NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurship Enhancement Award

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced its intent to continue support for the Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI) program through a forthcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The REDI program aims to enhance entrepreneurial education for early-career scientists, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. The overarching goal is to equip Ph.D.-trained researchers with the necessary skills and knowledge to transition into translational science and entrepreneurial roles across diverse sectors beyond the traditional academic research environment. This planned NOFO will utilize the R25 activity code, which supports educational projects focused on enhancing the training of biomedical researchers. The REDI Entrepreneurship Enhancement Award specifically promotes innovative educational initiatives that offer hands-on, immersive experiences in entrepreneurship. Key skill areas include scientific communication, intellectual property rights and protections, regulatory and reimbursement knowledge, market need assessments, value proposition development, and understanding of biomedical product development and financing landscapes. The NIA expects programs funded under this initiative to cultivate flexible, innovation-ready scientific professionals well-prepared for a range of careers in research translation, commercialization, and beyond. The opportunity is expected to be released for applications on July 24, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 25, 2026. Selected projects will receive funding beginning July 26, 2027, aligning with the 2027 fiscal year. No matching funds or cost-sharing will be required from applicants. As this is a forecasted opportunity, applications are not yet being solicited. The early notice is intended to allow sufficient time for potential applicants to develop collaborative partnerships and submit strong, responsive proposals when the application window opens. Eligible applicants include a broad spectrum of organizations such as higher education institutions (both public and private), state and local government entities, small businesses, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribal entities. Faith-based, community-based, regional organizations, and U.S. territories are also explicitly noted as eligible. This inclusivity reflects the NIA’s commitment to broadening participation in entrepreneurial training and aging research. The NOFO will provide specific guidance on the application process, but at this stage, no pre-application materials such as Letters of Intent or Concept Papers are required. The NIA has not indicated the number of awards it plans to make or provided specific award amount ceilings or floors. Interested parties are encouraged to monitor the Grants.gov listing and NIA communications for the release of the full NOFO and additional application materials. The program contact for scientific inquiries is available at [email protected]. The REDI initiative represents NIA’s strategic effort to integrate entrepreneurial thinking into scientific training. This forward-looking approach recognizes the need for researchers to understand the complexities of translating scientific innovations into tangible health solutions, particularly in the aging and AD research domains. With this program, NIA is laying the groundwork for a diverse, entrepreneurially equipped biomedical workforce capable of addressing the evolving challenges of aging populations.