STEM, Education, Training

Apply to the UA internal competition  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research
To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on:

• Courses for Skills Development

• Research Experiences

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides support to eligible, domestic institutions to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical research education and mentoring that will keep pace with the rapid evolution of the research enterprise. NIGMS expects that the proposed research education programs will incorporate extensive research experiences and well-designed courses for skills development to prepare recent baccalaureates from diverse backgrounds to transition into and complete rigorous, research-focused biomedical doctoral degree programs (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.). This program is limited to applications from doctoral degree-granting institutions that are research-intensive (i.e., those with NIH research project grant (RPG) funding averaging greater than or equal to $7.5 million in total costs per year over the last three fiscal years).
This FOA does not allow appointed participants to lead an independent clinical trial but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 1`

M. Franco (HSI Initiatives) 
 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2

An eligible organization may participate in two Innovations in Graduate Education proposals per annual competition. Participation includes serving as a lead organization on a non-collaborative proposal or as a lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on a collaborative proposal. Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation.

The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program is designed to encourage development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that a) explore ways for graduate students in STEM master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers, or b) support research on the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic interventions and policies.

IGE projects are intended to generate the knowledge required for the customization, implementation, and broader adoption of potentially transformative approaches to graduate education. The program supports piloting, testing, and validating novel models or activities and examining systemic innovations with high potential to enrich and extend the knowledge base on effective graduate education approaches.

The program addresses both workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity-building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science organizations, and academic partners are encouraged.

Apply to the UA internal competition  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number) is allowed.

The Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) is an institutional program that supports broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences. In addition to a broad education in the neurosciences, a key component will be a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning. JSPTPN programs are intended to be 2 years in duration and students may only be appointed to this training grant during the first 2 years of their graduate research training. The primary objective is to prepare students to be well-trained scientists equipped to pursue careers in neuroscience.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

Institutionally Coordinated// No limited // Please contact the Office of HSI Initiatives for more information.

No limited, but Institutionally Coordination is requiered. Please contact the Office of HSI Initiatives for more information.

This call is repeated every 3 years.

The GAANN Program provides grants to academic departments and programs of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support graduate fellowships for students with excellent academic records in their previous programs of study who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course of study at the institution.

Submit ticket request  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

This FOA is intended to enable the community to develop and implement evidence-informed approaches to biomedical research training and mentoring to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report provided evidence that financial concerns and the absence of a community of peers from similar backgrounds can erode self-confidence and the desire to remain in STEM majors (PCAST Report, 2012). NIGMS diversity enhancing institutional training grants offset the cost of appointed trainee stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, in accordance with approved NIH support levels. Additionally, funded programs are expected to provide activities that will build a strong cohort of research-oriented individuals while enhancing the science identity, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging among the cohort members. Programmatic activities include, but are not limited to, providing authentic research experiences, academic enhancements, skills development, and additional mentoring -- activities proven to increase persistence in STEM fields (cited in PCAST Report, 2012, Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, 2018, and The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM, 2019).

Each Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program must consist of a strong partnership/consortium composed of at least two institutions: an associate degree-granting institution that offers the associate degree as the terminal degree in STEM, and a baccalaureate degree-granting institution with STEM degrees in disciplines related to the biomedical sciences. Each program should provide high-quality training that equips individuals with the technical (e.g., appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches), operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous experimental design, and interpretation of data, conducting research in the safest manner possible) and professional (e.g., management, leadership, communication, and teamwork) skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Program Objective

The Overarching Objective of this Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program is to develop a diverse pool of research-oriented undergraduates who transition from an associate degree-granting institution to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution and complete a baccalaureate STEM degree, positioning them to pursue research-oriented biomedical higher degree programs, or enter careers in the biomedical research workforce. The long-term goal is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained biomedical scientists, who have the following technical, operational, and professional skills:

• A broad understanding across biomedical disciplines and the skills to independently acquire the knowledge needed to advance their chosen fields;
• Expertise in a biomedical scientific discipline and the skills to think critically and independently, and to identify important biomedical research questions and approaches that push forward the boundaries of their areas of study;
• A strong foundation in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative and computational approaches, and data analysis and interpretation;
• The skills to conduct research in the safest manner possible, and a commitment to approaching and conducting biomedical research responsibly, ethically, and with integrity;
• Experience initiating, conducting, interpreting, and presenting rigorous and reproducible biomedical research with increasing self-direction;
• The ability to work effectively in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive and supportive scientific research environments;
• The skills to teach and communicate scientific research methodologies and findings to a wide variety of audiences (e.g., discipline-specific, across disciplines, and the public); and
• The knowledge, professional skills and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce (i.e., the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

Diversity at all levels from the kinds of science to the regions in which it is conducted, to the backgrounds of the people conducting it is integral to excellence in research training environments and strengthens the research enterprise. This FOA is intended to support outstanding research training programs that will enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. As part of NIGMS strategy to support the development of a diverse pool of well-trained biomedical scientists, the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program supports trainees at a critical transition point in the biomedical research training pathway (i.e., the transition from associate degree-granting institutions to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions), and prepares them to enter a research-oriented biomedical higher degree program, or careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Program Considerations

NIGMS intends to fund applications that propose feasible academic and research focused training programs that will enhance diversity in the biomedical workforce. Programs are expected to have mentors from biomedical disciplines relevant to the NIGMS mission to provide a breadth of research experiences to trainees. Proposed programs focused on disciplines outside of the NIGMS mission (e.g., allied health professions, forensic science) will be considered a low priority for funding.

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program requires strong partnerships between associate degree-granting institutions and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions. At least one partner must be an institution that offers the associate degree as the highest STEM degree and the other partner(s) must offer baccalaureate degrees in disciplines related to the biomedical sciences. Two different scenarios are anticipated for these partnerships:

• One associate degree-granting institution as the applicant institution partnering with one or more baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, or
• One baccalaureate degree-granting institution as the applicant institution partnering with one or more associate degree-granting institutions.

The program does not support single institutions offering both associate and baccalaureate degrees where graduates or transfers from the associate degree programs enter the baccalaureate programs, even if the students are moving to another department, school, or college. To reinforce strong partnerships, the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program requires the participation of least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) from each partner institution.

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program recognizes the heterogeneity of institutional settings and institutional missions. Therefore, each application must include a self-assessment of each participating institution that includes baseline data on student demographics, enrollment, transfer rates, research experience, and degree attainment rates. Program objectives should be based on this self-assessment and must align with the purpose of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program. Applicants are expected to identify training objectives (i.e., specific, measurable, and obtainable outcomes the program intends to achieve) and to develop plans to implement evidence-informed training and mentoring activities that are grounded in the literature and from evaluations of existing relevant programs. Funded programs are expected to provide evidence of accomplishing the training objectives in progress reports and in renewal applications, to make training and career outcomes publicly available, and are strongly encouraged to disseminate successful training practices to the broader community.

Funded programs are also expected to implement robust plans to enhance diversity and to promote inclusive, safe, and supportive research environments. Specifically, funded programs should have institutional and departmental environments where individuals from all backgrounds are welcomed and feel integrated into and supported by the biomedical community. Programs are also expected to implement plans to enhance trainee retention, i.e., to sustain the scientific interests and participation of trainees from all backgrounds. Additionally, safety in research training should encompass (1) environments free from harassment and intimidation, in which everyone participating is treated in a respectful and supportive manner, (2) laboratory and clinical settings where individuals exercise the highest standards of practice for chemical, biological and physical safety, and (3) practices at the institutional leadership and research community levels that demonstrate core values and behaviors to emphasize safety over competing goals.

Institutional commitment and support for the proposed training program are important elements of the application. The Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program may complement and synergize with other ongoing federally supported research training programs at the applicant and partnering institution(s); however, the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program goals and activities to achieve those goals must be distinct from related programs currently receiving federal support at the applicant and partnering institution(s). In cases where an institution has multiple NIGMS training grants, it is expected that these programs will create administrative and training efficiencies to reduce costs and improve trainee services and outcomes. The training grant should be well integrated within one or more department(s)/program(s) and should exert a strong, positive influence on the development and execution of the outreach and recruitment of potential trainees, curriculum, training opportunities, and mentoring. Training grant funds may not be used solely as a vehicle to provide stipends for trainees to conduct research.

Training grants are usually awarded for five years. The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels. Trainees are typically provided full-time support for two years of undergraduate studies within the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program partnership. There is flexibility in how the two years of support can be administered, but there must be robust support at both the associate degree-granting and baccalaureate degree granting-institutions. Research-oriented trainees must be enrolled at the associate degree-granting institution at the time of initial appointment. Typically, one year of full-time support is provided at the associate degree-granting institution and one year of full-time support at the baccalaureate degree-granting institution. However, at baccalaureate institutions where other NIH undergraduate research training programs (e.g., U-RISE, MARC) exist, the Bridges to the Baccalaureate trainees may transition into or benefit from these training programs. In this case, trainees may receive up to two years of full-time support at the associate degree-granting institution.

This FOA does not allow appointed trainees to lead an independent clinical trial but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Applicant organizations may submit one application per UM1 application.

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH.

To accomplish the stated overarching goal, this FOA will provide support to recipients of Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) for creative educational activities with a primary focus on research experiences designed to ensure that the participants receive exposure to the scientific and operational principles underlying each step of the translational process so that they can apply these principles to clinical and translational science research areas such as: 1) pre-clinical research, 2) clinical research, 3) clinical implementation, and 4) public health.

• Research Experiences

Amount Description

The maximum budget is $100,000 direct costs/year. The budget request for a given application needs to be adequately justified and reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. Yearly fluctuations in the project workload should be reflected in the requested budget.

The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 5 years.

Eligibility Requirements

NCATS solicits the submission of one set of companion applications. With this solicitation for the R25 application, a separate, companion FOA solicits applications for a required UM1 (PAR-21-293: Clinical and Translational Science Award). The UM1 and initial R25 applications must be submitted concurrently; an R25 application without the required companion UM1 application will not be reviewed. The R25 application will only be awarded if the UM1 application is awarded. Resubmission of an R25 without the required UM1 will be allowed only if the UM1 application is awarded.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program

The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required.

The UM1 PD(s)/PI(s) may not be a PD(s)/PI(s) on the R25 award.

NCATS solicits the submission of one set of companion applications. With this solicitation for the R25 application, a separate, companion FOA solicits applications for a required UM1 (PAR-21-293: Clinical and Translational Science Award). The UM1 and initial R25 applications must be submitted concurrently; an R25 application without the required companion UM1 application will not be reviewed. The R25 application will only be awarded if the UM1 application is awarded. Resubmission of an R25 without the required UM1 will be allowed only if the UM1 application is awarded. The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program

• Applicants lacking the following will be considered as not responsive. Nonresponsive applications will not be reviewed.

• New applications that are not submitted as part of the companion and required UM1 PAR-21-293 Clinical and Translational Science Award (UM1 Clinical Trial Optional).

• Resubmission of R25 Research Education applications that are not linked to a funded UM1.

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

NIGMS will accept only one MSTP application per institution.

The goal of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained clinician-scientist leaders available to address the nation’s biomedical research needs. Specifically, this funding announcement provides support to eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to dual-degree training and mentoring that will keep pace with the rapid evolution of the biomedical research enterprise and lead to the completion of both a clinical degree (for example, M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S., Pharm.D., etc.) and a research doctorate degree (Ph.D.).  

With the dual qualifications of a rigorous scientist and clinician, graduates will be equipped with the skills to develop research programs that accelerate the translation of research advances to the understanding, detection, treatment, and prevention of human disease, and to lead the advancement of biomedical research.  Areas of particular importance to NIGMS are optimizing training efficiency, fostering the persistence of alumni in research careers, and enhancing the diversity of the clinician-scientist workforce.  NIGMS expects that the proposed research training program will incorporate didactic, research, mentoring and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NIGMS allows multiple institutions to participate in a single MSTP application, where this may further advance the goals of the program.  A single contact institution would receive and administer the award.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program should be detailed in the Organizational Support Letter in the Letters of Support attachment. See the application instructions for the required Letters of Support instructions in Section IV.

As described in the instructions for the Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) in Section IV.2 below, NIGMS encourages multiple PDs/PIs, particularly when each brings a unique perspective and skill set that will enhance training. Note the following:

• To provide research training leadership for the program, at least one of the training PDs/PIs should have a record of using rigorous and transparent methods in experimental design, data collection, analysis, and reporting in a biomedical research field applicable to the program.
• Additional PDs/PIs may be included to strengthen the expertise of the PD/PI team. Examples include individuals such as program directors who regularly interact with students, or individuals with expertise in education, relevant social sciences, program evaluation, mentoring, or university administration. 

Any of the PDs/PIs may serve as the contact PD/PI. The contact PD/PI is expected to have a full-time appointment at the applicant organization unless extremely well-justified. If the full-time status of the contact PD/PI changes after the award, the organization must obtain prior program approval to appoint a new PD/PI or request a deviation from the full-time rule. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for:

• The overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program.
• The day-to-day administration of the program, including direct involvement with trainees.
• The selection and appointment of trainees to the research training program.
• The selection of faculty mentors for the program, assessment of mentor performance, and ensuring the program deals appropriately with substandard mentor performance.
• Monitoring and assessing the program and submitting all documents and reports as required.
• Appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable) and implementing their guidance as appropriate.

Submit ticket request  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application per Institution (normally identified by having a unique entity identifier (UEI) or NIH IPH number) is allowed; however, that institution may also participate as partner via a sub-award or associate program through applications submitted by other institutions.

NIEHS invites applications for cooperative agreements to support the development and delivery of model programs for the training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, transportation, and emergency response. This funding opportunity announcement aims to use safety and health training to prevent and reduce work-related harm. The training programs will provide skills and knowledge to workers on how best to identify and protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations, hazardous materials transportation, environmental restoration of contaminated facilities, and emergency response. A variety of industry sites, such as those involved with hazardous waste cleanup, remedial action, and transportation-related emergency response may pose severe health and safety concerns to workers and the surrounding communities. These sites contain many hazardous substances, sometimes unknown, and a site maybe uncontrolled. A major goal of the Worker Training Program (WTP) is to support institutional competency-building for the development and delivery of model training and education programs.

Renewal application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.  A new applicant that has never received funding under previous announcements may request a budget for direct costs of up to $700,000 for the first year.

Indirect Costs (also known as Facilities & Administrative [F&A] Costs) are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs.

TBA  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

In 2024, the Network Challenge focuses on two specific areas:

• Educational offerings that foster cross-disciplinary perspectives and credentialing.
• Career pipeline/placement efforts to develop a public interest technology workforce in government, industry, and social impact organizations.

Project themes may include:

• Environmental, climate, or sustainability projects that provide for opportunities for storytelling around the importance of PIT.
• Policy projects with state and local governmental partnership research or briefs that advance PIT in these key fields: data science, artificial intelligence (AI), or quantum computing.
• Technical projects where students and researchers explicitly engage in storytelling about PIT within the work (Quantum, AI, augmented analytics, machine learning, robotics).
• Democracy and voting projects that explore ways to strengthen public interest systems and broaden participation at the local, state, and federal government levels.
• The intersection of gender and technology in the pursuit of justice and equity.

Funding and Allowable Uses

PIT-UN is inviting proposals in two funding tranches. Budgets should be inclusive of an indirect rate, set at 20% of total direct costs.

Note: Tranche 2 funding has changed for 2024

1. Tranche 1: Up to $90,000 for direct and indirect costs (indirect costs are capped at 20%)
2. Tranche 2: From $90,001 to $145,000 for direct and indirect costs (indirect costs are capped at 20%)

Proposals requesting Tranche 2 funding must include at least 50% in-kind contribution funding from the primary institution.

Note: If the required institutional in-kind funding is less than 50%, the proposal will not be considered.

Eligibility

In this sixth year of the Network Challenge, PIT-UN will accept the following types of proposals in response to its RFP:

1. New Projects: Projects that have not received prior funding from the PIT-UN Challenge (“new projects”).
2. Expansion and Scale of Existing Projects: Projects that have received prior funding from the PIT-UN Challenge in 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022, but have not received three years of Network Challenge funding can apply for additional funding to expand and/or scale their project (“previously funded projects”).

Projects ineligible to apply for funding are Network Challenge projects of any year that have not submitted their project's final reports (narrative and budget reconciliation) to New Venture Fund using the Submittable grant management system.

Limits

Limited Submissions

The PIT-UN Network Challenge is a limited submission funding opportunity and limits the number of applications from one institution. These “limited submission” funding opportunities must undergo an internal selection process (also known as an internal competition), which is coordinated by the institution. Please consult your institution before you develop any applications.

Additionally, there is a limit to the number of proposals a PIT-UN member university can submit:

• Proposals for up to a total of three new projects. Only one of these can fall within the funding Tranche 2 ($90,001–$145,000).
• Proposals to expand/scale previously awarded projects, outlined in Eligibility section ii, can fall into either funding Tranche 1 (up to $90,000) or Tranche 2* ($90,001–$145,000).

Proposals requesting Tranche 2 funding must include at least 50% in-kind contribution funding from the primary institution. Proposed budgets should be inclusive of an indirect rate, set at 20% of total direct costs.

Note: Proposals can only be funded with Network Challenge funding for three years.

A person may be listed as the principal investigator (PI) on only one Network Challenge application, but individuals may be listed as collaborators on multiple applications.

Projects that are a partnership between two or more universities should submit one single application from the lead institution. Projects should explain the nature of the partnership, including the division of labor and funds in the proposal.

Each PIT-UN member has identified one point of contact for submitting all grant applications for their institutions. Only that point of contact should be accessing the online grant platform. If you do not know who your PIT-UN member Network Challenge point of contact is, get in touch with your institution's PIT-UN designee.

Limit:1 // SF-Wung (College of Nursing)

One application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number) is allowed. This FOA seeks to support programs that include innovative approaches to enhance biomedical engineering (BME) designeducation to ensure a future workforce that can meet the nation’s needs in biomedical research and healthcare technologies.

Applications are encouraged from institutions that propose to establish new or to enhance existing team-based design courses orprograms in undergraduate biomedical engineering departments or other degree-granting programs with biomedical engineeringtracks/minors. This FOA targets the education of undergraduate biomedical engineering/bioengineering students in a team-basedenvironment. Health equity and universal design topics must be integrated throughout the educational activities. While current bestpractices such as multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary education, introduction to the regulatory pathway and other issues related tothe commercialization of medical devices, and clinical immersion remain encouraged components of a strong BME program, thisFOA also challenges institutions to propose other novel, innovative and/or ground-breaking activities that can form the basis of thenext generation of biomedical engineering design education.