Research Education Projects

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency and one of the world’s foremost biomedical research institutions. Through its Office of the Director, NIH fosters scientific discoveries aimed at improving health and saving lives. The NIH Research Education Program (R25) aligns with this mission by supporting educational initiatives that enhance and complement existing training opportunities. The overarching aim of the program is to cultivate a workforce prepared to address the country’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. The R25 program is designed to support educational activities that contribute to the development of a highly skilled research workforce. These activities aim to enrich training experiences, attract individuals with specific expertise or disciplinary backgrounds into biomedical and clinical research careers, and foster a deeper public understanding of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. The program’s ultimate goal is to ensure that future generations of researchers are well-equipped to advance the nation’s health through scientific innovation. The scope of funding under this opportunity covers activities that complement traditional training programs, particularly by enhancing knowledge and skills critical to biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. The program is categorized under Health-related funding activity, with the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Regulatory Research listed as the associated assistance listing. While specific acceptable spending details are not provided in the forecast, awarded funds will likely support a broad range of educational and training initiatives aligned with NIH’s mission areas. Eligible applicants for this grant include a wide array of entities such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, independent school districts, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, state governments, county governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments. The opportunity explicitly states that no cost-sharing or matching is required. Applications for this opportunity are forecasted to open on March 2, 2026, with an estimated application due date of May 25, 2026. The estimated award date is February 1, 2027, and projects are expected to commence on April 1, 2027. The NIH encourages potential applicants to review all eligibility criteria carefully and to prepare in advance of the opening date. Specific application questions and evaluation criteria are not included in this forecast and will likely be detailed in the full funding announcement when posted. For further inquiries, applicants can contact the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW), Office of Extramural Research, Office of the Director, at 301-451-0993 or via email at NIHTrain@mail.nih.gov.