Research Education: Bridges to the Doctorate (R25) | PAR 17 209

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 209

The NIH grant opportunity "Research Education: Bridges to the Doctorate (R25)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-209) is a discretionary grant program run by the National Institutes of Health, specifically through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). It falls under the NIH Research Education Program mechanism (R25), which is designed to support structured research education activities that align with NIH mission areas. In this case, the central purpose is to create and strengthen educational pathways that help broaden participation and increase diversity within the biomedical research workforce, with an emphasis on preparing trainees to successfully transition toward and into doctoral-level study.

The program is focused on supporting creative, well-organized educational activities rather than standard research projects. The main allowable activity types highlighted in the opportunity are Courses for Skills Development and Research Experiences. In practical terms, this typically means programs that build technical, analytical, and professional competencies needed for doctoral training and biomedical research careers, paired with hands-on research exposure. While the announcement text is brief, the "Bridges to the Doctorate" framing signals an emphasis on improving readiness for PhD or equivalent doctoral programs by strengthening the training pipeline, providing structured learning opportunities, and offering mentored research experiences that help participants develop the confidence, credentials, and preparation expected of competitive doctoral applicants.

Eligibility includes U.S.-based institutions of higher education, both public/state-controlled and private. The opportunity also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types that commonly serve populations underrepresented in biomedical research, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). This aligns with the overall workforce diversity objective by encouraging applications from institutions with strong connections to the communities the program aims to support.

Foreign participation is not permitted under this funding opportunity. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed. Put simply, the program is intended to be designed, managed, and carried out entirely within eligible U.S.-based institutions and settings.

From the administrative details provided, the program is categorized under the Health funding activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.859. The agency is the National Institutes of Health. The original closing date listed is 2018-09-25, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of 2017-03-08. The listed award ceiling is $300,000, indicating the upper limit on the award amount expected under this announcement (with the specific budget and project structure typically expected to match the proposed education and training activities). The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data.

Overall, this FOA supports institutional research education programs that deliberately combine skill-building coursework and meaningful research experiences to help trainees move into doctoral training and, longer term, strengthen diversity in the biomedical research enterprise.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Education: Bridges to the Doctorate (R25)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PAR 17 209

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