Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools

The Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools is a forecasted funding opportunity supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in collaboration with several other NIH institutes. These include the National Eye Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Cancer Institute. The purpose of this opportunity is to fund small-scale, investigator-initiated biomedical research projects that enhance the research environment at eligible institutions and provide valuable research experiences to students. These projects are intended to be aligned with the missions and research interests of the participating NIH institutes. The REAP grants particularly encourage applications involving mechanistic studies or minimal risk clinical trials that do not require FDA oversight, are not designed to formally establish efficacy, and carry low physical or psychological risk. This NOFO aims to target health professional schools and graduate institutions that do not typically receive substantial NIH funding. The goal is to improve institutional research capacity and increase opportunities for students in biomedical research. The activity code to be used for applications is R15, a mechanism designed to support smaller scale research efforts at less-research-intensive institutions. While applications are not currently being accepted, the forecasted timeline provides potential applicants with ample notice to develop proposals and form collaborative partnerships. The estimated post date for the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is December 25, 2025, with applications expected to be due by February 25, 2026. Award notifications and project start dates are both estimated to be December 25, 2026. Only public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. There are no matching fund requirements. The opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing 93.866 for Aging Research. Potential applicants are encouraged to begin preparing proposals that align with the NIH’s goals in aging and related biomedical research fields. For questions, the point of contact is Jean Yuan, Ph.D., at the National Institute on Aging. She can be reached via email at jean.yuan@nih.gov or by phone at 301-827-0009.

The notice encourages early planning and collaboration. Applicants should consider aligning proposals with NIH's missions and consider incorporating minimal risk clinical trial elements if applicable.