Completed

No applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed to support highly integrated research teams of three to six Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) to address ambitious and challenging research questions that are within the mission of NIGMS. Project goals should not be achievable with a collection of individual efforts or projects. Collaborative program teams are expected to accomplish goals that require considerable synergy and managed team interactions. Teams are encouraged to consider far-reaching objectives that will produce major advances in their fields.

This FOA is not intended for applications that are mainly focused on the creation, expansion, and/or maintenance of community resources, creation of new technologies, or infrastructure development.

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2

Institutions can receive only two awards each year and can submit a limit of two applications per year.
*The ORAU Innovation Partnerships Grant Program is a single fiscal year award for events held between September 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.

Event or conference sponsorship is often beneficial to the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Council of Sponsoring Institution Members, whether as a means of fostering collaboration among Council members, gaining new and important information for a proposal or business plan, and more. Up to $4,000 may be requested to support an in-person or virtual event that involves participants from more than one ORAU member institution, including students. Innovation Partnership applications should focus on focused workshops/conferences that highlight your university’s strategic STEM research and education growth areas, and where collaborations with other member universities would add value. We are specifically interested in events that can bring more thought leadership in building a national strategy for STEM education and workforce development. Member universities are encouraged to collaborate around this topic in anticipation of federal funding initiatives. 

FY 2024 Innovation Partnerships Grant Focus Areas:

• Climate and Environment - sustainability, environmental justice, clean energy, resilience to climate hazards, emerging technologies, measurement and impact assessment, diversity and inclusion, policy, and data science and analytics
• Health Equity - telemedicine, telehealth, health literacy, health communication, behavioral and mental health, health disparities, diversity and inclusion, policy, and data science and analytics
• Future of the STEM Workforce - new ways of teaching and learning (K-16), transformative workforce capacity building and mentoring, diversity and inclusion, policy, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence

Institutionally Coordinated //  Limit: 4* // Tickets Available: 3

J. Ruiz (Biosphere 2)
V. Subbian (Biomedical Engineering), sub to Univ. of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

*Please note that due to the size and complexity of the application process, the University of Arizona will institutionally coordinate no more than four (4) applications to this opportunity.

MacArthur today announced the launch of a new round of its 100&Change competition for a single $100 million grant to help solve one of the world's most critical social challenges. The third round of 100&Change remains open to organizations and collaborations working in any field, anywhere in the world. Proposals must identify a problem and offer a solution that promises significant and durable change; applications will be accepted online only, from May 22 to August 15, 2024. 

For the third round of the competition, MacArthur is adding “just” as a criterion to align with the Foundation’s Just Imperative, incorporating a sharper focus on how projects advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. No topic is exempt or excluded from these commitments.

100&Change remains global and athematic. The competition is unique because no field or problem area is designated, unlike most prizes and challenges, and proposals from all sectors and anywhere in the world are encouraged. To date, 100&Change has leveraged an additional $511 million in funding, spurring the philanthropic sector to rethink its approach to achieving impact at scale.

Preparation and Proposals

100&Change seeks proposals that articulate both a problem and its solution. Competitive proposals will address a significant problem and provide a solution that is impactful, evidence-based, feasible, durable, and just.

An organizational readiness tool is available to help organizations determine whether they are ready to compete in 100&Change. This tool was designed to help potential applicants understand characteristics of the most competitive organizations and proposals, and to determine how well-suited they are for 100&Change.

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.

Limit: 1 // A. Favela (School of Plant Science)

Due to the competitive nature of this funding program, this selection process is running with an anticipated deadline.
We will keep all applicants informed of relevant updates in the guidelines, submission deadlines, and eligibility as soon as more information becomes available.

The Searle Scholars Program supports research of outstanding individuals who have recently begun their appointment at the assistant professor level, and whose appointment is their first tenure-track position at a participating academic or research institution. Today, 168 institutions are invited to participate in the Program.

The Program was established at The Chicago Community Trust in 1980 and has been administered by Kinship Foundation since 1996. The Program is funded from the estates of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Searle. Mr. Searle was the grandson of the founder of the world-wide pharmaceutical company, G.D. Searle & Company. It was Mr. Searle's wish that certain funds be used to support "...research in medicine, chemistry, and the biological sciences."

Each year 15 new individuals are named Searle Scholars. Awards are currently set at $100,000 per year for three years. Since its inception, 617 Scholars have been named and over $174 million has been awarded.

The Searle Scholars Program Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time.

Applicants for the 2025 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2025) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences.

Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after July 1, 2023. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent) at an invited institution.

Institutions which do not have tenure-track appointments should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding eligibility of selected applicants PRIOR to nominating such individuals.

The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for our Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on this website.

Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition. Institutions should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding renomination of such individuals.

The Searle Scholars Program Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time.

Amount per Award: $300,000
Duration of Award: 3 Years

Update 1/27/2025 - This funding opportunity has been archived

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2

Limit on number of proposals per organization description 

FORECAST does not accept separately submitted collaborative proposals. Any collaboration among organizations should be through a subaward. An eligible organization may submit only two (2) proposals. Proposals that exceed the organizational eligibility limit will be returned without review. Potential PIs are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

Organizations participating only as evaluators or subawardees on projects are excluded from this limitation.

Proposals may only be submitted by certain types of PIs. Please see solicitation for details.

Focus On Recruiting Emerging Climate and Adaptation Scientists and Transformers (FORECAST) seeks to facilitate the transition from status quo graduate career preparation to a student-centered model with a particular emphasis on building entrepreneurial and innovation capacity at emerging research institutions (ERIs). Transformers are scientists ready to tackle the challenges the nation and world are facing due to climate change. This opportunity will adopt the spirit of multiple directives for the research community; for example, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report on Earth System Science and the Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education report on Engaged Research. These directives call on the research enterprise to support the building of a robust scientific workforce ready to work with communities in addressing societal challenges. Through convergence research approaches to address societal challenges, the transdisciplinary researchers engaged in FORECAST will foster community resilience and the translation of research outcomes for societal benefits, as well as gain a broader understanding of the governmental context related to these issues. A new generation of scientists trained in "engaged research" will be expected to have a national impact in communities that may be disproportionately affected by climate change impacts. The program will build cohorts of innovative scholars from the full spectrum of diverse talent at emerging research institutions to include groups historically excluded in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Participants, who are senior students in undergraduate programs and students who are in master's degree programs, will be supported through intentional professional development activities. FORECAST participants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

FORECAST proposals will fall into three categories: Track 1, Track 2, and FORECAST Planning grants. Track 1 will support one Coordination Hub, to coordinate support for rising seniors from emerging research institutions (ERIs) or historically excluded and underserved groups as part of a national cohort to participate in structured professional development opportunities. Track 2 projects will support cohorts of Master's degree students at ERIs. Mentorship and capacity building should be central to the cohort approach. FORECAST Planning grant proposals will build capacity at ERI institutions and with the appropriate partners to undertake the activities necessary to establish a future FORECAST track 2 cohort.

No Applicants // Limit: 2* // Tickets Available: 2

Starting in 2024, ADA will accept up to two (2) nominations per institution with one (1) nomination spanning basic through preclinical research and one (1) nomination spanning clinical through public health research. 

Pathway to Stop Diabetes has a simple, yet revolutionary goal: to find scientists at the peak of their creativity and provide them with the flexibility and resources they need on the road to breakthrough discoveries. We attract and retain brilliant scientists in diabetes. Our three areas of focus—awarding research grants, providing access to scientific and career mentoring from leading diabetes researchers, and creating a diabetes think tank—are each key components of a unique formula to cultivate the next generation of leaders, whose discoveries will stop diabetes and all of its burdens once and for all.

Initiator Award (INI)

• Award Term: Up to 7 years
• Applicant: Postdoctoral Fellow
• Maximum Funding: Up to $100,000/year in Phase 1, Up to $325,000/year in Phase 2
• Support: Project support & PI salary
• Indirect Support: Up to 10% of directs in Phase 1, Up to 30% of directs in Phase 2
• Project % Effort Required: 75-100% effort in Phase 1, 50-75% effort in Phase 2
• Citizenship: Authorized to work in U.S. or U.S. possessions
• Description: This two-phased award is designed to support the transition of scientists from mentored training to independent research faculty.
• Eligibility: Eligible applicants must currently be in research training positions (post-doctoral fellow, research fellowship) and have no more than seven years of research training following terminal doctoral degree. Applicants cannot concurrently hold an NIH K99/R00 grant. Candidates must be identified through institutional nomination; applications will be accepted only from individuals with the appropriate institution support.
• Support: Awards provide two distinct phases of research support: Phase 1 provides up to two years of support for mentored training at a maximum of $100,000 per year (including 10% indirect costs), Phase 2 provides up to five years of support for independent research at a maximum of $325,000 per year (including 30% indirect costs). Maximum combined support for Phase 1 and Phase 2 is $1,625,000.

Accelerator Award (ACE)
 

• Award Term: Up to 5 years
• Applicant: Early Career Faculty
• Maximum Funding: $325,000/year
• Support: Project support & PI salary
• Indirect Support: Up to 30% of directs
• Project % Effort Required: 25-50% effort
• Citizenship: Authorized to work in U.S. or U.S. possessions
• Description: This award is designed to support exceptional, independent early-career researchers who have distinguished themselves as promising investigators and are in the beginning stages of establishing successful, sustainable diabetes research programs.
• Eligibility: Awards are available to early-career diabetes investigators proposing innovative and ambitious diabetes-related research programs. Applicants must hold faculty positions and have demonstrated independent productivity in diabetes research. Applicants may currently hold independent NIH funding (K, U or R awards, including an initial R01/U01) but must not have applied for (regardless of outcome), or received, an R01/U01 renewal or a second R01/U01 award. Candidates must be identified through institutional nomination; applications will be accepted only from individuals with the appropriate institution support.
• Support: Awards provide five years of research support at a maximum of $325,000 per year (including 30% indirect costs), for a total of $1,625,000.

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

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invites applications for the Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health (Ag Centers). These centers are expected to conduct high quality research and subsequently disseminate their findings and recommendations in audience appropriate products to contribute to improving the safety and health of agriculture, forestry, and fishing workers. Center structure should take advantage of diverse scientific resources and focus on local, regional, and/or national worker safety and health issues. Emphasis should be placed on the creation and implementation of evidence-based solutions that address important agricultural, forestry, and fishing safety and health problems. Centers should also use innovative approaches to identifying, understanding, and developing strategies for overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up and sustainability of evidence-based solutions. Collaborations with other academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other occupational safety and health focused groups are expected. Applicants must concisely describe the occupational safety and health burden within their service area and directly link research and outreach activities to help alleviate the burden. Applicants should also clearly articulate the anticipated impacts of the proposed work, both during the project period and beyond.

Ag Center Structure

NIOSH Ag Centers provide interdisciplinary research and outreach efforts to address AgFF-related occupational health and safety problems. Applicants should keep in mind the required and optional components essential to Ag Center function, detailed below, in providing an overall description of the proposed Ag Center, addressing 1) the burden of occupational injuries and illnesses within their region for this work sector, 2) the regional and national need for the Ag Center’s proposed programs and projects, and 3) the Center’s impact, or potential for impact, on AgFF worker health and safety.

The following required components enable Ag Centers to cohesively address their goals and objectives for providing impact:

Evaluation and Planning Core. The purpose of the Evaluation and Planning Core is to 1) provide oversight, leadership, and management for the Center, including establishment and maintenance of advisory committees; 2) engage in long-range planning, coordination, and implementation of work that crosses multiple cores, programs or projects; and 3) develop and assist in implementing evaluation efforts at the Center, core, program and project levels. Any collaborative projects with other Ag Centers should include the Evaluation and Planning Core for the purposes of oversight and coordination.

Outreach Core. The purpose of the Outreach Core is to ensure that evidence-based approaches, technologies, guidelines, policies, best practices, or similar activities are promoted and implemented in affected populations to benefit workers and their associated work environments. Much of the work in the Outreach Core will be implemented through partnerships and collaborations with nonprofit organizations, community groups, industry groups, employers, or similar entities.

Research Core. The purpose of the Research Core is to develop programs and projects in response to the goals identified in the Center's strategic plan and subsequently manage, monitor, and coordinate this work within the Center. Research activities include basic/etiologic, intervention, translation, and surveillance. Activities can vary widely, from pilot or feasibility studies that are minimally resourced and may be exploratory in nature to large, R01-like projects that require preliminary data and significant investment in personnel, equipment, time, and space. The Research Core is comprised of the required research projects and the optional Pilot/Feasibility Program Please note, the "Research Core" is not an actual component within the application - instead it is a construct to address budget limits across multiple and varied activities (i.e., required research projects and the optional pilot/feasibility program). There is no limitation to the number of research projects that applicants can propose as long as they stay within the annual direct costs requirements.

Objectives/Outcomes

The primary goal of an Ag Center is to conduct high quality scientific research and outreach efforts to address local, regional, and national AgFF problems. This will ultimately be accomplished through the goals in the Center’s Strategic Plan. However, the operational process for accomplishing these goals should not be overlooked and therefore, each core, program and project should develop operational objectives to support the goals in the Plan.

Target Population

There are many affected subpopulations in AgFF professions. The attributes of these affected subpopulations (such as demographics, size, risks/hazards encountered, and resources available to educate or assist in addressing the problem) will drive the proposed projects and their anticipated outputs and impacts. Ag Centers are distributed throughout the nation to be responsive to safety and health issues unique to different regions of the country. The risks inherent to an AgFF job are often dependent on the work environment, local/industry work practices, and specific job tasks. Therefore, Ag Centers should clearly describe the specific target populations they are focusing their efforts on and provide information to support the need for these proposed efforts.

Industry Sectors, Health and Safety Cross-sectors, and Goals

In the Project Description/Abstract of the application, state which industry sector(s) and health and safety cross-sector(s) the proposed work will address. Provide a clear rationale for how the intended outcomes of the proposed project will contribute to the specified goals in NIOSH's Strategic Plan and, in particular, those identified in the NIOSH Priority Goals for Extramural Research.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In June 2019, NIOSH began an initiative to take substantive action in creating greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce, the workplace and in its service to the public. This initiative led to the establishment of the NIOSH Diversity and Inclusion Office. The associated strategic plan is intended to guide actions that specifically address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of NIOSH's work, including NIOSH-supported extramural programs. Ag Centers should demonstrate a commitment to DEI in all aspects of their center. This commitment should be reflected in the center's core values, mission and outputs.

Asymmetrical power relationships along social axes such as age, class, gender, nativity, and race/ethnicity not only result in social, economic, and environmental disadvantages that impact the distribution of work-related benefits and risks but also result in exclusionary research practices. Developing inclusive research practices, and the institutional capacity to effectively produce data driven solutions that reduce these avoidable inequities, is essential to ensuring the well-being of the increasingly diverse AgFF workforce.

Applicants should describe how they propose to ensure inclusive governance and practice in the required center components (Evaluation and Planning, Outreach, and Research). Discussion should include, but not be limited to, how historically underrepresented groups will be included in agenda setting for the work of the center. For example, this may include participation on advisory boards, as researchers/staff and through partnerships. Applicants should also identify how the center will ensure that research questions, data collection methods and analysis, and dissemination of results will be inclusive of the diversity in the AgFF workforce, especially those from historically underrepresented groups. Applicants should demonstrate how the design, content, format, and dissemination of outreach efforts will be tailored to the needs of workers from diverse backgrounds.

Collaboration/Partnerships

Ag Centers must demonstrate collaborative efforts by working with a diverse and broad range of organizations to enhance worker safety and health in their region. Possible collaborators include universities, labor and professional associations, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and federal, state, or local public health and regulatory agencies. Centers should seek to address a wide range of occupational safety and health concerns in their region, as determined by the burdens posed by these problems or hazards, and their funding applications must describe how their efforts will alleviate or eliminate these burdens.

Evaluation/Performance Measurement

All Center activities should be managed and coordinated as part of the Evaluation and Planning Core. This core is responsible for all new and ongoing center-wide evaluation activities as well as supporting program and project level evaluation efforts. These activities should all be described in a Center evaluation plan. Ag Centers are also strongly encouraged to interact with each other on evaluation methods and best practices, to increase awareness of activities and evaluation techniques. Similarly, centers will work with each other and NIOSH during the performance period to develop shared logic models on common AgFF health and safety outcomes. In addition to center-specific evaluation and performance measurement, Ag Centers may be asked to participate in NIOSH evaluation efforts related to the NIOSH AgFF Program and the NIOSH Evaluation Capacity Building Plan.

Translation Plan

The transfer of evidence-based approaches to intermediaries such as unions, manufacturers, worker groups and end users (employers and workers) through training, conferences, community gatherings, social media, blogs, websites and infographics, peer-reviewed and lay publications, etc. is an essential function of the Outreach Core. While research strengthens our understanding of the determinants of injury, illness, and death, the potential for impact of research findings is found when paired with pragmatic approaches to move findings into practice.

1. Evaluation and Planning Core
2. Outreach Core
3. Research Projects (collectively, the "Research Core", along with the optional Pilot/Feasibility Program)

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

The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit applications for the Highway Construction Training Program (HCTP) to award highway construction workforce development grants. The NOFO will result in the distribution of up to $4,226,871. The purposes of the HCTP as described in 23 U.S.C. 504(f) are to:

1) Develop, test, and review new curricula and education programs to train individuals at all levels of the transportation workforce; and

2) To implement the new curricula and education programs to provide for hands-on career opportunities to meet current and future needs.

As further described in 23 U.S.C. 504(f)(2), in making grants, FHWA may consider the extent to which the project will:

A) Develop new curricula or education program to meet the specific current or future needs of a segment of the transportation industry, States, or regions.

B) Provide for practical experience and on-the-job training.

C) Be oriented toward practitioners in the field rather than the support and growth of the research community.

D) Provide for new curricula or programs that will provide training in areas other than engineering, such grants as business administration, economics, information technology, environmental science, and law.

E) Provide programs or curricula that train professionals for work in the transportation field, such as construction materials, information technology, environmental science, urban planning, and industrial or emerging technology.

F) Demonstrate the commitment of industry or a State DOT to the program.

No Applicants  // 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.