Research Experiences and/or Mentoring Networks through Research Education to Enhance Clinician-Scientists' Participation in NIDCDs Research (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 020

The funding opportunity PAR-25-020 is an NIH Research Education Program (R25) grant from the National Institutes of Health, focused on building research experiences and/or mentoring networks that increase clinician-scientists participation in research aligned with the mission of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). In practical terms, the program is designed to create structured education and career-development style activities that help attract, prepare, and retain clinicians and other professionals with relevant specialty backgrounds so they move into, or stay engaged in, biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research careers connected to hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language research areas that NIDCD supports. The opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed activities cannot include running an NIH-defined clinical trial as part of the R25-supported program, even if the broader training environment includes clinical research exposure.

This is a discretionary grant mechanism under the R25 activity code, categorized within Health funding (CFDA 93.173). The emphasis is on research education rather than a traditional research project, so applicants are expected to propose educational structures such as mentored research experiences, skills-focused curricula, workshops, seminars, or multi-institution mentoring networks that give participants the preparation, guidance, and professional pathways needed to become competitive for future research roles and research funding. The intent is recruitment and pipeline development: bringing clinicians and other targeted professionals into NIDCD-relevant research trajectories, strengthening their research literacy and capabilities, and connecting them with mentorship that can sustain long-term engagement.

A wide range of organizations can apply. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and multiple categories of nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as long as they are not institutions of higher education if applying under those nonprofit categories). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible, along with Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), plus public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities and other types of applicants captured under the "Others" category. The notice also highlights that a variety of mission-relevant and capacity-building institution types are welcomed, 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, and faith-based or community-based organizations, as well as regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the eligibility language draws a clear boundary around foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant may include certain scientifically justified elements of work or collaboration occurring outside the U.S. under NIH rules, without the foreign entity serving as the primary applicant.

The funding listing provides an award ceiling of $250,000, signaling the maximum budget level per award under the terms described in the source summary. The opportunity was created on 2024-10-02, and the original closing date is 2027-09-29, indicating a multi-year window in which applications may be accepted according to the announcement schedule. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided source data, which often means the actual count will depend on NIH priorities, application volume and quality, and available appropriations over the active period of the announcement.

Overall, this R25 opportunity is best understood as support for a well-designed, organized set of educational and mentoring activities that strengthen the clinician-scientist pipeline in NIDCD-relevant fields, with the key constraints that the grant supports research education (not independent research aims as the central product) and that NIH-defined clinical trials are not permitted within the proposed program.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Experiences and/or Mentoring Networks through Research Education to Enhance Clinician-Scientists' Participation in NIDCDs Research (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-09-29.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 25 020

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