctoral scholars, and/or early-career faculty. 
• Supports intensive, mentored, hands-on practical research and exploratory development immersion experiences (e.g., internships, shadowing, etc.) in NIA mission-relevant areas including but not limited to regulatory science, intellectual property, scientific communication, market analysis, biomedical product development, and entrepreneurship for early career scientists (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc) working in aging and/or AD/ADRD research. NIA expects experiences to occur during the academic year, the summer, or a combination, for a minimum of 8 weeks per unique experience. 

• Research Experiences and Research and Exploratory Development Immersion Programs: NIA only considers applications during January council.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Other

  Postbaccalaureates, high school students, science teachers

• Research Experiences and Research and Exploratory Development Immersion Experiences: 3-5 years. 
• Courses: Project period is 3-5 years.

• Will consider postbaccalaureate research experience programs up to $400,000 in direct costs and 8% indirect costs per year
• Will consider summer research experience programs up to $200,000 in direct costs and 8% indirect costs per year
• Will consider research and exploratory development immersion programs up to $400,000 in direct costs and 8% indirect costs per year
• Will consider AD/ADRD clinical trials short course programs up to $400,000 in direct costs and 8% indirect costs per year

All Research Education Programs permit:

• Consultant, equipment, supplies, and key personnel travel costs
• Participant travel to research sites or domestic conferences
• Limited program evaluation costs
• Salary and fringe benefits for program directors/staff

Postbaccalaureate Research Programs: 

• Participant compensation includes salary, wages, fringe benefits, and tuition remission and fees
• Employee-employer relationship between the participant and the institution required  

Summer Research Education Programs: 

• High school and undergraduate students receive salary and fringe benefits
• Science teacher salary and fringe benefits are capped at $20,000 per year
• Housing support allowed; registration/tuition fees prohibited
• Travel must occur during the participant’s period of appointment

Research and Exploratory Development Immersion Programs: 

• Participant compensation, partial tuition and education-related expenses allowed with justification
• Mentor costs not allowed if already part of regular academic duties 

Postbaccalaureate and Summer Research Experience Programs
[email protected]

Research and Exploratory Development Immersion Program
[email protected], [email protected]        

NIAAA supports research education programs that expand capacity in an alcohol-focused biomedical, behavioral, and clinical workforce aligned with the NIAAA mission. Supported models may include, but are not limited to:

Research Experiences

• Mentored research experiences that strengthen participants’ knowledge and skills in alcohol-related biomedical research, including etiology and pathophysiology of alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and alcohol-related organ damage, structured according to participant career stage.
• Program pathways for specialized talent, including data scientists, to enter and advance alcohol research careers.
• Clinically-anchored research exposure for healthcare professional students and practicing healthcare providers that advances evidence-based patient care for AUD.

Mentoring Activities & Networks

• Programs that leverage cross-disciplinary partnerships to address complex alcohol-related health consequences, such as networks bridging disciplines (e.g., hepatology and oncology with psychology, addiction treatment, and social work).
• Education Project Cooperative Agreements (UE5s) may be used when substantial NIAAA involvement is required for coordinated, multi-site implementation and iterative refinement.

Courses, Curriculum & Methods

• Advanced courses that build core research competencies in alcohol science, including rigorous methods, data science, implementation science, community engagement, and grantsmanship.
• Continuing education for healthcare professionals on well-established, evidence-based screening and treatment approaches across the continuum of care for AUD and alcohol-related conditions, including psychiatric comorbidities, tailored to the specific clinical audience.
• Prevention-focused curricula for community stakeholders on alcohol misuse prevention strategies to support local prevention initiatives.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Other
  • Health professional students and health care professionals. 
  • Community members, including peer support specialists and community health workers, who are engaged in local prevention for alcohol misuse as well as treatment and recovery support for alcohol use disorder.

While the proposed project period should be based on the scope of the educational program, NIAAA reserves the right to negotiate a shorter duration as appropriate for the proposed activities.

While the proposed budget should reflect the scope of the educational program, NIAAA reserves the right to negotiate a lower budget as appropriate for the proposed activities.

While the proposed budget should reflect the scope of the educational program, NIAAA reserves the right to negotiate a lower budget as appropriate for the proposed activities.

[email protected]

NIAID provides support for educational initiatives that enhance workforce training to address the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research requirements. This is achieved through skills development courses, research experiences, and mentoring and networking programs. Through research education, NIAID: 

• Endorses advanced courses in a specific discipline or research area, clinical procedures for research, or specialized research techniques.
• Fosters research for undergraduate students to provide hands-on exposure to research, to reinforce their intent to graduate with a science degree, and/or to prepare them for graduate school admissions and/or careers in research.
• Funds integrated research experiences for graduate, medical, dental, nursing and other health professional students, as well as related training.
• Enhances postdoctorates, medical residents and early-career faculty research activities to extend their experiences and knowledge.
• Supports mentoring activities dedicated to providing not only technical expertise, but advice and professional career skills to college students, postdoctorates, and/or early-career faculty.
• Supports eligible institutions that may not have sufficient numbers of active researchers with extramural funding to foster on-campus research experiences. Such institutions could establish collaborative arrangements with institutions that have a significant number of faculty mentors with NIH/NIAID or other extramural research support to have their participants benefit from off-campus research experiences.

Allocates funding support for research education programs that complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed experiences must be distinct from those programs currently receiving Federal support. NIAID R25s may augment research training programs but cannot be used to replace or circumvent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award programs.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Other
  • Postbaccalaureate fellows
  • Masters level students
  • Medical, dental, nursing, and other allied health professionals

  High school students may not be supported as participants. 

• The maximum project period is 5 years.

Program Contact
[email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact
[email protected]

NIBIB supports the following interest areas for research education: 

• Research experiences for high school science teachers and community college faculty during academic break periods; these research experiences must be in fields relevant to the NIBIB mission.
• Educational activities that increase understanding of biomedical imaging and/or bioengineering among pre-college (pre-kindergarten to grade 12) individuals, and to encourage awareness of and continued interest in careers relevant to NIBIB’s scientific mission.

• Undergraduate
• Other
  • high school teachers
  • community college faculty

Scientific/Research Contact

Email: [email protected]

Financial/Grants Management Contact 

Chief Grants Management Officer
Email: [email protected]

NICHD invites applications to develop and conduct short-term research education programs to improve the knowledge and research skills of biomedical and behavioral scientists conducting research in areas relevant to the mission of NICHD. 

NICHD will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on:

• Courses and Curricula for Research Skills Development:  Programs may offer advanced courses in a specific discipline or research area, such as specialized areas of research, research models and methodology, or clinical procedures for research. Programs should have clear practical content, with an expectation that participants will acquire enhanced research capabilities related to the mission of NICHD.
• Research Experiences: Proposed programs should provide hands-on research experiences designed to stimulate the interest, skills, and knowledge base of participants. Programs may include complementary activities appropriate to the educational stage of program participants that support the participants' scientific development, such as scientific writing and presentation skills, and instruction to enhance rigor and reproducibility in research.
• Research Education Programs for K-12 students and teachers: Some education programs are designed to provide hands-on laboratory experiences for K-12 students, undergraduate students, or teachers. For students, the goal is to stimulate their interest in science, reinforce their intent to pursue science degrees, prepare them for graduate or medical school admissions, and/or prepare them for careers in research. For teachers, the goal is to enhance their knowledge of biomedical research and incorporate relevant concepts and approaches into classroom environments to improve student learning.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Other

  NICHD will prioritize proposed Courses and Curricula for Research Skills Development and proposed Research Experiences programs that include participants from the upper undergraduate to the professorial level.

Depending on the goals of the proposed training programs, the duration of the short courses can vary from one week or less to a maximum of 12 weeks. Recurring courses are allowed, if justified.

Award Budget: Application budgets are limited to $150,000 direct costs per year. 

Award Project Period: The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact NICHD staff to assess program relevance and institute-specific requirements. 
Email: [email protected] 

NIDA supported research education areas include, but are not limited to, the topics below:

• Summer Research Experiences: Supports institutions that provide high-quality research experiences for high school and college students and for science teachers during the summer academic break; summer research experiences must be in scientific research fields relevant to NIDA’s mission.
  • Clinical Research Experiences:  Supports research education activities for clinicians, clinicians in training, and clinical researchers that enhance the knowledge of substance use- and substance use disorder (SUD)-related research and provide opportunities for active participation in related research.
  • Research Education for Health Professionals: Supports programs designed to engage practicing health care professionals in education about current and emerging knowledge derived from scientific research on the neurobiology, epidemiology, prevention, and/or treatment of substance use disorders and related health conditions and provide strategies that can be applied during interactions with patients.
  • Courses, Curriculum and Methods: Supports programs that focus on one or more of the following: short courses for skill development, curriculum and methods for data science and other topics aligned with the NIDA mission
  • Public Health: Supports mentored substance use research training partnerships that embed public health trainees and early career public investigators within state and local health departments to conduct NIDA mission-relevant research and build the public health substance use research workforce.
  • Mentoring Activities: Supports programs focused on mentoring activities designed to enhance mentoring skills and prepare participants for NIDA mission-relevant careers in addiction science.
  • Other Research Education: Any other research education program that is aligned with NIDA’s mission can also be considered.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Other
  • High School
  • Clinicians and Clinical researchers
  • Medical/nursing/dental/pharmacy/other health profession students

Office of Research Training and Career Development
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Email: [email protected]
 

NIDCD supports educational activities with a primary focus on research experiences, course development, and mentoring activities in areas of hearing and balance, chemical senses, voice, speech, and language. NIDCD areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Educational activities that enhance knowledge and research skills of trainees and scientists conducting research in NIDCD mission areas.
• Short term, mentored, hands on research experiences for health professional students that provide exposure to NIDCD relevant research and encourage pursuit of biomedical research careers. NIDCD does not support clinical service delivery, or any activities lacking a substantive research experience component.
• Mentoring networks that prepare researchers to transition to independent and early career faculty positions in research areas aligned with the NIDCD mission. Networks may be national in scope and may leverage existing mentoring resources or partnerships with complementary institutions or scientific organizations to enhance program impact. 
• Integrated research experience, course development, and mentoring programs aligned with NIDCD research priorities, with the goal of developing a highly skilled biomedical research workforce. 
• Skill development courses that deliver innovative, evidence‑based research education. NIDCD will support courses that are offered in‑person, online, or in a hybrid format. NIDCD will not support courses that adapt existing or prior NIDCD R25‑funded courses for a different target population, courses intended for students below the undergraduate level or for individuals not involved in health care delivery or dissemination of health information. 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career

Maximum project period is 5 years. Renewals are allowed.

R25 budget limitations and allowable expenses vary based on the type of program. Please refer to the funding opportunity for specific budget instructions. 

Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution. Please refer to the funding opportunity for specific budget instructions.

Scientific Program Contact:  
Email:  [email protected]

Grants Management Contact:
Email: [email protected]

• NIDCR supports institutions that provide high-quality research experiences for high school and college students and for science teachers during the summer academic break; summer research experiences must be in priority scientific, health-related research fields relevant to the NIDCR mission.
• NIDCR encourages data intensive projects focused on developing, disseminating, and using data and data science resources, methods, and tools for dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research.  
• NIDCR expects these projects to maximally integrate and reuse research, health, and clinical data for knowledge discovery and translation.  

NIDCR only considers Research Education applications during October council.​

• Undergraduate

NIDCR supports a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 15 weeks of research education experience each year for participants.

NIDCR will consider summer research educational experience programs up to $125,000 in direct costs per year.

• Up to $50,000 combined salary, administrative, clerical or other staff with responsibilities directly associated with designing, directing and administering the research experience program.  
• Participant costs generally include salary and fringe benefits for high school and undergraduate students consistent with institutional salary policies. Up to $21,000 for 15 weeks for a science teacher, and prorated if shorter.  
• Other program-related expenses support may be considered to defray the cost of housing, registration fees or tuition, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses.

Research Training & Career Development Branch
[email protected]

NIDDK sponsors education grants for research experiences, short courses for skills development and mentoring activities and networks. 

Research Experiences: 

NIDDK supports research experiences for

• high school students, undergraduates, and post baccalaureates to provide hands-on exposure to research, to reinforce their intent to graduate with a science degree, and/or to prepare them for graduate school admissions and/or careers in research;
• graduate and medical, dental, nursing and other health professional students: to provide research experiences and related training not available through formal NIH training mechanisms
• postdoctorates and medical residents: to extend their skills, experiences, and knowledge base. 

Courses for Skills Development: 

NIDDK supports advanced courses involving participants in a specific discipline or research area, clinical procedures for research, or specialized research techniques. NIDDK will not prioritize programs for syllabus and methods development.

Mentoring Activities & Networks: 

NIDDK supports programs that will equip individuals and cohorts of scholars with professional skills and networks that will allow them to transition to and succeed in independent research careers.     

Research Experiences applications are considered for funding during October Council. 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Other
  • High school (for research experiences only)
  • Postbaccalaureates

Maximum project period is 5 years.

• Research Experiences: up to $150,000 direct costs per year
• Courses, Curriculum & Methods: up to $100,000 direct costs per year
• Mentoring Activities & Networks: up to $100,000 direct costs per year

Research Experiences:

• Total allowable personnel (including consultants) cost is proportional to the number of participants in the program. For each participant, up to $4,500 (Direct Costs) is allowed for personnel (including consultant) costs per year. All personnel and consultant costs must be adequately justified and take into consideration yearly fluctuations in required effort.
• Participant cost allowed: Round-trip travel to and from the R25 research experience site for non-local participants; Subsistence: up to $9,000 for 15-week, 40hrs per week program; Housing: up to $1,000, Research Expenses: up to $1,000.

Courses, Curriculum & Methods: 

• Up to $100,000 direct costs per year

Mentoring Activities & Networks: 

NIDDK will contribute up to $10,000 per year for the following expenses: 

• Mentor training courses for the PD/PI.
• PD/PI and mentee travel to research meetings or mentorship training and networking events.
• Registration fees for workshops, courses, or didactic training focused on career development activities for mentees.
• Other relevant opportunities proposed by the applicant/awardee if well justified and approved by NIDDK officials.

Salary for secretarial and administrative assistants, etc. is not allowed.

Program Contacts:

• Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
  Email: [email protected] 
• Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
  Email: [email protected] 
• Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
  Email: [email protected]

Grants Management Contacts: 

• Grants Management Branch
  Email: [email protected]

NIEHS Research Education Programs are expected to focus on the environmental health sciences and be responsive to the interest areas and mission of the NIEHS, which is to support research that examines how the environment affects biological systems across the lifespan and to translate this knowledge to reduce disease and promote human health. 

NIEHS supports Research Experiences Programs

• NIEHS supports institutions that provide high-quality R25 Research Experiences for high school students, college students and science teachers during the summer academic break.   
• Programs can provide full-time research experiences during the summer and may request continued part-time support for the participants to work on their research projects during the school year. 

NIEHS supports Courses for Skills Development especially for undergraduate, high school students and high school science teaching partners

• NIEHS supports intensive short courses for skills development ranging in length from one week to one month that incorporate both didactic and in-person hands-on learning activities and are open to participants from multiple institutions.

NIEHS supports Curriculum and Methods Development especially for undergraduate, predoctoral, postdoctoral/residency, early career, established investigator, and community research partners

• NIEHS supports curriculum and methods development that can be adapted and applied broadly across the environmental health community. 
•  It is expected that the curricula and methods developed with support from the R25 will be shared broadly, such as through the NIEHS Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) resource.

Neither the NIEHS Superfund Research Program, nor the NIEHS Worker Training Program participate in this program.

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Other
  • High school students
  • High school science teachers
  • Community Research Partners

• Will consider Research Experience programs up to $125,000 direct costs per year.
• Will consider Courses for skills development up to $200,000 direct costs per year.
• Will consider Curriculum & Methods programs up to $100,000 direct costs per year.

[email protected]

NIGMS programs cover a range of disciplines relevant to its mission and support participants who will significantly benefit, including those: 

• Without substantial previous research experience, 
• From resource-limited institutions, or 
• With circumstances that would otherwise prevent them from pursuing biomedical research. Such circumstances might include but are not necessarily limited to:
  • Financial hardship
  • Return from military service
  • Career delay or change
  • Family responsibilities  

Programs that recruit participants from a single organization or focus on a single discipline – especially those in the mission of other ICs – will be low priority for funding. NIGMS encourages applications from IDeA-eligible states, HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603 (24).  

NIGMS Prioritizes:  

Research Experience programs focused on a single career stage that:  

• Prepare cohorts of individuals to transition into and complete biomedical Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs, specifically: 
  • Summer undergraduate.  
  • Yearlong postbaccalaureate. 
  • Research-based master’s programs with clear and strong transition plans, typically to distinct institutions.   
• Increase understanding of biomedical research and encourage awareness of and interest in biomedical careers among high school students.  

Mentoring Activities & Networks to: 

• Equip cohorts of NIGMS-supported career awardees with the networks and professional skills to successfully transition to independent research careers. Awards should focus on a single career stage: predoctoral-to-postdoctoral (F99/K00), postdoctoral-to-faculty (K99/R00), or supporting postdoctoral/early career clinician scientists to research independence. NIGMS prioritizes cooperative agreements for mentoring activities and networks for NIGMS-funded career awardees.  
• Address critical workforce needs as part of a formal mentoring structure.  

Courses for Skills Development, Curriculum or Methods Development 

• Courses to equip participants with technical, operational, or professional skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce.   
• Programs that develop and disseminate innovative curricular or instructional approaches to improve biomedical research education at multiple secondary or postsecondary organizations. 

NIGMS prioritizes funding: 

• Research Experience applications during October council. 
• Courses for Skills Development, Curriculum or Methods development applications during January council. 
• Mentoring Activities & Networks applications during May council.  

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator
• Other

  Participant Type	Research experiences	Mentoring Activities & Networks	Courses for Skills for Development, Curriculum or Methods Development
  High School Student (at least 16-years-old at the time of appointment)	X
  Undergraduate	X	X
  Postbaccalaureate	X
  Master’s Student	X
  Predoctoral		X	X
  Postdoctoral/Residency		X	X
  Early Career		X	X
  Established Investigator		X	X
  Secondary Educator (middle or high school teacher)	X		X

NIGMS typically supports the following types of projects for up to 5 years: 

• Research experiences 
• Mentoring Activities and Networks 
• Courses for Skills Development 
• Curriculum and methods development. 

NIGMS also supports pilot curriculum and methods development projects for shorter periods (up to three years).  

Award budgets must reflect the actual costs of the proposed project.   

NIGMS will consider up to $500,000 direct costs per year for: 

• Research experiences for postbaccalaureate or master’s students 
• Mentoring activities & networks  
• Courses for skills development  
• Curriculum and methods development projects 

NIGMS will consider up to $250,000 direct costs per year: 

• Research experiences for summer undergraduate students, high school students or secondary educators 

For Research Experiences  

Salary support: Depending on the number of participants in the program and the person-months devoted to administration of the program: 

• Total PD(s)/PI(s) (including a combination of multiple PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to a total of 2.0 person-months effort per year.  
• Total salary support for other administrative staff (for example, a program coordinator to assist the PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to 6 person-months.  

Participant Costs: Participants may only receive funding for the period they participate in the program. Remuneration is through salary and wages. There must be an employee-employer relationship between the participant and the institution. Per the cost principles, participant salary must be consistent with institutional salary policies for individuals in similar circumstances regardless of the source of support for the activity. 

Additionally, for postbaccalaureate and research-based master’s participants:  

• Salary, fringe benefits, tuition and fees up to the maximum NIH-permitted annual graduate student support (NRSA level 0 for postdoctoral trainees) are allowable. 

Other program-related expenses: For research-based master’s participants, institutions may request up to a maximum of $12,500/student participant for Other Program-Related Expenses. 

For all Research Education Awards 

Limited program evaluation costs are allowed up to a maximum of 2% of direct costs per year for the 5-year project period. This includes salaries for evaluation consultants, if any. 

• Research Experiences: [email protected] 
• Mentoring Activities & Networks:  [email protected] 
• Courses, Curriculum or Methods Development: [email protected] 

NINDS sponsors education grants for short courses, summer and year-round research experiences and mentoring networks. In addition to any NINDS Highlighted Topics related to Research Training, interest areas include:

Summer Research Experiences that provide high quality research experiences during the summer academic break (at least 8 weeks).

Year-round Research Experiences that provide full-time summer research (at least 8 weeks) and part-time academic year research experiences to prepare undergraduates and post-baccalaureates to transition into rigorous, research-focused doctoral degree programs in biomedical fields, prioritizing programs at Resource-Limited Institutions (RLIs).

Short courses that provide an intensive hands-on experience that is not available on a local level or through other formal NIH-supported training programs. NINDS also participates in short courses supported by the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research.

Mentoring networks that prepare graduate level and above participants from a national or regional pool to progress in their careers and transition to their next career stage. These networks may increase participants’ awareness of and interest in the neurosciences, develop participants scientific knowledge and research skills, and equip them with professional development and leadership skills. Does not support single institution mentoring initiatives.

NINDS prioritizes applications with

• A strong rationale and need for the program
• Clear goals that advance the NINDS mission 
• Customized or individualized program components geared toward improving participant’s specific knowledge and/or skills
• Clearly identified educational goals and methodologies, and program evaluation and assessments
• Demonstrated feasibility that leverages and extends institutional strengths.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult NINDS staff before submitting an application. 

• Research Experiences applications are prioritized for October Advisory Council review.
• Short Courses and Mentoring Networks are prioritized for January Advisory Council review.

• Other
  • Summer Research Experiences: high school and undergraduate students; high school science teachers
  • Year-round Research Experiences: undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates
  • Short Courses and Mentoring Networks: graduate/medical students, postdoctoral researchers, early-stage and established faculty, from a national/regional pool (i.e., not all participants come from a single institution).

• The maximum project period for NINDS-supported Research Education programs is 5 years.

• Summer Research Experiences: Up to $150,000 direct cost per year
• Year-round Research Experiences: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year 
  • NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research - supported programs are limited to $400,000-$450,000/year
• Short Courses: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year 
  • NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research - supported short courses up to $270,000
• Mentoring Networks: Up to $250,000 direct cost per year

• Summer Research Experiences: Up to $50,000 combined salary, administrative, clerical or other staff associated with designing, directing and administering the research experience program 
• Year-round Research Experiences: 
  • Personnel – up to 3.6 months' salary support for PI(s)/PD(s)
  • Participants – Salary support for undergraduate students and post-baccalaureates employed by their institutions
  • Other: Program – related expenses (e.g., travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, etc.) 
• Short Courses: 
  • Personnel – Salary and fringe for individuals designing, directing and implementing the program appropriate for the person months devoted to the program 
  • Participants – costs consistent with educational level/career status; funds to defray partial tuition or education-related expenses; per diem with strong justification
  • Other: Program – related expenses (e.g., travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, etc.)
• Mentoring Networks: 
  • Personnel – Up to $75,000 for administering the program including salary and fringe for individuals designing, directing and implementing the program
  • Other – Program-related expenses (e.g., housing, registration, travel for key persons, consultants, supplies, equipment, etc.) 

• The Office of Training and Workforce Development: [email protected]

NLM is interested in research education (R25) applications that strengthen the biomedical informatics and data science workforce through innovative, short-term training and curriculum development. NLM has two primary goals: (1) to develop a pipeline of well-trained professionals in biomedical informatics, data science, information science, and related fields; and (2) to ensure curricula meet the growing and evolving demands of the field. Applicants should ensure that the impact of educational programs is rigorously assessed to demonstrate outcomes and inform continuous program improvement. 

Topics of Interest: 

• Short-term training programs (e.g., summer or modular formats throughout the academic year) in biomedical informatics, data science, information science, and related fields, incorporating experiential learning opportunities (e.g., research internships, hands-on projects, team-based science) to build practical informatics skills  

• Development of new or updated biomedical informatics curricula designed for adaptability, generalizability, and dissemination across institutions and educational settings  

• Training that develops core competencies in biomedical informatics and data science (e.g., data management, analysis, interpretation, and responsible data use) 

• Training in open science practices, data sharing, reproducibility, and FAIR data principles  

• Programs that broaden participation and expand reach to areas with limited biomedical informatics or data science training opportunities  

• Interdisciplinary training that integrates informatics with biomedical, clinical, or public health domains  

• Activities that increase awareness of and preparation for educational and career pathways in biomedical informatics and related fields 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Other

  • High school students 

  • Community college students  

  • Post-baccalaureate students

  • Master’s-level students 

Applicants should propose project durations consistent with the scope of the proposed education activities.

• Up to $250,000 in direct costs for R25 Education Projects focused on research experiences.

• Up to $250,000 in direct costs for R25 Education Projects focused on curriculum, courses, and methods development.

• Requested budgets should reflect the scope and needs of the proposed project.

NLM Extramural Programs 
[email protected] 

• OBSSR supports a variety of training programs to encourage the use of innovative methods and approaches to enhance the research capabilities of investigators conducting health-relevant behavioral and social sciences research. 
• OBSSR is also receptive to co-funding research education projects that align with our mission and strategic plan. 

• OBSSR considers co-funding research education projects at any time during the funding cycle. 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator

• OBSSR-specific research education programs are limited to four-year project periods. 
• The project periods for co-funded research education programs are defined by the primary NIH institute. 

OBSSR-specific research education opportunities may have budget limits of $200,000 total costs. OBSSR will co-fund a broad range of research education opportunities with varied budgets. 

OBSSR does not limit awarded budgets for personnel, participant, or other program-related costs. 

[email protected] 

The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) co-funds research education awards in partnership with the administering Institute or Center (IC). ORWH supports programs that advance women’s health research by building a skilled, cross-disciplinary workforce at all career and educational stages.  

Interest areas include: 

• Interdisciplinary training in women’s health research 
• Integration of sex as a biological variable (SABV) into curricula, including in health professions education 
• Projects emphasizing team science, cross-sector collaboration (e.g., industry, academia, government), and multi-site research environments 
• Workforce development across the career continuum, including reentry and reskilling opportunities 
• Activities that support mentoring networks, career advancement, and leadership development across the career continuum 
• Workforce development initiatives promoting innovative approaches that translate discoveries into real-world applications 
• Training that equips researchers with tools (e.g., methods, frameworks, community engagement approaches) to improve the generalizability of research findings  
• Short-term, mentored, hands-on research experiences 

• Undergraduate
• Predoctoral
• Postdoctoral/Residency
• Early Career
• Established Investigator

The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) 
[email protected]