Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers grant, issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a new funding opportunity designed to support the development of nursing-led research centers that prioritize community-partnered approaches. This grant, under activity code P20, reflects NINR's longstanding commitment to improving health and well-being by addressing the root causes of health challenges in diverse settings and across populations. Emphasizing collaboration between Schools or Colleges of Nursing (SON/CON) and non-academic community organizations, the initiative seeks to foster innovative, interdisciplinary research aligned with NINR’s holistic, life-course-oriented mission. The primary objective of the P20 Exploratory Grants is to establish sustainable infrastructure that supports community-engaged nursing research. Centers must develop centralized research resources within SON/CONs, enhance interdisciplinary teams led by nurse scientists, and cultivate expertise in community-partnered research methodologies. At the core of this initiative is the inclusion of at least one community partner—such as a faith-based organization, local government agency, or advocacy group—as a co-investigator and key personnel. These partnerships must be active throughout all phases of the research process, including study design, implementation, dissemination, and translation. Each center must feature three key components: an Administrative Core, a Pilot Core, and a Capacity Building Core. The Administrative Core oversees the coordination of center activities and resource allocation, and is responsible for establishing internal governance structures including an Internal Executive Committee, a Community Advisory Board (CAB), and a Scientific and Operational Advisory Committee (SOAC). The Pilot Core administers a pilot project program that funds modest community-partnered research studies focused on social determinants of health. Each pilot must involve data collection from primary sources and be led by an academic and community co-investigator. At least one pilot project must be initiated in the first year, with a total of three required during the five-year award period. The Capacity Building Core is tasked with enhancing the skills and capabilities of nurse researchers, community partners, and center staff through professional development activities such as workshops, speaker events, and technical assistance programs. These efforts aim to promote scientific exchange and facilitate future collaborations. Centers are also required to host a web page and participate in an annual NINR meeting to share progress, results, and best practices across institutions. Additionally, centers must demonstrate a plan for sustainability beyond the funding period, including strategies for leveraging additional funding and maintaining community partnerships. Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as higher education institutions (both public and private), nonprofits, local and state governments, tribal governments, and for-profit organizations. Importantly, the Principal Investigator must be a nurse with a research doctorate and a faculty appointment in a SON/CON. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, using either the NIH ASSIST system or an institutional S2S platform. Applications must conform to multi-project formatting and include specified attachments and institutional letters of support. A detailed review process will assess criteria such as scientific significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, and community engagement. The funding opportunity, identified as PAR-25-439, opens for applications on December 26, 2025, with the first due date on January 25, 2026, followed by annual cycles through 2028. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. Award budgets may request up to $500,000 in direct costs per year for up to five years. Clinical trials are optional under this announcement. Awards are contingent upon the availability of NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications received. Queries about the scientific aspects should be directed to Dr. Joshua Wolff at [email protected], while financial inquiries can be addressed to Ron Wertz at [email protected].

Ensure strong community co-leadership is present in pilot projects; follow NIH multi-project formatting; incomplete community representation may result in disqualification