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

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has reissued the R25 Research Education Program funding opportunity titled "Research Experiences and/or Mentoring Networks through Research Education to Enhance Clinician-Scientists' Participation in NIDCD’s Research." This opportunity is designed to foster the development of clinician-scientists and strengthen their participation in research within NIDCD’s areas of focus, which include hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. The overarching goal is to support educational activities that attract individuals with specialized clinical or disciplinary training into biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research careers. The R25 mechanism will fund projects with a primary emphasis on providing hands-on research experiences and structured mentoring networks. These experiences are intended for master's level students, graduate students (including health professional students such as Au.D. and M.D. candidates), postdoctoral researchers, and early-to-mid-career faculty. These experiences must be intellectually substantive and tailored to the participants’ career stages, including activities that build professional skills such as scientific writing and presentation. Mentorship is expected to be integrated with research activities, supporting participants in developing Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to guide their scientific trajectory. Mentoring activities can include, but are not limited to, training in leadership, grantsmanship, scholarly writing, and fostering transitions across career stages. Programs may also provide training to mentors themselves, enhancing their capacity to support diverse participants. Special emphasis is placed on recruiting clinician-scientists from various backgrounds, geographies, and research fields who are underrepresented or who may not typically engage with NIH-funded research, thereby promoting diversity in the research community. However, selection or review based on race, ethnicity, or sex is not permitted under NIDCD policy and applicable laws. Funding will be provided through a grant mechanism for up to five years, with a budget ceiling of $250,000 in direct costs annually. These funds may cover personnel, participant support (with restrictions), travel, supplies, and evaluation activities. Indirect costs are capped at 8% of modified total direct costs. The opportunity does not allow support for full-time participants, and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, although foreign components of U.S. institutions may be included. Program evaluations are required to assess outcomes and may include metrics such as participant career progression, publication records, and subsequent NIH funding. The application process requires careful adherence to the NIH’s How to Apply - Application Guide and the program-specific instructions in the funding announcement. Applications must be submitted through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or a system-to-system platform approved by the applicant's institution. No pre-application is required, but letters of intent are encouraged to help NIH estimate workload. Required application components include a Research Education Program Plan, evaluation and dissemination plans, and a plan for responsible conduct of research training. Applications are due twice per year: January 29 and September 29, beginning in 2025, with recurring due dates through 2027. Awards are made in alignment with NIH’s standard review and funding cycle, and the earliest potential start dates are approximately five months after submission. Contact points for programmatic and administrative inquiries include Dr. Alberto L. Rivera-Rentas for scientific matters and Samantha Tempchin for grants management. Applicants are urged to start the registration process early in order to meet system requirements and avoid delays.

Emphasize clear career transition goals, robust evaluation methods, and tailored mentoring aligned to participant level.