Support for Research Excellence First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award (R16 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Support for Research Excellence – First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award, issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under funding opportunity number PAR-24-145, aims to bolster biomedical research at institutions with limited NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding. Managed through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) with participation from numerous other NIH Institutes, this initiative specifically targets faculty investigators who have not previously received independent external research grants. The SuRE-First Award supports these investigators in launching independent research programs, providing high-quality research experiences for students, and enhancing the overall research culture at their institutions. Eligible institutions must award undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences, have received less than $6 million annually from NIH RPGs over the previous two years, and enroll at least 25% Pell Grant-supported students or qualify as Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Tribal Colleges and Universities. Applicants must be full-time tenure-track faculty and commit at least six person-months per year to their research project. They are required to identify a qualified U.S.-based mentor with a strong funding and mentoring record to support their research and career development. Applications must include four mandatory attachments: an institutional strategic plan for building research capacity, a departmental support letter for the PD/PI, a detailed Research Enhancement Plan from the PD/PI, and documentation of prior, current, and pending support. The funding provides up to $125,000 annually in direct costs for a maximum of four years. It does not allow for clinical trials and applications must align with the NIH mission areas, particularly those outlined by participating Institutes. Applications are accepted on a standard schedule, with upcoming due dates on May 29, 2024, September 27, 2024, May 28, 2025, and others through September 2026. The earliest application submission date is April 29, 2024, and the final expiration date for this NOFO is May 24, 2025. The evaluation criteria include scientific merit, the investigator's qualifications and research plan, the mentor’s involvement, student engagement, innovation, approach, and institutional environment. Reviewers also assess human subjects protections, vertebrate animal use, and biohazards, if applicable. Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution, with prior registration in multiple federal systems required. Applicants are advised to begin registrations early and ensure compliance with all instructions in the NIH Application Guide and this NOFO. For further guidance, NIH provides detailed contacts for scientific, peer review, and financial inquiries across all participating Institutes, along with post-award reporting requirements and evaluation metrics, such as student outcomes and subsequent research funding by awardees.